> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.initia.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Running IBC Relayer

An IBC relayer is a software component that facilitates communication between
two distinct blockchain networks that support the Inter-Blockchain Communication
(IBC) protocol. Built-in oracle, Minitswap, and other cross-chain services
require it to function with your rollup.

Weave currently only supports Rapid relayer configuration generation. It will
support running the rapid relayer directly in the future. For more detailed
information about Rapid relayer, see the
[Rapid relayer documentation](https://github.com/initia-labs/rapid-relayer).

<Note>
  Weave only supports IBC relayer setup between Initia L1 and Interwoven
  Rollups. Setting up relayers between other arbitrary networks is not
  supported.
</Note>

## Setting Up

For this guide, you'll need Weave v0.3.0 or newer. You can check your Weave
version by running `weave version`. If you need to upgrade, run `weave upgrade`.

```bash theme={null}
weave relayer init
```

This command will guide you through 2 major parts of the relayer setup:

* Setting up networks and channels to relay messages between
* Setting up the account responsible for relaying messages

For the former, Weave will present you with three options:

1. Configure channels between Initia L1 and a whitelisted Rollup (those
   available in
   [Initia Registry](https://github.com/initia-labs/initia-registry))
2. Configure using artifacts from `weave rollup launch` (recommended for users
   who have just launched their rollup)
3. Configure manually

As for the latter, Weave will ask whether you want to use the OPinit Challenger
bot account for the relayer. This is recommended as it is exempted from gas fees
on the rollup and able to stop other relayers from relaying when it detects a
malicious message.

<Warning>
  Relayer requires funds to relay messages between Initia L1 and your rollup (if
  it's not in the fee whitelist). If Weave detects that your account does not
  have enough funds, Weave will ask you to fund via Gas Station.
</Warning>

## Running Relayer

Currently, Weave generates the relayer configuration file but does not run the
relayer directly. You'll need to manually set up and run the Rapid relayer using
the generated configuration.

<Note>
  Make sure you have Node.js and npm installed on your system if you wish to run
  the relayer in the same machine.
</Note>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Clone and Install Rapid relayer">
    Clone the Rapid relayer repository and install its dependencies:

    ```bash theme={null}
    git clone https://github.com/initia-labs/rapid-relayer
    cd rapid-relayer
    npm install
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy Configuration File">
    Move the generated configuration file to the Rapid relayer directory:

    ```bash theme={null}
    cp ~/.relayer/config.json ./config.json
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start the Relayer">
    Launch the relayer with the configuration:

    ```bash theme={null}
    npm start
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Help

To see all the available commands:

```bash theme={null}
weave relayer --help
```