Quickstart

1. Installation

The easiest way to install LBRY is to use a pre-packaged binary. We provide binaries for Windows, macOS, and Debian-based Linux.

If you prefer to compile from source or are not on one of the above operating systems, follow this guide.

2. Running LBRY

Launch the deamon to run as a background process:

lbrynet-daemon --no-launch

The first time you run the daemon, it must catch-up with most recent blockheaders. This can take several minutes.

3. The API

When running, the LBRY daemon provides a JSON-RPC server running at https://localhost:5279/lbryapi.

It can be accessed via cURL or any other utility capable of making HTTPS GET and POST requests.

To verify the LBRY daemon is running correctly and responding to requests, run:

curl --data "{ method: 'status' }" http://localhost:5279/lbryapi
(add response when this works)

This makes it easy to interact with the LBRY API in the programming language of your choice. Here's another example:

curl --data "{ method: 'resolve_name', params: [{ name: "what"}] }" http://localhost:5279/lbryapi
(add response when this works)

LBRY can be used to build everything from a censorship-proof image host, to a store for 3D printing files, to distribute large files or datasets, or use cases even we can't imagine!

View Full API Documentation

4. Getting Credits

Many actions, such as reserving a name or purchasing paid content, require credits.

To receive credits, first generate a wallet address:

curl --data "{ method: 'wallet_new_address' }" http://localhost:5279/lbryapi
I am a response

Use this address to get credits in one of two ways:

5. Community & Issues

Join our Slack Channel to interact with LBRY developers and other community members. Please visit the #dev room (note: this is not a default channel).

Visit our GitHub page to view the source code or report issues.