## What Is A Full Node?
A full node is a program that fully validates transactions and blocks.
Almost all full nodes also help the network by accepting transactions
and blocks from other full nodes, validating those transactions and
blocks, and then relaying them to further full nodes.
Most full nodes also serve lightweight clients by allowing them to
transmit their transactions to the network and by notifying them when a
transaction affects their wallet. If not enough nodes perform this
function, clients won't be able to connect through the peer-to-peer
network---they'll have to use centralized services instead.
Many people and organizations volunteer to run full nodes using spare
computing and bandwidth resources---but more volunteers are needed to
allow Bitcoin to continue to grow. This document describes how you can
help and what helping will cost you.
## Costs And Warnings
Running a Bitcoin full node comes with certain costs and can expose you
to certain risks. This section will explain those costs and risks so you
can decide whether you're able to help the network.
### Special Cases
Miners, businesses, and privacy-conscious users rely on particular
behavior from the full nodes they use, so they will often run their own
full nodes and take special safety precautions. This document does not
cover those precautions---it only describes running a full node to help
support the Bitcoin network in general.
Please seek out assistance in the [community](/en/community) if you need help
setting up your full node correctly to handle high-value and privacy-sensitive
tasks. Do your own diligence to ensure who you get help from is ethical,
reputable and qualified to assist you.
### Secure Your Wallet
It's possible and safe to run a full node to support the network and use
its wallet to store your bitcoins, but you must take the same
precautions you would when using any Bitcoin wallet. Please see the
[securing your wallet page](/en/secure-your-wallet) for more
information.
### Minimum Requirements
Bitcoin Core full nodes have certain requirements. If you try running a
node on weak hardware, it may work---but you'll likely spend more time
dealing with issues. If you can meet the following requirements, you'll
have an easy-to-use node.
* Desktop or laptop hardware running recent versions of Windows, Mac OS
X, or Linux.
* {{site.text.bitcoin_datadir_gb}} gigabytes of free disk space
* 2 gigabytes of memory (RAM)
* A broadband Internet connection with upload speeds of at least 400
kilobits (50 kilobytes) per second
* An unmetered connection, a connection with high upload limits, or a
connection you regularly monitor to ensure it doesn't exceed its
upload limits. It's common for full nodes on high-speed connections to
use 200 gigabytes upload or more a month. Download usage is around 20
gigabytes a month, plus around an additional {{site.text.chain_gb}} gigabytes the first
time you start your node.
* 6 hours a day that your full node can be left running. (You can do
other things with your computer while running a full node.)
More hours would be better, and best of all would be if you can run
your node continuously.
**Note:** many operating systems today (Windows, Mac, and Linux) enter a
low-power mode after the screensaver activates, slowing or halting
network traffic. This is often the default setting on laptops and on
all Mac OS X laptops and desktops. Check your screensaver settings
and disable automatic "sleep" or "suspend" options to ensure you
support the network whenever your computer is running.
### Possible Problems
{% include bitcoin-core/bitcoin-core-possible-problems.md %}
## Linux Instructions
The following instructions describe installing Bitcoin Core on Linux
systems.
### Ubuntu 16.10
*Instructions for Bitcoin Core 0.13.1.*
If you use Ubuntu Desktop, click the Ubuntu swirl icon to start the Dash and type "term" into the
input box. Choose any one of the terminals listed:
Alternatively, access a console or terminal emulator using another
method, such as SSH on Ubuntu Server or a terminal launcher in an
alternative desktop environment.
Type the following line to add the Bitcoin Personal Package Archive
(PPA) to your system:
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:bitcoin/bitcoin
You will be prompted for your user password. Provide it to continue.
Afterwards, the following text will be displayed:
Stable Channel of bitcoin-qt and bitcoind for Ubuntu, and their
dependencies
Note that you should prefer to use the official binaries, where possible, to
limit trust in Launchpad/the PPA owner.
No longer supports precise, due to its ancient gcc and Boost versions.
More info: https://launchpad.net/~bitcoin/+archive/ubuntu/bitcoin
Press [ENTER] to continue or ctrl-c to cancel adding it
Press enter to continue. The following text (with some variations) will
be displayed and you will be returned to the command line prompt:
gpg: keyring `/tmp/tmpixuqu73x/secring.gpg' created
gpg: keyring `/tmp/tmpixuqu73x/pubring.gpg' created
gpg: requesting key 8842CE5E from hkp server keyserver.ubuntu.com
gpg: /tmp/tmpixuqu73x/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created
gpg: key 8842CE5E: public key "Launchpad PPA for Bitcoin" imported
gpg: no ultimately trusted keys found
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg: imported: 1 (RSA: 1)
OK
Type the following line to get the most recent list of packages:
sudo apt-get update
A large number of lines will be displayed as different update files are
downloaded. This step may take several minutes on a slow Internet
connection.
