merobox 0.3.2

A Python CLI tool for managing Calimero nodes in Docker containers

Merobox CLI

A comprehensive Python CLI tool for managing Calimero nodes in Docker containers and executing complex blockchain workflows.

📚 Table of Contents

• 🚀 Quick Start
• ✨ Features
• 🔐 Auth Service Integration
• 🌐 Remote Nodes
• 📖 Workflow Guide
• 🎯 Local Blockchain Environments
• 🔧 API Reference
• 🛠️ Development Guide
• ❓ Troubleshooting
• 🏗️ Project Structure
• 📋 Requirements
• 🚀 Releases & Publishing
• 🤝 Contributing
• 📄 License
• 🆘 Support

🚀 Quick Start

Installation

# From PyPI
pipx install merobox

# From source
git clone https://github.com/calimero-network/merobox.git
cd merobox
pipx install -e .

# From Homebrew
brew install merobox

Basic Usage

# Start Calimero nodes
merobox run --count 2

# Start nodes with authentication service (Docker mode)
merobox run --auth-service

# Start nodes with embedded auth (binary mode)
merobox run --no-docker --binary-path /path/to/merod --auth-mode embedded

# Check node status
merobox list
merobox health

# Execute a workflow
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml

# Run workflow against local NEAR Devnet (no testnet URL and no testnet tokens required)
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml \
  --near-devnet \
  --contracts-dir ./contracts/res

# Run everything against the local mock relayer
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml --mock-relayer

# Stop all nodes and auth services
merobox stop --all

✨ Features

• Node Management: Start, stop, and monitor Calimero nodes in Docker
• Remote Node Support: Connect to remote Calimero nodes with user/password or API key authentication
• Auth Service Integration: Traefik proxy and authentication service with nip.io DNS
• Workflow Orchestration: Execute complex multi-step workflows with YAML
• Context Management: Create and manage blockchain contexts
• Identity Management: Generate and manage cryptographic identities
• Function Calls: Execute smart contract functions via JSON-RPC
• Dynamic Variables: Advanced placeholder resolution with embedded support
• Local NEAR Devnet: Use local instance of NEAR blockchain (Sandbox) for zero-cost and quick local testing
• Mock Relayer Support: One flag (--mock-relayer) spins up ghcr.io/calimero-network/mero-relayer:8ee178e and wires nodes to it

---

🔐 Authentication

Merobox supports two authentication modes for securing your Calimero nodes:

1. Auth Service (Docker Mode): Traefik proxy with external authentication service - best for production deployments
2. Embedded Auth (Binary Mode): Built-in authentication directly in merod - best for local development and testing

Auth Service Integration (Docker Mode)

Merobox supports integrated authentication services with Traefik proxy and nip.io DNS resolution, enabling secure access to your Calimero nodes through web URLs.

Quick Start with Auth Service

# Start a single node with auth service
merobox run --auth-service

# Start multiple nodes with auth service
merobox run --count 2 --auth-service

# Stop everything (nodes + auth services)
merobox stop --all

What Gets Created

When you enable --auth-service, merobox automatically creates:

1. Traefik Proxy (proxy container) - Routes traffic and applies middleware
2. Auth Service (auth container) - Handles authentication and authorization
3. Docker Networks:
   • calimero_web - External communication (Traefik ↔ Internet)
   • calimero_internal - Secure backend communication (Auth ↔ Nodes)

URL Access

With Auth Service:

• Node URLs: http://node1.127.0.0.1.nip.io, http://node2.127.0.0.1.nip.io, etc.
• Auth Login: http://node1.127.0.0.1.nip.io/auth/login
• Admin Dashboard: http://node1.127.0.0.1.nip.io/admin-dashboard

Without Auth Service:

• Admin Dashboard: http://localhost:2528/admin-dashboard
• Admin API: http://localhost:2528/admin-api/

Workflow Integration

Enable auth service in workflows by adding auth_service: true:

name: "My Auth Workflow"
description: "Workflow with authentication enabled"

# Enable auth service
auth_service: true

nodes:
  count: 1
  base_port: 2428
  base_rpc_port: 2528
  chain_id: "testnet-1"

steps:
  - name: "Wait for startup"
    type: "wait"
    seconds: 5

Architecture

Internet → Traefik (port 80) → Node Containers (calimero_web network)
                              ↓
                           Auth Service (calimero_internal network)

• Public routes: /admin-dashboard (no auth required)
• Protected routes: /admin-api/, /jsonrpc, /ws (auth required)
• Auth routes: /auth/login, /admin/ (handled by auth service)

Embedded Authentication (Binary Mode)

When running nodes in binary mode (--no-docker), you can enable embedded authentication directly in merod. This provides JWT-based protection for all API endpoints without requiring Docker containers or external services.

Quick Start with Embedded Auth

# Start a node with embedded auth enabled
merobox run --no-docker --binary-path /path/to/merod --auth-mode embedded

# Start multiple nodes with embedded auth
merobox run --no-docker --binary-path /path/to/merod --count 2 --auth-mode embedded

# Run workflow with embedded auth (requires credentials for API calls)
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml \
  --no-docker \
  --binary-path /path/to/merod \
  --auth-mode embedded \
  --auth-username admin \
  --auth-password password123

Note: When running workflows with --auth-mode embedded, you must provide --auth-username and --auth-password. These credentials are used to authenticate with each node before executing workflow steps. Users are automatically created on first authentication.

What Gets Enabled

When you use --auth-mode embedded:

1. JWT Protection: All API endpoints (/jsonrpc, /admin-api/, /ws) require valid JWT tokens
2. Built-in Auth Service: Authentication endpoints available at /auth/*
3. User Management: Username/password provider enabled by default
4. Persistent Storage: Auth data stored in <node_home>/auth/ directory (RocksDB)

Authentication Endpoints

With embedded auth enabled, the following endpoints are available:

• Auth Health: http://localhost:2528/auth/health - Check auth service status
• Auth Providers: http://localhost:2528/auth/providers - List available auth providers
• Auth Login UI: http://localhost:2528/auth/login - Web-based login interface
• Token Endpoint: http://localhost:2528/auth/token - Programmatic token generation

Getting a JWT Token

Option 1: Using the REST API

curl -X POST http://localhost:2528/auth/token \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "auth_method": "user_password",
    "public_key": "your-public-key",
    "client_name": "my-client",
    "timestamp": 1234567890,
    "permissions": [],
    "provider_data": {
      "username": "admin",
      "password": "password123"
    }
  }'

Option 2: Using the Web UI

Navigate to http://localhost:2528/auth/login in your browser to use the interactive authentication interface.

Using JWT Tokens

Once you have a token, include it in API requests:

curl http://localhost:2528/jsonrpc \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Important Notes

• Binary Mode Only: --auth-mode only works with --no-docker. For Docker mode, use --auth-service instead.
• Storage Location: Auth data (users, tokens) is stored at <node_home>/auth/ by default.
• Default Provider: Embedded auth uses username/password provider by default. Users are created automatically on first authentication.

Workflow Integration

Enable embedded auth in workflows:

name: "Embedded Auth Workflow"
description: "Workflow with embedded authentication"

# Enable embedded auth (binary mode only)
auth_mode: embedded

nodes:
  count: 1
  base_port: 2428
  base_rpc_port: 2528
  chain_id: "testnet-1"

steps:
  - name: "Wait for startup"
    type: "wait"
    seconds: 5

Note: When using auth_mode: embedded in workflows, you must also use --no-docker flag and provide --binary-path.

---

🌐 Remote Nodes

Merobox supports connecting to remote Calimero nodes alongside local Docker/binary nodes. This enables running workflows against production or staging nodes with proper authentication.

