Web app

Run your private WebGUI Nostr relay to backup all your activity on Nostr. An official app by Umbrel. Powered by nostr-rs-relay.

Umbrel Nostr Relay webapp

Preparations

Install dependencies

These are build dependencies (safe to remove after installation, if you want)

$SU apk add --virtual .build-deps git npm

These are runtime dependencies

$SU apk add nodejs-current

Create the `umbrel` user/group

$SU addgroup -S umbrel

$SU adduser \
		-S \
		-D \
		-H \
		-h /dev/null \
		-s /sbin/nologin \
		-G umbrel \
		-g umbrel \
		umbrel

Add the user `satoshi` to the group `umbrel` as well

$SU adduser satoshi umbrel

Reverse proxy

In the Security section, we set up a reverse proxy. Now we can add the Umbrel Nostr Relay configuration.

Enable the reverse proxy to route external encrypted HTTPS traffic internally to the Umbrel Nostr Relay

$SU $EDITOR /etc/caddy/sites/umbrel-nostr-relay.caddy

/etc/caddy/sites/umbrel-nostr-relay.caddy

:8881 {
				import tls
				root * /var/www/umbrel-nostr-relay
				encode gzip
 
				@websockets {
								header Connection *Upgrade*
								header Upgrade    websocket
				}
 
				@nostr {
								header Accept application/nostr+json
				}
 
				@relayproxy {
								path /relay-proxy/*
				}
 
				reverse_proxy @websockets 127.0.0.1:8880
				reverse_proxy @nostr 127.0.0.1:8880
				reverse_proxy @relayproxy 127.0.0.1:81
 
				file_server
}

Reload Caddy

$SU rc-service caddy reload

Firewall

Configure the firewall to allow incoming HTTPS requests

$SU $EDITOR /etc/awall/optional/umbrel-nostr-relay.json

/etc/awall/optional/umbrel-nostr-relay.json

{
	"description": "Allow Umbrel Nostr Relay webGUI SSL",
 
	"filter": [
		{
			"in": "internet",
			"out": "_fw",
			"service": { "proto": "tcp", "port": 8881 },
			"action": "accept",
			"conn-limit": { "count": 10, "interval": 60 }
		}
	]
}

Enable it

$SU awall enable umbrel-nostr-relay
$SU awall activate

Installation

Clone the source code

We get the latest release of the umbrel-nostr-relay source code, compile it to an executable binary and install it.

Download the source code for the latest umbrel-nostr-relay release. You can check the release page to see if a newer release is available. Other releases might not have been properly tested with the rest of the Microbolt configuration, though.

cd /tmp

VERSION=1.1.0

git clone --branch v$VERSION https://github.com/getumbrel/umbrel-nostr-relay

Backend

Install the backend dependencies and build the project

cd /tmp/umbrel-nostr-relay/relay-proxy

npm ci --omit=dev --omit=optional

Installation can take some time. There might be a lot of confusing output, but if you see something similar to the following, the installation was successful:

output

2 vulnerabilities (1 low, 1 moderate)

To address all issues, run:
	npm audit fix

Run `npm audit` for details.

⚠️

At 2024-09-03 there is at least 2 vulnerabilities not addressable without breaking changes

npm audit fix

Make it a global permanent installation

mkdir ./bin

printf "%s\n" \
		"#!/bin/sh" \
		"node \$@ /var/lib/umbrel-nostr-relay/server" \
		> ./bin/cli.sh

chmod +x ./bin/cli.sh

Replace the port and STORE constant with an environment variable

sed 's/const port = 80;/const port = process.env.RELAY_PROXY_PORT || 80;/' server.js > _
mv -f _ server.js

sed 's/export const STORE = ".\/data\/store.json";/export const STORE = process.env.RELAY_DATA_STORE || ".\/data\/store.json";/' constants.js > _
mv -f _ constants.js

$SU mv -f /tmp/umbrel-nostr-relay/relay-proxy /var/lib/umbrel-nostr-relay

$SU ln -s /var/lib/umbrel-nostr-relay /usr/lib/node_modules/umbrel-nostr-relay
$SU ln -s ../lib/node_modules/umbrel-nostr-relay/bin/cli.sh /usr/bin/umbrel-nostr-relay

Frontend

Install the frontend dependencies and build the project

cd /tmp/umbrel-nostr-relay/ui

npm ci

Installation can take some time. There might be a lot of confusing output, but if you see something similar to the following, the installation was successful:

output

21 vulnerabilities (8 moderate, 11 high, 2 critical)

To address issues that do not require attention, run:
	npm audit fix

To address all issues (including breaking changes), run:
	npm audit fix --force

Run `npm audit` for details.

⚠️

At 2024-09-03 there is at least 21 vulnerabilities not addressable without breaking changes

npm audit fix

Make it a global permanent installation

sed 's/Umbrel/Microbolt/' public/index.html > _
mv -f _ public/index.html

sed \
		-e 's/{ relayPort }//' \
		-e '/<p className="text-slate-800 dark:text-slate-400 text-xs mt-4 mb-6">/,/<\/p>/d' \
		src/components/ConnectClient.js > _
mv -f _ src/components/ConnectClient.js

npm run build

$SU rm -rf /var/www/umbrel-nostr-relay
$SU mv -f ./build /var/www/umbrel-nostr-relay

Clean up

cd
rm -rf /tmp/umbrel-nostr-relay
$SU apk del .build-deps

Configuration

Add this values in the umbrel.env file

$SU mkdir /etc/umbrel-nostr-relay

$SU $EDITOR /etc/umbrel-nostr-relay/umbrel.env

/etc/umbrel-nostr-relay/umbrel.env

RELAY_HOST=127.0.0.1
RELAY_PORT=8880
RELAY_PROXY_PORT=81
RELAY_DATA_STORE=/etc/umbrel-nostr-relay/store.json

Remote access over Tor

To use your nostr relay when you’re on the go, you can easily create a Tor hidden service on the Microbolt and accessing the Umbrel Nostr Relay with the Tor browser from any device.