*To continue, choose one of the following options*
1. To install the Bitcoin Core Graphical User Interface (GUI), type the
following line and proceed to the [Bitcoin Core GUI](#ubuntu-gui)
section below:
sudo apt-get install bitcoin-qt
2. To install the Bitcoin Core daemon (bitcoind), which is useful for
programmers and advanced users, type the following line and proceed
to the [Bitcoin Core Daemon](#ubuntu-daemon) section below:
sudo apt-get install bitcoind
3. To install both the GUI and the daemon, type the following line and
read both the [GUI instructions](#ubuntu-gui) and the [daemon
instructions](#ubuntu-daemon). Note that you can't run both the GUI
and the daemon at the same time using the same configuration
directory.
sudo apt-get install bitcoin-qt bitcoind
After choosing what packages to install, you will be asked whether you
want to proceed. Press enter to continue.
#### Bitcoin Core GUI {#ubuntu-gui}
{:.no_toc}
To start Bitcoin Core GUI, click the Ubuntu swirl icon to open the Dash,
type `bitcoin`, and click the Bitcoin icon.
You will be prompted to choose a directory to store the Bitcoin block
chain and your wallet. Unless you have a separate partition or drive
you want to use, click Ok to use the default.
Bitcoin Core GUI will begin to download the block chain. This
step will take at least several days, and it may take much more time on
a slow Internet connection or with a slow computer. During the
download, Bitcoin Core will use a significant part of your connection
bandwidth. You can stop Bitcoin Core at any time by closing it; it will
resume from the point where it stopped the next time you start it.
After download is complete, you may use Bitcoin Core as your wallet or
you can just let it run to help support the Bitcoin network.
*Optional: Start Your Node At Login*
Starting your node automatically each time you login to your computer
makes it easy for you to contribute to the network. The easiest way
to do this is to tell Bitcoin Core GUI to start at login.
While running Bitcoin Core GUI, open the Settings menu and choose
Options. On the Main tab, click *Start Bitcoin on system login*. Click
the Ok button to save the new settings.
The next time you login to your desktop, Bitcoin Core GUI will be
automatically started in as an icon in the tray.
{{installFinished}}
#### Bitcoin Core Daemon {#ubuntu-daemon}
{:.no_toc}
If you're logged in as an administrative user with sudo access, you may
log out. The steps in this section should be performed as the user you
want to run Bitcoin Core. (If you're an expert administrator, you can
make this a locked account used only by Bitcoin Core.)
From the terminal, type:
bitcoind -daemon
It will print a message that Bitcoin Core is starting. To interact with
Bitcoin Core daemon, you will use the command `bitcoin-cli` (Bitcoin
command line interface).
{{start_up_and_recommended_commands}}
For example, to safely stop your node, run the following command:
bitcoin-cli stop
{{complete_list_of_commands_and_ibd}}
*Optional: Start Your Node At Boot*
Starting your node automatically each time your computer boots makes it
easy for you to contribute to the network. The easiest way to do this
is to start Bitcoin Core daemon from your crontab. To edit your
crontab, run the following command:
crontab -e
Scroll to the bottom of the file displayed and add the following line:
@reboot bitcoind -daemon
Save the file and exit; the updated crontab file will be installed for
you. Now Bitcoin Core daemon will be automatically started each time
your reboot your computer.
If you're an Ubuntu expert and want to use an init script instead, see
[this Upstart
script](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/tree/0.13/contrib/init/bitcoind.conf).
{{installFinished}}
### Other Linux Distributions
*Instructions for Bitcoin Core 0.13.1.*
The following instructions describe installing Bitcoin Core using tools
available in most mainstream Linux distributions. We assume you use a
Bourne-like shell such as `bash`.
Using any computer, go to the [Bitcoin Core download page](/en/download)
and verify you have made a secure connection to the server.
In the "Linux (tgz)" section of the Download page, choose the
appropriate file for your Linux install (either 32-bit or 64-bit) and
download the file. If necessary, move the file to the computer you want
to use to run Bitcoin Core.
{{verifyReleaseSignatures}}
If you aren't already logged into the computer you want to install
Bitcoin on, login now. Make sure you use an account that can use `su`
or `sudo` to install software into directories owned by the root user.
