Replying to Avatar Keith Mukai

DUMP YOUR RASPI NODES. Get a used mini PC or used laptop for cheap!

More powerful, only $45-75 on eBay (plus ~$65 2TB ssd, but you'd need that anyway for your Raspi node).

This HP EliteDesk 705 G4 is **overkill** for a node. 5 yrs old. Costs $75*.

Fan noise? Meh. Power draw? CPU's max draw is 35W.

https://m.primal.net/HLsC.mp4

Once it's done syncing, the video can't even pick up the fan running at idling speeds:

https://m.primal.net/HLsE.mp4

Cost to run:

15W * 24hrs / 1000W/kW * 12¢/kWh * 30 days = $1.30/mo

This cpu is 8.5x more powerful than a Raspi4.

A more pleb-friendly option is a used laptop. Has everything you need built-in (esp the BATTERY!!! Huge advantage vs Raspi). This HP ProBook 450 G3 is running an 8yr old i5-6200U (3.5x more powerful than a Raspi4). Also super-quiet and low power (15W max cpu draw).

https://m.primal.net/HLsF.mp4

I have one mini PC that I use as a Karaoke and Dance Dance Revolution machine. I might convert it as a node, maybe I could even run the games from time to time without slowing down the node in the background, double use case.

What is the best way to run a node on a standard PC like this? All manual install on CLI? Run everything in Docker containers? Use a dedicated OS?

Also is it possible to restore an Umbrel node with all apps and channel on the new machine or I must start from scrach with new channels and all?

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Discussion

I don't run a LN node anymore, but my understanding is that moving channels around gets much dicier.

"Best way" to run a node will depend on tech comfort level.

I suppose you could do an unlicensed Win10 install and just run the Bitcoin Core UI.

Better would be either a full node packager image (I think maybe some package in their own linux OS?) or a basic debian / ubuntu install with a node packager on top (which will be all dockerized apps under the hood).

I'm going more hardcore and running ProxMox to create separate baby VMs for each service to run in.

Windows is a no-go for sure, my daily PC is running Kubuntu, not the most hardcore Linux but way better than Windows and iOS.

I hesistate to run Proxmox as my new NAS/home server but went for TrueNAS Scale instead, not so easy but probably easier than Proxmox.

The Karaoke et dance games are running on Linux so I could go with the prebuild environnement with Docker but then what would be the advantage from my Umbrel on RasPi4? Is the power really improving the node reliability and speed? Beside the Mempool app that freeze and I need to restart every 1-2 months, it seams to be all fine, I have BTCPay Server and LNbits, Nostr Relay and couple of other apps related to Lightning.

nostr:npub126ntw5mnermmj0znhjhgdk8lh2af72sm8qfzq48umdlnhaj9kuns3le9ll's StartOS. Just download the iso and put it on a USB drive, then boot from that and install.

Yes I know this one, but then I will probably not be able to run my 2 games on the same machine. I might need a second mini PC.