Add the following three lines in the “location-hidden services” section in the torrc file.

$SU $EDITOR /etc/tor/torrc

/etc/tor/torrc

# Hidden Service Umbrel Nostr Relay
HiddenServiceDir /var/lib/tor/umbrel-nostr-relay/
HiddenServiceVersion 3
HiddenServicePoWDefensesEnabled 1
HiddenServicePort 443 127.0.0.1:8881

Reload Tor configuration and get your connection address.

$SU rc-service tor reload
$SU cat /var/lib/tor/umbrel-nostr-relay/hostname

output

abcdefg..............xyz.onion

You should now be able to connect to your Umbrel Nostr Relay remotely via Tor using your hostname

Autostart on boot

Nostr Relay needs to start automatically on system boot.

Create the umbrel-nostr-relay init.d unit and copy/paste the following configuration

$SU $EDITOR /etc/init.d/umbrel-nostr-relay

/etc/init.d/umbrel-nostr-relay

#!/sbin/openrc-run
 
: ${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_ENVFILE:=/etc/umbrel-nostr-relay/umbrel.env}
: ${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_DATADIR:=/var/lib/umbrel-nostr-relay}
: ${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_LOGDIR:=/var/log/umbrel-nostr-relay}
: ${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_USER:=umbrel}
: ${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_GROUP:=umbrel}
: ${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_BIN:=/usr/bin/umbrel-nostr-relay}
: ${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_OPTS=${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_OPTS}}
: ${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_SIGTERM_TIMEOUT:=600}
 
UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_PIDDIR="/run/umbrel-nostr-relay"
 
directory="${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_DATADIR}"
required_files="${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_ENVFILE}"
pidfile="${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_PIDDIR}/${SVCNAME}.pid"
retry="${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_SIGTERM_TIMEOUT}"
capabilities="^cap_net_bind_service"
 
name="Umbrel Nostr Relay"
description="A Nostr relay webGUI made by Umbrel"
 
command="${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_BIN}"
command_args="--env-file=${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_ENVFILE}
							${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_OPTS}"
command_user="${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_USER}:${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_GROUP}"
command_background="true"
 
start_stop_daemon_args="--stdout ${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_LOGDIR}/debug.log
												--stderr ${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_LOGDIR}/debug.log"
 
depend() {
		need nostr-rs-relay
}
 
start_pre() {
		checkpath --directory --mode 0755 --owner "${command_user}" "${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_ENVFILE%/*}"
		checkpath --file      --mode 0660 --owner "${command_user}" "${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_ENVFILE}"
		checkpath --directory --mode 0750 --owner "${command_user}" "${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_DATADIR}"
		checkpath --directory --mode 0755 --owner "${command_user}" "${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_LOGDIR}"
		checkpath --directory --mode 0755 --owner "${command_user}" "${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_PIDDIR}"
}
 
stop() {
		ebegin "Stopping ${SVCNAME}"
		pkill -TERM -P "$(cat ${pidfile})" > /dev/null 2>&1
		start-stop-daemon \
				--stop \
				--pidfile="${pidfile}" \
				--retry="${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_SIGTERM_TIMEOUT}" \
				--exec="${UMBREL_NOSTR_RELAY_BIN}"
		eend $?
}

Enable execution permission

$SU chmod +x /etc/init.d/umbrel-nostr-relay

Enable logrotate

Enter the complete next configuration. Save and exit

/etc/logrotate.d/umbrel-nostr-relay

/var/log/umbrel-nostr-relay/*.log {
		weekly
		missingok
		rotate 104
		compress
		delaycompress
		notifempty
		create 0640 nostr nostr
		sharedscripts
		postrotate
				killall -HUP `cat /run/umbrel-nostr-relay/umbrel-nostr-relay.pid`
		endscript
}

Test

$SU logrotate /etc/logrotate.d/umbrel-nostr-relay --debug

Enable and start Nostr relay

$SU rc-update add umbrel-nostr-relay

$SU rc-service umbrel-nostr-relay start

Check the log to see Umbrel Nostr Relay output. Exit with Ctrl-C

tail -f /var/log/umbrel-nostr-relay/debug.log

Ensure the service is working and listening at the default 8881 port

$SU netstat -lntup | grep LISTEN | grep umbrel

output

tcp        0      0 0.0.0.0:8881            0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN      7140/umbrel-nostr-relay

For the future: Umbrel Nostr Relay upgrade

Follow again Umbrel Nostr Relay page replacing the environment variable VERSION=x.xx value for the latest if it has not been already changed in this guide.

Update the Umbrel Nostr Relay configuration if necessary (see release notes)

$SU $EDITOR /etc/umbrel-nostr-relay/umbrel.env

Restart the service to apply the changes

$SU rc-service umbrel-nostr-relay restart

Nostr Relay

Web app

Preparations

Install dependencies

Create the umbrel user/group

Add the user satoshi to the group umbrel as well

Reverse proxy

Firewall

Installation

Clone the source code

Backend

Frontend

Clean up

Configuration

Autostart on boot

Enable logrotate

Enable and start Nostr relay

For the future: Umbrel Nostr Relay upgrade

Create the `umbrel` user/group

Add the user `satoshi` to the group `umbrel` as well