If you logged in graphically, start a terminal. If you logged in
another way, we will assume you're already in a shell.
Locate the file you downloaded and extract it using the `tar` command
followed by the argument `xzf` followed by the file name. The argument
`xzf` means eXtract the gZipped tar archive File. For example, for a
64-bit tar archive in your current directory, the command is:
tar xzf bitcoin-0.13.1-x86_64-linux-gnu.tar.gz
This will create the directory `bitcoin-0.13.1` within your current
working directory. We will install the contents of its `bin`
subdirectory into the `/usr/local/bin` directory using the the `install`
command. The install command is part of the GNU coreutils available on
nearly every Linux distribution, and the `/usr/local/bin` directory is a
standard location for self-installed executables (you may edit the
commands below to use a different location).
If you use `sudo` to run commands as root, use the following command
line:
sudo install -m 0755 -o root -g root -t /usr/local/bin bitcoin-0.13.1/bin/*
If you use `su` to run commands as root, use the following command line:
su -c 'install -m 0755 -o root -g root -t /usr/local/bin bitcoin-0.13.1/bin/*'
*To continue, choose one of the following options*
1. To use Bitcoin Core Graphical User Interface (GUI), proceed to the
[Bitcoin Core GUI](#other-linux-gui) section below.
2. To use the Bitcoin Core daemon (bitcoind), which is useful for
programmers and advanced users, proceed to the [Bitcoin Core
Daemon](#other-linux-daemon) section below.
3. To use both the GUI and the daemon, read both the [GUI
instructions](#other-linux-gui) and the [daemon
instructions](#other-linux-daemon). Note that you can't run both the
GUI and the daemon at the same time using the same configuration
directory.
#### Bitcoin Core GUI {#other-linux-gui}
{:.no_toc}
In order to use Bitcoin Core GUI, you will need several libraries
installed. All of them should be available in all major
recently-released Linux distributions, but they may not be installed on
your computer yet. To determine whether you're missing any libraries,
open a terminal (if you haven't already) and run the command
`/usr/local/bin/bitcoin-qt` to start Bitcoin Core GUI.
If all the required libraries are installed, Bitcoin Core will start.
If a required library is missing, an error message similar to the
following message will be displayed:
/usr/local/bin/bitcoin-qt: error while loading shared libraries: libQtGui.so.4: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
Search your distribution's package database for the missing file
missing and install package containing that file. Then re-run
`/usr/local/bin/bitcoin-qt` to see if it's missing another file.
Repeat until Bitcoin Core GUI starts.
You will be prompted to choose a directory to store the Bitcoin block
chain and your wallet. Unless you have a separate partition or drive
you want to use, click *Ok* to use the default.
Bitcoin Core GUI will begin to download the block chain. This step will take at
least several days, and it may take much more time on a slow Internet connection
or with a slow computer. During the download, Bitcoin Core will use a
significant part of your connection bandwidth. You can stop Bitcoin Core at any
time by closing it; it will resume from the point where it stopped the next time
you start it.
After download is complete, you may use Bitcoin Core as your wallet or
you can just let it run to help support the Bitcoin network.
*Optional: Start Your Node At Login*
Starting your node automatically each time you login to your computer
makes it easy for you to contribute to the network. The easiest way to
do this is to tell Bitcoin Core GUI to start at login. This only works
in desktop environments that support the [autostart
specification](http://standards.freedesktop.org/autostart-spec/autostart-spec-latest.html#startup),
such as Gnome, KDE, and Unity.
While running Bitcoin Core GUI, open the Settings menu and choose
Options. On the Main tab, click *Start Bitcoin on system login*. Click
the Ok button to save the new settings.
The next time you login to your desktop, Bitcoin Core GUI should be
automatically started in as an icon in the tray.
If Bitcoin Core GUI does not automatically start, you may need to add it
to an `.xinit` or `.xsession` file as [described
here](https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Guide_to_X11/Starting_Sessions).
{{installFinished}}
#### Bitcoin Core Daemon {#other-linux-daemon}
{:.no_toc}
If you're logged in as an administrative user with sudo access, you may
log out. The steps in this section should be performed as the user you
want to run Bitcoin Core. (This can be a locked account used only by
Bitcoin Core.) If you changed users in a graphical interface, start a
terminal.
Type the following command:
bitcoind -daemon
It will print a message that Bitcoin Core is starting. To interact with
Bitcoin Core daemon, you will use the command `bitcoin-cli` (Bitcoin
command line interface).