Quick Start with Remote Nodes

# Register a remote node
merobox remote register prod-node https://prod.example.com \
  --auth-method user_password \
  --username admin

# Login (stores token for future use)
merobox remote login prod-node

# Test connectivity
merobox remote test prod-node

# Check status
merobox remote status

# Run a workflow against the remote node
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml

Remote Node CLI Commands

merobox remote register

Register a remote node with a friendly name:

merobox remote register <name> <url> [OPTIONS]

Options:

• --auth-method/-m: Authentication method (user_password, api_key, none)
• --username/-u: Username for user_password auth
• --description/-d: Human-readable description

Examples:

# Register with user/password auth
merobox remote register prod https://prod.example.com -m user_password -u admin

# Register with API key auth
merobox remote register staging https://staging.example.com -m api_key

# Register without auth
merobox remote register local-remote https://localhost:8080 -m none

merobox remote login

Authenticate with a remote node and cache the token:

merobox remote login <url_or_name> [OPTIONS]

Options:

• --username/-u: Username (prompts if not provided)
• --password/-p: Password (prompts if not provided)
• --api-key/-k: API key for api_key auth method
• --method/-m: Auth method override

Examples:

# Login with prompts
merobox remote login prod-node

# Login with credentials
merobox remote login prod-node -u admin -p secret

# Login with API key
merobox remote login staging-node -k sk-your-api-key

# Login to unregistered URL
merobox remote login https://prod.example.com -u admin

merobox remote logout

Remove cached authentication:

merobox remote logout <url_or_name>
merobox remote logout --all  # Remove all cached tokens

merobox remote status

Display registered nodes and cached tokens:

merobox remote status

Shows:

• Registered remote nodes with URLs and auth methods
• Cached tokens with expiration status (valid/expired)

merobox remote test

Test connectivity and authentication:

merobox remote test <url_or_name> [OPTIONS]

Options:

• --username/-u: Username for testing
• --password/-p: Password for testing
• --api-key/-k: API key for testing

Tests performed:

1. Network connectivity
2. Auth requirement detection
3. Authentication (if required)
4. API access verification

merobox remote list

List all registered remote nodes:

merobox remote list

merobox remote unregister

Remove a registered remote node:

merobox remote unregister <name> [--remove-token]

Options:

• --remove-token: Also remove cached authentication token

Remote Nodes in Workflows

Define remote nodes in your workflow YAML using the remote_nodes key:

name: Remote Workflow Example
description: Workflow using remote nodes

# Remote nodes configuration
remote_nodes:
  prod-node:
    url: https://prod.example.com
    auth:
      method: user_password
      username: ${PROD_USERNAME}
      # Password from environment or cached token

  staging-node:
    url: https://staging.example.com
    auth:
      method: api_key
      key: ${STAGING_API_KEY}

  public-node:
    url: https://public.example.com
    auth:
      method: none

steps:
  - name: Install Application
    type: install_application
    node: prod-node  # Reference remote node by name
    url: https://example.com/app.wasm
    outputs:
      app_id: applicationId

  - name: Create Context
    type: create_context
    node: prod-node
    application_id: "{{app_id}}"
    outputs:
      context_id: contextId

Environment Variable Expansion

Auth fields support ${ENV_VAR} and ${ENV_VAR:-default} syntax:

remote_nodes:
  prod:
    url: https://prod.example.com
    auth:
      method: user_password
      username: ${MEROBOX_USERNAME:-admin}
      # Password read from MEROBOX_PASSWORD env var or cached token

Mixed Local and Remote Nodes

Workflows can use both local Docker nodes and remote nodes:

name: Mixed Workflow

nodes:
  count: 2
  prefix: local-node

remote_nodes:
  production:
    url: https://prod.example.com
    auth:
      method: user_password
      username: admin

steps:
  - name: Setup on Local Node
    type: create_context
    node: local-node-1
    application_id: "{{app_id}}"

  - name: Verify on Remote
    type: call
    node: production
    context_id: "{{context_id}}"
    method: get_status

Bootstrap CLI Options for Remote Nodes

Pass remote nodes directly via CLI without modifying workflow files:

# Add remote node for this run
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml \
  --remote-node prod=https://prod.example.com

# Add authentication
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml \
  --remote-node prod=https://prod.example.com \
  --remote-auth prod=admin:secret123

# Multiple remote nodes
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml \
  --remote-node prod=https://prod.example.com \
  --remote-node staging=https://staging.example.com \
  --remote-auth prod=admin:pass1 \
  --remote-auth staging=apikey:sk-xxx

# Default API key for all nodes
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml \
  --remote-node prod=https://prod.example.com \
  --api-key sk-default-key

CLI Options:

• --remote-node NAME=URL (repeatable): Register a remote node
• --remote-auth NAME=AUTH (repeatable): Set authentication
  • name=user:password for user_password auth
  • name=apikey:KEY for API key auth
• --api-key KEY: Default API key for nodes without explicit auth

Authentication Methods

User/Password Authentication

Uses the /auth/token endpoint with username and password:

auth:
  method: user_password
  username: admin
  # Password from: CLI flag, environment, or interactive prompt

Credential Resolution Order:

1. CLI flags (--password, -p)
2. Environment variable (MEROBOX_PASSWORD)
3. Interactive prompt

API Key Authentication

Uses a pre-generated API key:

auth:
  method: api_key
  key: ${API_KEY}  # From environment

No Authentication

For public nodes:

auth:
  method: none

Token Caching

Tokens are automatically cached to avoid repeated authentication:

• Cache Location: ~/.merobox/auth_cache/
• File Format: {node-slug}-{hash}.json
• Permissions: Restrictive (0o600)

How It Works:

1. First authentication saves token to cache
2. Subsequent requests use cached token
3. Expired tokens are automatically refreshed
4. calimero-client-py handles refresh on 401 responses

Token Lifecycle:

# Initial login caches token
merobox remote login prod-node -u admin -p secret

# Subsequent commands use cached token (no prompts)
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml

# Check token status
merobox remote status

# Force re-authentication
merobox remote logout prod-node
merobox remote login prod-node

Environment Variables

Variable	Description
MEROBOX_USERNAME	Default username for user_password auth
MEROBOX_PASSWORD	Default password for user_password auth
MEROBOX_API_KEY	Default API key

Example:

export MEROBOX_USERNAME=admin
export MEROBOX_PASSWORD=secret
merobox remote login prod-node  # Uses env vars, no prompts

Installing Applications on Remote Nodes

Remote nodes require applications to be installed from URLs (not local paths):

steps:
  - name: Install Application
    type: install_application
    node: remote-node
    # Use URL for remote nodes (not path)
    url: https://example.com/releases/app.wasm
    outputs:
      app_id: applicationId

Note: The path and dev: true options are only for local Docker/binary nodes where the file can be copied into the container or accessed from the host filesystem.

Troubleshooting Remote Nodes

Connection Issues

# Test basic connectivity
merobox remote test prod-node

# Check if auth is required
curl -I https://prod.example.com/admin-api/health

Authentication Issues

# Clear cached token and re-authenticate
merobox remote logout prod-node
merobox remote login prod-node -u admin

# Check token status
merobox remote status

Token Expired

Tokens are automatically refreshed, but if issues persist:

# Force fresh authentication
merobox remote logout prod-node
merobox remote login prod-node

Environment Variable Issues

# Verify environment
echo $MEROBOX_USERNAME
echo $MEROBOX_PASSWORD

# Test with explicit credentials
merobox remote login prod-node -u admin -p secret

---

📖 Workflow Guide

Overview

Merobox workflows are defined in YAML files and executed through the bootstrap command. Workflows can include multiple steps like installing applications, creating contexts, managing identities, and executing function calls.

Workflow Structure

name: "Sample Workflow"
nodes:
  - calimero-node-1
  - calimero-node-2

steps:
  - name: "Install Application"
    type: "install"
    node: "calimero-node-1"
    path: "./app.wasm"
    outputs:
      applicationId: "app_id"

Step Types

Install Step

Installs WASM applications on Calimero nodes.

- name: "Install App"
  type: "install"
  node: "calimero-node-1"
  path: "./application.wasm" # Local path
  # OR
  url: "https://example.com/app.wasm" # Remote URL
  dev: true # Development mode
  outputs:
    applicationId: "app_id"

Context Step

Creates blockchain contexts for applications.

- name: "Create Context"
  type: "context"
  node: "calimero-node-1"
  application_id: "{{app_id}}"
  params:
    param1: "value1"
  outputs:
    contextId: "context_id"
    memberPublicKey: "member_key"

Identity Step

Generates cryptographic identities.

