From 96e3fc35b95c119a09cc40c272b300b592f00ba9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: kn0wmad Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2021 09:28:51 -0600 Subject: [PATCH] More FAQs added --- source/support/faq.rst | 21 +++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 21 insertions(+) diff --git a/source/support/faq.rst b/source/support/faq.rst index 9411bb2..8ccfb39 100644 --- a/source/support/faq.rst +++ b/source/support/faq.rst @@ -307,6 +307,10 @@ Can the IBD (Initial Block Download) be made faster? Or can wait times be impro ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We have some work planned to improve the wait times, which we think is the better way to deal with painful sync times without sacrificing the trust minimization. +I'm getting this error: unable to connect to bitcoind: -28: Loading block index... What do I do? +------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ +The block index error is normal and goes away after the Bitcoin blockchain has synced. If you have completed the Initial Blockchain Download (IBD), this will be a few minutes at most. + Does the Embassy run a full archival Bitcoin node? -------------------------------------------------- The Embassy runs a full node, but does not run a full *archival* node, it's pruned. This means it does not store the entire Blockchain. As it syncs, it discards blocks and transactions it does not need. @@ -362,6 +366,10 @@ Which wallets can I use that sync with my Embassy Bitcoin node? --------------------------------------------------------------- There are many wallets that support linking to your own full node. You will need one that supports tor. Here are a few options that are compatible: FullyNoded, Samourai, Specter, Wasabi, Zap, and Zeus. +Is BlueWallet an option? +------------------------ +BlueWallet requires a seperate backend service called LNDHub, which is not available on the Embassy at this time. + Is it possible to run c-lightning and lnd parallel on the Embassy? ------------------------------------------------------------------ Yes, you may run both. They will operate in their own environments and allow you to run services that depend on either. @@ -370,6 +378,14 @@ How do I connect my Spark mobile app to the Embassy Spark server? ----------------------------------------------------------------- To use a Spark client, you still need to have Spark installed on the Embassy (which ‘serves’ Spark). Then, under Properties, there is a "Pairing URL". The first part of this is the server URL, and the end portion of it is the access key. +Are my addresses, channels, and balances all stored in LND or in RTL? +-------------------------------------------------------------------- +This is all on LND, and RTL is just a GUI for accessing LND. On-chain balance is also part of the LND backup. + +Is there a way to use the channel backups made within RTL? +---------------------------------------------------------- +The only backup flow we officially support is through the Embassy backup system. This does include the channel backups created automatically by LND, but it must be understood that backups in Lightning are very different than they are on Layer 1 Bitcoin. If you restore from backup all your channels will close, and there is a potential, albeit small, probability for you to lose funds. + When attempting to add new peer, RTL says "server is still in the process of starting," but chain state seems to be fully up to date. What can I do? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check the LND logs, it can take a while to bootstrap, and starting RTL before this completes could cause errors. @@ -381,3 +397,8 @@ You may need to restart the LND Service. What's the best way to move a small lightning balance? ------------------------------------------------------ It is possible to have lightning balances that are so low that they will not (or barely will) cover the on-chain fees to recoup into an on-chain wallet. + +Why are Lightning Network backups and moves so complicated? +----------------------------------------------------------- +There are safe ways to do an “atomic move” of a LN node but it requires a very specific sequence of actions and certain mistakes can result in your counterparties taking all your funds. Fundamentally, today, LN works on a punishment scheme. This means if you publish revoked state, that the counterparty is entitled to a claim on all the funds in the channel. This incentive system is what makes the whole thing work. Without it LN would be subject to various kinds of thievery. +So the downside is that backups of old state are not safe. This is because your node might believe it is the real state of the channel, but it may be unaware of states created since then. The problem here is that your node naively believes something different from the truth, which can result in all of the funds being lost. In response to this reality, the safe backup systems, including those generated by RTL, actually do not include channel state. They only list the peers that you had channels with. Restoring these backups essentially politely asks your peers to force close the channels they have with you. In those moments it is possible for your peer to try and cheat you, but they cannot be 100% sure that you can’t punish them, so it’s extremely unlikely that they will attempt to do so. \ No newline at end of file