{{start_up_and_recommended_commands}}
For example, to safely stop your node, run the following command:
bitcoin-cli stop
{{complete_list_of_commands_and_ibd}}
*Optional: Start Your Node At Boot*
Starting your node automatically each time your computer boots makes it
easy for you to contribute to the network. The easiest way to do this
is to start Bitcoin Core daemon from your crontab. To edit your
crontab on most distributions, run the following command:
crontab -e
Scroll to the bottom of the file displayed and add the following line:
@reboot bitcoind -daemon
Save the file and exit; the updated crontab file will be installed for
you. On most distributions, this will cause Bitcoin Core daemon to be
automatically started each time your reboot your computer.
If you're a expert system administrator and want to use an init script instead, see
[the init scripts directory in Bitcoin Core's source tree](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/tree/0.13/contrib/init).
{{installFinished}}
## Windows Instructions
### Windows 8.x
*Instructions for Bitcoin Core 0.13.1 on Windows 8 and 8.1.*
Go to the [Bitcoin Core download page](/en/download) and verify you have
made a secure connection to the server.
Click the large blue *Download Bitcoin Core* button to download the
Bitcoin Core installer to your desktop.
{{verifyReleaseSignatures}}
After downloading the file to your desktop or your Downloads folder
(`C:\Users\
\Downloads`), run it by double-clicking its icon.
Windows will ask you to confirm that you want to run it. Click Yes and the
Bitcoin installer will start. It's a typical Windows installer, and it will
guide you through the decisions you need to make about where to install Bitcoin
Core.
*To continue, choose one of the following options*
1. If you want to use the Bitcoin Core Graphical User Interface (GUI),
proceed to the [Bitcoin Core GUI](#win8-gui) section below.
2. If you want to use the Bitcoin Core daemon (bitcoind), which is
useful for programmers and advanced users, proceed to the [Bitcoin
Core Daemon](#win8-daemon) section below.
3. To want to use both the GUI and the daemon, read both the [GUI
instructions](#win8-gui) and the [daemon
instructions](#win8-daemon). Note that you can't run both the GUI
and the daemon at the same time using the same configuration
directory.
#### Bitcoin Core GUI {#win8-gui}
{:.no_toc}
Press the Windows key (`⊞ Win`) and start typing "bitcoin". When the
Bitcoin Core icon appears (as shown below), click on it.
You will be prompted to choose a directory to store the Bitcoin block
chain and your wallet. Unless you have a separate partition or drive
you want to use, click Ok to use the default.
Your firewall may block Bitcoin Core from making outbound connections.
It's safe to allow Bitcoin Core to use all networks. (Note: you will
still need to configure inbound connections as described later in the
[Network Configuration](#network-configuration) section.)
Bitcoin Core GUI will begin to download the block chain. This step will take at
least several days, and it may take much more time on a slow Internet connection
or with a slow computer. During the download, Bitcoin Core will use a
significant part of your connection bandwidth. You can stop Bitcoin Core at any
time by closing it; it will resume from the point where it stopped the next time
you start it.
After download is complete, you may use Bitcoin Core as your wallet or
you can just let it run to help support the Bitcoin network.
*Optional: Start Your Node At Login*
Starting your node automatically each time you login to your computer
makes it easy for you to contribute to the network. The easiest way
to do this is to tell Bitcoin Core GUI to start at login.
While running Bitcoin Core GUI, open the Settings menu and choose
Options. On the Main tab, click *Start Bitcoin on system login*. Click
the Ok button to save the new settings.
The next time you login to your desktop, Bitcoin Core GUI will be
automatically started minimized in the task bar.
{{windows_shutdown_warning}}
{{installFinished}}
#### Bitcoin Core Daemon {#win8-daemon}
{:.no_toc}
To start Bitcoin Core daemon, first open a command window: press the
Windows key (`⊞ Win`) and type "cmd". Choose the option labeled
"Command Prompt".
If you installed Bitcoin Core into the default directory, type the
following at the command prompt:
C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\daemon\bitcoind -daemon
Bitcoin Core daemon should start and print a message that Bitcoin Core is starting.
To interact with Bitcoin Core daemon, you will use the command
`bitcoin-cli` (Bitcoin command line interface). If you installed Bitcoin
Core into the default location, type the following at the command
prompt to see whether it works:
C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\daemon\bitcoin-cli getblockchaininfo
{{start_up_and_recommended_commands}}
For example, to safely stop your node, run the following command:
C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\daemon\bitcoin-cli stop
{{complete_list_of_commands_and_ibd}}
*Optional: Start Your Node At Boot*
Starting your node automatically each time your computer boots makes it
easy for you to contribute to the network. The easiest way to do this
is to start Bitcoin Core daemon when you login to your computer.