- name: "Create Identity"
  type: "identity"
  node: "calimero-node-2"
  outputs:
    publicKey: "public_key"

Invite Step

Invites identities to join contexts.

- name: "Invite Identity"
  type: "invite"
  node: "calimero-node-1"
  context_id: "{{context_id}}"
  grantee_id: "{{public_key}}"
  outputs:
    invitation: "invitation_data"

Join Step

Joins contexts using invitations.

- name: "Join Context"
  type: "join"
  node: "calimero-node-2"
  context_id: "{{context_id}}"
  invitee_id: "{{public_key}}"
  invitation: "{{invitation_data}}"

Create Mesh Step

Creates a context and connects multiple nodes in a single step. It automatically creates a context on the specified node, generates identities for each target node, sends invitations, and joins all nodes to the context.

- name: "Create Mesh"
  type: "create_mesh"
  context_node: "calimero-node-1"
  application_id: "{{app_id}}"
  nodes:
    - calimero-node-2
    - calimero-node-3
  capability: member # Optional, defaults to "member"
  outputs:
    context_id: contextId
    member_public_key: memberPublicKey

What it does:

• Creates a context on the specified context_node
• Creates identities on each node in the nodes list
• Invites each node from the context node
• Joins each node to the context

Parameters:

• context_node: Node where the context will be created
• application_id: Application ID to use for context creation
• nodes: List of node names to create identities on and join to the context
• capability: Optional capability for invitations (defaults to "member").

Exported variables:

• context_id: The created context ID
• member_public_key: The context creator's public key
• public_key_{node_name}: Public key for each joined node (e.g., public_key_calimero-node-2)
• public_key: If only one node is joined, also exported as just public_key

Execute Step

Executes smart contract functions.

- name: "Call Function"
  type: "call"
  node: "calimero-node-1"
  context_id: "{{context_id}}"
  method: "set"
  args:
    key: "hello"
    value: "world"
  executor_public_key: "{{member_key}}"
  outputs:
    result: "function_result"

Negative Testing with Expected Failures:

You can test error scenarios by setting expected_failure: true. When enabled, the step will continue even if the call fails, and error details are exported for assertions.

Both simple and complex output syntax are supported for error fields:

- name: "Expected Failure - Invalid Method"
  type: "call"
  node: "calimero-node-1"
  context_id: "{{context_id}}"
  executor_public_key: "{{member_public_key}}"
  method: "invalid_method_that_does_not_exist"
  args: {}
  expected_failure: true
  outputs:
    # Simple string assignment
    error_code: error_code # JSON-RPC error code
    error_type: error_type # Error type (e.g., "FunctionCallError")
    error_message: error_message # Error message
    error: error # Full error object

    # Complex dict-based assignment (also supported)
    custom_error:
      field: error_type
    custom_error_code:
      field: error_code
      target: error_code_{node_name} # Optional: custom target with node name

- name: "Assert Error Occurred"
  type: assert
  statements:
    - "is_set({{error_type}})"
    - "equal({{error_type}}, FunctionCallError)"
    - "contains({{error_message}}, not found)"
    - "equal({{custom_error}}, FunctionCallError)"

Error Handling:

• JSON-RPC Errors: When a function call succeeds but returns a JSON-RPC error (e.g., invalid method, wrong arguments), error fields are extracted and exported.
• Network/API Errors: When the API call itself fails (e.g., invalid context ID, network issues), error information is captured and exported.
• Unexpected Success: If expected_failure: true but the call succeeds, a warning is shown and error fields are exported as None.

See workflow-examples/workflow-negative-testing-example.yml for comprehensive examples.

Wait Step

Adds delays between steps.

- name: "Wait"
  type: "wait"
  seconds: 5

Wait for Sync Step

Waits for nodes to reach consensus by verifying they have the same root hash. This is more reliable than fixed wait times because it only proceeds once nodes are actually synchronized.

- name: "Wait for Nodes to Sync"
  type: "wait_for_sync"
  context_id: "{{context_id}}"
  nodes:
    - calimero-node-1
    - calimero-node-2
  timeout: 30 # Max seconds to wait (default: 30)
  check_interval: 1 # Seconds between checks (default: 1.0)
  trigger_sync: true # Trigger sync before checking (default: true)
  outputs:
    root_hash: "synced_hash"
    elapsed_seconds: "sync_time"

Key Features:

• Verifies root hash consensus across specified nodes
• Fails workflow if nodes don't sync within timeout
• Provides detailed sync progress logging
• More reliable than fixed wait times
• Captures sync metrics (time, attempts, final hash)

When to Use:

• After state-changing operations (set, delete, update)
• After nodes join a context
• Before reading data from different nodes
• In critical workflows where consistency is required

Repeat Step

Executes steps multiple times.

- name: "Repeat Operations"
  type: "repeat"
  count: 3
  steps:
    - name: "Set Value"
      type: "call"
      node: "calimero-node-1"
      context_id: "{{context_id}}"
      method: "set"
      args:
        key: "iteration_{{current_iteration}}"
        value: "value_{{current_iteration}}"
      executor_public_key: "{{member_key}}"
      outputs:
        result: "iteration_result"
    - name: "Wait"
      type: "wait"
      seconds: 2
  outputs:
    iteration: "current_iteration"

Fuzzy Test Step

Runs long-duration randomized load tests with weighted operation patterns and assertion-based validation.

- name: "Fuzzy Load Test"
  type: "fuzzy_test"
  duration_minutes: 30 # Run for 30 minutes
  context_id: "{{context_id}}"
  success_threshold: 95.0 # Pass if 95%+ assertions succeed

  nodes:
    - name: calimero-node-1
      executor_key: "{{member_public_key}}"
    - name: calimero-node-2
      executor_key: "{{public_key_node2}}"

  operations:
    # Pattern 1: Write and verify (40% of operations)
    - name: "set_and_verify"
      weight: 40
      steps:
        # Resolved args auto-captured as {{fuzzy_key}}, {{fuzzy_value}}
        - type: call
          node: "{{random_node}}" # Random node selection
          method: set
          context_id: "{{context_id}}"
          executor_public_key: "{{random_executor}}"
          args:
            key: "test_{{random_int(1, 1000)}}" # Random generators
            value: "{{uuid}}_{{timestamp}}"

        - type: wait
          seconds: 1

        # Use auto-captured {{fuzzy_key}}
        - type: call
          node: "{{random_node}}"
          method: get
          context_id: "{{context_id}}"
          executor_public_key: "{{random_executor}}"
          args:
            key: "{{fuzzy_key}}"
          outputs:
            retrieved: result

        # Use auto-captured {{fuzzy_value}}
        - type: assert
          non_blocking: true # Failures don't stop the test
          statements:
            - statement: "contains({{retrieved}}, {{fuzzy_value}})"
              message: "Value should match"

    # Pattern 2: Cross-node propagation test (30% of operations)
    - name: "cross_node_sync"
      weight: 30
      steps:
        # Args auto-captured as {{fuzzy_key}}, {{fuzzy_value}}
        - type: call
          node: calimero-node-1
          method: set
          context_id: "{{context_id}}"
          executor_public_key: "{{member_public_key}}"
          args:
            key: "sync_{{random_int(1, 500)}}"
            value: "{{timestamp}}"

        - type: wait
          seconds: 2 # Wait for propagation

        # Use auto-captured {{fuzzy_key}}
        - type: call
          node: calimero-node-2
          method: get
          context_id: "{{context_id}}"
          executor_public_key: "{{public_key_node2}}"
          args:
            key: "{{fuzzy_key}}"
          outputs:
            synced_value: result

        # Use auto-captured {{fuzzy_value}}
        - type: assert
          non_blocking: true
          statements:
            - statement: "contains({{synced_value}}, {{fuzzy_value}})"
              message: "Data should propagate across nodes"

    # Pattern 3: Random reads (30% of operations)
    - name: "random_read"
      weight: 30
      steps:
        - type: call
          node: "{{random_node}}"
          method: get
          context_id: "{{context_id}}"
          executor_public_key: "{{random_executor}}"
          args:
            key: "test_{{random_int(1, 1000)}}"

Random Value Generators:

• {{random_int(min, max)}} - Random integer
• {{random_string(length)}} - Random alphanumeric string
• {{random_float(min, max)}} - Random float
• {{random_choice([a, b, c])}} - Random choice from list
• {{timestamp}} - Current Unix timestamp
• {{uuid}} - Random UUID
• {{random_node}} - Random node from nodes list
• {{random_executor}} - Random executor key

Auto-Captured Arguments:

When a call step executes, its resolved arguments are automatically captured with a fuzzy_ prefix:

• args.key → {{fuzzy_key}}
• args.value → {{fuzzy_value}}
• args.amount → {{fuzzy_amount}}

This allows subsequent steps to reference the exact values used in previous calls for verification.

