RCN

- Introduction: https://rcn.varia.zone/docs/users/intro/
- Clients: https://rcn.varia.zone/docs/users/clients/
- Dependencies: https://rcn.varia.zone/docs/operators/dependencies/
- Python management: https://rcn.varia.zone/docs/operators/python/
- Glossary: https://rcn.varia.zone/docs/operators/glossary/
- Presets: https://rcn.varia.zone/docs/operators/lora/presets/
- Serial ports: https://rcn.varia.zone/docs/operators/lora/serial/
- Transport node: https://rcn.varia.zone/docs/operators/lora/tn/
- RNode: https://rcn.varia.zone/docs/operators/lora/rnode/
- Debug: https://rcn.varia.zone/docs/operators/lora/debug/
- Backbone: https://rcn.varia.zone/docs/operators/tcp/backbone/
- Propagation node: https://rcn.varia.zone/docs/operators/tcp/pn/
- Clients: https://rcn.varia.zone/docs/operators/tcp/clients/


## Introduction

When installing [TCP backbones](https://markqvist.github.io/Reticulum/manual/interfaces.html#backbone-interface), we are typically dealing with an installation procedure on an old laptop, home server or Raspberry Pi. Any Linux system will do. Below, we share the commands and conventions we use to install TCP backbones on linux servers. Backbone servers should generally provide reliable uptime so that our "over the internet" fallback provides stable connectivity.

We run both `rnsd` with transport, probe and gateway mode enabled. We run `lxmd` alongside `rnsd` to support [propagation](https://reticulum.network/manual/software.html#lxmf) (which supports messaging each other offline). See the [propagation node](/docs/operators/tcp/pn) documentation for more.

## Root permissions

The commands below assume you are running the commands as the root user.

```bash
sudo -i
```

## System user

We create a specific system user for all our Reticulum programs.

```bash
useradd --system -s /sbin/nologin reticulum
```

## `rnsd`

Install `rnsd` globally with `pipx`.

> [!NOTE]
> **NOTE** \
> See [Python packaging](/docs/operators/python) for more information on `pipx`.

```bash
pipx install rns --global
```

Create a system configuration location.

```bash
mkdir /etc/reticulum
chown reticulum:reticulum /etc/reticulum
```

We create a TCP backbone, running [gateway mode](https://reticulum.network/manual/interfaces.html#interfaces-modes) with [transport](https://reticulum.network/manual/networks.html#transport-nodes-and-instances) and [probing](https://reticulum.network/manual/using.html#the-rnprobe-utility) enabled and . We use `24242` as our standard port. Add the following contents to `/etc/reticulum/config`.

```toml
[reticulum]
enable_transport = yes
share_instance = yes
instance_name = default
respond_to_probes = yes
static_transport_identity = yes

[logging]
loglevel = 4

[interfaces]

[[YourBackboneNameHere]]
  type = BackboneInterface
  enabled = yes
  listen_on = 0.0.0.0
  port = 24242
```

Then we configure a Systemd service file to run the `rnsd` process.

```bash
$EDITOR /etc/systemd/system/rnsd.service
```

```conf
[Unit]
Description=Reticulum Network Stack Daemon
After=default.target

[Service]
User=reticulum
Type=simple
Restart=always
RestartSec=3
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/rnsd --service

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target
```

Then enable the service and ensure it's up and running.

```bash
systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl enable --now rnsd
systemctl status rnsd
tail -f /etc/reticulum/logfile
```