Start File Explorer and go to,
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp
Right-click on the File Explorer window and choose New → Text file.
Name the file `start_bitcoind.bat`. Then right-click on it and choose
Open in Notepad (or whatever editor you prefer). Copy and paste the
following line into the file.
C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\daemon\bitcoind -daemon
(If you installed Bitcoin Core in a non-default directory, use that
directory path instead.)
Save the file. The next time you login to your computer, Bitcoin Core
daemon will be automatically started.
{{windows_shutdown_warning}}
{{installFinished}}
### Windows 7
*Instructions for Bitcoin Core 0.13.1.*
Go to the [Bitcoin Core download page](/en/download) and verify you have
made a secure connection to the server.
Click the large blue *Download Bitcoin Core* button to download the
Bitcoin Core installer to your desktop.
{{verifyReleaseSignatures}}
After downloading the file to your desktop or your Downloads folder
(`C:\Users\\Downloads`), run it by double-clicking its icon.
Windows will ask you to confirm that you want to run it. Click Yes and the
Bitcoin installer will start. It's a typical Windows installer, and it will
guide you through the decisions you need to make about where to install Bitcoin
Core.
*To continue, choose one of the following options*
1. If you want to use the Bitcoin Core Graphical User Interface (GUI),
proceed to the [Bitcoin Core GUI](#win7-gui) section below.
2. If you want to use the Bitcoin Core daemon (bitcoind), which is
useful for programmers and advanced users, proceed to the [Bitcoin
Core Daemon](#win7-daemon) section below.
3. To want to use both the GUI and the daemon, read both the [GUI
instructions](#win7-gui) and the [daemon
instructions](#win7-daemon). Note that you can't run both the GUI
and the daemon at the same time using the same configuration
directory.
#### Bitcoin Core GUI {#win7-gui}
{:.no_toc}
Open the *Start* menu, type `bitcoin` into the search box, and click the
*Bitcoin Core* icon.
You will be prompted to choose a directory to store the Bitcoin block
chain and your wallet. Unless you have a separate partition or drive
you want to use, click Ok to use the default.
Your firewall may block Bitcoin Core from making outbound connections.
It's safe to allow Bitcoin Core to use all networks. (Note: you will
still need to configure inbound connections as described later in the
[Network Configuration](#network-configuration) section.)
Bitcoin Core GUI will begin to download the block chain. This step will take at
least several days, and it may take much more time on a slow Internet connection
or with a slow computer. During the download, Bitcoin Core will use a
significant part of your connection bandwidth. You can stop Bitcoin Core at any
time by closing it; it will resume from the point where it stopped the next time
you start it.
After download is complete, you may use Bitcoin Core as your wallet or
you can just let it run to help support the Bitcoin network.
*Optional: Start Your Node At Login*
Starting your node automatically each time you login to your computer
makes it easy for you to contribute to the network. The easiest way
to do this is to tell Bitcoin Core GUI to start at login.
While running Bitcoin Core GUI, open the Settings menu and choose
Options. On the Main tab, click *Start Bitcoin on system login*. Click
the Ok button to save the new settings.
The next time you login to your desktop, Bitcoin Core GUI will be
automatically started minimized in the task bar.
{{windows_shutdown_warning}}
{{installFinished}}
##### Bitcoin Core Daemon {#win7-daemon}
{:.no_toc}
To start Bitcoin Core daemon, first open a command window: press the
Windows key (`⊞ Win`) and type "cmd". Choose the program named "cmd.exe"
If you installed the Bitcoin Core into the default directory, type the following at the command prompt :
C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\daemon\bitcoind -daemon
Bitcoin Core daemon should start.
You can now try using Bitcoin Cli Utility.
To interact with Bitcoin Core daemon, you will use the command `bitcoin-cli` (Bitcoin command line interface). If you installed Bitcoin Core into the default location, type the following at the command prompt to see whether it works:
C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\daemon\bitcoin-cli getblockchaininfo
{{start_up_and_recommended_commands}}
For example, to safely stop your node, run the following command:
C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\daemon\bitcoin-cli stop
{{complete_list_of_commands_and_ibd}}
When Bitcoin Core daemon first starts, it will begin to download the block
chain. This step will take at least several days, and it may take much more time
on a slow Internet connection or with a slow computer. During the download,
Bitcoin Core will use a significant part of your connection bandwidth. You can
stop Bitcoin Core at any time using the stop command; it will resume from the
point where it stopped the next time you start it.
