Satellite Setup

A satellite node is a lighter Sanctum installation at a secondary location that syncs with your hub.

Prerequisites

• Mac Mini at the satellite location
• Tailscale installed on both hub and satellite
• The satellite Mac on the same Tailscale network as your hub

Step 1: Mac Setup

On the satellite Mac, set hostname, enable SSH and Screen Sharing, and install Tailscale from the App Store.

Step 2: Install Sanctum

mkdir -p ~/.sanctum/lib
echo "chalet" > ~/.sanctum/.node_id

Copy instance.yaml and lib/ from the hub (via iCloud sync or scp).

Step 3: Add Node to Config

Add the satellite to instance.yaml:

nodes:
  chalet:
    type: satellite
    host: 192.168.1.10
    tailscale_ip: 100.112.203.32
    ssh_user: bert
    sync:
      hub: manoir
    services:
      home_assistant:
        enabled: true
      heartbeat:
        interval: 120

Step 4: Install Services

brew install node@22
npm install -g openclaw
~/.sanctum/generate-plists.sh

Install Docker Desktop for Home Assistant if needed.

Step 5: On-Site Setup

Configure integrations requiring physical presence: cameras, alarm systems, smart switches. Note the local router IP and update instance.yaml.

Ongoing Sync

The hub pushes skills, config, and secret updates to satellites via Tailscale.