Umbrel was previously a software program for running Bitcoin nodes. It has evolved enormously. So much so that it has now become a server-oriented operating system. This enables it to run decentralized systems. In particular, Bitcoin nodes and the Lightning network.
The announcement was made on Umbrel's official Twitter feed on Thursday August 5. It provides information on what Umbrel 0.4 is all about. Incidentally, it's a new operating system (OS), as well as some of the services it integrates.
Summary of the situation
Alongside the announcement on Twitter, Umbrel co-founder Mayank Chhabra gives details of how the new operating system works. It is fully open source, and the official repository can be found on the Umbrel website.
First of all, it's worth noting that this operating system is based on the Raspberry PI OS (a Linux distribution). This means that Umbrel can be installed. What's more, it runs on a Raspberry 4 or higher computer. What's more, it can also run as an alternative service under Linux. If you already have a Linux server, it's possible to install Umbrel. However, you'll need to integrate all its features, including the Umbrel App Store.
It's worth mentioning that this new operating system focuses on servers. Although Umbrel integrates a graphical user interface system for ease of use. Its aim is to enable you to create a personal server.
Keys to Bitcoin success
By having their own server, users contribute to the decentralization of the network. What's more, they also use the most secure Bitcoin wallets. In short, it's a complete node.
The Umbrel wallet incorporates a fairly modern-style graphical interface for managing funds on the main Bitcoin network or on the Lightning network.
The blog reports that, currently, Bitcoin Core and LND (which are Bitcoin and Lightning network nodes) are installed by default on Umbrel. Eventually, they will be transferred to the app store and the operating system will be "zeroed in" on installation, leaving the user to decide what to run.
The advantages of having a complete Bitcoin node
As Mayank Chhabra explains in the blog, having a Bitcoin node eliminates what is known in hacking as "the man in the middle" or "the middlemen", an expression that alludes to what is meant by third-party service.
In the case of some wallets, they use their own servers to store private keys and verify transactions through their Bitcoin nodes. Umbrel OS aims to eliminate this "need" by enabling users to have their own Bitcoin node.
Interests in wallet synchronization
What's interesting here is that wallets such as Wasabi Wallet or Samourai Wallet, among many others, allow you to configure which node to connect to for address verification. With their own Bitcoin node, users can synchronize it with their wallets, eliminating this kind of dependency.
Easier access to software
Prior to launching the Umbrel operating system, Umbrel had already launched an app store that allowed users to download certain software with utilities for bitcoin and the Lightning network. These include block explorers and wallets, among others. There are also decentralized services such as cloud storage, a repository with version management (similar to GitHub), applications for downloading and sharing torrent files, among others.
With the launch of Umbrel 0.4, users can create and own their own free online services. As Mayank explains, many "free" services often offer products in exchange for storing and selling private data. But in this case, by having a personal server, this need is extinguished.
Technical requirements
As we've already mentioned in the text, Umbrel OS is based on Raspberry Pi OS, so it can be used in these devices with the option of installing it as a parallel service in Linux.
As far as technical specifications are concerned, in the case of installation from a Raspberry Pi 4, 1 TB of storage (preferably SSD) is required to store the Bitcoin blockchain, plus 16 GB micro SD for OS installation and Ethernet cable connection.
In the case of Linux, the minimum requirements are 4 GB of RAM and over 600 GB of free space.