*Optional: Start Your Node At Boot*
Starting your node automatically each time your computer boots makes it easy for you to contribute to the network. The easiest way to do this is to start Bitcoin Core daemon when you login to your computer.
Start File Explorer and go to,
C:\Users\Example\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp
You can also access this folder by executing the following command after reaching the `Execute...` prompt :
shell:startup
Right-click on the File Explorer window and choose New → Text file. Name the file `start_bitcoind.bat`. Then right-click on it and choose Open in Notepad (or whatever editor you prefer). Copy and paste the following line into the file.
C:\Program Files\Bitcoin\daemon\bitcoind -daemon
(If you installed Bitcoin Core in a non-default directory, use that directory path instead.)
Save the file. The next time you login to your computer, Bitcoin Core daemon will be automatically started.
{{windows_shutdown_warning}}
{{installFinished}}
## Mac OS X Instructions
### Mac OS X Yosemite 10.10.x
*Instructions for Bitcoin Core 0.13.1 on Mac OS X Yosemite*
Go to the [Bitcoin Core download page](/en/download) and verify you have
made a secure connection to the server.
Click the large blue *Download Bitcoin Core* button to download the
Bitcoin Core installer to your Downloads folder.
{{verifyReleaseSignatures}}
After downloading the file to your Downloads folder
(`/Users//Downloads`), run it by double-clicking
its icon. OS X will open a Finder window for you to drag *Bitcoin Core* to your
Applications folder.
#### Bitcoin Core GUI {#osx-gui}
{:.no_toc}
The first time running *Bitcoin Core*, Max OS X will ask you to confirm that
you want to run it:
You will be prompted to choose a directory to store the Bitcoin block
chain and your wallet. Unless you have a separate partition or drive
you want to use, click Ok to use the default.
Bitcoin Core GUI will begin to download the block chain. This step will take at
least several days, and it may take much more time on a slow Internet connection
or with a slow computer. During the download, Bitcoin Core will use a
significant part of your connection bandwidth. You can stop Bitcoin Core at any
time by closing it; it will resume from the point where it stopped the next time
you start it.
After download is complete, you may use Bitcoin Core as your wallet or
you can just let it run to help support the Bitcoin network.
*Optional: Start Your Node At Login*
Starting your node automatically each time you login to your computer
makes it easy for you to contribute to the network. The easiest way
to do this is to tell Bitcoin Core GUI to start at login.
While running Bitcoin Core GUI, open the Bitcoin Core menu and choose
Preferences. On the Main tab, click *Start Bitcoin on system login*. Click
the Ok button to save the new settings.
The next time you login to your desktop, Bitcoin Core GUI will be
automatically started minimized in the task bar.
{{installFinished}}
#### Bitcoin Core Daemon {#osx-daemon}
{:.no_toc}
The Bitcoin Core daemon (bitcoind) is not included in the .dmg file you may have downloaded to install Bitcoin-QT. Bitcoind, along with its support binaries, is instead included in the OS X .tar.gz file listed on the official Bitcoin Core download page. To download this file using Terminal, execute the following command:
curl -O https://bitcoin.org/bin/bitcoin-core-{{site.DOWNLOAD_VERSION}}/bitcoin-{{site.DOWNLOAD_VERSION}}-osx64.tar.gz
{{verifyReleaseSignatures}}
Extract bitcoind and its support binaries from the archive we just downloaded by running this command in Terminal:
tar -zxf bitcoin-{{site.DOWNLOAD_VERSION}}-osx64.tar.gz
Now we'll move the executables into your default path to make running and stopping bitcoind easier. To move the executables, run these commands (note that we have to use `sudo` to perform these commands since we are modifying directories owned by root):
sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/bin
sudo cp bitcoin-{{site.DOWNLOAD_VERSION}}/bin/bitcoin* /usr/local/bin/.
To clean up the directory we've been working in, run:
rm -rf bitcoin-{{site.DOWNLOAD_VERSION}}*
You should now be able to start up your full node by running `bitcoind -daemon` in any Terminal window. If you need to stop bitcoind for any reason, the command is `bitcoin-cli stop`
*Optional: Start Your Node At Login*
Starting your node automatically each time you login to your computer makes it easy for you to contribute to the network. The easiest way to do this is to tell Bitcoin Core Daemon to start at login. In OS X, the way to start background programs at login is using a Launch Agent. Here is how to install a Launch Agent for Bitcoin Core daemon on your machine:
mkdir ~/Library/LaunchAgents
curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/master/contrib/init/org.bitcoin.bitcoind.plist > ~/Library/LaunchAgents/org.bitcoin.bitcoind.plist
The next time you login to your desktop, Bitcoin Core daemon will be automatically started.
