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

Propagation nodes are vital for supporting delay tolerant communication.

## 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
```

## `lxmd`

Install `lxmf` globally with `pipx`.

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

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

We need to "inject" this Python package into the `rnsd` virtual environment so the packages can interoperate.

```bash
pipx inject rns lxmf --global
```

Create a system configuration location.

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

And add the following contents to `/etc/lxmd/config`.

```toml
[propagation]
enable_node = yes
node_name = "Your Propagation Node Name Here>"
announce_at_start = yes
autopeer = yes
autopeer_maxdepth = 6
auth_required = no

[lxmf]
announce_at_start = no

[logging]
loglevel = 4
```

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

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

```conf
[Unit]
Description=Reticulum LXMF Daemon (lxmd)
After=default.target

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

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target
```

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

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