Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/ManiFed/TTN/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
The Node Agent ships in two forms: a pre-built installer for most users, and a dev-mode source install for contributors and anyone who wants to run from the latest code. Both paths end up at the same place — a running Flask dashboard on port 5173 with the ALPACA control loop, photometry pipeline, and cloud communicator all active.
Choose the path that suits you, then follow the platform-specific instructions below.
Requirements
Before installing, make sure you have:
- Python 3.10 or later (dev-mode only; bundled in pre-built installers)
- ASTAP plate-solver + G18 star catalogue (required for photometry)
- A Seestar S50 or S30 on your home WiFi in Station Mode
- A Node Activation Code (
BS-YYYY-XXXXXXXX) from your member account
ASTAP Plate-Solver
ASTAP is required for all plate-solving and photometry. Without it the pipeline cannot identify your field of view and no magnitude measurements are produced.
- Download ASTAP from https://www.hnsky.org/astap.htm
- Install the binary for your platform
- Download and install the G18 star catalogue from the same page (~6 GB)
Pre-built installers bundle the ASTAP binary automatically. The G18 catalogue
is not bundled because of its size — the dashboard setup wizard prompts
you to download it on first run. For dev-mode installs you must install both
manually and set photometry.astap_path in config.yaml if the binary is
not on your system PATH.
Pre-Built Installers (Recommended)
The pre-built installers package the Node Agent as a PyInstaller one-file executable, register it as a system service, and configure sleep prevention — everything is handled for you.
Windows Installer (NSIS + NSSM)
Download: BoundlessSkiesNode-Setup.exe from
thetelescope.net/downloadWhat the installer does:
- Extracts the Node Agent executable to
%ProgramFiles%\TelescopeNetNode\
- Prompts for your Node Activation Code and writes it to
config.yaml
- Registers the agent as a Windows service via
NSSM — auto-starts at boot, restarts on crash
- Calls
powercfg /change standby-timeout-ac 0 to disable AC-power idle
sleep so your computer stays on through the night
Service management:# Check service status
sc query TelescopeNetNode
# Start / stop / restart
net start TelescopeNetNode
net stop TelescopeNetNode
nssm restart TelescopeNetNode
# View logs (written to the install directory)
Get-Content "$Env:ProgramFiles\TelescopeNetNode\logs\node_agent.log" -Wait
%AppData%\TelescopeNet\NodeAgent\macOS Installer (.pkg)
Download: BoundlessSkiesNode-X.Y.Z-macOS.pkg from
thetelescope.net/downloadWhat the installer does:
- Installs the Node Agent to
/Applications/TelescopeNetNode/
- Prompts for your Node Activation Code and writes it to
config.yaml
- Installs a launchd plist to
/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.telescopenet.nodeagent.plist — the service
starts at boot and runs as root so it can mount the Seestar SMB share
- Calls
pmset -c sleep 0 to disable AC-power sleep
Service management:# Load / start the service
sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.telescopenet.nodeagent.plist
# Stop and unload
sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.telescopenet.nodeagent.plist
# Restart
sudo launchctl kickstart -k system/org.telescopenet.nodeagent
# View logs
sudo tail -f /Library/Logs/TelescopeNet/node_agent.log
/Library/Application Support/TelescopeNet/NodeAgent/macOS may prompt you to allow Python in System Preferences → Privacy &
Security → Network on first run. This is required for ALPACA UDP
discovery to function.
