addressed PR comments

local/network.go

@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ var (
 // populate default network config from embedded default directory
 func init() {
 	// load genesis, updating validation start time
-	genesisMap, err := utils.LoadGenesisMap()
+	genesisMap, err := utils.LoadLocalGenesis()
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func init() {
 	}
 
 	// load network flags
-	flagsBytes, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(constants.LocalConfigDir, "flags.json"))
+	flagsBytes, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join("..", constants.LocalConfigDir, "flags.json"))
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ func init() {
 	}
 
 	// load chain config
-	cChainConfig, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(constants.LocalConfigDir, "cchain_config.json"))
+	cChainConfig, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join("..", constants.LocalConfigDir, "cchain_config.json"))
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ func init() {
 	}
 
 	for i := 0; i < len(defaultNetworkConfig.NodeConfigs); i++ {
-		flagsBytes, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(constants.LocalConfigDir, fmt.Sprintf("node%d/flags.json", i+1)))
+		flagsBytes, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join("..", constants.LocalConfigDir, fmt.Sprintf("node%d/flags.json", i+1)))
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
@@ -190,12 +190,12 @@ func init() {
 			panic(err)
 		}
 		defaultNetworkConfig.NodeConfigs[i].Flags = flags
-		stakingKey, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(constants.LocalConfigDir, fmt.Sprintf("node%d/staking.key", i+1)))
+		stakingKey, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join("..", constants.LocalConfigDir, fmt.Sprintf("node%d/staking.key", i+1)))
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
 		defaultNetworkConfig.NodeConfigs[i].StakingKey = string(stakingKey)
-		stakingCert, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(constants.LocalConfigDir, fmt.Sprintf("node%d/staking.crt", i+1)))
+		stakingCert, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join("..", constants.LocalConfigDir, fmt.Sprintf("node%d/staking.crt", i+1)))
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}

network/config.go

@@ -25,7 +25,16 @@ const (
 
 func init() {
 	var err error
-	cChainConfig, err = utils.LoadGenesisMap()
+	genesisMap, err := utils.LoadLocalGenesis()
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	cChainConfigStr, ok := genesisMap["cChainGenesis"].(string)
+	if !ok {
+		panic(fmt.Errorf("expected cChainGenesis to be a string, but got %T", genesisMap["cChainGenesis"]))
+	}
+	cChainConfigBytes := []byte(cChainConfigStr)
+	err = json.Unmarshal(cChainConfigBytes, &cChainConfig)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}

utils/chains.go

@@ -4,19 +4,22 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanche-network-runner/utils/constants"
 	coreth_params "github.com/ava-labs/coreth/params"
 )
 
-func LoadGenesisMap() (map[string]interface{}, error) {
-	genesis, err := os.ReadFile(constants.LocalGenesisFile)
+// LoadLocalGenesis loads the local network genesis from disk
+// and returns it as a map[string]interface{}
+func LoadLocalGenesis() (map[string]interface{}, error) {
+	genesis, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join("..", constants.LocalGenesisFile))
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	var genesisMap map[string]interface{}
 	if err = json.Unmarshal(genesis, &genesisMap); err != nil {
-		panic(err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	cChainGenesis := genesisMap["cChainGenesis"]
@@ -29,7 +32,7 @@ func LoadGenesisMap() (map[string]interface{}, error) {
 	cChainGenesisMap, ok := cChainGenesis.(map[string]interface{})
 	if !ok {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf(
-			"expected field 'cChainGenesis' of genesisMap to be a map[string]interface{}, but it failed with type %T", cChainGenesisMap)
+			"expected field 'cChainGenesis' of genesisMap to be a map[string]interface{}, but it failed with type %T", cChainGenesis)
 	}
 	// set the `config` key to the actual coreth object
 	cChainGenesisMap["config"] = corethCChainGenesis