{{installFinished}}
## Network Configuration
If you want to support the Bitcoin network, you must allow inbound
connections.
When Bitcoin Core starts, it establishes 8 outbound connections to other
full nodes so it can download the latest blocks and transactions. If you
just want to use your full node as a wallet, you don't need more than
these 8 connections---but if you want to support lightweight clients and
other full nodes on the network, you must allow inbound connections.
Servers connected directly to the Internet usually don't require any
special configuration. You can use the testing instructions below to
confirm your server-based node accepts inbound connections.
Home connections are usually filtered by a router or modem. Bitcoin
Core will request your router automatically configure itself to allow
inbound connections to Bitcoin's port, port 8333. Unfortunately many
routers don't allow automatic configuration, so you must manually
configure your router. You may also need to configure your firewall to
allow inbound connections to port 8333. Please see the following
subsections for details.
### Testing Connections
The BitNodes project provides an online tool to let you test whether
your node accepts inbound connections. To use it, start Bitcoin Core
(either the GUI or the daemon), wait 10 minutes, and then [visit the
Bitnodes page](https://bitnodes.21.co/#join-the-network). The tool
will attempt to guess your IP address---if the address is wrong (or
blank), you will need to enter your address manually.
After you press Check Node, the tool will inform you whether your port
is open (green box) or not open (red box). If you get the green box, you
don't need to do anything---you accept inbound connections. If you get
the red box, please read the [enabling
connections](#enabling-connections) subsection.
For confirmation that you accept inbound connections, you can use
Bitcoin Core. Bitcoin Core can't tell you directly whether you allow
inbound connections, but it can tell you whether or not you currently
have any inbound connections. If your node has been online for at least
30 minutes, it should normally have inbound connections. If want to
check your peer info using Bitcoin Core, choose the appropriate
instructions below:
* [Peer info in Bitcoin Core GUI](#gui-peer-info)
* [Peer info in Bitcoin Core daemon](#daemon-peer-info)
#### GUI Peer Info
In the bottom right corner of the Bitcoin Core GUI are several icons.
If you hover over the signal strength icon, it will tell you how many
connections you have. The icon won't turn green until you have more
than 8 active connections, which only happens if inbound connections
are allowed.
For confirmation, you can go to the Help menu, choose Debug Window, and
open the Information tab. In the Network section, it will tell you
exactly how many inbound connections you have. If the number is greater
than zero, then inbound connections are allowed.
If you don't have inbound connections, please read the instructions for [enabling inbound
connections.](#enabling-connections)
#### Daemon Peer Info
The [`getconnectioncount`](/en/developer-reference#getconnectioncount)
command will tell you how many connections you have. If you have more
than 8 connections, inbound connections are allowed. For example:
$ bitcoin-cli getconnectioncount
52
For confirmation, you can use the
[`getpeerinfo`](/en/developer-reference#getpeerinfo) command to get
information about all of your peers. Each peer's details will include
an `inbound` field set to true if the connection is inbound. If you
have any inbound connections, then inbound connections are allowed.
If you don't have inbound connections, please read instructions for [enabling inbound
connections.](#enabling-connections)
### Enabling Connections
If Bitcoin Core can't automatically configure your router to open port
8333, you will need to manually configure your router. We've tried to
make the following instructions generic enough to cover most router
models; if you need specific help with your router, please ask for help
on a tech support site such as [SuperUser](http://superuser.com/).
Enabling inbound connections requires two steps, plus an extra third
step for firewall users:
1. Giving your computer a static (unchanging) internal IP address by
configuring the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) on your
router.
2. Forwarding inbound connections from the Internet through your
router to your computer where Bitcoin Core can process them.
3. Configuring your firewall to allow inbound connections. This step
mainly applies to Windows users, as Mac OS X and most Linuxes do not
enable a firewall by default.
#### Configuring DHCP
In order for your router to direct incoming port 8333 connections to
your computer, it needs to know your computer's internal IP address.
However, routers usually give computers dynamic IP addresses that change
frequently, so we need to ensure your router always gives your computer
the same internal IP address.
Start by logging into your router's administration interface. Most
routers can be configured using one of the following URLs, so keep
clicking links until you find one that works. If none work, consult
your router's manual.
* (some Linksys/Cisco models)
* (some D-Link/Netgear models)
* (some Belkin/SMC models)
* (some US Robotics models)
* (some Apple models)
Upon connecting, you will probably be prompted for a username and
password. If you configured a password, enter it now. If not,
the [Router Passwords site](http://www.routerpasswords.com/) provides a
database of known default username and password pairs.