Features:

• Application-agnostic: Works with any smart contract
• Weighted patterns: Control operation frequency
• Non-blocking assertions: Track failures without stopping
• Live progress: Periodic summaries every 60 seconds
• Detailed reporting: Final report with pass rates and failure analysis

Upload Blob Step

Uploads files to blob storage and captures blob IDs for E2E testing.

- name: "Upload File to Blob Storage"
  type: "upload_blob"
  node: "calimero-node-1"
  file_path: "res/kv_store.wasm" # Path to file on local filesystem
  context_id: "{{context_id}}" # Optional: associate with context
  outputs:
    blob_id: "wasm_blob_id" # Capture the blob ID
    size: "wasm_blob_size" # Capture the blob size

# Use the blob ID in contract calls
- name: "Register Blob in Contract"
  type: "call"
  node: "calimero-node-1"
  context_id: "{{context_id}}"
  method: "register_blob"
  args:
    blob_id: "{{wasm_blob_id}}" # Use real blob ID from upload
    size: "{{wasm_blob_size}}" # Use real size from upload

Features:

• Upload files from local filesystem to blob storage
• Capture blob_id and size for use in subsequent steps
• Optional context association via context_id
• Full binary file support
• Automatic error handling and validation

Dynamic Variables

Workflows support dynamic variable substitution using {{variable_name}} syntax.

Variable Sources

• Step Outputs: Variables exported by previous steps
• Workflow Context: Global workflow variables
• Environment: System environment variables

Embedded Variables

Variables can be embedded within strings:

args:
  key: "user_{{user_id}}_data_{{iteration}}"

Variable Resolution

• Variables are resolved at execution time
• Missing variables cause workflow failures
• Use outputs sections to export variables for later use

Output Configuration

Each step can export variables for use in subsequent steps:

outputs:
  variableName: "export_name" # Maps API response field to export name

Example Workflows

• Basic Workflow: workflow-examples/workflow-example.yml - Complete example with dynamic variables
• Remote Node Workflow: workflow-examples/workflow-remote-node-example.yml - Using remote nodes with authentication
• Negative Testing: workflow-examples/workflow-negative-testing-example.yml - Testing error scenarios with expected failures
• Assertions: workflow-examples/workflow-assert-example.yml - Assertion and JSON assertion examples
• Fuzzy Load Testing: workflow-examples/workflow-fuzzy-kv-store.yml - Long-running load test with randomized operations

Export variables from execute (call) steps

Call-like steps (type: call) return a JSON payload. You can export fields from that payload to named variables via the outputs mapping, and then reference those variables in subsequent steps using {{variable_name}}.

Example (from workflow-execute-variables-example.yml):

- name: Execute Get
  type: call
  node: calimero-node-2
  context_id: "{{ctx_id}}"
  executor_public_key: "{{member_key}}"
  method: get
  args:
    key: example_key
  outputs:
    # Simple field access
    read_value: result

    # Nested field access with automatic JSON parsing
    # If result contains { "output": "value" }, this extracts "value"
    nested_value: result.output

    # Deep nesting also works: result.data.user.name.first
    deeply_nested: result.data.user.name

- name: Echo Exported Value
  type: script
  target: local
  inline: |
    echo "Exported value is: {{read_value}}"
    echo "Nested value is: {{nested_value}}"

Syntax options:

1. Simple dotted path (recommended): Use dot notation to access nested fields. The system automatically parses JSON strings at each level.

   outputs:
     my_value: result.output # Simple nested access
     deep_value: result.data.user.name # Deep nesting
     array_item: items.0.id # Array indexing
   

2. Dict-based syntax (legacy, still supported): For backward compatibility, you can use the explicit dict form:

   outputs:
     my_value:
       field: result # top-level field name to read from
       json: true # parse JSON if the field is a JSON string
       path: output # dotted path inside the parsed JSON
   

Notes:

• The outputs keys (e.g., read_value) become variables you can interpolate later as {{read_value}}.
• For more advanced mappings (including per-node variable names), see workflow-custom-outputs-example.yml.

Running scripts in workflows (image, nodes, local) and passing args

The script step can execute a script in three ways:

• target: image runs the script inside a temporary container created from the node image (before nodes are started)
• target: nodes copies and runs the script inside each running Calimero node container
• target: local runs the script on your host machine via /bin/sh

You can also pass arguments and reference exported variables using placeholders. Arguments are resolved before execution.

Example:

- name: Echo Exported Value
  type: script
  target: local # or "nodes" / "image"
  script: ./workflow-examples/scripts/echo-exported-value.sh
  args:
    - "{{read_value}}" # placeholder resolved from previous step outputs

Notes:

• The script field must be only the path to the script; pass parameters via the args: list.
• Placeholders in args are resolved using previously exported variables and workflow results.
• For container targets, the script is copied into the container and executed with /bin/sh.

Assertion Steps

Assert (type: assert)

Statement-based assertions against exported variables and literals.

Supported forms:

• is_set(A) / is_empty(A)
• contains(A, B) / not_contains(A, B)
• regex(A, PATTERN)
• Comparisons: A == B, A != B, A >= B, A > B, A <= B, A < B
• Equality helpers: equal(A, B), equals(A, B), not_equal(A, B), not_equals(A, B)

Placeholders like {{var}} are resolved before evaluation.

Example:

- name: Assert exported variables
  type: assert
  statements:
    - "is_set({{context_id}})"
    - "{{count}} >= 1"
    - "contains({{get_result}}, 'hello')"
    - "regex({{value}}, '^abc')"
    - "equal({{a}}, {{b}})"

JSON Assert (type: json_assert)

Compare JSON-like values (Python dict/list or JSON strings).

Supported forms:

• json_equal(A, B) / equal(A, B)
• json_subset(A, B) / subset(A, B) (B must be subset of A)

Example:

- name: Assert JSON equality of get_result
  type: json_assert
  statements:
    - "json_equal({{get_result}}, {'output': 'assert_value'})"

---

🎯 Local Blockchain Environments

Merobox offers two ways to run isolated tests without connecting to public networks. These options are mutually exclusive.

1. Local NEAR Sandbox (--near-devnet) A real, ephemeral NEAR blockchain instance running locally.

• Best for: Full E2E testing and contract logic verification.
• Behavior: Executes actual WASM smart contracts and state transitions.

2. Mock Relayer (--mock-relayer) A lightweight service that mimics the Relayer API.

• Best for: Fast connectivity checks and node startup validation.
• Behavior: Returns successful responses without executing real logic.

❌ Restriction: You cannot use --mock-relayer and --near-devnet simultaneously. The workflow will fail if both are enabled.

Local NEAR Sandbox

Merobox allows you to run workflows against a local ephemeral NEAR blockchain (Sandbox) instead of the public Testnet. This enables faster E2E testing without needing testnet tokens or RPC access.

Requirements

You need the compiled WebAssembly (.wasm) files for the Calimero context contracts:

1. calimero_context_config_near.wasm
2. calimero_context_proxy_near.wasm

How to Run

Use the --near-devnet flag and point to your contracts directory:

merobox bootstrap run workflows/my-test.yml \
  --near-devnet \
  --contracts-dir ./path/to/wasm/files

What happens during the run:

1. Sandbox Start: Merobox downloads and starts near-sandbox locally on port 3030.
2. Contract Deployment: It creates a root account (calimero.test.near) and deploys the registry contracts.
3. Node Configuration: It generates funded NEAR accounts for every node in your workflow (e.g., node-1.test.near).
4. Config Injection: It overrides the node's config.toml to point to the local sandbox RPC (http://host.docker.internal:3030 for Docker nodes).
5. Cleanup: The sandbox and all chain data are destroyed when the workflow finishes.

