README: remove private network section from readme (#31005)

Author: MariusVanDerWijden

README.md

@@ -54,14 +54,14 @@ on how you can run your own `geth` instance.
 
 Minimum:
 
-* CPU with 2+ cores
-* 4GB RAM
+* CPU with 4+ cores
+* 8GB RAM
 * 1TB free storage space to sync the Mainnet
 * 8 MBit/sec download Internet service
 
 Recommended:
 
-* Fast CPU with 4+ cores
+* Fast CPU with 8+ cores
 * 16GB+ RAM
 * High-performance SSD with at least 1TB of free space
 * 25+ MBit/sec download Internet service
@@ -138,8 +138,6 @@ export your existing configuration:
 $ geth --your-favourite-flags dumpconfig
 ```
 
-*Note: This works only with `geth` v1.6.0 and above.*
-
 #### Docker quick start
 
 One of the quickest ways to get Ethereum up and running on your machine is by using
@@ -187,7 +185,6 @@ HTTP based JSON-RPC API options:
   * `--ws.api` API's offered over the WS-RPC interface (default: `eth,net,web3`)
   * `--ws.origins` Origins from which to accept WebSocket requests
   * `--ipcdisable` Disable the IPC-RPC server
-  * `--ipcapi` API's offered over the IPC-RPC interface (default: `admin,debug,eth,miner,net,personal,txpool,web3`)
   * `--ipcpath` Filename for IPC socket/pipe within the datadir (explicit paths escape it)
 
 You'll need to use your own programming environments' capabilities (libraries, tools, etc) to
@@ -206,118 +203,14 @@ APIs!**
 Maintaining your own private network is more involved as a lot of configurations taken for
 granted in the official networks need to be manually set up.
 
-#### Defining the private genesis state
-
-First, you'll need to create the genesis state of your networks, which all nodes need to be
-aware of and agree upon. This consists of a small JSON file (e.g. call it `genesis.json`):
-
-```json
-{
-  "config": {
-    "chainId": <arbitrary positive integer>,
-    "homesteadBlock": 0,
-    "eip150Block": 0,
-    "eip155Block": 0,
-    "eip158Block": 0,
-    "byzantiumBlock": 0,
-    "constantinopleBlock": 0,
-    "petersburgBlock": 0,
-    "istanbulBlock": 0,
-    "berlinBlock": 0,
-    "londonBlock": 0
-  },
-  "alloc": {},
-  "coinbase": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
-  "difficulty": "0x20000",
-  "extraData": "",
-  "gasLimit": "0x2fefd8",
-  "nonce": "0x0000000000000042",
-  "mixhash": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
-  "parentHash": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
-  "timestamp": "0x00"
-}
-```
-
-The above fields should be fine for most purposes, although we'd recommend changing
-the `nonce` to some random value so you prevent unknown remote nodes from being able
-to connect to you. If you'd like to pre-fund some accounts for easier testing, create
-the accounts and populate the `alloc` field with their addresses.
-
-```json
-"alloc": {
-  "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000001": {
-    "balance": "111111111"
-  },
-  "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000002": {
-    "balance": "222222222"
-  }
-}
-```
-
-With the genesis state defined in the above JSON file, you'll need to initialize **every**
-`geth` node with it prior to starting it up to ensure all blockchain parameters are correctly
-set:
-
-```shell
-$ geth init path/to/genesis.json
-```
-
-#### Creating the rendezvous point
-
-With all nodes that you want to run initialized to the desired genesis state, you'll need to
-start a bootstrap node that others can use to find each other in your network and/or over
-the internet. The clean way is to configure and run a dedicated bootnode:
-
-```shell
-# Use the devp2p tool to create a node file.
-# The devp2p tool is also part of the 'alltools' distribution bundle.
-$ devp2p key generate node1.key
-# file node1.key is created.
-$ devp2p key to-enr -ip 10.2.3.4 -udp 30303 -tcp 30303 node1.key 
-# Prints the ENR for use in --bootnode flag of other nodes.
-# Note this method requires knowing the IP/ports ahead of time.
-$ geth --nodekey=node1.key
-```
-
-With the bootnode online, it will display an [`enode` URL](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/networking-layer/network-addresses/#enode)
-that other nodes can use to connect to it and exchange peer information. Make sure to
-replace the displayed IP address information (most probably `[::]`) with your externally
-accessible IP to get the actual `enode` URL.
-
-*Note: You could previously use the `bootnode` utility to start a stripped down version of geth. This is not possible anymore.*
-
-#### Starting up your member nodes
-
-With the bootnode operational and externally reachable (you can try
-`telnet <ip> <port>` to ensure it's indeed reachable), start every subsequent `geth`
-node pointed to the bootnode for peer discovery via the `--bootnodes` flag. It will
-probably also be desirable to keep the data directory of your private network separated, so
-do also specify a custom `--datadir` flag.
-
-```shell
-$ geth --datadir=path/to/custom/data/folder --bootnodes=<bootnode-enode-url-from-above>
-```
+Unfortunately since [the Merge](https://ethereum.org/en/roadmap/merge/) it is no longer possible
+to easily set up a network of geth nodes without also setting up a corresponding beacon chain.
 
-*Note: Since your network will be completely cut off from the main and test networks, you'll
-also need to configure a miner to process transactions and create new blocks for you.*
-
-#### Running a private miner
-
-
-In a private network setting a single CPU miner instance is more than enough for
-practical purposes as it can produce a stable stream of blocks at the correct intervals
-without needing heavy resources (consider running on a single thread, no need for multiple
-ones either). To start a `geth` instance for mining, run it with all your usual flags, extended
-by:
-
-```shell
-$ geth <usual-flags> --mine --miner.threads=1 --miner.etherbase=0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
-```
+There are three different solutions depending on your use case:
 
-Which will start mining blocks and transactions on a single CPU thread, crediting all
-proceedings to the account specified by `--miner.etherbase`. You can further tune the mining
-by changing the default gas limit blocks converge to (`--miner.targetgaslimit`) and the price
-transactions are accepted at (`--miner.gasprice`).
+  * If you are looking for a simple way to test smart contracts from go in your CI, you can use the [Simulated Backend](https://geth.ethereum.org/docs/developers/dapp-developer/native-bindings#blockchain-simulator).
+  * If you want a convenient single node environment for testing, you can use our [Dev Mode](https://geth.ethereum.org/docs/developers/dapp-developer/dev-mode).
+  * If you are looking for a multiple node test network, you can set one up quite easily with [Kurtosis](https://geth.ethereum.org/docs/fundamentals/kurtosis).
 
 ## Contribution