do i need special software to use LIGHTNING ? !

[funcho]

i know people running lightning nodes must have some technical knowledge_!

but how about the end user

DO WE NEED SPECIAL SOFTWARE TO USE MICTOPAMENTS WITH LOW FEES 

Code:

MOBILE / DESKTOP 

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[OmegaStarScream]

It's not that newbie friendly right now but If you follow tutorials, you could easily do it.

Zap wallet: https://medium.com/@jadmubaslat/bitcoin-lightning-network-node-easy-setup-tutorial-for-windows-desktop-users-a-how-to-guide-9937b5a8a669
Eclair wallet: https://medium.com/@frederikro/setting-up-lightning-with-eclair-from-acinq-on-bitcoin-testnet-on-a-windows-machine-cbbbc41a399e

Both these tutorials are for Windows and for the testnet (not mainnet).

[currencydesigner123]

You can use it but as a newbie you should avoid it using right now. And regarding I am agreed with @omegastarscream. After having some deep knowledge you can explore there

[farnandezetn]

It is not quite user friendly especially for those who are new in the market. Watching tutorials may help. But this is actually for the users who are more experts and have a vast knowledge regarding its usage. Until then, for newcomers it is better use something which more user is friendly and less complicated.

[Gurjasmeet]

l think there is no need for special software to use lightning because it is a matter of how follow up study by this. it's can't be helpful for newbies. who have more much knowledge of the special software only it's help for those.whenever there are many software in the  market.

[huntingthesnark]

Just tried my first Lightning transaction. Highly unimpressed. Apparently the node I've connected to has a low expiry, so payments are all rejected. Brilliant. What to do now?

Continuously create channels to nodes in the hope one has a usable expiry? Create hundreds of transactions in the blind hope one goes through? Obviously I'm missing something!

[Theb]

Found a more noob friendly guide here in Steemit about the Eclair App for their mobile version (Android). It will be more easier to understand compared to the medium.com article provided by OmegaStarScream since it the article gives you a step by step guide on setting up your wallet is also comes with pictures on each step. I do think if you follow this as well as trying out some test transactions you are good to go with your new Lightning Network Wallet.

[huntingthesnark]

Found a more noob friendly guide here in Steemit about the Eclair App for their mobile version (Android). It will be more easier to understand compared to the medium.com article provided by OmegaStarScream since it the article gives you a step by step guide on setting up your wallet is also comes with pictures on each step. I do think if you follow this as well as trying out some test transactions you are good to go with your new Lightning Network Wallet.

Nice guide, but it doesn't help with troubleshooting unfortunately. How on earth do you work out which node has a long enough expiry for your proposed transaction?

[Lutpin]

It's not that newbie friendly right now but If you follow tutorials, you could easily do it.

Eclair wallet: https://medium.com/@frederikro/setting-up-lightning-with-eclair-from-acinq-on-bitcoin-testnet-on-a-windows-machine-cbbbc41a399e

I found the Andorid version pretty easy to set up and use. ~ "Eclair Wallet" (https://github.com/ACINQ/eclair-wallet)
For a first look and especially for a newbie, I'd strongly suggest taking that one into consideration.

It runs using an Electrum Server as Bitcoin Node, so it's a lightweight option, the only one available on mainnet right now, afaik.
(The github links to the testnet version, but there's also one available for mainnet use: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.acinq.eclair.wallet.mainnet2 )

[RGBKey]

The Eclair Android wallet is very easy to use, and does not require a lot of configuring. It does require some pretty basic knowledge about how to send payments on the lightning network, but you could easily read a medium article on that.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.acinq.eclair.wallet.mainnet2

[huntingthesnark]

The Eclair Android wallet is very easy to use, and does not require a lot of configuring. It does require some pretty basic knowledge about how to send payments on the lightning network, but you could easily read a medium article on that.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.acinq.eclair.wallet.mainnet2

It's easy to setup, but quite hard to actually send payments! Unless I'm being dense.

How does one - in theory - select a 'good node' as opposed to a bad one? When I say 'good' I mean one that can handle your proposed transaction size, expiry, htlcs vales, etc?

Finding it a complete lottery, with some nodes (lots of connections, local, high values) automatically closing my channels, while smaller acinq nodes often fail due to expiry/htlcs errors...

[bob123]

How does one - in theory - select a 'good node' as opposed to a bad one? When I say 'good' I mean one that can handle your proposed transaction size, expiry, htlcs vales, etc?

Finding it a complete lottery, with some nodes (lots of connections, local, high values) automatically closing my channels, while smaller acinq nodes often fail due to expiry/htlcs errors...

Ideally, you connect with your mobile phone to your own node at home.
The only one you can trust for sure are you.

If you are choosing someone else to handle your channel, you are trusting that 3rd person.

This leads to the question how you can find someone who is trustful enough to handle this for you.
Either you know the person, or they have a very good reputation, or they can somehow ensure you won't lose money.


But also note that the LN currently isn't even in 'open beta'.
It is still a very early version (which does steadily increase in channel capacity / usage).

[huntingthesnark]

How does one - in theory - select a 'good node' as opposed to a bad one? When I say 'good' I mean one that can handle your proposed transaction size, expiry, htlcs vales, etc?

Finding it a complete lottery, with some nodes (lots of connections, local, high values) automatically closing my channels, while smaller acinq nodes often fail due to expiry/htlcs errors...

Ideally, you connect with your mobile phone to your own node at home.
The only one you can trust for sure are you.

If you are choosing someone else to handle your channel, you are trusting that 3rd person.

This leads to the question how you can find someone who is trustful enough to handle this for you.
Either you know the person, or they have a very good reputation, or they can somehow ensure you won't lose money.


But also note that the LN currently isn't even in 'open beta'.
It is still a very early version (which does steadily increase in channel capacity / usage).

Take your trust point, but won't creating trust be a key part of wider adoption?

[bob123]

Take your trust point, but won't creating trust be a key part of wider adoption?

IMO this depends.

On the one hand creating a structure with people you actually can trust to handle your payment will indeed increase adoption.
People are already trusting on 3rd parties to hold their coins (e.g. holding coins on an exchange, web wallets, .. ).
And i can very well imagine that institutions are going to create a server structure to provide such a service (for a small fee).

But in the end the system has been created to work without any trust. The key point is the ability to verify the integrity of all information / transactions yourself.

Everyone is free to give this control away. It basically depends on the reasons why you are using crypto currencies.

[RGBKey]

The Eclair Android wallet is very easy to use, and does not require a lot of configuring. It does require some pretty basic knowledge about how to send payments on the lightning network, but you could easily read a medium article on that.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.acinq.eclair.wallet.mainnet2

It's easy to setup, but quite hard to actually send payments! Unless I'm being dense.

How does one - in theory - select a 'good node' as opposed to a bad one? When I say 'good' I mean one that can handle your proposed transaction size, expiry, htlcs vales, etc?

Finding it a complete lottery, with some nodes (lots of connections, local, high values) automatically closing my channels, while smaller acinq nodes often fail due to expiry/htlcs errors...

I believe it has an "autoconnect" feature to connect you to an acinq node. Also, you can go on a lightning explorer and select a node with good channel connectivity, because those nodes are likely to be reliable and have the capacity you need.