what are we here for if not to change things?

Virtual Private Node v0.3.1 — Syncthing channel backups, simplified. Your LND channel.backup now syncs automatically to your local device over a direct encrypted connection. No Tor on your laptop. No config files. No terminal commands. Install Syncthing on your computer/phone. Pair it from the dashboard. Done. Your backup syncs whenever both devices are online. How it works: → Syncthing uses mutual TLS with Ed25519 device keys → Only devices you explicitly approve can connect → Unapproved connections rejected before any data exchange → Discovery servers and relays disabled — direct IP only → channel.backup is useless without your 24-word seed The pairing flow is built into the TUI. Press [a] in the Syncthing details screen, paste your local Device ID, and the VPS shares the backup folder automatically. Also in this release: • Self-update screen appears immediately (was stuck behind q) • Dashboard layout no longer overflows on some terminals • LndHub clearnet connections are TLS-encrypted (docs corrected) Virtual Private Node is a one-command installer for a private Lightning node. Bitcoin Core, LND, Tor, and now automatic channel backups — configured and running in minutes on Debian. Your keys. Your node. Your backups.

GitHub

GitHub - ripsline/virtual-private-node: Bitcoin + Lightning Node with a beautiful TUI. Bitcoin Core, LND, and Tor on Debian. Private by default, simple by design.

Bitcoin + Lightning Node with a beautiful TUI. Bitcoin Core, LND, and Tor on Debian. Private by default, simple by design. - ripsline/virtual-priva...

Virtual Private Node v0.3.0 — Lightning Accounts This release adds LndHub.go as a new add-on. Create separate Lightning wallet accounts for family, friends, or AI agents — all backed by your own LND node. Built from source at a pinned release tag. No prebuilt binaries. Managed entirely from the SSH dashboard. Each account gets a one-time login and password. Share the credentials or scan a QR code. The admin cannot see user balances. Deactivation records the balance so you can refund to a new account. Passwords are shown once and never stored anywhere. The bigger change is how clearnet connections work. Previously, LndHub was exposed over unencrypted HTTP in hybrid P2P mode. Now a TLS reverse proxy sits in front of it — self-signed ECDSA P-256 certificate with your server's IP in the SAN. Same approach LND uses for its REST API. Zeus users accept the cert on first connection. Tor connections bypass the proxy entirely. The proxy only exists when you need it. Tor-only mode: no proxy, no open port, LndHub reachable only through the hidden service. Hybrid mode: proxy auto-installs, firewall opens port 3000 for encrypted access. Upgrade from Tor to hybrid later and the proxy gets added automatically. Security fixes throughout: SQL injection prevention on database queries, double-sudo bug fix, account name input validation, sshd hardening with drop-in config files, version cache moved out of /tmp. Code cleanup: consistent command execution patterns, idiomatic timeouts, migrated GPG calls to the system package abstraction. One command installs Bitcoin Core, LND, and Tor on Debian. Add LndHub, Lightning Terminal, and Syncthing from the dashboard. No wrappers. No abstractions. Your keys, your node. github.com/ripsline/virtual-private-node

Virtual Private Node v0.2.3 released — security hardening for private Lightning node. What is it: A one-command installer for Bitcoin Core, LND, and Tor on Debian. GPG-verified binaries. Tor-routed connections. No wrappers. Your keys, your node. What's new in v0.2.3: Security: • Fixed a shell injection vulnerability in the macaroon reader • Tor config now rolls back automatically if an add-on install fails • Network names are validated on config load — no silent misconfiguration • Install check won't accidentally reinstall over a running system Architecture: • New paths package — every filesystem path defined in one place • New structured logger — /var/log/rlvpn.log with [verify], [install], [tui] sections • Safe binary file reader (SudoReadFile) — no more shell pipelines for privileged reads • Dashboard polling guard prevents duplicate subprocess calls Install on Debian 13+:

GitHub

GitHub - ripsline/virtual-private-node: Bitcoin + Lightning Node with a beautiful TUI. Bitcoin Core, LND, and Tor on Debian. Private by default, simple by design.

Bitcoin + Lightning Node with a beautiful TUI. Bitcoin Core, LND, and Tor on Debian. Private by default, simple by design. - ripsline/virtual-priva...

Virtual Private Node v0.2.2 is out. This is a one-command installer for a private Lightning node on Debian. Bitcoin Core, LND, and Tor — configured and running in minutes. No wrappers. No abstractions. v0.2.2 is the biggest release yet: Security: • TUI runs as an unprivileged user — sudo per-action, not root • GPG signing key moved to keys.openpgp.org with pinned fingerprint — no more circular trust with GitHub • Bad signature detection — any BADSIG from a trusted key is a hard stop • File permissions tightened across the board Lightning-focused: • Bitcoin Core wallet disabled • Sparrow wallet support removed • Fixed 25 GB prune Hybrid P2P: • Choose tor-only or clearnet+tor during LND install • Upgrade from tor-only to hybrid anytime from the dashboard • Zeus wallet pairing shows both clearnet and Tor connections • Separate QR codes for clearnet and Tor Under the hood: • 60+ unit tests covering config, verification, torrc generation, and TUI state • Typed JSON parsing for bitcoin-cli and lncli • Install and wallet state tracked in config.json • Version check cached 24 hours Try it:

GitHub

GitHub - ripsline/virtual-private-node: Bitcoin + Lightning Node with a beautiful TUI. Bitcoin Core, LND, and Tor on Debian. Private by default, simple by design.

