Issue running chantools for LND

General
23

I can’t open the Thunderhub GUI if the LND is not synced.
When I try to login to Thunderhub GUI, it just kicks me out because of this.
I don’t know how to can be sure if channels are online or offline without the GUI (at least I’m too noob to know how).

However, I looked up Amboss.space for my node. In the channels tab of my node it shows every channel has a double-down-chevron icon, which means all my channel partners have “disabled” the channel.
Literally every single one of them “disabled” the channel.

I also used the lncli --rpcserver lnd.embassy listchannels command that you just taught me. I don’t pretend to understand what all the outputs mean, but every single channel shows "active": false (see below screenshot too)

image
image445×1227 33 KB

When using the lncli --rpcserver lnd.embassy listpeers command, it shows there’s actually no peers!

Sorry for being so uneducated about this. :face_exhaling:
(but I feel like I’m learning a lot through this pain).

How do I get another node to reopen all the channels? I assume I can’t control them.

I use to have so many peers, how do I add back all my peers?
Are the commands lncli --rpcserver lnd.embassy connect safe to use for adding peers, while LND service is running?

24

Hello there

First, you need to make sure your LND is healthy and synced to the graph. RTL and TH will not work correctly if LND is having issues. Please check the LND status and logs for any errors and report back. If you find any errors, you can try restarting the LND service to see if that helps. If not, please report back.

One more question: can any other service not related to LND be reached when you click the Launch UI button?

Just a quick warning: using SSH and running commands directly on your server is not officially supported and may cause problems if you’re not sure what you’re doing. Please proceed with caution.

25

@h0mer

I can’t upload the service logs here but I’ve sent it to several more experienced and knowledgeable Start9 and LND runners (including and with much thanks to StuPleb).

There’s no error that stands out to them. But I think Stu is onto something regarding to active channels and no peers online.

Re: your question: All the other services not related to LND are working well when I launch the UIs (such as Vaultwarden, Stablediffusion, SimpleX, etc. even bitcoin core)

I really appreciate you and this community for cautionaries about SSH and command line. I’m trying to err on the side of caution and ask about safety of commands before using them (even if I think I know the command already). I’m also using the -h and -v and -i options whenever possible since I’m such a noob with Linux.

To tell you the truth, I wouldn’t even touch SSH if TH or RTL actually worked with LND not synced.

1 Like
26

What does lncli --rpcserver lnd.embassy getnetworkinfo show?

And sure, test adding a peer.

27

lncli --rpcserver lnd.embassy getnetworkinfo shows this:

{
    "graph_diameter":  14,
    "avg_out_degree":  4.01198520974117,
    "max_out_degree":  67,
    "num_nodes":  15686,
    "num_channels":  31466,
    "total_network_capacity":  "137918931012",
    "avg_channel_size":  4383109.737875802,
    "min_channel_size":  "1050",
    "max_channel_size":  "500000000",
    "median_channel_size_sat":  "1000000",
    "num_zombie_chans":  "280793"
}

i tried to use lncli --rpcserver lnd.embassy connect 0294ac3e099def03c12a37e30fe5364b1223fd60069869142ef96580c8439c2e0a@8.210.134.135:26658 to add a peer.

It failed and returned this in command line:

lnd:~# lncli --rpcserver lnd.embassy connect 0294ac3e099def03c12a37e30fe5364b1223fd60069869142ef96580c8439c2e0a@8.210.134.135:26658
[lncli] rpc error: code = Unknown desc = server is still in the process of starting

on the service log it showed this:

2025-07-05T00:13:32-07:00  2025-07-05 07:13:32.134 [DBG] RPCS: [/lnrpc.Lightning/ConnectPeer] requested
2025-07-05T00:13:32-07:00  2025-07-05 07:13:32.134 [ERR] RPCS: [/lnrpc.Lightning/ConnectPeer]: server is still in the process of starting

Can you help me understand what this means? Any thoughts on what I should do next to resolve the “server” not having “started”?

lncli --rpcserver lnd.embassy getinfo shows this:

