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Holo Host

a collection of software componentsHolo Host main repository
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How you run it
not recorded
Holochain version
0.4.1
Activity
maintained
Checked
29 October 2026

What is Holo Host and what is it for?

Holo Host is the main code repository behind Holo Hosting: always-on Holochain nodes and web gateways that independent operators run so an application stays reachable when its users are offline. It exists because peer-to-peer apps normally need two people online at once to sync, and a machine left running can hold a copy of the group's data instead.

Holo Host is the shared code repository behind Holo Hosting. Its README describes it as an experiment in containing the code for all of the project's components in a single repository — a monorepo — with that code grouped by language or framework, alongside Nix and Pulumi files used to build and deploy it. A Nix development shell and a set of just recipes let contributors work from the same environment.

The problem it addresses is a familiar one for peer-to-peer software. Two people usually have to be online at the same time before data can sync, so if one person adds something and goes offline, the rest of the group cannot see it. Holo Hosting runs dedicated machines, called EdgeNodes, that stay online and keep a copy of a group's data so anyone returning later can catch up. The project also publishes a web bridge that exposes that data to ordinary browsers and scripts.

A documented example is a Moss group. The project's guide walks through installing Moss on your everyday computer, then turning a spare machine — a HoloPort, an old laptop, or any computer you can leave running on a wired connection — into a Holo Node, so the group's boards, notes, chat, spreadsheets and files stay reachable while members are away. Setup steps are published in the Holo Node image README and the Holo Hosting resources guide.

How to get it

As a library

  1. Set aside a dedicated machine you can leave running on a wired connection — a HoloPort, an old laptop or any spare computer — with a keyboard, monitor and HDMI cable for the first boot.
  2. Download the Holo Node installer image (the .iso file, not the source folder) from the project's GitHub Releases and flash it to a USB stick of at least 8 GB with a tool such as balenaEtcher or Rufus.
  3. Boot the target device from the USB stick. Installation runs unattended and erases all existing data on the machine's internal drive.
  4. From another computer on the same network, open http://holo.local in a browser to reach the setup page; if that address does not resolve, use the IP address shown on the node's monitor.
  5. Paste an SSH public key generated on your own computer, give the node a name, and choose Edge Node mode to host applications.

Source: https://github.com/Holo-Host/holo-node-iso

Questions people ask

Do I need a HoloPort to run a node?
No. The setup guide asks for a dedicated machine — a HoloPort, an old laptop, or any spare computer you can leave running on a wired connection — with a keyboard, monitor and HDMI cable available for the first boot. source
What happens to the computer you install the node on?
The Holo Node installer boots straight into an unattended installation and erases all existing data on the machine's internal drive, so it should be hardware you are prepared to dedicate entirely to running a node. source
Can a node do anything besides hosting applications?
Yes. A node can also be set up in Wind Tunnel mode, where it registers as a Nomad client with the Holochain test network and runs continuous performance tests instead of hosting applications. source

From 4 public sources, checked 23 September 2026.

Try Holo Host

  • Code on GitHubOpen on GitHub ↗Last change 3 July 2026.
  • Websiteholo.host ↗
  • ReleaseNo GitHub release recorded.
  • The project's own files do not say how it is run.

Details & sources

Source
Holo-Host/holo-host

Evidence

Last change
api.github.com/repos/Holo-Host/holo-hostlisted by a third party · seen since 20 October 2026 · github.repository@1
Activity
api.github.com/repos/Holo-Host/holo-hostlisted by a third party · seen since 20 October 2026 · liveness@1

Compatibility

hdk
0.4.1 · rust/holochain_zome_testing_0_integrity/Cargo.toml @ 5a34461
hdi
0.5.1 · rust/holochain_zome_testing_0_integrity/Cargo.toml @ 5a34461
holochain-client
—
happ.yaml
absent
web-happ.yaml
absent
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