Run Your First Node

Your provisioned machine already serves the local command panel. If you need a fresh tokenized URL from the machine itself, ask the host agent:

bash
b3iq-host wizard url --with-token

In the wizard, create the first local owner account. From then on, setup access uses owner auth instead of relying on the bootstrap token. Then review the inventory the host agent reports: CPU, RAM, GPU, disk, OS, runtime, and network posture. Browser GPU checks are advisory; the host agent is the source of truth.

Leave the machine in Local Mode for now. Managed Mode is a deliberate opt-in covered in the last step.

Choose a runtime the host agent detected, then pick a model profile sized to your hardware. The wizard recommends profiles your machine can realistically serve first; larger models demand more RAM, VRAM, and a stronger runtime and benchmark posture.

Don't hardcode an artifact name. List what your node can actually run and pick a returned id:

bash
curl --fail --silent --show-error http://127.0.0.1:8831/v1/models

Use a representative id like qwen3-8b only as a placeholder. The live set changes with your runtime and installed models, so always pick from the list above.

Create a scoped b3iq_local_ key in the wizard for local inference clients. Keep it out of shell history and process argv by writing it to a file with tight permissions:

bash
umask 077mkdir -p .secrets# Paste the local key, then press Ctrl-D.cat > .secrets/b3iq-local-key

Confirm the runtime answers end to end. This reads the key from a file and a temporary curl config so the secret never lands in argv. Replace the model value with an id from GET /v1/models.

bash
: "${B3IQ_LOCAL_KEY_FILE:=.secrets/b3iq-local-key}"B3IQ_LOCAL_BASE_URL="${B3IQ_LOCAL_BASE_URL:-http://127.0.0.1:8831}"cfg="$(mktemp)"chmod 600 "$cfg"trap 'rm -f "$cfg"' EXIT{  printf 'url = "%s/v1/chat/completions"\n' "${B3IQ_LOCAL_BASE_URL%/}"  printf 'request = "POST"\n'  printf 'header = "Authorization: Bearer %s"\n' "$(sed -n '1p' "$B3IQ_LOCAL_KEY_FILE")"  printf 'header = "Content-Type: application/json"\n'} > "$cfg"curl --fail --silent --show-error --config "$cfg" --data-binary @- <<'JSON'{  "model": "qwen3-8b",  "messages": [{ "role": "user", "content": "Run a local B3IQ smoke reply." }],  "stream": false}JSON

javascript
import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";const baseURL = process.env.B3IQ_LOCAL_BASE_URL ?? "http://127.0.0.1:8831";const token = readFileSync(  process.env.B3IQ_LOCAL_KEY_FILE ?? ".secrets/b3iq-local-key",  "utf8").trim();const response = await fetch(`${baseURL}/v1/chat/completions`, {  method: "POST",  headers: {    authorization: `Bearer ${token}`,    "content-type": "application/json"  },  body: JSON.stringify({    model: "qwen3-8b",    messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Run a local B3IQ smoke reply." }],    stream: false  })});console.log(await response.json());

Switch the wizard to Managed Mode to generate an 8-character claim code (and QR). Redeem it from the B3IQ dashboard, signed in as the account you want to own the machine. Claiming is what makes the machine reachable. The dashboard, your gateway keys, and the CLI can only see a claimed machine.

A brand-new machine also needs an onboarding code from the B3IQ team to join the fleet; a purchased machine arrives pre-onboarded and only needs the claim step. Claiming also turns on health alerts, so B3IQ emails you if the machine goes offline or its GPU or disk needs attention.

Earning is a further, optional step on top of claiming, and it is never automatic. Serving inference — yours or anything B3IQ routes here — is free and pays nobody. A machine earns by having its capacity rented, which is what Earn mode offers it for. See Start Earning when you are ready.