LNP202 is a hands-on course designed to make you autonomous on Lightning by operating your own node. The objective is simple: start with a Bitcoin node already in place, deploy LND on Umbrel, secure it properly, open and manage your first channels, then use your node on a daily basis from a mobile wallet. This course assumes that you've already taken BTC 202, as I'm assuming that your Bitcoin node on Umbrel is in place and synchronized. We won't go back over how to set up a Bitcoin node here.

For a better understanding of Lightning's internal mechanics, the LNP 201 course is also highly recommended, although it is not a prerequisite for this course:

In the first part of this LNP202 course, we'll take a look at what a Lightning node really is, how it differs from a simple wallet, and why operating a personal node is the only way to use Lightning without delegating your sats to a trusted third party. This section concludes with a strategic choice: which solution is right for you, from the simplest approaches to the classic Lightning node, the one we'll be implementing in this course.

In Part 2 of the course, you'll install LND on Umbrel, then put in place the elements that prevent the most costly mistakes: a realistic backup strategy and protection against cheating via a watchtower. Once these basics are in place, you'll open your first channel, so you can start paying on Lightning with your own infrastructure.

So you see: in this LNP202 course, we'll be setting up a Lightning node in plug-and-play mode via Umbrel, rather than the classic command-line approach, to make it suitable for intermediate users. If you prefer a command-line installation, I recommend you follow the tutorial below. Other, more advanced, command-line oriented Lightning courses are also in preparation.

Part 3 will then take you from a node that works to one that you know how to control. You'll start by determining your Lightning node operator profile (consumer, merchant or router), then get to grips with a complete management software package, in order to track your channels and act cleanly on your topology. Finally, you'll tackle a very important Lightning point: how to obtain inbound liquidity, whether via paid or cooperative solutions.

Part 4 will focus on everyday use. You'll be setting up a connection between your node and a mobile customer, so you can pay and collect simply from your smartphone, without giving up self-custody. We'll look first at a network approach via Tailscale, then at a protocol approach via Nostr Wallet Connect, with their respective advantages and trade-offs. The course will conclude with a final chapter that will give you the right habits to sustain your self-custody, both operationally and pedagogically.

If you follow this LNP202 course in the right order, by the end of it you'll have a complete configuration for your Lightning node, functional for everyday use and, above all, under control.