Open Source, easy AF Bitcoin node for Desktop Computers, and Pi
BUY A PRE-BUILT and SYCNED
PARMANODL Laptop/Pi or PARMACLOUD Encrypted Data Storage
Install Linux/Mac: curl https://parmanode.com/install.sh | sh
Build ParmanodL Pi
Too Hard; Teach Me
Personal mentorship with Parman
Introduction
Parmanode is Bitcoin node package with assiciated software making each app very easy to download securely (pgp/sha256), configure and run. You don’t have to install each program offerred – tailor it to your needs. You also don’t need to be a Linux wizard; that part has been taken care of.
Parmanode lets you select what you want to include in your set-up:
Here Parmanode is compiling electrs server after a user chooses to install it from the install menu (submenu node related)…
The software also comes with helpful information, including links to various articles on my website, armantheparman.com, so that Bitcoiners keep learning more about Bitcoin and how to be safely self-sovereign.
Parmanode will connect the wallet to the node AUTOMAGICALLY. The connection settings are printed in this electrs server menu, but if the user installs Electrum or Sparrow wallet on the same machine using Parmanode, the wallets will connect automatically.
How To Run/Install
The simplest way to install is to copy and paste the following line into the Linux or Mac terminal…
curl https://parmanode.com/install.sh | sh
On Macs, to use git (necessary), you may be asked to install the command line developer tools. You will be given the option to do so with a popup window, and you’ll need to proceed with it to use git. It takes a few minutes to install.
On some barebones Linux systems, curl may not be installed and the above command won’t work. You’ll need to install curl first…
sudo apt-get install curl
If you are extra cautious, you can see the installation code first (it’s very short), you can type in the above command but omit the “| sh” ending. That will print out the code to the screen.
If you get a fingerprint error/warning when you run the installation command, that’s normal, carry on.
Alternatively, if the installation went smoothly, you can just open terminal and type the following command to Run Parmanode, then <enter>:
rp
If you wanted to take a more granular approach, you can use these two commands (which the rp command does on its own):
cd ~/parman_programs/parmanode
./run_parmanode.sh
Parmanode is not designed to be run by a user (ie login name) that did not originally install the software. If you try this, you will get errors.
A Note About Superuser
When the program runs, you will be asked at some point for a password – this is your computer’s “sudo” or login password, and is necessary for Parmanode to access system functions like mounting drives.
Please be aware, you cannot run the program as the root user.
Run on a VPS
You can install Parmanode on a virtual private server (VPS) but be aware the data requirement (for Bitcoin Core) can get expensive unless you run it pruned. Remember, you can’t run as root.
A Warning About SSH
You can access the computer with Parmanode (ParmanodL) using SSH, but be aware, some apps are designed to work in a graphical environment. Parmanode might activate pop-up windows such as wallets, but you won’t see them via SSH. It’s fine to access by SSH, but just be mindful of this.
UPDATE: Parmanode can now enable X11 forwarding so graphical apps can be accessed by SSH, even wallets.
Instructions to Upgrade
Use the update option within the Parmanode software to update.
Note, this will NOT automatically update the apps that Parmanode installed for you on your system.
To get newer versions of updated apps, you need to uninstall the particular app, (you should use Parmanode-remove tools), then reinstall it (with the new version of Parmanode) – it will then install the newer version of the app for you.
If updating Parmanode itself from within the software is glitching, you can try this command to fix it:
curl https://parmanode.com/refresh_parmanode | sh
ParmanodL Laptop
ParmanodL is a computer running Linux and Parmanode which can be purchased ready-made with the blockchain synced (contact Parman for info).
Or you can make your own. On a Linux computer, run this line in terminal:
curl https://parmanode.com/get_parmanodl_installer | sh
You just follow the instructions and the installer will flash a microSD card for you for your Pi – all the downloading, verifying, flashing – it’s automatic.
ParmanodL Pi
ParmanodL Pi is a Pi computer running Raspian OS (Linux) and Parmanode which can be purchased ready-made with the blockchain synced (contact Parman for info).
