Based on the information you’ve provided and the results from your troubleshooting attempts, it’s clear that the root issue isn’t just with Mempool—it’s with your Lightning Node (LND) not running or being improperly set up on your Umbrel system. The error ERR: Could not initialize LND Macaroon/TLS Cert. Disabling LIGHTNING. ENOENT: no such file or directory, open ‘/lnd/data/chain/bitcoin/mainnet/readonly.macaroon’ in Mempool’s logs is a symptom of this deeper problem: Mempool can’t connect to LND because LND isn’t operational or its data isn’t where it should be. Let’s figure out what’s going on and get it fixed step-by-step.
Why This Is Happening
Your results show:
- docker ps | grep lnd returns nothing, meaning no LND container is running.
- The directory ~/umbrel/app-data/lightning/data/lnd/data/chain/bitcoin/mainnet/ doesn’t exist, so LND hasn’t generated its macaroon files (like readonly.macaroon).
- Commands like sudo ./scripts/app stop lightning fail because the scripts folder isn’t found, suggesting either a typo or a misunderstanding of Umbrel’s structure on umbrelOS 1.4.
- Mempool works fine for Bitcoin data but can’t load Lightning data because it relies on LND, which isn’t available.
This points to one of two possibilities:
- Lightning Node Isn’t Installed or Running: You might not have installed the Lightning Node app on your Umbrel, or it failed to start after installation.
- UmbrelOS 1.4 Issue: A fresh install on a mini PC with umbrelOS 1.4 might have a bug or configuration hiccup preventing LND from initializing properly.
Since this is a new setup (2-3 days old), it’s likely LND hasn’t been fully set up or encountered an error during initialization. Let’s confirm and resolve this.
Next Steps to Fix It
Here’s a clear plan to get your Lightning Node running and Mempool’s Lightning features working:
1. Check if the Lightning Node App Is Installed
- Via Umbrel Dashboard: Open your browser and go to http://umbrel.local (or your mini PC’s IP address if that doesn’t work, e.g., http://192.168.x.x). Log in and look at the App Store or installed apps section. Do you see “Lightning Node” listed?
- If Not Installed: Install it from the App Store by clicking “Install” next to “Lightning Node.” This is required for Mempool’s Lightning features to work, as it provides the LND instance Mempool connects to.
- If Installed: Check its status. Does it say “Running” or show an error? If it’s not running, note any error messages.
2. Verify Bitcoin Node Status
- LND depends on a fully synced Bitcoin Node. On the Umbrel dashboard, check the “Bitcoin Node” app. Is it 100% synced? If it’s still syncing (common on a fresh install), LND won’t start properly until it’s done. Wait for it to finish if it’s not synced yet.
3. Restart Umbrel and Check Logs
- Restart Umbrel: From the dashboard, go to Settings > Restart (or power cycle your mini PC if needed). This ensures all services get a fresh start.
- SSH and Check Containers: After rebooting, SSH into your mini PC:
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ssh umbrel@umbrel.local
Then run:
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docker ps
Look for containers named something like lightning_lnd_1 (for LND) and mempool_api_1 (for Mempool). If lightning_lnd_1 isn’t listed, LND isn’t running.
- Check LND Logs: If you see an LND container (e.g., lightning_lnd_1), check its logs:
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docker logs lightning_lnd_1
Look for errors about TLS certificates, macaroons, or Bitcoin sync issues. If no LND container exists, skip to step 4.
4. Fix LND if It’s Not Running
- Correct Command for Umbrel: You mentioned ~/umbrel/scripts/app doesn’t exist. On newer umbrelOS versions, app management might differ. Try this instead:
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cd ~/umbrel sudo ./scripts/stop sudo ./scripts/start
This stops and starts all Umbrel services. If scripts still isn’t there, it’s possible your install is incomplete. Re-download umbrelOS 1.4 and reflash your mini PC (back up any data first if possible).
- Manually Start Lightning: If the above works but LND still doesn’t start, force it via the dashboard by uninstalling and reinstalling the Lightning Node app.
5. Confirm Macaroon Files Exist
- Once LND is running, check its data directory:
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ls -l ~/umbrel/app-data/lightning/data/lnd/data/chain/bitcoin/mainnet/
You should see readonly.macaroon, admin.macaroon, etc. If they’re there, LND is set up correctly, and Mempool should be able to access them (Umbrel maps these paths automatically).
6. Restart Mempool and Test
- After confirming LND is running and macaroons exist, restart Mempool:
- Dashboard: Uninstall and reinstall Mempool from the App Store.
- Or via SSH:
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cd ~/umbrel sudo ./scripts/app stop mempool sudo ./scripts/app start mempool
- Check Mempool logs again:
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docker logs mempool_api_1
If the ENOENT error is gone, the Lightning dashboard should load.
7. If It Still Fails
What to Expect
- If LND wasn’t installed, installing it should resolve everything once it syncs.
- If LND was installed but not running, restarting or reinstalling it should generate the missing readonly.macaroon file, fixing Mempool’s error.
- If this is a bug with umbrelOS 1.4, the community or developers will point you to a workaround or update.
You’re close—LND just needs to be up and running. Start with the dashboard checks, and let me know what you find.
