init()

import { init } from '@ipfs-meshkit/meshkit';

const { meshkit, localNode } = await init(options);

init() is the primary entry point for Node.js apps. It connects to one or more Kubo nodes, optionally starts a local daemon, and returns a ready-to-use Meshkit instance.

Signature

function init(options?: MeshkitBootstrapOptions): Promise<MeshkitBootstrapResult>

`MeshkitBootstrapOptions`

Property	Type	Default	Description
`nodes`	`string[]`	`[]`	Kubo RPC URLs in priority order. Optional when `localNode` is set.
`localNode`	`boolean \| StartIPFSNodeOptions`	—	Start or attach to a local Kubo daemon. When `true`, uses `127.0.0.1:5001` and `./.ipfs` repo.
`headers`	`Record<string, string>`	—	Request headers sent to every node (e.g. RPC auth).

`MeshkitBootstrapResult`

Property	Type	Description
`meshkit`	`Meshkit`	Connected client with failover across healthy nodes.
`localNode`	`IPFSNodeHandle \| undefined`	Present when `localNode` was requested.

Examples

Local daemon

const { meshkit, localNode } = await init({ localNode: true });

Remote nodes

const { meshkit } = await init({
  nodes: ['https://kubo.example.com:5001'],
  headers: { Authorization: 'Bearer token' },
});

Local + failover

const { meshkit, localNode } = await init({
  localNode: true,
  nodes: ['https://backup.example.com:5001'],
});

Custom daemon options

const { meshkit, localNode } = await init({
  localNode: {
    port: 5001,
    repo: '/data/ipfs',
    readyTimeoutMs: 60000,
  },
});

Errors

Condition	Thrown
No nodes and no `localNode`	`MeshkitError: At least one node URL is required`
All nodes unreachable	`MeshkitError` with per-node causes
Daemon fails to start	`MeshkitNodeError`

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