Start9 Launches Stable Version of Its Operating System for Bitcoin Nodes

• Services can now be accessed via custom domains, virtual private networks, and encrypted tunnels.
• Backups created with the previous version cannot be restored on StartOS 0.4.0.

Start9 Labs released on Friday, July 24, the stable version of StartOS 0.4.0, its open-source operating system for personal servers, marking the end of the early access program that kept the software in public beta.

The company describes the release as a complete rewrite of the system, resulting from six years of development.

StartOS turns a regular computer, or the hardware sold by the company itself, into a server manageable from the browser. From an integrated app store, users can install a full Bitcoin (BTC) node, a Lightning node, Electrum servers like Electrs or Fulcrum, or BTCPay Server, as well as non-ecosystem applications like password managers and cloud storage. Along with umbrelOS and RaspiBlitz, it is one of the most used options for those wanting their own node without manually configuring Linux.

The most visible change for users is in how they connect to the server. In versions 0.3.x, remote access relied on Tor, a network that routes traffic through several intermediary servers to hide the origin of the connection, at the cost of lower speed and stability. In StartOS 0.4.0, Tor becomes an optional add-on that is installed only if the user requests it.

Instead, the system introduces its own network stack with port forwarding on the local network, WireGuard-based VPN gateways, private and public domains, free Let's Encrypt certificates, and an integrated DNS server. The company also adds StartTunnel, a free and open-source reverse tunnel that allows publishing a service on an internet domain without exposing the home IP address.

Other new features listed by Start9 include a redesigned mobile-friendly interface with real-time system metrics, LXC containers replacing Docker and Podman, differential backups with restoration between different servers, support for multiple languages, a development kit in TypeScript, a package format with signature verification, and email notifications. Local addresses also change: where each service previously had its own address ending in .local, now all are accessed on different ports from a single server address.

There are two paths to update, both described in the official migration guide: installing the new version from a USB drive ---the method Start9 recommends as the most reliable--- or downloading it over the air from the panel itself. Regarding this second method, the company noted on its X account: <<It will appear in your 0.3.5.1 panel in the next 24 to 48 hours>>.

The documentation warns that this is a migration between two different operating systems and that skipping steps may cause permanent data loss. Before starting, all installed services must be updated, stopped, and a complete backup created, which will only serve to revert to the previous version. The process may take hours, depending on the amount of data.

It is worth noting that a full node independently verifies the rules of the Bitcoin protocol and its own transactions, without consulting third-party servers. This is the goal that Start9 declares as the mission of the company: to eliminate the need for trusted third parties in the relationship between people and their computers.

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