179 lines
8.5 KiB
Markdown
179 lines
8.5 KiB
Markdown
# Wallet Connections
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Wallet Connections is a Hub-managed Sovran_SystemsOS feature that lets members create isolated Lightning app connections and reusable Lightning Addresses backed by a local LND node via Alby Hub.
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## Enablement flow
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Use the existing Hub service tile flow:
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1. Open **Wallet Connections** in Bitcoin Apps.
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2. Enable feature.
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3. Complete existing port/domain/DDNS/rebuild flow (80/TCP and 443/TCP).
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4. Reopen tile and manage connections.
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## Service-detail modal UX
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Wallet management runs inside the existing **Wallet Connections** service-detail modal with dedicated states:
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1. **Empty state**: no wallets yet, with create action.
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2. **Create form**: name, alias, access preset, optional spend limit.
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3. **Created/secret state**: one-time pairing secret (URI + QR) shown with prominent warning:
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**Keep the NWC string and QR private. The NWC connection secret cannot be displayed again.**
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4. **Wallet list state**: per-wallet actions for verify/test, drain, and delete.
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Pairing URI and QR data are cleared when:
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- "I Saved This Secret" is clicked
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- the service modal X is closed
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- the overlay closes the modal
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- navigation otherwise leaves the secret view
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Guardrails:
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- Action buttons are disabled while API requests are in flight.
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- Destructive actions (drain/delete) require user confirmation.
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- API errors are surfaced inline in the modal state.
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## Architecture
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```
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Authenticated Hub management API
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-> local Alby Hub (port 18080, loopback only)
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-> local LND
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Public Lightning Address
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-> local Caddy on 80/443
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-> loopback nwc-lnurl service (port 8181)
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-> local Alby Hub invoice API with isolated appId
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-> local LND
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```
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Security invariants:
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- Alby Hub management port (18080) is never opened to the public firewall.
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- Dedicated LNURL service port (8181) is never opened to the public firewall.
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- LNURL callback and discovery are exposed only through Caddy on 80/443.
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- Management APIs are authenticated and remain under `/api/nwc/`.
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- Pairing secrets are returned only on create responses and are never stored.
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- Pairing secret QR data is generated only for create responses and is not rehydrated via wallet list APIs.
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- Invoice attribution enforces wallet isolation via numeric appId on every LNURL callback.
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- Wallet Connections state (Alby Hub database) is never exposed as a plain JSON file.
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## Domain and runtime files
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- Domain key: `lightning`
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- Runtime domain file: `/var/lib/domains/lightning`
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- Alby Hub state: `/var/lib/albyhub/` (restrictive permissions, secret-bearing)
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- Alby Hub database: `/var/lib/albyhub/nwc.db`
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- Alby Hub unlock password: `/var/lib/albyhub/unlock-password` (generated once, mode 0600)
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- LND macaroon for Alby Hub: `/run/lnd/albyhub.macaroon` (restricted permissions)
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## Alby Hub package and patches
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Wallet Connections uses `pkgs.albyhub` from the repository's pinned `nixpkgs` input and applies three conventional patches via `overrideAttrs`:
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1. **Private route hints** (`packages/albyhub/0001-private-route-hints.patch`): changes regular LND invoice creation from `Private: !hasPublicChannels` to `Private: true` and leaves hold-invoice logic unchanged.
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2. **Invoice app attribution** (`packages/albyhub/0002-isolated-invoice-app-id.patch`): updates `api/models.go`, `api/transactions.go`, `http/http_service.go`, and `wails/wails_handlers.go` so invoice creation accepts and forwards optional `appId`.
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3. **Loopback bind host** (`packages/albyhub/0003-loopback-bind-host.patch`): adds `HOST` to config and binds Echo to `HOST:PORT` instead of `:PORT`.
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No placeholder source/vendor hashes are used in the Wallet Connections module.
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## Services
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| Service | User | Description |
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|---|---|---|
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| `albyhub.service` | `albyhub` | Headless Alby Hub NWC wallet server |
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| `nwc-lnurl.service` | `albyhub` | Dedicated LNURL discovery and callback service |
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| `albyhub-init.service` | `root` (oneshot) | Generates `unlock-password` once on first boot |
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`nwc-lnurl.service` runs as `albyhub` so it can traverse `/var/lib/albyhub` (0700) and read `/var/lib/albyhub/unlock-password` (0600) without weakening permissions.
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## Wallet Connections icon asset
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- Hub service icon identifier: `nwc` (feature name remains **Wallet Connections**)
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- Asset path in this repository: `app/icons/nwc.svg`
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- Official source: `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/getAlby/nostr-wallet-connect/5fb6831739c7e6b089cd7205e11910ef542432ad/public/images/nwc-logo.svg`
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- Upstream repository: `https://github.com/getAlby/nostr-wallet-connect`
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- Upstream license: Apache-2.0 (`https://github.com/getAlby/nostr-wallet-connect/blob/5fb6831739c7e6b089cd7205e11910ef542432ad/LICENSE`)
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- Attribution/redistribution note: Apache-2.0 permits redistribution; preserve upstream license notices in distributions.