---

🔧 API Reference

Command Overview

merobox [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGS]...

Global Options

• --version: Show version and exit
• --help: Show help message and exit

Core Commands

merobox run

Start Calimero nodes.

merobox run [OPTIONS]

Options:

• --count INTEGER: Number of nodes to start (default: 1)
• --prefix TEXT: Node name prefix (default: "calimero-node")
• --restart: Restart existing nodes
• --image TEXT: Custom Docker image to use
• --force-pull: Force pull Docker image even if it exists locally
• --no-docker: Run nodes as native processes instead of Docker containers
• --binary-path PATH: Path to merod binary (required when using --no-docker)
• --auth-service: Enable authentication service with Traefik proxy (Docker mode only)
• --auth-image TEXT: Custom Docker image for the auth service (default: ghcr.io/calimero-network/mero-auth:edge)
• --auth-mode [embedded|proxy]: Authentication mode for merod (binary mode only). embedded enables built-in auth with JWT protection on all endpoints. Default is proxy (no embedded auth).
• --log-level TEXT: Set the RUST_LOG level for Calimero nodes (default: debug). Supports complex patterns like 'info,module::path=debug'
• --rust-backtrace TEXT: Set the RUST_BACKTRACE level for Calimero nodes (default: 0).
• --help: Show help message

merobox stop

Stop Calimero nodes.

merobox stop [OPTIONS]

Options:

• --all: Stop all running nodes and auth service stack
• --auth-service: Stop auth service stack only (Traefik + Auth)
• --prefix TEXT: Stop nodes with specific prefix
• --help: Show help message

merobox list

List running Calimero nodes.

merobox list [OPTIONS]

Options:

• --help: Show help message

merobox health

Check health status of nodes.

merobox health [OPTIONS]

Options:

• --help: Show help message

merobox logs

View node logs.

merobox logs [OPTIONS] NODE_NAME

Options:

• --follow: Follow log output
• --help: Show help message

merobox bootstrap

Execute workflows and validate configurations.

merobox bootstrap [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGS]...

Subcommands:

• run <config_file>: Execute a workflow
• validate <config_file>: Validate workflow configuration
• create-sample: Create a sample workflow file

Run Command Options:

• --auth-service: Enable authentication service with Traefik proxy (Docker mode only)
• --auth-image TEXT: Custom Docker image for the auth service (default: ghcr.io/calimero-network/mero-auth:edge)
• --auth-mode [embedded|proxy]: Authentication mode for merod (binary mode only). embedded enables built-in auth with JWT protection on all endpoints. Default is proxy (no embedded auth).
• --auth-username TEXT: Username for embedded auth authentication. Required when --auth-mode=embedded for workflow execution.
• --auth-password TEXT: Password for embedded auth authentication. Required when --auth-mode=embedded for workflow execution.
• --near-devnet: Spin up a local NEAR sandbox and configure nodes to use it.
• --contracts-dir PATH: Directory containing Near Context Config and Near Context Proxy contracts (required if using --near-devnet).
• --log-level TEXT: Set the RUST_LOG level for Calimero nodes (default: debug). Supports complex patterns like 'info,module::path=debug'
• --rust-backtrace TEXT: Set the RUST_BACKTRACE level for Calimero nodes (default: 0).
• --verbose, -v: Enable verbose output
• --help: Show help message

merobox install

Install applications on Calimero nodes.

merobox install [OPTIONS] --node NODE_NAME [--url URL | --path PATH]

Options:

• --node, -n: Node name to install the application on (required)
• --url: URL to install the application from (for remote installation)
• --path: Local path for dev installation (for development mode)
• --dev: Install as development application from local path
• --metadata: Application metadata (optional)
• --timeout: Timeout in seconds for installation (default: 30)
• --verbose, -v: Show verbose output
• --help: Show help message

Examples:

# Install from URL
merobox install --node my-node --url https://example.com/app.wasm

# Install from local file (dev mode)
merobox install --node my-node --path ./app.wasm --dev

merobox application

Manage applications on Calimero nodes.

merobox application [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGS]...

Subcommands:

• list: List all installed applications on a node

List Command:

merobox application list --node NODE_NAME [--verbose]

Options:

• --node, -n: Node name to list applications from (required)
• --verbose, -v: Show verbose output including full API response
• --help: Show help message

Example:

# List all applications
merobox application list --node my-node

merobox context

Manage blockchain contexts.

merobox context [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGS]...

Subcommands:

• create: Create a new context
• list: List all contexts on a node
• show: Show details of a specific context

Create Command:

merobox context create --node NODE_NAME --application-id APPLICATION_ID [OPTIONS]

Options:

• --node, -n: Node name to create context on (required)
• --application-id, -a: Application ID to create context for (required)
• --protocol, -p: Protocol type (default: "near")
• --params: Initialization parameters as JSON string (optional)
• --verbose, -v: Show verbose output
• --help: Show help message

List Command:

merobox context list --node NODE_NAME [--verbose]

Options:

• --node, -n: Node name to list contexts from (required)
• --verbose, -v: Show verbose output including full API response
• --help: Show help message

Show Command:

merobox context show --node NODE_NAME --context-id CONTEXT_ID [--verbose]

Options:

• --node, -n: Node name to show context from (required)
• --context-id, -c: Context ID to show details for (required)
• --verbose, -v: Show verbose output including full API response
• --help: Show help message

Examples:

# Create a context
merobox context create --node my-node --application-id app-123

# Create with custom protocol and params
merobox context create --node my-node --application-id app-123 --protocol ethereum --params '{"key": "value"}'

# List all contexts
merobox context list --node my-node

# Show context details
merobox context show --node my-node --context-id ctx-456

merobox identity

Manage cryptographic identities.

merobox identity [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGS]...

Subcommands:

• generate: Generate new identity
• list: List identities
• show: Show identity details

merobox call

Execute smart contract functions.

merobox call [OPTIONS] NODE_NAME CONTEXT_ID METHOD [ARGS]...

Options:

• --executor-key TEXT: Executor public key
• --exec-type TEXT: Execution type
• --help: Show help message

merobox join

Join blockchain contexts.

merobox join [OPTIONS] NODE_NAME CONTEXT_ID INVITEE_ID INVITATION

Options:

• --help: Show help message

merobox nuke

Remove all node data and containers .

merobox nuke [OPTIONS]

Options:

• --dry-run: Show what would be deleted without actually deleting
• --force, -f: Force deletion without confirmation prompt
• --verbose, -v: Show verbose output
• --prefix TEXT: Filter nodes by prefix (e.g., 'calimero-node-' or 'test-node-')
• --help: Show help message

merobox remote

Manage remote Calimero nodes with authentication.

merobox remote [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGS]...

Subcommands:

• register: Register a remote node
• unregister: Remove a registered node
• login: Authenticate with a remote node
• logout: Remove cached authentication
• status: Show registered nodes and cached tokens
• test: Test connectivity and authentication
• list: List registered remote nodes

Register Command:

merobox remote register <name> <url> [OPTIONS]

Options:

• --auth-method/-m: Authentication method (user_password, api_key, none)
• --username/-u: Username for user_password auth
• --description/-d: Human-readable description

Login Command:

merobox remote login <url_or_name> [OPTIONS]

Options:

• --username/-u: Username
• --password/-p: Password
• --api-key/-k: API key
• --method/-m: Auth method override

Logout Command:

merobox remote logout <url_or_name>
merobox remote logout --all

Test Command:

merobox remote test <url_or_name> [OPTIONS]

Options:

• --username/-u: Username for testing
• --password/-p: Password for testing
• --api-key/-k: API key for testing

Examples:

# Register and login
merobox remote register prod https://prod.example.com -m user_password -u admin
merobox remote login prod

# Check status
merobox remote status

# Test connectivity
merobox remote test prod

# Logout
merobox remote logout prod

Configuration Files

Workflow Configuration

Workflows are defined in YAML files with the following structure:

name: "Workflow Name"

