Umbrel guide — KasNodes

Before you start

Umbrel installed and running, or 15 to 20 minutes to set it up
A mini PC or other x86 computer. A Raspberry Pi has too few cores and too little memory
8 processor cores
16 GB of memory, 32 GB recommended
640 GB free on an SSD, 1 TB recommended
A steady connection of 80 Mbit/s (10 MB/s) or more
A wired connection; Wi-Fi works, but wired is steadier around the clock

Set up Umbrel

Skip this if you can already open the Umbrel dashboard.

On a PC or mini PC, follow Umbrel's x86 install guide. umbrelOS replaces whatever is on the machine's internal drive. Then open umbrel.local in your browser.

For a Kaspa node, pick a machine with 8 cores, 16 GB of memory and a 1 TB NVMe SSD. A Raspberry Pi has four cores, below what a node needs to keep up.

Umbrel is ready when

http://umbrel.local opens in your browser
You've finished the first setup and can see the dashboard
Umbrel says all services are running

Install Rusty Kaspad

A few clicks. Umbrel sets up the container, ports and restarts for you.

Open the Umbrel dashboard at http://umbrel.local, or at your Umbrel's IP address.
Open the App Store and search for Rusty Kaspad, or open its listing.
Choose Install.
Wait two to five minutes while Umbrel downloads and starts it. It then appears under Installed Apps and starts syncing.

It is installed when

Rusty Kaspad is listed under Installed Apps
Its status says Running
Opening it shows its dashboard

Watch it sync

Open Rusty Kaspad. Its dashboard shows sync progress and peers.

The first sync usually takes one to two hours on a machine that meets the requirements, longer on slower ones. You can close the browser; the node keeps syncing on the Umbrel.

Restart, stop, start: From Rusty Kaspad's settings in Umbrel
Update: Umbrel tells you when one is ready; choose Update
Uninstall: Removes Rusty Kaspad and deletes its chain data

Umbrel opens the node's ports on the device, but not on your router. To make it public, forward TCP port 16111 on your router to the Umbrel device's address. Inbound peers on the dashboard confirm it.

It is working when

The dashboard shows 8 or more peers
Sync progress reaches the end, and the node says it is synced
New blocks keep arriving, many a second

Troubleshooting

The usual problems and what fixes them.

Rusty Kaspad won't install, or the install hangs

Check the Umbrel device's connection and that it has 640 GB or more free. Restart Umbrel from Settings, then try the install again.

Rusty Kaspad says Stopped, or won't start

Read its logs for the error: right-click its icon on the Umbrel home screen. Most often the disk is full, another app is using port 16110 or 16111, or Docker inside Umbrel needs a restart of Umbrel itself. Reinstalling Rusty Kaspad is the last resort, as it deletes the chain data.

The sync seems stuck or slow

Look for peers on the dashboard. With none, check Umbrel's connection (a cable is best) and restart the Rusty Kaspad app. On slower hardware the first sync can take several hours.

umbrel.local won't open

Find Umbrel's IP address in your router and open that instead. Check it's powered on and cabled, and give it two or three minutes after starting. On Windows, Bonjour Print Services adds support for .local addresses.

I installed it from the elldeeone community store

That store (elldeeone/umbrel-community-app-store) has an old version from before the June 2026 network upgrade, which no longer follows the network. Uninstall it, remove the store under the App Store's community stores, and install Rusty Kaspad from Umbrel's own App Store. It syncs again from the start.

The device runs hot or slows down

Syncing works the machine hard. Give it airflow, and avoid running many other apps during the first sync. If it keeps falling behind, it is below what a node needs: 8 cores, 16 GB and a fast SSD.

Running? Put your name on it.

Once the node shows up in a crawl you can claim it, pick a public name and follow its rank.