The Radicle task service provides a complete installation and configuration of Radicle, a peer-to-peer code collaboration stack built on Git. Radicle enables developers to collaborate on code without relying on centralized platforms, using cryptographic identities and peer-to-peer networking.

Features

Core Capabilities

Peer-to-Peer Git Hosting - Decentralized code repositories without central servers
Cryptographic Identities - Secure, verifiable developer identities
Web Interface - Optional HTTP daemon for browser-based access
Automatic Discovery - No manual registry or complex setup required
Git Integration - Works seamlessly with existing Git workflows

Network Configuration

Configurable Ports - Node, peer, and web interface ports
External Addresses - Support for public IP announcement
Seed Nodes - Connect to existing Radicle network
Timeout Configuration - Customizable connection timeouts

Security & Management

User Isolation - Dedicated system user for Radicle services
Systemd Integration - Full service management and auto-start
Configurable Logging - Trace to error level logging
Storage Management - Dedicated storage paths and permissions

Configuration

Basic Configuration

radicle: RadicleNode = {
    name: "my-radicle-node"
    version: "1.0.0"
    run_user: {
        name: "radicle"
        home: "/home/radicle"
    }
    bind_addr: "0.0.0.0"
    bind_port: 8776
    peer_port: 8777
    web_ui_port: 8080
    announce: true
}

Advanced Configuration

radicle: RadicleNode = {
    name: "enterprise-radicle"
    version: "1.0.0"
    run_user: {
        name: "radicle"
        group: "radicle"
        home: "/opt/radicle"
    }
    work_path: "/var/lib/radicle"
    storage_path: "/data/radicle/storage"
    bind_addr: "0.0.0.0"
    bind_port: 8776
    peer_port: 8777
    web_ui_port: 8080
    seeds: [
        "seed.radicle.garden:8776",
        "maple.radicle.garden:8776"
    ]
    external_addresses: [
        "203.0.113.1:8776"
    ]
    connect_timeout: 30
    announce: true
    log_level: "info"
}

httpd: RadicleHttpd = {
    enabled: true
    bind_addr: "0.0.0.0"
    bind_port: 8080
    assets_path: "/usr/share/radicle/assets"
}

Usage

Deploy Radicle Node

./core/nulib/provisioning taskserv create radicle --infra <infrastructure-name>

List Available Task Services

./core/nulib/provisioning taskserv list

SSH to Radicle Server

./core/nulib/provisioning server ssh <radicle-server>

Service Management

# Check Radicle node status
systemctl status radicle-node

# Start/stop Radicle node
systemctl start radicle-node
systemctl stop radicle-node

# Check Radicle HTTP daemon status
systemctl status radicle-httpd

# View Radicle logs
journalctl -u radicle-node -f
journalctl -u radicle-httpd -f

Access Web Interface

Open browser to http://<server-ip>:8080
Create identity if first time using Radicle
Initialize repositories and start collaborating

Command Line Usage

# Switch to radicle user
sudo -u radicle -i

# Initialize a new project
rad init

# Clone a project
rad clone <project-urn>

# Push to Radicle network
rad push

# List local projects
rad project list

# Show node information
rad node info

# Show connected peers
rad node peers

Architecture

Network Topology

Node Port (8776) - Main Radicle node communication
Peer Port (8777) - Peer-to-peer synchronization
Web UI Port (8080) - HTTP daemon for web interface

File Structure

/var/lib/radicle/           # Main working directory
├── storage/                # Repository storage
├── keys/                   # Node identity keys
└── config.json            # Node configuration

/etc/radicle/               # Configuration directory
├── node.conf              # Node settings
└── httpd.conf             # HTTP daemon settings

/home/radicle/              # User home directory
├── .radicle/              # User Radicle configuration
└── projects/              # Local project checkouts

Supported Operating Systems

Ubuntu 20.04+ / Debian 11+
CentOS 8+ / RHEL 8+ / Fedora 35+

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

RAM: 1GB (2GB recommended)
Storage: 10GB (varies with repository size)
CPU: 1 core (2 cores recommended)
Network: Internet access for peer discovery

Network Requirements

Outbound: TCP ports 8776, 8777 for peer communication
Inbound: TCP ports 8776, 8777, 8080 (configurable)
Firewall: Allow configured ports through firewall

Troubleshooting

Service Issues

# Check Radicle node status
systemctl status radicle-node

# Restart Radicle services
systemctl restart radicle-node radicle-httpd

# Check for configuration errors
rad node config --check

# View detailed logs
journalctl -u radicle-node -n 100

Network Connectivity

# Test peer connectivity
rad node peers

# Check if ports are listening
netstat -tlnp | grep :8776
netstat -tlnp | grep :8777

# Test external connectivity
telnet <external-ip> 8776

Storage Issues

# Check storage permissions
ls -la /var/lib/radicle/storage/

# Check disk space
df -h /var/lib/radicle/

# Verify storage integrity
rad storage check

Identity Issues

# Show node identity
rad node identity

# Regenerate identity (destructive!)
rad node identity --regenerate

# Export identity for backup
rad node identity --export > identity-backup.json

Security Considerations

Network Security

Firewall Rules - Limit access to necessary ports only
Private Networks - Consider VPN for internal-only deployment
DDoS Protection - Implement rate limiting for public nodes

Identity Management

Key Backup - Backup node identity keys securely
Access Control - Limit shell/SSH access to radicle user
Regular Updates - Keep Radicle software updated

Data Protection

Storage Encryption - Consider filesystem-level encryption
Backup Strategy - Regular backup of repository storage
Network Monitoring - Monitor for unusual network activity

Integration Examples

CI/CD Integration

# In CI/CD pipeline
rad clone <project-urn>
cd <project-name>
# Run tests, builds, etc.
rad push  # Push results back to network

Git Integration

# Add Radicle as Git remote
git remote add radicle <project-urn>

# Push to both origins
git push origin main
git push radicle main

# Fetch from Radicle network
git fetch radicle

Development Workflow

# Developer workflow
rad init my-project
cd my-project
git add . && git commit -m "Initial commit"
rad push

# Share project URN with collaborators
rad project show

Performance Optimization

For High-Traffic Nodes

Increase file descriptor limits in systemd service
Use SSD storage for better I/O performance
Configure higher connection timeouts for slow networks
Monitor resource usage and scale accordingly

For Low-Resource Systems

Reduce logging verbosity to 'warn' or 'error'
Limit concurrent connections
Use smaller timeout values
Consider disabling HTTP daemon if not needed

Migration and Backup

Backup Procedure

# Stop services
systemctl stop radicle-node radicle-httpd

# Backup storage and keys
tar -czf radicle-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz \
    /var/lib/radicle/storage \
    /var/lib/radicle/keys \
    /etc/radicle/

# Restart services
systemctl start radicle-node radicle-httpd

Migration Steps

Stop services on old server
Backup data using procedure above
Deploy new server with same configuration
Restore data to new server
Update DNS/firewall rules as needed
Verify connectivity and peer discovery

Resources

Official Documentation: docs.radicle.xyz
GitHub Repository: radicle-dev/radicle-node
Community: radicle.community
Seeds: Default seed nodes for network bootstrapping