Nostr NIP-05 Verification using Start9 Server

General
1

Hello,

I was wondering if it is possible to use your Start9 server to NIP-05 verify a Nostr account. An AI has given me the SSH code in order to do this but I thought I would ask here if this is a good idea. Is the AI even right in telling me this is possible? I’ve posted the instructions the AI gave me below, does it look right?
Thanks guys

2

Verify NIP-05 on Start9

To verify your Nostr NIP-05 identity on a personal Start9 server, follow these steps:

Set up the .well-known/nostr.json file

  1. Access your Start9 server via SSH or the Start9 dashboard.
  2. Navigate to your web root directory (typically /var/www/html or similar).
  3. Create the .well-known directory:
    mkdir -p .well-known
  4. Create the nostr.json file inside it:
    nano .well-known/nostr.json
  5. Add the following JSON content, replacing yourname with your desired handle and your_hex_pubkey with your Nostr public key in hex format:
    {
  "names": {
    "yourname": "your_hex_pubkey"
  }
}
    Example:
    {
  "names": {
    "alice": "715dc06230d7c6aa62b044a8a764728ae6862eb100f1800ef91d5cc9f972dc55"
  }
}
    :white_check_mark: Note: Use the hex-formatted public key, not the npub format.

Ensure CORS and web server access
Start9 servers typically use Nginx. Confirm your Nginx configuration allows access to the .well-known directory and includes CORS headers. Add this to your server block:

location /.well-known {
  default_type application/json;
  root /var/www/html;
  add_header 'Access-Control-Allow-Origin' '*';
}

Reload Nginx:

sudo nginx -s reload

Verify the file is accessible
Test the file by visiting:

https://yourdomain.com/.well-known/nostr.json?name=yourname

You should see the JSON response.

Link in your Nostr client

  1. Open your Nostr client (e.g., Damus, Snort, Primal).
  2. Go to your profile settings.
  3. Find the NIP-05 Identifier field and enter: yourname@yourdomain.com
  4. Click Verify.
  5. If successful, you’ll see a checkmark next to your handle.

Optional: Use a provider if self-hosting is complex
If managing server configs is challenging, use a service like Alby, Nostrplebs, or getalby.com to verify without hosting your own domain.

:white_check_mark: Important: NIP-05 verification proves you control the domain or are vouched for by its owner. It does not protect against private key compromise. Always keep your private key secure.