--- title: Getting Started description: Use LiteSVM with @solana/kit for fast, in-process Solana testing --- Solana test suites that spin up `solana-test-validator` take seconds per test — you're waiting on process startup, RPC connections, and network round-trips. LiteSVM runs the same tests in milliseconds. No external process, no network, everything in-memory inside your test runner. **Tested against:** `@solana/kit@6.8.0`, `@solana/kit-plugin-litesvm@0.10.0`, `@solana/kit-plugin-signer@0.10.0`, `@solana-program/system@0.12.0`, `@solana-program/token@0.13.0`. These plugin packages are new and evolving quickly — if you hit a mismatch, check [`testing/package.json`](https://github.com/solana-foundation/litesvm-docs/blob/main/testing/package.json) for the exact versions the docs and test suite run against. You assemble a Kit client from `@solana/kit` by installing plugins with `.use()`: a signer plugin ([`@solana/kit-plugin-signer`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@solana/kit-plugin-signer)), the LiteSVM plugin ([`@solana/kit-plugin-litesvm`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@solana/kit-plugin-litesvm)), and any program plugins you need. The result exposes `client.sendTransaction()`, `client.rpc`, and direct access to account state, clock, and sysvars — all without leaving your process. ## Quick Start ### Install Dependencies ```bash pnpm add @solana/kit @solana/kit-plugin-litesvm @solana/kit-plugin-signer @solana-program/system ``` ```bash npm install @solana/kit @solana/kit-plugin-litesvm @solana/kit-plugin-signer @solana-program/system ``` ```bash yarn add @solana/kit @solana/kit-plugin-litesvm @solana/kit-plugin-signer @solana-program/system ``` ```bash bun add @solana/kit @solana/kit-plugin-litesvm @solana/kit-plugin-signer @solana-program/system ``` ### Create Your Client ```typescript import { createClient, generateKeyPairSigner, lamports } from "@solana/kit"; import { litesvm } from "@solana/kit-plugin-litesvm"; import { signer } from "@solana/kit-plugin-signer"; // Payer first, then the LiteSVM transport. const mySigner = await generateKeyPairSigner(); const client = createClient().use(signer(mySigner)).use(litesvm()); // Fund the payer client.svm.airdrop(client.payer.address, lamports(5_000_000_000n)); // Check the balance const balance = client.svm.getBalance(client.payer.address); console.log("Balance:", balance, "lamports"); ``` `createClient()` returns an empty shell — each `.use(plugin)` layers capabilities onto it. The `signer()` plugin must come **before** `litesvm()` because the transport plugin needs a payer to attach to. `signer(mySigner)` is shorthand for installing the same keypair as both `payer` and `identity` — use `payer()` or `identity()` from the same package if you want to split those roles. This ordering is the same for `solanaRpc()` when you're on a real network. Prefer a one-line setup for quick experiments? The `litesvm()` bundle includes an airdrop, so you can chain `.use(generatedPayerWithSol(lamports(10_000_000_000n)))` from `@solana/kit-plugin-signer` to auto-generate and fund a payer. ## Understanding the Client After `.use(signer(...)).use(litesvm())`, the client exposes: | Property | Description | | --------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `client.payer` | The `TransactionSigner` you installed with the `signer()` plugin (also set as `client.identity`) | | `client.identity` | The wallet signer that owns accounts, tokens, and authorities | | `client.svm` | Direct [`LiteSVM`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/litesvm) instance for account management, transactions, and configuration | | `client.rpc` | Kit-compatible RPC interface (subset: `getAccountInfo`, `getBalance`, `getEpochSchedule`, `getLatestBlockhash`, `getMinimumBalanceForRentExemption`, `getMultipleAccounts`, `getSlot`, `requestAirdrop`) | | `client.sendTransaction(s)` | Plan, sign, and send instructions as a transaction | | `client.airdrop` | Request SOL from the LiteSVM faucet | | `client.getMinimumBalance` | Compute minimum lamports for rent exemption | ### Using client.svm Direct access to LiteSVM for: - Account management (`setAccount`, `getAccount`, `airdrop`) - Transaction execution (`sendTransaction`, `simulateTransaction`) - Configuration (`withSigverify`, `withBlockhashCheck`, etc.) - Time manipulation (`warpToSlot`, `getClock`) ```typescript import { address, lamports } from "@solana/kit"; // Fund an account client.svm.airdrop(address, lamports(1_000_000_000n)); // Set account state directly client.svm.setAccount({ address: myAddress, data: new Uint8Array([1, 2, 3]), executable: false, lamports: lamports(1_000_000n), programAddress: address("11111111111111111111111111111111"), space: 3n }); // Get the latest blockhash const blockhash = client.svm.latestBlockhash(); ``` ### Using client.rpc Kit-compatible RPC interface for standard operations: ```typescript // Get account info (returns base64-encoded data) const { value: account } = await client.rpc.getAccountInfo(address).send(); // Get multiple accounts in one call const { value: accounts } = await client.rpc .getMultipleAccounts([addr1, addr2, addr3]) .send(); // Get latest blockhash const { value: blockhash } = await client.rpc.getLatestBlockhash().send(); ``` The RPC layer only supports **base64 encoding**. Requesting other encodings will throw an error. ## Configuration Configure LiteSVM using builder methods on `client.svm`: ```typescript const client = createClient().use(signer(mySigner)).use(litesvm()); // Configure for testing client.svm .withSigverify(false) // Skip signature verification .withBlockhashCheck(false) // Skip blockhash validation .withSysvars() // Enable Clock, Rent, etc. .withBuiltins() // Enable ed25519, secp256k1 .withTransactionHistory(100n); // Store transaction history ``` ## Sending Transactions Layer in program plugins after the transport — they hang instruction builders off the client so you never touch a raw `TransactionMessage`: ```typescript import { createClient, generateKeyPairSigner, lamports } from "@solana/kit"; import { litesvm } from "@solana/kit-plugin-litesvm"; import { signer } from "@solana/kit-plugin-signer"; import { systemProgram } from "@solana-program/system"; const mySigner = await generateKeyPairSigner(); const client = createClient() .use(signer(mySigner)) .use(litesvm()) .use(systemProgram()); client.svm.airdrop(client.payer.address, lamports(10_000_000_000n)); const recipient = await generateKeyPairSigner(); // Build and send in one call await client.system.instructions .transferSol({ source: client.payer, destination: recipient.address, amount: lamports(1_000_000_000n) }) .sendTransaction(); ``` ## SVM → RPC Flow You can set state via SVM and read it via RPC: ```typescript import { address, lamports } from "@solana/kit"; // Set account directly via SVM client.svm.setAccount({ address: myAddress, data: new Uint8Array([0xde, 0xad, 0xbe, 0xef]), executable: false, lamports: lamports(1_000_000n), programAddress: address("11111111111111111111111111111111"), space: 4n }); // Read via RPC (returns base64-encoded data) const { value } = await client.rpc.getAccountInfo(myAddress).send(); console.log("Data:", value?.data); // ['3q2+7w==', 'base64'] ``` ## What's Next This covers the core client — creating accounts, sending instructions, and reading state. If your tests involve SPL tokens (mints, ATAs, transfers), the [token testing guide](/docs/tools/litesvm/typescript/tokens) shows how the `tokenProgram()` plugin collapses ~40 lines of setup into 3 calls. For a full API reference, see the [API docs](/docs/tools/litesvm/typescript/api-reference).