Install DamageBDD

Welcome! This page will help you install a DamageBDD node without needing to build anything from source.

For the normal installation you do not need to install Erlang, rebar3, or clone the DamageBDD repository first. The production installer detects your system, selects a compatible prebuilt package, verifies it, and installs it using your operating system's package manager.

If this is your first time using a terminal, don't worry. You can copy and paste the commands below exactly as shown.

Quick Install

Linux

Open a terminal and run:

curl -fsSL https://run.damagebdd.com/install | sudo bash -s -- --yes --start

You may be asked for your computer password by sudo. This is normal: Linux needs administrator permission to install system packages and start services.

The --start option tells the installer to enable and start the packaged DamageBDD service after installation.

Android with Termux

Install and open Termux, then run this command inside Termux:

curl -fsSL https://run.damagebdd.com/install | bash -s -- --yes --start

Do not use sudo or run the Termux installer as root.

Android may stop background applications to save battery, so a phone is useful for experimenting but may not be suitable for a node that must stay online all the time.

Prefer to Look Before You Install?

That's a good idea.

You can download the installer first:

curl -fsSL https://run.damagebdd.com/install -o damagebdd-install.sh

Read it with your editor, or in the terminal:

less damagebdd-install.sh

Then install on Linux:

sudo bash damagebdd-install.sh --yes --start

Or install in Termux:

bash damagebdd-install.sh --yes --start

Check Your System First

You can ask the installer which DamageBDD release target matches your system without installing anything:

curl -fsSL https://run.damagebdd.com/install | bash -s -- --print-platform

For example, the result may identify an Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, RPM, Alpine, or Termux target for your native architecture.

You can also download and validate the selected package without installing it:

curl -fsSL https://run.damagebdd.com/install | bash -s -- --check

The --check mode expects the required download and package-inspection tools to already be installed.

Supported Systems

The production installer supports compatible prebuilt releases for:

Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Pop!_OS, Kali, and related Debian/Ubuntu systems
Arch Linux, Arch Linux ARM, Manjaro, EndeavourOS, Garuda, and related systems
Fedora, RHEL, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, CentOS, and related RPM systems
openSUSE and SLES
Alpine Linux
Native Termux on Android

A compatible package must exist for your exact release target and architecture.

The production installer does not handle native macOS, native Windows, immutable/OSTree systems, or source builds.

If your system is not supported, see Node Development instead of forcing a package made for another operating system onto your machine.

What the Installer Does

The installer is designed to do the repetitive work for you. It:

Detects your operating system and native package architecture.
Selects the requested DamageBDD release (the latest release by default).
Downloads the release metadata and matching prebuilt package.
Verifies the package SHA-256 digest.
Checks that the package type, architecture, and target match your system.
Installs required native packages and DamageBDD using your package manager.
Optionally enables and starts the packaged service when you pass --start.
Checks the local DamageBDD version endpoint after installation.
Writes an installation log so failures are easier to diagnose.

The installer uses prebuilt DamageBDD packages with their runtime included. It does not bootstrap a system Erlang or perform a source build.

Confirm DamageBDD Is Running

After installing with --start, try:

curl -fsS http://127.0.0.1:4888/api/version

If the node is ready, you should receive version information from the local DamageBDD API.

You can also open the local service in a browser:

http://localhost:4888

This address points to your own machine.

On a Linux system using systemd

Check the service:

sudo systemctl status damage.service --no-pager

Follow its logs:

sudo journalctl -u damage.service -f

Press Ctrl-C when you want to stop following the logs.

In Termux

Check the runit service:

SVDIR="$PREFIX/var/service" sv status damage

If Termux was freshly configured for services, opening a new Termux shell can also help the service supervisor start normally.

Updating DamageBDD

Updating is intentionally similar to installing.

Run the same command again:

curl -fsSL https://run.damagebdd.com/install | sudo bash -s -- --yes --start

The installer selects the latest compatible published release by default.

To request a specific published release, use:

curl -fsSL https://run.damagebdd.com/install | sudo bash -s -- --yes --start --version VERSION

Replace VERSION with the exact published DamageBDD release name.

If Something Goes Wrong

Start with the installer log.

Linux

sudo less /var/log/damagebdd/install.log

Termux

less "$PREFIX/var/log/damagebdd/install.log"

Look near the end for a line beginning with:

[damagebdd] ERROR:

That message normally tells you which dependency, package, repository, or validation step needs attention.

A warning is different from an error. For example, on Debian-family systems an unrelated APT repository can fail to refresh while DamageBDD is still able to install from the package indexes already available. Required package installation and DamageBDD verification must still succeed.

If installation completed but the local version endpoint is not responding, check the DamageBDD service logs. The node may still need configuration or an encrypted secret store to be unlocked.

Useful Installer Options

Most beginners only need --yes --start. These options are useful later:

Option	What it does
`--help`	Show installer help.
`--print-platform`	Show the detected release target without installing.
`--check`	Download and validate the package without installing it.
`--version NAME`	Install an exact published release instead of `latest`.
`--start`	Enable and start the package-provided service.
`--tor auto`	Use the normal automatic Tor policy (the default).
`--tor system`	Use only Tor already available from configured repositories.
`--tor official`	Require the official Tor Project APT setup when appropriate.
`--tor skip`	Do not explicitly install Tor; package dependencies may still require it.

For the complete current list, run:

curl -fsSL https://run.damagebdd.com/install | bash -s -- --help

What Next?

Once your node is installed and running, continue with:

Run a Damage Node for an overview of running a node.
Node Admin Guide for wallets, Lightning, Nostr, secrets, and production administration.
Node Development if you are modifying DamageBDD itself.

You do not need to understand every part of DamageBDD before getting started. Install the node, confirm the local version endpoint works, and then add the configuration you need one piece at a time.