A practical book by Harris Brakmić, published by Apress in 2019 with the subtitle Running Nodes on Pi3, Pi4 and Pi Zero. This overview draws on publication records, the complete front matter of the public preview and precisely identified companion files.
Bitcoin and Lightning Network on Raspberry Pi was written by Harris Brakmić. Apress lists the electronic edition on 21 November 2019 and the paperback on 22 November 2019. The subtitle Running Nodes on Pi3, Pi4 and Pi Zero identifies the hardware focus at the time; it does not promise support for every present-day setup. [1]
The publisher addresses technically minded makers with basic knowledge of the Linux command line. The goal is to build and run nodes and their user interfaces. This is therefore more than an overview of money or investing: readers are expected to work with the operating system, configuration and programs. [1]
The complete contents list 12 chapters in three parts. Enter Bitcoin covers basic concepts, technology, the environment and the first run. Using Bitcoin moves to the wallet, bitcoind, Bitcoin Script and programming examples. Using Lightning Network then adds payment channels, implementations and web applications. This is the verified book plan, not a claim that we have read every chapter. [2]
The contents distinguish the graphical Bitcoin Core wallet from controlling bitcoind with bitcoin-cli. Alongside transactions, they list ZeroMQ, Bitcoin Script testing and examples in Python, JavaScript and C++. This sequence shows a focus on connecting the node to other programs, rather than merely installing one ready-made application. [2]
We read the entire bitcoin.service file in the official repository. It starts bitcoind with paths to configuration and data, uses the pi account and specifies a restart on failure. It also contains options restricting the process environment, such as PrivateTmp and NoNewPrivileges. This demonstrates that the examples also address management of a running service; however, we did not deploy the file or verify its security on a particular system. [4]
In the Lightning part, the contents list payment channels, routing and fees, followed by separate c-lightning and LND chapters. The final chapter includes Spark Wallet and the Joule extension. We preserve the names used in the book’s edition; appearing in the contents alone does not establish the tools’ present availability, support or security. [2]
The official repository README labels the companion project Apress, 2020, whereas the publisher’s page and copyright page document the book from 2019. The README also describes v1.0 as the code corresponding to the published book without corrections or updates. We do not treat this note as proof that the current main branch matches the edition or that every procedure still works. [3] [1]
We read all available front matter in the publisher’s PDF preview, including the complete contents and both biographies, and inspected its layout. We checked the publication records and read the entire README and bitcoin.service from the companion repository. We did not read the main chapters in full, compile anything, run a node or send payments. This overview is therefore neither a complete review nor a verified installation guide. [1] [2] [3] [4]
For the clearest picture, read this entry together with Bitcoin Core, Full Node, Lightning Network, Bitcoin Script.
01Can the book simply be used as a current installation guide?+
This overview does not confirm that. The book is from 2019 and describes the environment and tools of its time. Current documentation must be checked for a particular setup; we did not try installation or operation here.
02What did we verify in the companion code?+
We read the entire README and bitcoin.service as text. We verified that the example addresses starting bitcoind, service configuration and restrictions on its environment. We did not deploy the file, start the service or conduct a security audit.