Choosing Hardware
Choosing hardware for your Lightning Node is an important step. Pay attention carefully because the requirements might not be obvious.
Set up a ZFS Pool
A ZFS pool allows you to redundantly store data on two drives, which is an important reliability measure.
Let's chat about network connections
Check whether your network connection is stable enough for a Lightning node, because uptime and latency matter for payments and channels.
What Implementation Should I Run?
You'll need to choose an implementation. Right now your choices are: LND, CLN, Eclair, and LDK.
Introducing Docker
Use Docker to set up LND, Bitcoin Core, and Tor in a repeatable environment that keeps the node easier to run, inspect, and recover.
Clone the Git repository
Clone the LND-With-Docker repository into your ZFS pool and understand the .gitignore rules that keep your secrets and node data out of Git.
Set up Tor with Docker
Start the Tor container for your Lightning node, inspect the Dockerfile, and confirm the proxy is ready for private network access.
Set up Bitcoin Core with Docker
Create the bitcoin.conf file, start Bitcoin Core in Docker, and let it synchronize the full blockchain before you start LND.
Set up LND with Docker
Configure and start LND in Docker, connect it to Bitcoin Core and Tor, and prepare your node for wallet creation and channel work.
Set Up Disaster Recovery With Docker
Automatically upload LND's Static Channel Backup to cloud storage so you can recover the funds in your channels if your node is lost or stolen.
Connect to a Watchtower
Protect your channels against a cheating partner by connecting LND to a watchtower, either the free LN+ tower or your own on a second machine.