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Runtime Modes

Docs-site note (2026-07-11): This page describes what operating role a Vexor node can run in today, and the planned VEX_MODE switch that will make choosing that role a one-flag decision. It does not restate the per-variable baked-default table — see the Environment Variable Reference for that — and it does not restate the build-time flag set — see the Build-Flag Reference for that.

The one mode that exists today

Vexor currently runs in a single operating mode: vote and produce. A deployed node votes on the cluster and, when it's the leader, produces blocks — today that means empty, cluster-accepted blocks; transaction-bearing block production exists behind a gate and is not yet enabled (see Deploying Vexor for status). There is no separate "vote-only" or "follower-only" (RPC) operating mode shipped yet — running a subset of that behavior today means hand-assembling the relevant individual VEX_* flags, not selecting a mode.

VEX_MODE — planned, not yet implemented

A single VEX_MODE switch is spec'd but not implemented. It's designed to select the node's role in one step, replacing today's implicit "vote and produce" behavior with an explicit choice:

Value Role
full (planned default) Vote and produce blocks — today's behavior.
vote Vote only; never produce or broadcast blocks.
rpc Follow the cluster only — no voting, no block production.

Until VEX_MODE lands, treat it as "coming" — don't configure for it, and don't expect vote or rpc role isolation from any combination of flags documented today. See the Environment Variable Reference for the same table in the context of the full env var surface.

What's gated or experimental (not operator-facing)

A handful of envs exist in source behind features that are still in development. They're mentioned here for completeness, not as something to deploy with:

  • VEX_TPU_INGEST
  • VEX_TXBEARING_BROADCAST (the transaction-bearing block production gate referenced above)
  • VEX_FORCE_INLINE_PRODUCE
  • VEX_CANONICAL_VOTE
  • VEX_GOSSIP_PROP
  • VEX_BLOCK_DAG

None of these are part of a normal deploy, none are documented elsewhere as operator-facing, and setting them is not expected to produce a supported configuration. Roughly 75 further diagnostic envs also exist (default-off); this page and the Environment Variable Reference point at their existence rather than enumerate them.

Status

This page reflects the current source and the VEX_MODE design spec. It will be rewritten with shipped specifics once VEX_MODE lands — until then, "full" (vote and produce empty, cluster-accepted blocks) is the only mode a Vexor node runs in.