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mraszyk merged 1 commit into from
Oct 1, 2025
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fix: readme #50

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20 changes: 10 additions & 10 deletions README.md
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Expand Up @@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ You can specify a particular version of the PocketIC server to install using the

## Download the PocketIC Server
Alternatively to using the GitHub Action, you can download the PocketIC server binary for a particular version in the [Releases](https://github.com/dfinity/pocketic/releases) tab on the right.
For macOS, choose `pocket-ic-x86_64-darwin.gz`, for Linux, choose `pocket-ic-x86_64-linux.gz`.
For macOS, choose `pocket-ic-arm64-darwin.gz` or `pocket-ic-x86_64-darwin.gz`, for Linux, choose `pocket-ic-x86_64-linux.gz`.
For (Linux) containers on macOS powered by arm64, choose `pocket-ic-arm64-linux.gz`.

Save the downloaded file as `pocket-ic.gz`, decompress it, and make it executable:

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -82,19 +83,18 @@ If you want your client library to be listed here, please post to the [Forum](ht
## Why PocketIC?
Canister developers have several options to test their software, but there are tradeoffs:
- Install and test on the **mainnet**: The 'real' experience, but you pay with real cycles.
- The **replica** provided by DFX: You get the complete stack of a single IC node.
But therefore, you get no cross- or multisubnet functionality, and likely never will.
Replica is quite heavyweight too, because the nonessential components are not abstracted away.
Furthermore, testing with replica is not deterministic.
- Install and test on a **testnet**: Very close to the 'real' experience, but complex to set up.
A testnet is quite heavyweight, too, because nonessential components are not abstracted away.
Furthermore, testing on a testnet is not deterministic.

Enter **PocketIC**:
- *Deterministic*: Synchronous control over the IC's execution environment
- *Lightweight*: Mocks the consensus and networking layers
- *Deterministic*: Synchronous control over the IC's execution environment.
- *Lightweight*: Mocks the consensus and networking layers.
- *Versatile*: Runs as a service on your test system, and accepts HTTP/JSON.
This enables:
- Concurrent and independent IC instances by default - sharing is *possible*
- Multi-language support: Anyone can write an integration library against the PocketIC REST-API in any language
- Support for multiple subnets and Xnet calls
- Concurrent and independent IC instances by default - sharing is *possible*.
- Multi-language support: Anyone can write an integration library against the PocketIC REST-API in any language.
- Support for multiple subnets and Xnet calls.

## Source Code
The source code of the PocketIC server is available on [GitHub](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/tree/master/rs/pocket_ic_server).
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