# Launching Your Node

If you have followed the steps in the guide up to this point, you are now ready to launch your node.

## Launching the Node

First, check you are working from the `coti-node` directory, and that you are logged in as root (`sudo su`). From there, the node can be launched with

```
docker-compose up
```

The video below shows an example of the output when running the Coti node with Docker. This may be useful to watch, so you know what to expect.

{% embed url="<https://youtu.be/TIid1FFYchw>" %}

{% hint style="success" %}
Remember: If you ever want to stop the container quickly and regain access to the terminal, you can do so easily by hitting Ctrl+c.
{% endhint %}

Once your logs reach the "`COTI NODE IS UP`" point, your node is running. Keep an eye on the logs for 5 minutes or so, and make sure the behaviour looks stable.&#x20;

If there are any errors, the clues will be in the logs.

Once you are happy that the behaviour look stable, you can safely close the terminal window, which exits the terminal, and leaves the container running.&#x20;

## Congratulations 🎉

Once a node is up, it usually won't require much maintenance. If you followed the [Docker Compose steps](/the-basics/docker-compose.md) from the "The Basics" section, you'll know how to start, stop and remove containers with `docker-compose`.  More commands and instructions for particular tasks are shown in the [Commands Reference](/docker-reference/commands-reference.md) section.&#x20;

Coti release new versions of the node software every so often, and it is important to stay up to date. The next step explains how to upgrade the node version using Docker.


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