{


    "version":  "0.18.5-beta commit=v0.18.5-beta",
    "commit_hash":  "***",
    "identity_pubkey":  "***",
    "alias":  "***",
    "color":  "#***",
    "num_pending_channels":  0,
    "num_active_channels":  0,
    "num_inactive_channels":  131,
    "num_peers":  0,
    "block_height":  904106,
    "block_hash":  "****",
    "best_header_timestamp":  "****",
    "synced_to_chain":  false,
    "synced_to_graph":  false,
    "testnet":  false,
    "chains":  [
        {
            "chain":  "bitcoin",
            "network":  "mainnet"
        }
    ],
    "uris":  [
        "****@****.onion:****"
    ],
    "features":  {
        "0":  {
            "name":  "data-loss-protect",
            "is_required":  true,
            "is_known":  true
        },
        "5":  {
            "name":  "upfront-shutdown-script",
            "is_required":  false,
            "is_known":  true
        },
        "7":  {
            "name":  "gossip-queries",
            "is_required":  false,
            "is_known":  true
        },
        "8":  {
            "name":  "tlv-onion",
            "is_required":  true,
            "is_known":  true
        },
        "12":  {
            "name":  "static-remote-key",
            "is_required":  true,
            "is_known":  true
        },
        "14":  {
            "name":  "payment-addr",
            "is_required":  true,
            "is_known":  true
        },
        "17":  {
            "name":  "multi-path-payments",
            "is_required":  false,
            "is_known":  true
        },
        "19":  {
            "name":  "wumbo-channels",
            "is_required":  false,
            "is_known":  true
        },
        "23":  {
            "name":  "anchors-zero-fee-htlc-tx",
            "is_required":  false,
            "is_known":  true
        },
        "25":  {
            "name":  "route-blinding",
            "is_required":  false,
            "is_known":  true
        },
        "27":  {
            "name":  "shutdown-any-segwit",
            "is_required":  false,
            "is_known":  true
        },
        "30":  {
            "name":  "amp",
            "is_required":  true,
            "is_known":  true
        },
        "31":  {
            "name":  "amp",
            "is_required":  false,
            "is_known":  true
        },
        "45":  {
            "name":  "explicit-commitment-type",
            "is_required":  false,
            "is_known":  true
        },
        "55":  {
            "name":  "keysend",
            "is_required":  false,
            "is_known":  true
        },
        "2023":  {
            "name":  "script-enforced-lease",
            "is_required":  false,
            "is_known":  true
        }
    },
    "require_htlc_interceptor":  false,
    "store_final_htlc_resolutions":  false
}
28

sorry, but bumping this topic to see if you have any thoughts.

29

All your channels are offline. You said you have many (I see 131)… I imagine some have forced closed on you by now for being gone for so long. I don’t see any peers connected.

With regards to all the how and whys… I have no idea. The LND team might. It’s either a bug, or there’s some custom configuration you made at some point and don’t recall because you thought it wasn’t a big deal. At this point, I don’t know.

I’d be considering now whether to restore from backup to trigger force closes with peers, recoup funds and move those funds to safety. To run LND again afterwards, you’d uninstall it and reinstall it. If your existing backup has all 131 channels (be sure), you’d use that. If not, I’d make a backup to a third location (new backup target, just to keep the old one safe) and restore that. But… I’d check with LND, since with funds involved, I can only tell you what I’d do, rather than tell you what you should do.

30

Yes, it is [was] something like 131 at least at one point. Yes, anyone in the right mind should force close on me; just the reality.

I understand and am ready to take full responsibility of my own outcomes (regardless of the nature of advice from you and others) with this backup/channel-closure effort. This is the nature of sovereignty and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. No regrets; this has been a really good experience. I learned so much (though still barely scratching the surface) about lightning, bitcoin, linux, Start9, and its truly helpful and wholesome team (especially you).

That said, I would like to close all channels and bring funds to cold storage. I researched all the -h of each command, but before starting that process, I want to first get an idea if the below steps are at least a good way to do it:

  1. leave LND service running via the StartOS GUI. Monitor/save the service log the entire time of these steps.

  2. Using lncli --rpc lnd.embassy channelbalance I was able to confirm that the pending_open_blaance is 0, unsettled_remote_balance is 0, unsettled_local_balance is 0. All balances are squarely in local_balance or remote_balance.

  3. Use lncli --rpcserver lnd.embassy exportchanbackup --all --output_file backup20250710 to create a SCB file with filename backup20250710.json

  4. Use lncli --rpcserver lnd.embassy restorechanbackup --multi_file backup20250710 to restore from the SBC file made in step 3.

My unknowns are:

  1. Where is the backup20250710.json file going to be stored? (I’m scared of not being able to find it)

  2. do the 4 watchtowers I’m connected to play a role in this? Can/should they be used to make this process better?

  3. when i used lncli --rpcserver lnd.embassy pendingchannels it returned the following:
    [lncli] rpc error: code = Unknown desc = unable to find arbitrator
    Is this arbitrator thing going to create a problem with the closing and restoring?