# Data cleanup options
nuke_on_start: false # Nuke all data before starting workflow
nuke_on_end: false # Nuke all data after completing workflow

# Image management
force_pull_image: false # Force pull Docker images even if they exist locally

# Node lifecycle
restart: false # Restart nodes at beginning
stop_all_nodes: true # Stop nodes after completion

# Network configuration
bootstrap_nodes: # Custom bootstrap nodes for DHT connectivity
  - "/ip4/x.x.x.x/udp/4001/quic-v1/p2p/<peer_id>"
  - "/ip4/x.x.x.x/tcp/4001/p2p/<peer_id>"

nodes:
  count: 2
  prefix: "node-name"
  # ... node configuration

steps:
  - name: "Step Name"
    type: "step_type"
    # ... step-specific configuration

Configuration Options:

• nuke_on_start: When true, performs complete data cleanup (containers + data) before workflow starts. Ensures clean slate.
• nuke_on_end: When true, performs complete data cleanup after workflow completes. Useful for CI/CD and testing.
• force_pull_image: When set to true, forces Docker to pull fresh images from registries, even if they exist locally. Useful for ensuring latest versions or during development.
• auth_service: When set to true, enables authentication service integration with Traefik proxy. Nodes will be configured with authentication middleware and proper routing.
• config_path: Specify custom config.toml path for nodes. Supports both shared config for all nodes and per-node overrides. Skips node initialization when custom config is provided. See Custom Config Path for details.
• near_devnet: When set to true, spins up a local NEAR Sandbox that is used for context management during the workflow running.
• contracts_dir: Path to directory containing required WASM contracts (required when near_devnet is true).
• bootstrap_nodes: List of multiaddr strings for DHT bootstrap nodes. When specified, nodes will connect to these peers for network discovery. Works independently of e2e_mode. Each multiaddr must end with a /p2p/<peer_id> component (e.g., "/ip4/63.181.86.34/tcp/4001/p2p/12D3KooW...").

Docker Image Management

Merobox provides automatic Docker image management to ensure your workflows always have the required images:

Automatic Image Pulling

• Remote Detection: Automatically detects when images are from remote registries
• Smart Pulling: Only pulls images that aren't available locally
• Progress Display: Shows real-time pull progress and status

Force Pull Options

1. CLI Flag: Use --force-pull with the run command for individual operations

   merobox run --image ghcr.io/calimero-network/merod:edge --force-pull
   

2. Workflow Configuration: Set force_pull_image: true in your workflow YAML

   name: "My Workflow"
   image: ghcr.io/calimero-network/merod:edge
   force_pull_image: true # Will force pull all images
   nodes:
     count: 2
     # ... other node configuration   ```
   

Use Cases

• Development: Always get latest images during development
• Testing: Ensure consistent image versions across environments
• CI/CD: Force fresh pulls in automated workflows
• Production: Update images without manual intervention

Environment Variables

• CALIMERO_IMAGE: Docker image for Calimero nodes
• DOCKER_HOST: Docker daemon connection string
• LOG_LEVEL: Logging level (DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR)
• RUST_BACKTRACE: RUST_BACKTRACE level (0, 1, full)
• CALIMERO_AUTH_FRONTEND_FETCH: Set to 0 to use cached auth frontend (default is 1 for fresh fetch)
• CALIMERO_WEBUI_FETCH: Set to 0 to use cached WebUI frontend (default is 1 for fresh fetch)

Custom Config Path

Merobox allows you to specify custom config.toml files for workflow nodes, enabling you to reuse existing node configurations without relying on Docker image initialization.

Usage in Workflows

You can specify a custom config path at two levels:

Shared config for all nodes:

nodes:
  config_path: ./custom-config.toml  # All nodes use this config
  calimero-node-1:
    port: 2428
    rpc_port: 2528
  calimero-node-2:
    port: 2429
    rpc_port: 2529

Per-node config override:

nodes:
  config_path: ./default-config.toml  # Default for all nodes
  calimero-node-1:
    port: 2428
    rpc_port: 2528
    # Uses default config
  calimero-node-2:
    port: 2429
    rpc_port: 2529
    config_path: ./special-config.toml  # Override for this node

Features

• Shared or Per-Node: Specify a default config for all nodes or override per-node
• Skip Initialization: When custom config is provided, node initialization is skipped
• Docker & Binary Mode: Works with both Docker containers and native binary (--no-docker) mode
• Path Resolution: Supports both absolute and relative paths
• Validation: Validates config file existence before attempting to use it

Example

See workflow-examples/workflow-custom-config-example.yml and workflow-examples/custom-config.toml for a complete example.

Note: Custom config path is not supported with count mode (bulk node creation).

Log Level Configuration

Merobox provides flexible logging configuration for Calimero nodes through both CLI flags and workflow variables.

CLI Usage

# Use different log levels
merobox run --log-level info
merobox run --log-level warn
merobox run --log-level error
merobox run --log-level trace

# Use complex RUST_LOG patterns for specific module debugging
merobox run --log-level "info,calimero_context::handlers::execute=debug,calimero_node::handlers::network_event=debug"
merobox run --log-level "warn,calimero_server::ws=trace"

# Bootstrap workflows with custom log level
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml --log-level "info,calimero_context::handlers::execute=debug"

Workflow Configuration

name: "My Workflow"
log_level: "info,calimero_context::handlers::execute=debug" # Set log level for all nodes in this workflow
nodes:
  count: 2
  # ... other node configuration

Available Log Levels

• error: Only error messages (least verbose)
• warn: Warning and error messages
• info: Informational, warning, and error messages
• debug: Debug, info, warning, and error messages (default)
• trace: All messages including trace-level details (most verbose)

Complex RUST_LOG Patterns

RUST_LOG supports sophisticated logging configuration with module-specific levels:

# Set global level to info, but enable debug for specific modules
merobox run --log-level "info,calimero_context::handlers::execute=debug,calimero_node::handlers::network_event=debug"

# Set global level to warn, but enable trace for WebSocket handling
merobox run --log-level "warn,calimero_server::ws=trace"

# Multiple module-specific levels
merobox run --log-level "info,calimero_context::handlers::execute=debug,calimero_node::handlers::network_event=debug,calimero_server::ws=debug"

Pattern Syntax:

• global_level - Sets the default log level
• module::path=level - Sets specific level for a module path
• Multiple patterns separated by commas
• Use quotes to prevent shell interpretation of special characters

Usage Examples

# Production setup with minimal logging
merobox run --count 3 --log-level warn

# Development with maximum verbosity
merobox run --count 2 --log-level trace

# Workflow with custom log level
merobox bootstrap run production-workflow.yml --log-level info

Auth Service Integration

Merobox supports integration with Calimero's authentication service using Traefik as a reverse proxy. When enabled, nodes are automatically configured with:

Authentication Features

• Protected API Endpoints: JSON-RPC and admin API routes require authentication
• Public Admin Dashboard: Admin dashboard remains publicly accessible
• WebSocket Protection: WebSocket connections are also authenticated
• Automatic Routing: Traefik handles routing to node-specific subdomains

Network Configuration

• Docker Networks: Automatically creates calimero_web and calimero_internal networks
• Traefik Labels: Adds proper routing labels for each node
• CORS Support: Configured CORS middleware for web access

Auth Frontend Management

Merobox provides flexible options for managing auth service frontend updates:

• Fresh Frontend (Default): By default, auth service fetches fresh frontend resources (CALIMERO_AUTH_FRONTEND_FETCH=1)
• Cached Mode: Use --auth-use-cached flag or set CALIMERO_AUTH_FRONTEND_FETCH=0 to use cached auth frontend
• Custom Images: Specify custom auth images with --auth-image flag or auth_image in workflow config
• Workflow Config: Set auth_use_cached: true in workflow YAML to use cached auth frontend

Environment Variable Usage:

# Use cached auth frontend for all auth service operations
export CALIMERO_AUTH_FRONTEND_FETCH=0
merobox run --auth-service

# Or set for single command
CALIMERO_AUTH_FRONTEND_FETCH=0 merobox run --auth-service

Node WebUI Frontend Management

Merobox provides flexible options for managing node WebUI frontend updates:

