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alby hub in homelab :: questions
1791 sats \ 8 comments \ @trieska 3 Sep 2024 lightning

my idea is to run alby hub in "uncle jim mode" on home server.

  1. does need to be accessible from public net? I could ask this question in my another discussion
    • should I do some port forwarding on router? not sure how another LN node can open channel to my node behind NAT.
    • I will do reverse proxy for web interface, but accessible only from local net and it will have SSL certificate from LE
  2. reading this and still not sure what happen if I will not connect to ably account?
  3. is it possible to share alby hub with another friends / family members? how? does everybody need alby account?
  4. how I will used alby hub on mobile?

maybe I did overlook answers in alby docs so thanks for help / tips / answers

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411 sats \ 2 replies \ @DarthCoin 3 Sep 2024
  1. No. AlbyHub first of all is a private node, not a public one. Secondly, it is done through an Alby account, only the node is self-hosted. So no port fw, no reverse proxy is needed.
  2. You still have to connect it to an alby account, but can be anyone, no need for a standard one (invitation only). Is just one click to connect: https://m.stacker.news/49621
  3. Yes, is still work in progress but is possible to use it like a "hub for many accounts". read more here

Is nice that you can choose many funding sources for the hub: https://m.stacker.news/49622 Only that when you setup the hub, click on "Advanced" mode to be able to select one. By default is going to be hosted on the "cloud", but if you want to self-host on your own hardware and choose a different funding source you must go on "advanced" mode: https://m.stacker.news/49623

https://m.stacker.news/49624https://m.stacker.news/49625https://m.stacker.news/49626https://m.stacker.news/49627https://m.stacker.news/49628https://m.stacker.news/49629https://m.stacker.news/49630
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21 sats \ 1 reply \ @trieska OP 3 Sep 2024
  1. and 2) so old custodial alby account / wallet is now split to account and self custodial alby hub. Account communicate with hub over NWC? is my understanding correct?
  2. so If I start using hub now just for my self will be possible used it for my kids later?

later you are trying to say that by default alby hub connect some default LN node in "cloud" but if I want to use "lets say" my LND node I can do it during first configuration in advance setup. IS that default LN node run by alby?

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310 sats \ 0 replies \ @DarthCoin 3 Sep 2024
  1. No and yes, depends what do you want to do. For example:
  • if you have an old alby custodial account but you want to migrate it (as is) to a self hosting node, you can link it to your new setup, self-hosted. You can keep same LN address and balance as you had before, only that from now on, you manage it yourself.
  • if you do not have an old ably custodial account, you can create a new one (no need for invitation, invitation is ONLY for those that still want to have a custodial account) and link it to your new hub node (on cloud or self-hosted, it doesn't matter).
  • if you have an old custodial account but you want a new one, only for your new hub self-hosted, you can create a new one and keep it separate from old one. You can even setup with your own domain the LN address or keep it as @getalby.com, as you wish.
  1. Yes, is possible
  2. Yes, you can link it to an existing LND node if you want and act as lndhub with accounts for your family. You can use Zeus, Bluewallet, BitBanana to connect those lndhub accounts. By default Alby Hub is going to run a LDK node (standalone local node), if you do not link it to other source. See the screenshots I posted above.

Indeed, with Alby Hub you have many options. Definitely worth trying it and understand all the features. I think is just the beginning.

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200 sats \ 0 replies \ @k00b 3 Sep 2024

I could try to answer these but @Alby @bumi would do a better job.

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100 sats \ 2 replies \ @MoritzK 3 Sep 2024
  1. Alby Hub is a PWA that you can add to your home screen of your mobile. If you prefer a native app, then you'll need to wait only a few days more until the app is out. This mobile app can be connected to your Hub and serve as a wallet interface, like the Alby Browser Extension already does.
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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @trieska OP 3 Sep 2024

PWA is app running in web browser. Alby hub is app running on my node. My understanding is that alby hub has connection with alby account (over NWC), on mobile phone I will add alby web page to home screen (installing PWA) and can be used as wallet app.

Native app, ok I am not sure how it is going to connect, but I assume it will connect to alby using account. If it is going to connect directly to alby hub then it can by more complicated because it will be running on homelab server behind NAT.

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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @saunter 3 Sep 2024

it's going to connect over NWC

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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @bumi 4 Sep 2024
  1. NO! Alby Hub can and is meant to run behind a firewall or in a private network. NWC (through the relay subscriptions) allows communication with the world
  2. right now you still need an Alby account during the setup. It is used for notifications, LSP recommendations, etc. This requirement will be changed in one of the next versions. It's so far the default during this early release.
  3. Yes. You do this through an so called "isolated connection" - basically a sub account with its own balance. The version which is about to be released contains a "Family&Friends" option in the Alby Hub. It is a full NWC connection and works with any app that does NWC. There is also the Jim app (https://github.com/getAlby/jim) by @rolznz (Nodana even offers one-click deployments of that: https://nodana.io/)
  4. On mobile it is about paying on the Go. You want to send/receive. Alby is about to launch a simple NWC backed mobile app for exactly that. But you can also use an Alby account and then use Zeus or BlueWallet with it. (Signup to an Alby account, configure the NWC wallet and then use Zeus/BlueWallet)
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