NIXBLITZ
home
v0.1.0-a390115
███╗   ██╗██╗██╗  ██╗██████╗ ██╗     ██╗████████╗███████╗
████╗  ██║██║╚██╗██╔╝██╔══██╗██║     ██║╚══██╔══╝╚══███╔╝
██╔██╗ ██║██║ ╚███╔╝ ██████╔╝██║     ██║   ██║     ███╔╝
██║╚██╗██║██║ ██╔██╗ ██╔══██╗██║     ██║   ██║    ███╔╝
██║ ╚████║██║██╔╝ ██╗██████╔╝███████╗██║   ██║   ███████╗
╚═╝  ╚═══╝╚═╝╚═╝  ╚═╝╚═════╝ ╚══════╝╚═╝   ╚═╝   ╚══════╝

A Bitcoin / Lightning node on NixOS — install with one command, configure with a TUI, run on x86 or Pi 5. No Nix knowledge required.

[!] highly experimental — under construction

NixBlitz has NOT received a thorough security review. Don't use it for production funds. Run on regtest in a VM or on dedicated hardware you're okay reinstalling. Things will break.

Get started View on Forge
overview
platformx86 / pi5
os NixOS 25.11
bitcoin bitcoind via nix-bitcoin
lightning LND / CLN / none
api + ui blitz-api + blitz-web
config~/nixblitz/config.json
vcs git-tracked, every Apply is a commit
installation

Boot a live image, run one command, walk a three-question wizard, reboot into a working node. On x86 the live image is stock NixOS from nixos.org — NixBlitz isn't baked in, the TUI bootstraps over the network. Pi 5 currently uses a third-party live image (a NixBlitz-branded Pi 5 image is on the roadmap). 

nix run git+https://forge.f44.fyi/f44/nixblitz_ng \
  --experimental-features "nix-command flakes" \
  --no-write-lock-file --refresh
  • 1.Boot the NixOS 25.11 minimal ISO (or the Pi 5 live image).
  • 2.Run the bootstrap above. The TUI launches in install mode.
  • 3.Pick disk, network (mainnet / regtest), Lightning backend.
  • 4.`disko-install` partitions, copies, installs the bootloader.
  • 5.Reboot. First-boot wizard sets the admin password and brings services up.
  • 6.Back up the LND seed when prompted. Done.

[>] full installation walkthrough— x86 + Pi 5, troubleshooting, command listings

asciicast

Bootstrap from a stock NixOS ISO into the install wizard. Placeholder — a recording of the real wizard run lands here soon.

the tui

A single binary on `tty1` (auto-login on the installed system). Re-run any time over SSH. Three regions:

  • headerNIXBLITZ | <alias> | <platform> | <pending status> | <version>
  • mainTile grid: System, Hardware, Bitcoin, Lightning, plus any plugin tiles.
  • footerKeybind hints — only shown when their action applies.

Live updates flow over SSE from blitz-api: sync %, peer counts, channel balances. Built-in tiles seed from REST on startup so the first paint isn't empty.

screenshot
The dashboard view: header, tile grid, footer keybind hints.

Dashboard — the home screen after first-boot setup.

configure → apply

Two distinct steps. Configure edits values in memory and on disk; Apply commits + rebuilds NixOS.

  • Press `[c]` from the dashboard. Tab through service tabs (system, bitcoind, lnd, …).
  • Edit values inline. Each row that differs from the last Apply gets a yellow `*` marker.
  • The header status flips from `all applied` to `X pending` as you go.
  • Press `[a]` Apply. Review the unified `git diff`, confirm.
  • TUI runs `nixos-rebuild switch`, streams output live, reports success/partial/failure.

Every Apply is a git commit. To roll back: `git revert <hash>` then `[a]` again. NixOS generations also stick around — `nixos-rebuild switch --rollback` works without the TUI.

screenshot
The Configure view: tabs across services, editable rows.

Configure — edit values; apply commits and rebuilds.

update menu

Press `[u]` from the dashboard. The Update view pulls upstream HEAD for each flake input (nixpkgs, nix-bitcoin, etc.), shows what would change, and offers a single rebuild step.

  • Daily lightweight check (`nixblitz check light`) hits each input's API for branch HEAD.
  • Weekly heavy check probes the cache via `nix build --dry-run`; runs `nvd diff` for a per-package version delta when every path is substitutable, otherwise reports a would-build list so a compile-needed rebuild doesn't catch you by surprise.
  • A dashboard banner surfaces results: `updates available — checked Xh ago`.
  • Any unapplied Configure changes are applied during the same rebuild — one transaction.
  • Plugin updates flow through the same path: `nixblitz plugin refresh` per plugin or system-wide.
screenshot
The Update view: lists available upstream updates.

Update — pull TUI, flake, and plugin updates.

debug menu

`Shift-D` from the dashboard. For diagnosing problems and exercising regtest flows.

  • Service health: per-unit status, restart, journal tail.
  • Generate regtest blocks (numeric input, mine N).
  • Regtest auto-miner — transient systemd unit, mines on a random cadence, survives TUI exit.
  • Test-LND helpers: status, fund, open channel, pay self-invoice (regtest only).
  • Plugin actions: `command:` runs as admin; `unit:` dispatches a Type=oneshot service via sudo.
screenshot
The Debug view: service health, log tail, regtest helpers.

Debug — service health and regtest helpers.

go deeper

Three operator-focused docs cover the rest. They live next to this site so anything that lands here will land there too.