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## API
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Management (authenticated):
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- `GET /api/nwc/wallets` — list all managed wallets (no secrets)
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- `POST /api/nwc/wallets` — create a wallet; returns `pairing_uri` exactly once
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- `DELETE /api/nwc/wallets/{id-or-pubkey}` — drain and delete
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- `POST /api/nwc/wallets/{id-or-pubkey}/drain` — transfer funds to primary wallet
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- `POST /api/nwc/addresses/{alias}/test` — verify public LNURL endpoint
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Exact Hub setup/auth flow used by the manager:
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- `GET /api/info`
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- If `setupCompleted == false`: `POST /api/setup` with `backendType`, `unlockPassword`, `lndAddress`, `lndCertFile`, `lndMacaroonFile`
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- `GET /api/info` again
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- If `running == false`: `POST /api/start` with `unlockPassword`
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- If `running == true`: `POST /api/unlock` with `unlockPassword` and `permission: "full"`
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- Poll authenticated `GET /api/node/status` until `isReady == true`
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- Cached bearer token is refreshed once on 401/403
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Exact app/transaction usage:
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- `GET /api/apps?limit=<N>&offset=<N>&order_by=created_at` (full pagination using `totalCount`)
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- `GET /api/v2/apps/{id}` for app-by-id fetches
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- `GET /api/transactions?appId={id}&limit=<N>&offset=<N>` (full pagination using `totalCount`)
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- Wallet metadata uses `appPubkey` and `balanceMsat` (`balance_sats = balanceMsat / 1000`, `dust_msat = balanceMsat % 1000`)
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- Limited-wallet initial funding uses `POST /api/transfers` with `toAppId`, `amountSat`, `description`
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- Drain uses `PATCH /api/apps/{appPubkey}`, transfer with `fromAppId` + `amountMsat`, and enforces final dust equality
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- Delete uses `DELETE /api/apps/{appPubkey}` after pending/drain checks
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Public LNURL (served by dedicated `nwc-lnurl` service via Caddy):
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- `GET /.well-known/lnurlp/{alias}` — LNURL-pay discovery
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- `GET /lnurlp/{alias}/callback?amount=<msat>` — invoice creation via Alby Hub
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## Recovery CLI
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`nwc-wallet` is included with the Hub package and calls the real Alby Hub manager:
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- `nwc-wallet create <name> <alias> --receive-only`
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- `nwc-wallet create <name> <alias> --limit-sats <amount>`
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- `nwc-wallet list`
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- `nwc-wallet drain <wallet>`
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- `nwc-wallet delete <wallet>`
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- `nwc-wallet address show <alias>`
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- `nwc-wallet health`
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A CLI `create` command prints the real NWC pairing secret once. Keep it private.
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## Backup and restore
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`/var/lib/albyhub` is the authoritative Alby Hub state directory. It contains:
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- The SQLite database (`nwc.db`) with all wallet app records.
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- The unlock password (`unlock-password`).
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This directory **must be treated as secret-bearing wallet material**. Backups containing it must be encrypted and access-controlled.
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To back up while the service is running, use SQLite online backup (`VACUUM INTO`) or a controlled brief service stop rather than a live `cp`. A brief stop of `albyhub.service` before copying `nwc.db` is the safest approach.
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Disabling Wallet Connections stops `albyhub.service` and `nwc-lnurl.service` and removes the Caddy exposure, while preserving `/var/lib/albyhub`. Re-enabling and rebuilding restores all existing connections — no secrets need to be regenerated.
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## Troubleshooting
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**Alby Hub service not starting:**
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- Check `journalctl -u albyhub.service` for errors.
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- Verify `/var/lib/albyhub/unlock-password` exists and is readable by `albyhub`.
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- Verify `/run/lnd/albyhub.macaroon` exists (LND must be running and the macaroon generated).
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**LNURL discovery returning 503:**
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- Check that `albyhub.service` is running.
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- Check that `/var/lib/domains/lightning` contains the correct domain.
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- Check `journalctl -u nwc-lnurl.service`.
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**Invoice creation failing:**
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- Verify LND has sufficient inbound liquidity on channels with route hints.
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- Check `journalctl -u albyhub.service` for LND RPC errors.
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**Wallet creation partial failure (funding not transferred):**
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- The wallet was created and the NWC connection secret was shown. Save it.
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- Do not create another wallet for the same alias.
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- Fund the isolated wallet manually via Alby Hub's internal transfer API.
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