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⚡ Lightning Wallet Setup Guide

🎯 Overview

NostrGator includes Alby Hub, a self-hosted Lightning wallet with full Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) support. This guide shows you how to set up and integrate Lightning payments with your Nostr experience.

🚀 Quick Start

1. Access Alby Hub

After starting NostrGator, open your browser to:

http://localhost:7012

2. Initial Setup

  1. Create New Wallet: Click "Create New Wallet"
  2. Set Password: Choose a strong password (this encrypts your seed)
  3. Save Seed Phrase: Write down your 12-word seed phrase securely
  4. Confirm Seed: Verify you've saved it correctly

3. Lightning Node Configuration

Choose your Lightning backend:

Option A: Embedded LDK (Recommended for beginners)

  • ✅ No external dependencies
  • ✅ Automatic channel management
  • ✅ Built-in Lightning Service Provider (LSP)
  • ⚠️ Limited to smaller amounts initially

Option B: External Lightning Node

  • Connect to your own LND, CLN, or other Lightning node
  • Requires existing Lightning infrastructure
  • Full control over channels and liquidity

🔗 Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) Setup

Generate NWC Connection String

  1. In Alby Hub: Go to "Apps" → "Nostr Wallet Connect"
  2. Create Connection: Click "Create New Connection"
  3. Set Permissions: Choose what the connection can do:
    • pay_invoice - Send payments
    • get_balance - Check balance
    • make_invoice - Create invoices
    • lookup_invoice - Check payment status
  4. Copy Connection String: Save the nostr+walletconnect:// string

Configure Nostr Clients

Damus (iOS):

  1. Settings → Wallet → Nostr Wallet Connect
  2. Paste your NWC connection string
  3. Test with a small zap

Amethyst (Android):

  1. Settings → Zaps → Wallet Connect
  2. Add your NWC connection string
  3. Enable zaps in posts

Primal (Web/Mobile):

  1. Settings → Lightning → Connect Wallet
  2. Choose "Nostr Wallet Connect"
  3. Enter your connection string

iris.to (Web):

  1. Settings → Lightning Wallet
  2. Select "Nostr Wallet Connect"
  3. Paste connection string

💰 Funding Your Wallet

Lightning Network

  1. Generate Invoice: In Alby Hub, click "Receive"
  2. Set Amount: Enter sats amount
  3. Share Invoice: Copy the Lightning invoice
  4. Pay from External: Use another Lightning wallet to pay

On-Chain Bitcoin

  1. Get Address: Click "Receive" → "On-chain"
  2. Send Bitcoin: From any Bitcoin wallet
  3. Auto-Swap: Alby Hub automatically opens Lightning channels

Lightning Address

  1. Configure: Set up your Lightning address (e.g., you@yourdomain.com)
  2. Receive: Others can send to your Lightning address
  3. Integration: Works with Nostr profiles and zap addresses

🔧 Advanced Configuration

Channel Management

  • Automatic: Let Alby Hub manage channels via LSP
  • Manual: Open channels to specific nodes
  • Liquidity: Monitor inbound/outbound capacity

Backup and Recovery

  • Seed Phrase: Your 12-word seed recovers everything
  • Channel Backups: Automatically saved to your data directory
  • Export Data: Regular backups of wallet state

Security Settings

  • Password Protection: Required for all operations
  • Connection Limits: Restrict NWC permissions
  • Spending Limits: Set maximum amounts per connection

🛠️ Integration with NostrGator Services

Relay Integration

Alby Hub automatically connects to your local NostrGator relays:

  • Primary: ws://localhost:7001 (General relay)
  • Backup: ws://localhost:7004 (Social relay)
  • DM: ws://localhost:7002 (Private messages)

File Server Integration

  • Paid Uploads: Charge sats for file uploads
  • Premium Features: Lightning-gated content access
  • Automatic Payments: Seamless file hosting payments

NIP-05 Integration

  • Lightning Address: Use your NIP-05 domain for Lightning
  • Verification: Link your Lightning address to your Nostr identity

🆘 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Wallet not connecting"

  • Check Alby Hub is running: docker ps | grep alby-hub
  • Verify port 7012 is accessible: curl http://localhost:7012/api/info
  • Restart service: docker restart nostr-alby-hub

"NWC connection failed"

  • Regenerate connection string in Alby Hub
  • Check permissions are correctly set
  • Verify client supports NWC

"Payments failing"

  • Check Lightning channel liquidity
  • Verify invoice amounts are within limits
  • Ensure sufficient balance

Logs and Debugging

# Check Alby Hub logs
docker logs nostr-alby-hub --tail=50

# Check container status
docker inspect nostr-alby-hub

# Restart if needed
docker restart nostr-alby-hub

🔒 Security Best Practices

  1. Seed Phrase Security

    • Store offline in multiple secure locations
    • Never share or store digitally
    • Test recovery process

  2. Password Security

    • Use strong, unique password
    • Consider password manager
    • Enable 2FA if available

  3. Connection Management

    • Limit NWC permissions to minimum needed
    • Regularly review active connections
    • Revoke unused connections

  4. Amount Limits

    • Set reasonable spending limits
    • Start with small amounts for testing
    • Monitor transaction history

📚 Additional Resources

Your Lightning wallet is now ready for sovereign Nostr payments! ⚡🚀