Overview
HTND v2.14.0 is a feature and maintenance release that includes critical fixes for pruning point proof validation, a new auto-updater system, and various stability improvements. This release addresses several edge cases discovered during IBD (Initial Block Download) with headers proof and improves the overall robustness of the node.
Version Number Rationale
Bumping from v2.11.0 to v2.14.0 (minor version) because this release includes:
- New features (auto-updater system)
- Critical bug fixes (pruning point proof validation)
- Backward-compatible improvements
What's New
Auto-Updater System
The most significant addition in this release is the automatic update system that allows HTND nodes to self-update from GitHub releases:
- Auto-updater implementation (
03772e26e) - Core functionality to self-update HTN and its binaries from GitHub releases - Randomized installation delay (
2c121443a) - Nodes now wait a random delay before installing updates to prevent network-wide simultaneous updates - Auto-restart capability (
08e37cc66) - The updater can automatically restart the node after successful update - Configuration options (
28733a95d,306f2cbbd) - Better updater configuration with auto-enable and other settings - Docker support (
4f5b84e83,23d823f80) - Auto-updating disabled in Docker containers by default - Error reporting (
d10c02322) - Automatic GitHub issue reporting on panics
Pruning Point Proof Validation Fixes
Multiple critical fixes address edge cases in pruning point proof validation that could cause node crashes or synchronization failures:
- Header-only blocks in UTXO-diff chain (
05227f5be) - Fixes IBD with headers proof when UTXO-diff chain contains header-only blocks from pruning point proof. Now treats header-only blocks as the end of the UTXO-diff chain. - Empty header levels (
d39967c00) - Handles levels with 0 headers in pruning point proof by setting appropriate default selected tips and allowing VirtualGenesisBlockHash as valid. - Nil selected parent handling (
3f095c1f9) - Adds nil checks before accessing selected parent in blockAtDepth function to prevent panics. - Skip validation for empty levels (
6d4eb4169) - Skips blockAtDepth validation when next level's selected tip is VirtualGenesisBlockHash, preventing nil pointer dereferences. - Correct GHOSTDAG store usage (
d73875304) - Uses the correct level's GHOSTDAG data store when falling back to pruning point. - VirtualGenesisBlockHash fallback (
695ac35e1) - Falls back to VirtualGenesisBlockHash instead of pruning point when no GHOSTDAG parents exist at a level, with proper GHOSTDAG data staging in all level stores.
Block Validation Improvements
- Reverted block parent builder change (
96c6615d4) - Restored the block parent builder to use disqualified blocks, preventing consensus issues caused by missing parents. - Block status resolution (
75e948912) - Block status is now resolved right away for all blocks (both candidates and non-candidates), with graceful handling of pruning point issues.
Configuration & Logging
- PebbleDB options (
b7e40400a) - Reverted PebbleDB options to 2.10.1 configuration for stability. - Test improvements (
4d2bfdac8) - Updater is not run during tests.
Technical Details
Fixed Issues
- IBD with headers proof failure - Resolved by properly handling header-only blocks in UTXO-diff chains
- Pruning point proof generation & validation panics - Multiple nil pointer dereference issues fixed
- GHOSTDAG data retrieval failures - Correct store usage when falling back to pruning point
- Empty level handling - Proper sentinel values for levels with no blocks
Performance Improvements
- More efficient pruning point proof validation
- Better handling of edge cases reduces unnecessary computations
Breaking Changes
None. This is a backward-compatible release.
Migration Notes
No migration required. Nodes can upgrade directly from v2.11.0 or earlier versions.
Known Issues
None reported at release time.
Credits
This release includes contributions generated by Mistral Vibe.
Release date: August 11, 2026
Commit range: ae9d5d3b3..98c672f
Total commits: 22