• Fresh Frontend (Default): By default, nodes fetch fresh WebUI frontend resources (CALIMERO_WEBUI_FETCH=1)
• Cached Mode: Use --webui-use-cached flag or set CALIMERO_WEBUI_FETCH=0 to use cached WebUI frontend
• Custom Images: Specify custom node images with --image flag or image in workflow config
• Workflow Config: Set webui_use_cached: true in workflow YAML to use cached WebUI frontend

Environment Variable Usage:

# Use cached WebUI frontend for all node operations
export CALIMERO_WEBUI_FETCH=0
merobox run --count 2

# Or set for single command
CALIMERO_WEBUI_FETCH=0 merobox run --count 2

Usage Examples

CLI Usage:

# Start nodes with auth service
merobox run --count 2 --auth-service

# Start nodes with custom auth image
merobox run --count 2 --auth-service --auth-image ghcr.io/calimero-network/mero-auth:latest

# Use cached auth frontend (instead of default fresh fetch)
merobox run --count 2 --auth-service --auth-use-cached

# Use cached WebUI frontend for nodes (instead of default fresh fetch)
merobox run --count 2 --webui-use-cached

# Use cached mode for both auth and WebUI
merobox run --count 2 --auth-service --auth-use-cached --webui-use-cached

# Run workflow with auth service
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml --auth-service

# Run workflow with custom auth image
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml --auth-service --auth-image ghcr.io/calimero-network/mero-auth:latest

# Run workflow with cached auth frontend
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml --auth-service --auth-use-cached

# Run workflow with cached WebUI frontend
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml --webui-use-cached

# Run workflow with both auth and WebUI in cached mode
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml --auth-service --auth-use-cached --webui-use-cached

# Stop auth service stack
merobox stop --auth-service

Workflow Configuration:

name: "Frontend Management Workflow"
# Auth service configuration (fresh frontend is default, use cached if needed)
auth_service: true # Enable auth service for this workflow
auth_image: "ghcr.io/calimero-network/mero-auth:edge" # Custom auth image
auth_use_cached: true # Use cached auth frontend instead of fresh (optional)

# Node configuration (fresh WebUI is default, use cached if needed)
image: "ghcr.io/calimero-network/merod:edge" # Custom node image
webui_use_cached: true # Use cached WebUI frontend instead of fresh (optional)

nodes:
  count: 2
  prefix: "calimero-node"
steps:
  # ... your workflow steps

Access Patterns:

• Node 1 API: http://calimero-node-1.127.0.0.1.nip.io/jsonrpc (protected)
• Node 1 Dashboard: http://calimero-node-1.127.0.0.1.nip.io/admin-dashboard (public)
• Auth Service: http://localhost/auth/ (authentication endpoints)

Automatic Service Management

When auth service is enabled, Merobox automatically:

1. Starts Traefik Proxy: Automatically pulls and starts traefik:v2.10 container
2. Starts Auth Service: Automatically pulls and starts ghcr.io/calimero-network/calimero-auth:latest container
3. Creates Docker Networks: Sets up calimero_web and calimero_internal networks
4. Configures Node Labels: Adds proper Traefik routing labels to node containers
5. Sets up Authentication: Configures forward authentication middleware
6. Enables CORS: Configures CORS for web access

Service Management:

• Start: Services are started automatically when --auth-service flag is used
• Stop: Use merobox stop --auth-service to stop Traefik and Auth service
• Status Check: Services are checked and reused if already running

---

🛠️ Development Guide

Testing with Merobox

Merobox can be used as a lightweight test harness for your Python projects. Use the built-in helpers in merobox.testing to spin up ephemeral Calimero nodes for integration tests and tear them down automatically.

Basic Cluster Management

Context manager:

from merobox.testing import cluster

with cluster(count=2, prefix="ci", image="ghcr.io/calimero-network/merod:edge") as env:
    # env["nodes"] -> ["ci-1", "ci-2"]
    # env["endpoints"]["ci-1"] -> http://localhost:<rpc_port>
    ...  # call your code against the endpoints

Pytest fixture:

# conftest.py
from merobox.testing import pytest_cluster

merobox_cluster = pytest_cluster(count=2, scope="session")

# test_example.py
def test_something(merobox_cluster):
    endpoints = merobox_cluster["endpoints"]
    assert len(endpoints) == 2

Workflow-based Pretest Setup

For more complex test scenarios, you can run entire Merobox workflows as pretest setup:

Context manager:

from merobox.testing import workflow

with workflow("workflow-examples/workflow-example.yml", prefix="pretest") as env:
    # env["workflow_result"] -> True/False (workflow execution success)
    # env["nodes"] -> List of nodes created by the workflow
    # env["endpoints"] -> RPC endpoints for each node
    # env["manager"] -> DockerManager instance

    # Your test logic here
    # The workflow environment is automatically cleaned up on exit

Pytest fixture:

# conftest.py
from merobox.testing import pytest_workflow

merobox_workflow = pytest_workflow(
    workflow_path="workflow-examples/workflow-example.yml",
    prefix="pretest",
    scope="session"
)

# test_example.py
def test_with_workflow_setup(merobox_workflow):
    workflow_result = merobox_workflow["workflow_result"]
    assert workflow_result is True

    nodes = merobox_workflow["nodes"]
    endpoints = merobox_workflow["endpoints"]
    # ... your test logic

Options for workflow testing:

• workflow_path: Path to the workflow YAML file
• prefix: Node name prefix filter
• image: Custom Docker image
• chain_id: Blockchain chain ID
• wait_for_ready: Whether to wait for nodes to be ready
• scope: Pytest fixture scope (function, class, module, session)

See testing-examples/ for runnable examples including workflow pretest setup.

Environment Setup

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8+
• Docker 20.10+
• Git

Local Development

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/calimero-network/merobox.git
cd merobox

# Create virtual environment
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Install in development mode
pip install -e .

Development Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

Project Structure

merobox/
├── merobox/                    # Main package
│   ├── __init__.py            # Package initialization
│   ├── cli.py                 # CLI entry point
│   └── commands/              # Command implementations
│       ├── __init__.py        # Commands package
│       ├── manager.py         # Docker node management
│       ├── run.py             # Node startup
│       ├── stop.py            # Node shutdown
│       ├── list.py            # Node listing
│       ├── health.py          # Health checking
│       ├── logs.py            # Log viewing
│       ├── install.py         # Application installation
│       ├── context.py         # Context management
│       ├── identity.py        # Identity management
│       ├── call.py            # Function execution
│       ├── join.py            # Context joining
│       ├── nuke.py            # Data cleanup
│       ├── utils.py           # Utility functions
│       └── bootstrap/         # Workflow orchestration
│           ├── __init__.py
│           ├── bootstrap.py   # Main bootstrap command
│           ├── config.py      # Configuration loading
│           ├── run/           # Workflow execution
│           │   ├── __init__.py
│           │   ├── executor.py # Workflow executor
│           │   └── run.py     # Execution logic
│           ├── steps/         # Step implementations
│           │   ├── __init__.py
│           │   ├── base.py    # Base step class
│           │   ├── install.py # Install step
│           │   ├── context.py # Context step
│           │   ├── identity.py # Identity step
│           │   ├── execute.py # Execute step
│           │   ├── join.py    # Join step
│           │   ├── wait.py    # Wait step
│           │   ├── repeat.py  # Repeat step
│           │   └── script.py  # Script step
│           └── validate/      # Validation logic
│               ├── __init__.py
│               └── validator.py
├── workflow-examples/          # Example workflows
├── requirements.txt            # Python dependencies
├── setup.py                   # Package configuration
├── Makefile                   # Build automation
├── README.md                  # This file
└── LICENSE                    # MIT License

Building and Testing

Build Commands

# Show all available commands
make help

# Build package
make build

# Check package
make check

# Install in development mode
make install

# Format code
make format

# Check formatting
make format-check

Testing

# Run tests (when implemented)
make test

# Run specific test file
python -m pytest tests/test_specific.py

Code Quality

# Format code with Black
make format

# Check formatting
make format-check

# Lint code (when implemented)
make lint

Adding New Commands

1. Create command file in merobox/commands/
2. Implement Click command function
3. Add import to merobox/commands/__init__.py
4. Update __all__ list
5. Test with python3 merobox/cli.py --help

