Reticulum Transport Node Docker Setup

A complete Docker setup for running a Reticulum transport node with LoRa, TCP, and optional I2P interfaces.

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose installed
• RNode-compatible device (e.g., Heltec LoRa32 V3) connected via USB
• Port 4242 forwarded if you want external TCP connections

Quick Start

1. Find Your Serial Device

First, identify your RNode device:

# List USB serial devices
ls -l /dev/serial/by-id/

# You should see something like:
# usb-Heltec_LoRa32_V3_XXXXXX-if00 -> ../../ttyUSB0

2. Update docker-compose.yml

Locate the appropriate Dockerfile.<platform> for your platform and rename it to Dockerfile OR edit docker-compose.yml and update the build value to target the correct platform specific file.

Edit docker-compose.yml and update the device mapping with your actual device ID:

devices:
  - "/dev/serial/by-id/usb-Heltec_LoRa32_V3_YOUR_ID-if00:/dev/ttyUSB0"

3. Build and Run

# Build the image
docker-compose build

# Start the container
docker-compose up -d

# View logs
docker-compose logs -f

Configuration

Initial Setup

On first run, a default config will be created at ./config/config. You can customize it by editing this file and restarting:

nano ./config/config
docker-compose restart

Adding Passphrases (Private Network)

To create a private network, add these lines to your interface configurations:

network_name = family_network_2024
passphrase = your_secure_passphrase_here

Enabling I2P

1. Uncomment the I2P interface section in the config
2. Restart the container
3. Wait 5-10 minutes for I2P to bootstrap
4. Check logs for your I2P address: docker-compose logs | grep "I2P"

Connecting Clients

TCP Connection (for remote family/friends)

Share this config snippet:

[[Family Node]]
type = TCPClientInterface
enabled = yes
target_host = your.ip.address.or.domain
target_port = 4242
network_name = family_network_2024  # if using passphrases
passphrase = your_secure_passphrase_here  # if using passphrases

I2P Connection

Share your I2P base32 address (found in logs):

[[Family I2P Node]]
type = I2PInterface
enabled = yes
peers = xxxxxx.b32.i2p

Useful Commands

# View logs
docker-compose logs -f

# Check Reticulum status
docker-compose exec reticulum rnstatus

# Restart container
docker-compose restart

# Stop container
docker-compose down

# Rebuild after changes
docker-compose up -d --build

Troubleshooting

Serial device not found

1. Check device is connected: ls -l /dev/ttyUSB*
2. Check permissions: groups (should include dialout)
3. Verify device mapping in docker-compose.yml
4. Try using /dev/ttyUSB0 directly instead of by-id path

Port forwarding issues

1. Verify port 4242 is forwarded on your router
2. Check firewall rules: sudo ufw status
3. Test externally: telnet your-ip 4242

I2P not working

1. Wait 10-15 minutes for initial bootstrap
2. Check I2P logs: docker-compose logs i2pd
3. Verify I2P interface is uncommented and enabled in config

Container won't start

1. Check logs: docker-compose logs
2. Verify all volumes are accessible
3. Check for port conflicts: sudo netstat -tlnp | grep 4242

Security Notes

• Change default passphrases immediately
• Use strong, unique passphrases (20+ characters)
• Keep the container updated: docker-compose pull && docker-compose up -d
• Consider running on isolated VLAN if exposing to internet
• Monitor resource usage: docker stats

File Structure

.
├── Dockerfile              # Container definition
├── docker-compose.yml      # Service configuration
├── start.sh               # Container startup script
├── config/                # Reticulum config (auto-created)
│   └── config
├── i2pd_data/            # I2P data (auto-created)
└── logs/                 # Application logs (auto-created)

Updates

To update Reticulum:

docker-compose down
docker-compose build --no-cache
docker-compose up -d

Additional Resources

• Reticulum Documentation
• RNode Documentation
• I2P Documentation