The getVersion RPC method returns the current Solana software version running on the queried RPC node. This includes the solana-core version string and a feature-set identifier.

This method is useful for verifying the version of a node you are interacting with or for diagnostic purposes.

Common Use Cases

  • Node Version Verification: Confirming the software version of an RPC node, which can be important for compatibility or to understand available features.
  • Network Monitoring: Tools might periodically check versions of various nodes to get a sense of software distribution across the network (though getClusterNodes provides a more comprehensive view for this).
  • Troubleshooting: Knowing the node version can be crucial when diagnosing issues or unexpected behavior.

Request Parameters

This method does not take any parameters.

Response Structure

The result field of the JSON-RPC response will be an object containing:

  • solana-core (string): The version string of the Solana core software (e.g., “1.18.4”).
  • feature-set (u32): A numerical identifier for the set of features activated on the node.

Example Response:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": {
    "solana-core": "1.18.4",
    "feature-set": 3595898949
  },
  "id": 1
}

Code Examples

curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d \
  '{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "id": 1,
    "method": "getVersion"
  }' \
  <YOUR_RPC_URL>

Developer Tips

  • Simplicity: This is one of the simplest RPC calls, useful for a quick check of the node’s software.
  • Node Specific: The version returned is specific to the RPC node you are querying. Different nodes in the cluster might be running slightly different versions, especially during upgrade periods.

This guide provides a clear overview of the getVersion RPC method, its use cases, and how to interpret its response.