Intro:
I've been working in crypto one way or another since 2015. To me, being active in crypto means that occasionally you have to just try sh*t out, even if it means it’s outside of your domain (I’m in BD/Sales). So when I read in in the docs that you could set up a farcaster hub within 30 minutes using the Hubble implementation (https://www.thehubble.xyz/intro/install.html), I had to see if I as non-dev could figure it out! It took me about an hour to set up a farcaster hub. While it's longer than 30 minutes, it's still much quicker and easier compared to other nodes and validators I've set up in the past (Parity, Livepeer, Mina, etc), so, I created this guide to help others.
I used Digital Ocean and Alchemy for this guide because I'm familiar with them from previous things I’ve built. However, I suggest checking the official documentation at https://www.thehubble.xyz/ to fully understand what you're setting up. You might also consider other tools like AWS or Infura.
It’s also important to note that there are easier (and cheaper) ways to get access to a farcaster hub. For example, Neynar (https://neynar.com/) provides a cheap and straightforward way to get access to a farcaster hub, has APIs etc.
Now, let's begin!
Disclaimer: I am not a dev, nor employed by farcaster/warpcaster/dreamcaster. I also I have no idea if spinning up a hub will give you a gazillion Warps, farcaster tokenz, or any other forms of magic internet money. If you end up with a $10k compute bill on Digital Ocean because you’re trying to sybill the sht out of a potential airdrop and this doesn’t end up happening, don’t blame me :)*
Start by creating a free account on Alchemy. This account is essential to connect your farcaster hub to Ethereum mainnet and Optimism Layer 2, allowing it to sync and communicate effectively with other hubs.
The free plan offered by Alchemy should be adequate for running your hub.
https://alchemy.com/?r=TUxOTc3NzE4MTA3M
Referral Link: https://alchemy.com/?r=TUxOTc3NzE4MTA3M Note: You get $100 free credit in case you convert to a paid plan at a later stage
Non-Referral Link:https://alchemy.com
Once you have an Alchemy account, set up new applications within it. You'll need to create two apps/nodes: one for Ethereum Mainnet (name it something like "Ethereum Farcaster") and another for Optimism.