Running a Fedimint with Docker

This repo contains a downloader script and various docker-compose configurations for running a Fedimint Guardian or a Fedimint Lightning Gateway.

Downloader Script

This script will create and configure a docker-compose.yaml file and a .env file in a directory named fedimint-service

bash <(curl -sSf https://raw.githubusercontent.com/fedimint/fedimint-docker/master/downloader.sh)

The downloader script can be run on a fresh linux box and will install all the required software (docker, etc.) , then step you through selecting:

1. Whether you're installing a Guardian or a Lightning Gateway
2. Which network you're using (mainnet or mutinynet)
3. How you're getting your block data / lightning connection and whether to start a local bitcoin/lightning node or use a remote source

For a Guardian, the script will also step you through configuring your DNS records to ensure your fedimint is accessible over the web.

Example: Guardian + Local Pruned Bitcoind on Mainnet

Prerequisites

1. You have a Domain name purchased through a registrar like Cloudflare or Namecheap, for example fedimintnow.com
2. You have a Linux box configured on DigitalOcean, AWS, Linode, or some other cloud provider, for this example a $12/month Basic Ubuntu 24.04 box with 2 CPU, 4GB RAM, and 80GB SSD.
3. You can run terminal commands on the linux box.

Step 1: Run the downloader script on the linux box

This script will create and configure a docker-compose.yaml file and a .env file in a directory named fedimint-service

bash <(curl -sSf https://raw.githubusercontent.com/fedimint/fedimint-docker/master/downloader.sh)

Step 2: Configuring the Docker Compose

Within the script, select in order:

• 1 for Guardian
• 1 for Mainnet
• 1 for Bitcoind
• 1 for Local Pruned Node

Which will download the docker-compose.yml file and a .env in a directory named fedimint-service

Step 3: Verify the DNS configuration

Follow the instructions in the script to verify your DNS configuration. This consists of creating a CNAME record pointing to the ipv4 address of the machine fedimintd is being deployed to

Step 3: Configure the .env file

The script will then prompt you and configure the following variable in the .env file:

• FM_DOMAIN=: The domain name you configured to point at this machine (e.g. fedimintnow.org)

The bitcoind RPC url and kind will already be configured to use the local bitcoind node.

Step 4: Start the Guardian Service

The script will start the fedimint service by running docker-compose up -d, and you'll be able to access the guardian UI at your domain name (e.g. https://fedimintnow.org). If you want want to stop the service, you can run docker-compose down in the fedimint-service directory, then start it again by running docker-compose up -d.

You're now ready to start using your Fedimint Guardian and perform the initial setup ceremony to create your federation.

Recommended Hardware for Guardian/Gateway Configurations

Guardian w/remote Bitcoind or Esplora

• A Linux box with at least:
  • 2-4GB RAM
  • 50GB Storage

Guardian + Local Pruned Bitcoind

• A Linux box with at least:
  • 4-8GB RAM
  • 50GB Storage

Gateway w/remote LND or local LDK

• A Linux box with at least:
  • 2-4GB RAM
  • 50GB Storage

Gateway + Local LND

• A Linux box with at least:
  • 4-8GB RAM
  • 50GB Storage