Linux (systemd)
One-line install — downloads and runs the install script, registers the
systemd service, and passes your activation code in a single command:curl -sSL https://telescopenet.org/install.sh | sudo bash --code BS-2026-XXXXXXXX
sudo bash build/linux/install.sh --code BS-2026-XXXXXXXX
- Creates a dedicated
telescopenet service user
- Copies the Node Agent binary to
/usr/local/bin/telescopenet-node
- Installs a systemd unit and enables it at boot
- Masks
sleep.target, suspend.target, hibernate.target, and
hybrid-sleep.target so the system stays on overnight
Service management:# Status
sudo systemctl status telescopenet
# Start / stop / restart
sudo systemctl start telescopenet
sudo systemctl stop telescopenet
sudo systemctl restart telescopenet
# Follow live logs
sudo journalctl -u telescopenet -f
# Enable / disable autostart
sudo systemctl enable telescopenet
sudo systemctl disable telescopenet
/var/lib/telescopenet/
Dev-Mode Install (From Source)
Dev mode runs main.py directly using a Python virtual environment. The watchdog process in main.py monitors src/dashboard.py for changes and auto-restarts it — useful when contributing code or debugging.
# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/telescopenet/node_v1
cd node_v1-main
# 2. Create and activate a virtual environment
python -m venv venv
.\venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
# 3. Install dependencies
pip install flask pyyaml numpy astropy pillow requests watchdog photutils astroquery pyongc
# 4. Configure (see Configuration guide)
notepad config.yaml
# 5. Run in dev mode (auto-restarts on file changes)
python main.py
# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/telescopenet/node_v1 && cd node_v1-main
# 2. Create and activate a virtual environment
python3 -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate
# 3. Install dependencies
pip install flask pyyaml numpy astropy pillow requests watchdog photutils astroquery pyongc
# 4. Configure (see Configuration guide)
nano config.yaml
# 5. Run in dev mode (auto-restarts on file changes)
python3 main.py
# Dashboard: http://localhost:5173
# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/telescopenet/node_v1 && cd node_v1-main
# 2. Create and activate a virtual environment
python3 -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate
# 3. Install dependencies
pip install flask pyyaml numpy astropy pillow requests watchdog photutils astroquery pyongc
# 4. Configure (see Configuration guide)
nano config.yaml
# 5. Run in dev mode (auto-restarts on file changes)
python3 main.py
# Dashboard: http://localhost:5173
Dev Mode vs. Production Mode
| Dev mode (python3 main.py) | Production (src/main_service.py) |
|---|
| Entry point | main.py watchdog | src/main_service.py directly |
| File watching | Auto-restarts src/dashboard.py on changes | No subprocess — runs in-process |
| Used by installers | ✗ | ✓ |
| Suitable for | Development, debugging | Overnight science runs |
Ctrl+C to stop. The
SafetyManager intercepts SIGINT and parks the telescope before the
process exits.
Building Installers From Source
If you want to produce your own installer binaries, use the build script:
pip install pyinstaller
# Auto-detect platform and build
python3 build/build.py
# PyInstaller bundle only (no OS installer wrapper)
python3 build/build.py --bundle-only
# Download ASTAP binary into build/binaries/ and exit
python3 build/build.py --download-astap
| Platform | Output file |
|---|
| Windows | dist/BoundlessSkiesNode-Setup.exe |
| macOS | dist/BoundlessSkiesNode-X.Y.Z-macOS.pkg |
| Linux | dist/BoundlessSkiesNode-linux-x86_64 |
PATH. macOS builds require
Xcode CLI tools. Linux builds produce a standalone binary with no extra
packaging dependencies.
Sleep Prevention
The Node Agent must keep the host computer awake all night. Each platform uses a different mechanism:
| Platform | Method |
|---|
| Windows | powercfg /change standby-timeout-ac 0 (run by installer) |
| macOS | pmset -c sleep 0 (run by installer); caffeinate also used at runtime |
| Linux | systemd-inhibit at runtime; sleep/suspend/hibernate targets masked by installer |
If your host computer sleeps during an observation run, the safety manager
loses the telescope heartbeat and triggers an emergency park. Make sure
sleep prevention is active before leaving the node unattended overnight. On
Windows, also check that hibernate is disabled in Power Options — it is
separate from sleep.
Continue to Configuration to fill in your
observatory coordinates, AAVSO credentials, and photometry settings before
your first run.