Announcing RoninDojo v3.0.0
The time has finally come. After months of tinkering, developing and testing, the new version of RoninDojo is here, and we are thrilled to present to you all the cool features and where we're heading next.
How did we get here
We have been thinking about adding more features, apps, and making the whole system more stable. At the same time, some members of the project decided to step down. This was an opportunity to stop for a while and plan what we want to achieve. New members and leadership have stepped up and a new chapter begins now.
Our goal is clear: Be the best Bitcoin full node system with privacy as the main focus.
We had to rebuild and rebuilding takes time. We hope that time was well spent and that our users will be happy with this new version.
What is new
RoninUI
First and foremost, we had to rethink how the UI works. RoninDojo is not meant to be a thing that you open in your browser every day and stare at it for hours. The main point of the UI is to be able to install your Bitcoin full node, install additional apps and monitor the status - especially when something goes wrong.
We have reorganized how the RoninUI looks and feels - user experience was our main focus along with letting user know the status of their system. If something is wrong, the UI should tell you. While we have taken care of the most obvious things, there are a lot of things that can go wrong on a system, and we will be adding additional check in the future.
The UI should also feel much more responsive, especially when accessed over Tor. We got rid of long loading times for pages, and all data is now sent live from the node to your browser.
All previous features are still available in this new version. Users are able to monitor the status of the system and various services, manage their Dojo and pair wallets, choose between verious apps, restart or shut down the deice and update the system directly from the UI when a new update is available.
Updates
In the current era of system exploits and security vulnerabilities, it's not very safe to leave your system unupdated for a long period of time. We have added automatic package updates through unnatended-upgrades - this widely used Linux package will check for new releases of your system dependencies and will install any security related releases automatically.
We have also taken great care of how RoninDojo updates work. The whole architecture of our system has been rebuilt to allow us to bring new features or bugfixes quickly and without fear that such a release will break anything.
Hardware
When deciding which hardware to use for your RoninDojo, performance should be the top priority. But we understand why it's not possible for everyone to buy the most performant hardware, so there are still a couple of choices.
Rock5b+
The most recommended hardware for your RoninDojo - Rock5b+ has incredible CPU and memory performance. When paired with a fast NVME SSD and a performant SD card, this beast can handle fast IBD and Fulcrum synchronization and all applications that you will want on your RoninDojo system.
See our docs for an example build
Raspberry Pi 5
The latest Raspberry Pi can still handle most of the workloads we expect from a RoninDojo node in a stable fashion. Again, make sure to use a fast NVME SSD and a performant SD card.
See our docs for an example build
RockPro64
RockPro64 can still handle what we and our users want, but the variety of hardware of various qualities of builds can make your RoninDojo system unstable.
We cannot offer premium support for this hardware. RockPro64 users will continue to get software updates for now, and can participate in community chat for support.
See our docs for an example build
Tanto
The Tanto was our flagship device, and we know that a lot of our users cherish it. RoninDojo Tanto users are good to go ahead and reflash, but we suggest wiping the SSD first if it's a very old install.
The future
This is just the start. Thanks to our newly rebuilt architecture, we will soon be able to bring you more applications, more features and better management of your RoninDojo node.
Here's a list of some planned features in no particular order:
- x86 Hardware support
- Am.I.Exposed - self hosted service for thorogh analysis of transactional privacy
- Import of Electrs/Fulcrum DB to make sync faster
- Next Block fee estimator
- Self-hosted Dojobay
- Online Tools - tools for hashing, encryption and signatures
- Firewall management
- 🌀
How to install/upgrade
All new and existing users will have to reflash an OS image.
Existing users don't need to worry, their existing RoninDojo data will be preserved and automatically salvaged, thus preserving their Dojo credentials and IBD sync.
Head over to our docs for installation instructions.
If you have a very old installation please wipe the SSD and start fresh.
Conclusion
We are very happy to bring you this new release, and we hope to hear your feedback and suggestions. Join our Matrix server and chat with us.
RD Team Lead