Define the node and role vocabulary

[bgravenorst]

Summary

Defines the node and role vocabulary (validator, sequencer, follower, full node, RPC node)
and applies it consistently across the docs. These terms were used interchangeably in
places, most damagingly "validator" and "sequencer", which are different things: a Maru
validator is a consensus process, and the sequencer is a set of Linea Besu plugins. There
was no term at all for the two running together, so this adds sequencer node.

Follows up on @Othryades' review of #1684.

What changed

Glossary is the source of truth. Four new entries (Maru validator, Maru non-validator,
Sequencer node, Follower execution client) and eight revised (Sequencer, Full node,
Archive node, RPC node, Linea Besu, Maru, QBFT, Transaction order). Full node now
follows Ethereum's definition, keyed to verification and data retention rather than consensus
role. 59 terms to 63.

Architecture and RPC pages explain that one Maru node can drive several execution clients,
when Linea Besu is actually required (sequencer nodes and trace generation, not everything), and
that RPC nodes differ by method availability as well as state history.

Contradictions fixed. The sequencer page described multiple sequencers as something Lineth
"could adopt" while the consensus page documented it as shipping. Linea Besu was listed as a flat
requirement when follower and non-validator execution clients can be any Ethereum client. Three
pages equated a validator with a sequencer.

"Follow" disambiguated. The word carried three incompatible meanings. The client pages told
readers Geth, Besu, Erigon, and Nethermind were for people who don't want to "interact with the
network", which was never true. They now state the real constraint: these clients serve standard
Ethereum JSON-RPC, and the linea_ namespace needs Linea Besu plugins.

Ethereum vs Lineth validators separated where both meanings are live, with first-use
qualification on the yield-boost pages rather than blanket renaming.

Diagram converted to SVG. multi-validator-diagram.webp was a flat raster with no source
file and ten stale strings baked into pixels, including the retired name "Linea Stack". Replaced
with a hand-authored SVG matching lineth-deployment-architecture.svg: theme-aware CSS variables
so it tracks light and dark mode, and 47 real <text> elements so future terminology passes
catch it by grep.

---

Note

Low Risk
Documentation, glossary, and UI tooltip rendering only; no runtime protocol or application logic changes.

Overview
Standardizes Lineth node terminology so Maru validator (consensus), sequencer (Linea Besu plugins), sequencer node (the pair that produces blocks), follower execution client, and full/RPC node are defined once and used the same way across the site.

The glossary (src/lib/glossary.json and the generated reference page) adds four terms and revises eight others; architecture, RPC, sequencer, deployment, and run-a-node pages are rewritten to match— including when Linea Besu is required vs any Ethereum EL client, that one Maru instance can drive multiple execution clients, and that linea_ RPC needs Besu plugins while standard JSON-RPC does not. Client guides (Besu, Geth, Erigon, Nethermind) drop the misleading “don’t interact with the network” framing in favor of that RPC split.

Fixes prior contradictions (multi-sequencer as future vs shipped QBFT, flat “Linea Besu everywhere” requirements) and separates Ethereum validators from Maru validators on yield-boost copy. GlossaryTerm tooltips now show link labels as plain text (links stay on the glossary page). The multi-validator diagram is replaced with a theme-aware SVG component instead of a stale raster.

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Project	Deployment	Actions	Updated
doc-linea	Ready	Preview	Aug 31, 2026 11:30pm UTC

[alexandratran]

Minor feedback

[alexandratran]

lgtm