Bitcoin + Lightning Node with a beautiful TUI. Bitcoin Core, LND, and Tor on Debian. Private by default, simple by design. - ripsline/virtual-priva...

nobody is going to give their bot a credit card but they will give it a macaroon with an allowance.

freedom is self-taught.

this and speech-to-text is the future. View article →

run a node and stop using their money.

Virtual Private Node — a private Bitcoin & Lightning node in one command. ✅ TUI dashboard ✅ Bitcoin Core ✅ LND Lightning ✅ Lightning Terminal (browser UI) ✅ Wallet pairing ✅ GPG verified downloads ✅ Syncthing (automatic channel backups over Tor)

GitHub

GitHub - ripsline/virtual-private-node: Bitcoin + Lightning Node with a beautiful TUI. Bitcoin Core, LND, and Tor on Debian. Private by default, simple by design.

Bitcoin + Lightning Node with a beautiful TUI. Bitcoin Core, LND, and Tor on Debian. Private by default, simple by design. - ripsline/virtual-priva...

the idea of one device with many applications is a broken model. the correct model is different devices dedicated to different tasks.

you have to be a good writer now if you want to have any online presence. the most accurate AAi's just have the most reading material.

every second we make small decisions that compound into large outcomes. our minds have been trained to make the comfortable choice, the one that requires no thought. if you want to separate yourself in today's world, all you have to do is think.

all the bitcoin influencers think that self-custody is the answer. the only way we win is if people spend non-kyc. remember? bitcoin was suppose to be used peer-to-peer, not peer-exchange-peer. the whole idea of self-custody is a joke. the only reason it needs to be pushed is because everyone trusts an exchange. if there were no exchanges, everyone would have to self-custody.

Better Bitcoin Beginnings When I first discovered bitcoin, I heard "get your bitcoin off the exchange" and "get a hardware wallet", so that is what I did. I ordered a coldcard with my credit card and shipped it to my home. Shortly after my coldcard arrived, I learned I need something called sparrow wallet to interact with my coldcard. All a coldcard does is generate a seed phrase offline and sign transactions through my sparrow wallet. So I went down the sparrow wallet rabbit hole. I learned that when I use a software wallet, it is important to use a device that is mostly dedicated to the wallet. I needed to be very careful about what I do on this device. I learned that linux is ideal for sparrow wallet because linux operating systems limit malicious software by design. I also learned that linux does not spy on users the way that MacOS and Windows does. Next, I learned how important it is to download & verify any software I put on my dedicated device. This ensures I do not download malicious software that can steal my bitcoin. After a few days of figuring this stuff out, I had my linux laptop with sparrow wallet. I downloaded & verified sparrow wallet using Craig Raw's amazing documentation on sparrowwallet.com. I was ready to use my coldcard. I opened sparrow wallet for the first time and was met with the introduction, where Craig Raw educates the wallet user on bitcoin privacy as it pertains to bitcoin nodes. I learned that I cannot use any bitcoin wallet without first connecting to a bitcoin node. I learned that it is not ideal to connect my wallet to someone else's node because they will see too much information about my bitcoin. After a few hours of research, I found a decent plug n' play node implementation. I ordered it with my credit card and shipped it to my home. Okay, now I have my own node, my dedicated device running linux with sparrow wallet, and my coldcard. I was ready to be self-sovereign. Wait, what was the point of the coldcard again? I paid $250 for this fancy piece of hardware that screams, "I own bitcoin and the keys are right here." What if I lose it? What if someone sees it and threatens to kill me unless I give them access? This is not private, this is not sovereign personal finance. To be self-sovereign is to have knowledge. There is no need for a fancy hardware device attached to my home address. I can download & verify sparrow wallet on a dedicated linux device and use sparrow itself to create my first wallet. There is no need for a plug 'n play node attached to my home address. I can rent a Virtual Private Server and use BTCPayServer as my node backend. I can access my bitcoin from anywhere in the world and never need some fancy piece of hardware. All I need is the knowledge to do three things: flash linux on a computer, download & verify software, and deploy BTCPay on a Virtual Private Server. I never opened my coldcard.

how to download & verify #Briar on #grapheneos.

how to download & verify #Brave on #grapheneos.

if you tell the truth, they will hate you.

don't be a tool, be an agent.

Choose 1 or 2? Country1: this country uses three gigantic computers controlled by three gigantic companies. These three computers act as backend servers to frontend applications. Consider any application: banking, messenger, uber, netflix, instagram, email. As we know, all applications communicate with backend servers in order to function. Use of technological applications is subject to approval by one of three companies. Country2: This country uses thousands of small computers controlled by individuals and businesses alike. Any application, be it for buying food or talking to friends online, needs to communicate with one of these small servers. Which country flourishes?