There are four ways, the first three involve a pre-made Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit) image file with ParmanodL installed and configured to be beautiful.
1) Archive.com
https://archive.org/download/parmanod-l-pi-v-3.0.0.img/ParmanodL-PI-v3.0.0.img.xz
https://archive.org/download/parmanod-l-pi-v-3.0.0.img/ParmanodL-PI-v3.0.0.img.xz.sig
Then verify the signature. Import my pubkey first (available on my website, double check my Twitter and Nostr banner for the fingerprint E7C061D4C5E5BC98). Commands must be run using Terminal and you must be in the same directory as the two files.
gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-key E7C061D4C5E5BC98
gpg --verify ParmanodL-PI-v3.0.0.img.xz.sig ParmanodL-PI-v3.0.0.img.xz2) Tor
You can use the Tor Browser or Brave Browser (in Tor mode) to access my private server and download it from there (Uptime not 100%). Verify the download with the hash (see below for how).
https://7zatnd4wode263mlx5tmvvbyon4ej64noftfp3lloayhiwbogm63kdad.onion:7777/index.html
3) BitTorrent
This torrent.
Torrents are links to the file on a network of shared computers. When you download the file, if you leave it in place, and leave the torrent software running, then other people can download from you too; sharing is caring.
You’ll need a program like qBitTorrent for Mac or Linux. For Linux, make sure to make the qBitTorrent file executable with
sudo chmod +x /path/to/AppImage
Once you download the ParmanodL image file, check the sha256 hash. The command for that is:
shasum -a 256 /path/to/the/image/file
I hope I don’t have to explain that you replace /path/to/the/image/file with the actual path of the image file!
SHA256 hash results
ParmanodL-PI-v3.0.0.img
8f3467cc218ffdd0012dd09ffa14766007fa7f37a9fb7ca6bb43f0290a42b6b1
ParmanodL-PI-v3.0.0.tar
5a045f5e728f9306eda821dc5db305d98ad8924fb78eff33cb6dd5f27f2e1079
ParmanodL-PI-v3.0.0.img.xz
3f5d85f96f695e5f1c328561eecabd968dc93654509ba9c963c35fa0d457d2bd
ParmanodL-PI-v3.0.0.img.xz.sig
de6bed9d8616b76a2c9eba1256dc4ce432c4b47556f7186daa5bf9223952e1e9
Make sure you don’t just trust the comments inside the torrent file with its printed hash. Compare it with what is above as well. Then if you hash output matches, you’ll know you’re really getting the file I am wanting to deliver, and not be a victim of a man-in-the-middle attack.
Then flash the image to a microSD card using Balena Etcher, then stick it in the Pi and switch it on. Access the Pi as a traditional desktop computer, or via ssh with
ssh parman@parmanodl.local (user=parman, password=parmanodl)
4) Manual OS install + Parmanode
To do this, you can use Raspberry Pi Imager software – Make sure you select the correct bit version (usually 64Bit). Then flash it to SD card and boot up the Pi with it. Log in and install parmanode the same way as any Linux install desribed above. It works, but not as pretty. Here’s the wallpapper you’d be missing out on, feel free to use it…
Read The Code – It’s on GitHub.
Copious comments to the code have been added so a non-developer can read it in an instructional way and learn what’s going on. All commands in the code are executable manually in the terminal, so you can experiment and try out things you see.
When reading the code, I suggest using software called Visual Studio Code (VSC), as it colour-codes everything and makes it easier to follow the syntax. Open the Parmanode script folder (~/parman_programs/parmanode/) and read the code in VSC software.
It can be a bit of a maze if you don’t know where to start. I suggest starting at the “run_parmanode.sh” file and branch out from there. Some guidance is on that page, and more is added as you branch out. The majority of the comments for now are related to installing Parmanode, custom functions, and installing Bitcoin Core.
Too hard, just sell me one ready-made
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