Host Setup Quick Start
Fast track to becoming a GPU provider. Get from signup to live in 2-4 hours.
5-Minute Overview
- 1.Create a hosting account → Settings → Account Type → Accept hosting agreement
- 2.Check system requirements → Ubuntu 18.04+, Nvidia GPU 10-series+, 10+ Mbps internet
- 3.Install Ubuntu & drivers → Download Ubuntu 22.04 → Install Nvidia driver
- 4.Run bootstrap script → One command auto-detects hardware and registers machine
- 5.Configure ports → Open 100+ ports on router, verify with port checker
- 6.List machine → Set price and availability → Accept client rentals
Total time: 2-4 hours
System Checklist
GPU
Nvidia 10-series or newer (RTX 3060+, T4, A10, H100)
CPU
At least 1 core per GPU, supports AVX instruction set
RAM
4 GB minimum per GPU (8+ GB recommended)
Storage
SSD/NVMe, ≥128 GB per GPU, XFS partition
Network
≥10 Mbps per machine, stable connection, ≥99% uptime
OS
Ubuntu 18.04+ (22.04 LTS recommended)
Step 1: Prepare Your Account
Go to Settings → Account Type
- Review and accept the Hosting Agreement
- Click Convert to Hosting Account
- Your account will be converted immediately
Next: Join our Discord and link your hosting account to #host-support channel
Step 2-3: Install OS & Drivers
Download Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
https://ubuntu.com/download/server
Install Nvidia Driver
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y sudo apt install nvidia-driver-550 -y nvidia-smi -q
Install Docker & Nvidia Runtime
sudo apt install docker.io nvidia-docker2 -y docker run --rm --gpus all nvidia/cuda:11.0-runtime nvidia-smi
Step 4: Run Bootstrap Script
🔑 Get Your API Token
Call this endpoint with your JWT token:
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_JWT>" \ https://api.platform.dev/api/v0/providers/me/api-token
📥 Run Bootstrap Script
export HF_API_URL=https://api.platform.dev export HF_TOKEN=<your_access_token> export HF_REGION=US-East export HF_COUNTRY=US export HF_PRICE_PER_GPU_HOUR=0.65 curl -fsSL https://platform.dev/scripts/vast-provider-bootstrap.sh | bash
Step 5: Configure Network & Ports
Router Port Forwarding
- Log into your router admin panel
- Find Port Forwarding section
- Forward 16000-16399 → your machine's local IP
- Apply changes
Test & Configure Daemon
nc -l -p 16000 # Visit portchecker.co with your public IP and port 16000 # Once verified, inform daemon: echo -n "16000-16399" | sudo tee /var/lib/vastai_kaalia/host_port_range
Step 6: List Your Machine
- Go to Machines page
- Find your registered machine (wait 1-5 minutes)
- Click List button
- Set hourly price (e.g., $0.65 per GPU)
- Set availability end date
- Click Confirm Listing
✅ Your machine is now accepting rentals!
Important Reminders
- ✗ Don't host from a client account (must convert first)
- ✗ Don't shut down or reboot while clients rent your machine
- ✗ Don't run competing workloads during rentals
- ✓ Test before listing: `vastai self-test machine <ID>`
- ✓ Disable auto-updates: `sudo apt-mark hold nvidia-driver-*`
Machine Verification Timeline
Your machine starts as Unverified. It becomes verified automatically based on:
- ≥99% uptime
- Passing performance benchmarks
- Reliable job completion
- Stable network connectivity
Timeline: 24-48 hours (if all criteria met)