1. Set up your BTC/LN nodes

2. Install the Joule Lightning extension

Go to https://lightningjoule.com/ and install for your web browser

Click on the Joule icon, click on Get started

Click on Local node

In the Node Launcher system tray menu, click on the Copy Node URL (REST) button in the Joule section

Paste the Node URL into the text box, click on the link in the error message

Click on the Advanced button

Click on Proceed to localhost (unsafe)

You make sure the page has the same message as the one below, and close the tab

Click the Connect button

In the Node Launcher system tray menu click on Show Macaroons

Drag the admin.macaroon and readonly.macaroon into the Joule interface

Click Continue

Click Confirm

Create a Password for Joule (this is separate from your LND seed and wallet passwords), click Continue

Click on the Deposit button

Send BTC to the address provided

Don’t send to this address unless you want to tip me!

You should now see an inbound transaction on the Transactions tab

Wait for a few blocks to go by (~30 minutes)

Click on the hamburger menu at the top right, click on Open channel

Copy

0331f80652fb840239df8dc99205792bba2e559a05469915804c08420230e23c7c@lightningpowerusers.com:9735

Paste it into the <pubkey>@host field

Enter your desired outbound capacity (I recommend between 500,000 satoshis ~ $20 and 16,500,000 satoshis ~ $600) and click the Open Channel button

In the Transactions tab it may look like you sent me money, you did not — the interface is saying that you moved on-chain satoshis to off-chain as you opened a channel.

Wait for a few blocks to go by (~30 minutes)

On the Channels tab you’ll see your off-chain balance

Now you have outbound capacity! This means you can send payments, but you can’t receive payments until you have inbound capacity.

You can get inbound capacity by either sending payments or having other nodes open a channel with you.

Go send your first Lightning payment and get inbound capacity with our guide below 👇

If you got stuck at any point in this guide (or after!) please contact me https://github.com/lightning-power-users/node-launcher/issues/new so that I can help you out.

If any of this is not clear, please let me know so that I can improve it!