Adding New Step Types

1. Create step file in merobox/commands/bootstrap/steps/
2. Inherit from BaseStep
3. Implement required methods:
   • _get_required_fields()
   • _validate_field_types()
   • execute()
4. Add step type mapping in executor
5. Update validation logic

Release Process

Version Management

• Update version in merobox/__init__.py
• Update version in merobox/cli.py
• Update version in setup.py
• Add entry to CHANGELOG.md

Publishing

# Build and check
make check

# Test publish to TestPyPI
make test-publish

# Publish to PyPI
make publish

Release Checklist

• All tests pass
• Documentation updated
• Version bumped
• Changelog updated
• Package builds successfully
• Package validates with twine
• Published to PyPI

---

❓ Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Node Startup Problems

Issue: Nodes fail to start

Error: Failed to start Calimero node

Solutions:

1. Check Docker is running: docker ps
2. Verify port availability: netstat -tulpn | grep :2528
3. Check Docker permissions: docker run hello-world
4. Clean up existing containers: merobox nuke

Issue: Port conflicts

Error: Port 2528 already in use

Solutions:

1. Stop conflicting services: lsof -ti:2528 | xargs kill
2. Use different ports: merobox run --count 1
3. Clean up: merobox stop --all

Workflow Execution Issues

Issue: Dynamic variable resolution fails

Error: Variable '{{missing_var}}' not found

Solutions:

1. Check variable names in workflow
2. Verify previous steps export variables
3. Use merobox bootstrap validate to check configuration
4. Check variable naming consistency

Issue: Step validation fails

Error: Required field 'node' missing

Solutions:

1. Validate workflow: merobox bootstrap validate workflow.yml
2. Check step configuration
3. Verify required fields are present
4. Check field types and values

Issue: API calls fail

Error: API request failed

Solutions:

1. Check node health: merobox health
2. Verify node is ready: merobox list
3. Check network connectivity
4. Verify API endpoints

Auth Service Issues

Issue: Cannot access node via nip.io URL

ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT at http://node1.127.0.0.1.nip.io

Solutions:

1. Check if auth services are running: docker ps | grep -E "(proxy|auth)"
2. Verify DNS resolution: nslookup node1.127.0.0.1.nip.io
3. Check Traefik dashboard: http://localhost:8080/dashboard/
4. Restart auth services: merobox stop --auth-service && merobox run --auth-service

Issue: 404 errors on auth URLs

404 Not Found at http://node1.127.0.0.1.nip.io/auth/login

Solutions:

1. Verify auth container is running: docker logs auth
2. Check Traefik routing: curl http://localhost:8080/api/http/routers
3. Restart the node: merobox stop node-name && merobox run --auth-service

Issue: Network connection problems

Warning: Could not connect to auth networks

Solutions:

1. Check Docker networks: docker network ls | grep calimero
2. Recreate networks: merobox stop --all && merobox run --auth-service
3. Check Docker daemon: docker system info

Docker Issues

Issue: Container creation fails

Error: Failed to create container

Solutions:

1. Check Docker daemon: docker info
2. Verify image exists: docker images calimero/calimero
3. Check disk space: df -h
4. Restart Docker: sudo systemctl restart docker

Issue: Container networking problems

Error: Network connection failed

Solutions:

1. Check Docker network: docker network ls
2. Verify container networking: docker inspect <container>
3. Check firewall settings
4. Restart Docker networking

Performance Issues

Issue: Slow workflow execution

Workflow taking longer than expected

Solutions:

1. Check node resources: docker stats
2. Monitor system resources: htop, iotop
3. Optimize workflow steps
4. Use appropriate wait times

Issue: High memory usage

Container using excessive memory

Solutions:

1. Check memory limits: docker stats
2. Monitor memory usage: free -h
3. Restart nodes if needed
4. Check for memory leaks

Debugging

Enable Debug Logging

export LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG
merobox bootstrap run workflow.yml

Verbose Output

merobox bootstrap run --verbose workflow.yml

Check Node Logs

merobox logs <node_name> --follow

Inspect Containers

docker exec -it <container_name> /bin/sh
docker inspect <container_name>

Network Diagnostics

# Check container networking
docker network inspect bridge

# Test connectivity
docker exec <container> ping <target>

# Check port binding
netstat -tulpn | grep :2528

Getting Help

1. Check Documentation: Review relevant sections above
2. Validate Workflows: Use merobox bootstrap validate
3. Check Logs: Review node and application logs
4. Community Support: GitHub Issues
5. Command Help: merobox --help or merobox <command> --help

---

🏗️ Project Structure

merobox/
├── merobox/                    # Main package
│   ├── cli.py                 # CLI entry point
│   └── commands/              # Command implementations
│       ├── bootstrap/         # Workflow orchestration
│       ├── run.py             # Node management
│       ├── call.py            # Function execution
│       └── ...                # Other commands
├── workflow-examples/          # Example workflows
├── Makefile                   # Build automation
└── README.md                  # This comprehensive documentation

📋 Requirements

• Python: 3.9 - 3.11
  • Note: Python 3.12+ is currently not supported. The Near Sandbox feature uses py-near dependency relies on ed25519 package (that uses SafeConfigParser, which was removed in Python 3.12) that is limited by Python 3.11. Please use Python 3.11 or older.
• Docker: 20.10+ for Calimero nodes
• OS: Linux, macOS, Windows
  • Note: Linux/macOS required for near-sandbox local devnet. Windows platform is not currently supported (you may try using WSL).

🚀 Releases & Publishing

Automated Release Process

Merobox uses a fully automated release pipeline. When you bump the version, everything else happens automatically!

How to Release

# 1. Update version in ONE place only
vim merobox/__init__.py  # Change __version__ = "0.1.28"

# 2. Commit and push to master
git add merobox/__init__.py
git commit -m "chore: bump version to 0.1.28"
git push origin master

# 3. That's it! The automation handles:
#    ✓ Creates git tag (v0.1.28)
#    ✓ Builds binaries for all platforms
#    ✓ Creates GitHub release
#    ✓ Publishes to PyPI

What Happens Automatically

1. Auto-Tagging (~ 5 seconds)

   • Detects version change in __init__.py
   • Creates and pushes tag vX.Y.Z
   • Comments on commit with status

2. Build Binaries (~ 5-10 minutes)

   • macOS x64 & arm64
   • Linux x64 & arm64
   • Generates SHA256 checksums

3. Create Release (~ 30 seconds)

   • Publishes GitHub release with binaries
   • Auto-generates release notes

4. Publish to PyPI (~ 1 minute)

   • Builds Python package (sdist + wheel)
   • Publishes to PyPI
   • Publishes to TestPyPI (optional)

Version Management

• Single Source of Truth: merobox/__init__.py
• Dynamic Reading: pyproject.toml reads version from __init__.py automatically
• No Duplication: Update version in one place only!

Workflow Pipeline

Version Bump → Auto-Tag → Build Binaries → GitHub Release → PyPI
   (manual)    (automated)   (automated)     (automated)   (automated)

Required Secrets

Configure these in GitHub repository settings:

• PYPI_API_TOKEN - PyPI publishing token (required)
• TEST_PYPI_API_TOKEN - TestPyPI token (optional)

Manual Publishing (Backup)

If you need to publish manually:

# Build package
make clean
make build

# Check package
make check-build

# Publish to PyPI
make publish

# Or publish to TestPyPI
make test-publish

Monitoring Releases

• GitHub Actions: https://github.com/calimero-network/merobox/actions
• PyPI Releases: https://pypi.org/project/merobox/
• GitHub Releases: https://github.com/calimero-network/merobox/releases

---

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Submit a pull request

See the Development Guide section above for detailed contribution instructions.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🆘 Support

• Documentation: This comprehensive README
• Examples: See workflow-examples/ directory
• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Help: merobox --help for command help

🔗 Quick Links

• 🚀 Quick Start
• 📖 Workflow Guide
• 🔧 API Reference
• 🛠️ Development Guide
• ❓ Troubleshooting
• Examples directory
• Source