After logging in, you want to search your router's menus for options
related to DHCP, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. These options
may also be called Address Reservation. For example, the router page
shown below calls the option we need "DHCP Reservation":
In the reservation configuration, some routers will display a list of
computers and devices currently connected to your network, and then let
you select a device to make its current IP address permanent:
If that's the case, find the computer running Bitcoin Core in the list,
select it, and add it to the list of reserved addresses. Make a note of
its current IP address---we'll use the address in the next section.
Other routers require a more manual configuration. For these routers,
you will need to look up the fixed address (MAC address) for your
computer's network card and add it to the list. This operation differs
by operating system:
* **Windows 7 & 8:** Press Win-R (Windows key plus the R key) to open
the Run dialog. Type `cmd` to open the console. Type `ipconfig /all` and
find the result that best matches your connection---usually a wireless
connection. Look for a line that starts with "Physical Address" and
contains a value like this:
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 01-23-45-67-89-AB
Replace all the dashes with colons, so the address looks like this:
01:23:45:67:89:AB. Use that address in the instructions below.
* **Linux:** open a terminal and type `ifconfig`. Find the result that
best matches your connection---a result starting with `wlan` indicates
a wireless connection. Find the field that starts with `HWaddr` and copy
the immediately following field that looks like 01:23:45:67:89:ab. Use
that value in the instructions below.
* **Mac OS X:** open a terminal and type `ifconfig`. Find the result
that best matches your connection---a result starting with `en1`
usually indicates a wireless connection. Find the field that starts
with `ether:` and copy the immediately following field that looks like
01:23:45:67:89:ab. Use that value in the instructions below.
Once you have the MAC address, you can fill it into to your router's
manual DHCP assignment table, as illustrated below. Also choose an IP
address and make a note of it for the instructions in the next
subsection. After entering this information, click the Add or Save
button.
Then reboot your computer to ensure it gets assigned the address you
selected and proceed to the Port Forwarding instructions below.
#### Port Forwarding
For this step, you need to know the local IP address of the computer
running Bitcoin Core. You should have this information from configuring
the DHCP assignment table in the subsection above.
Login to your router using the same steps described near the top of the
[DHCP subsection](#configuring-dhcp). Look for an option called Port Forwarding, Port
Assignment, or anything with "Port" in its name. On the some routers,
this option is buried in an Applications & Gaming menu.
The port forwarding settings should allow you to map an external port on
your router to the "internal port" of a device on your network as shown
in the screenshot below.
Both the external port and the internal port should be 8333 for Bitcoin.
(You may also want to map port 18333 for Bitcoin's testnet, although
this guide does not cover using testnet.) Make sure the IP address you
enter is the same one you configured in the previous subsection.
After filling in the details for the mapping, save the entry. You should
not need to restart anything. Start Bitcoin Core (if you haven't
already) and follow the [Testing Connections](#testing-connections) instructions to test
your connection.
If you still can't connect and you use a firewall, you probably need to
change your firewall settings. See the Firewall section below.
If something else went wrong, it's probably a problem with your router
configuration. Re-read the instructions above to see if you missed
anything, search the web for help with "port forwarding", and ask for
help on sites like [SuperUser](http://superuser.com).
We can't provide direct support, but if you see a way to improve these
instructions, please [open an issue.](https://github.com/bitcoin-dot-org/bitcoin.org/issues/new)
#### Firewall Configuration
Firewalls block inbound connections. To use Bitcoin, you need to
configure your computer's firewall to allow connections to port 8333.
This is usually as easy as starting your firewall configuration software
and defining a new rule to allow inbound connections to port 8333. For
additional information for Windows, see the links below:
* [Instructions for Windows Firewall](http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/open-port-windows-firewall#1TC=windows-7)
* [Instructions for Norton Firewall](http://community.norton.com/en/forums/firewall-blocking-program-how-open-ports)
* [Instructions for Mcafee Personal Firewall](http://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?id=TS100887)
Mac OS X comes with its firewall disabled by default, but if you have
enabled it, see the section Allowing Specific Applications from the
[official Apple guide.](http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201642)
Ubuntu also comes with its firewall disabled by default, but if you have
enabled it, see the [Ubuntu wiki
page](https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Gufw) for information about
adding port forwarding rules.
Once you have allowed inbound connections to port 8333, start Bitcoin
Core (if you haven't already) and follow the [Testing Connections](#testing-connections)
instructions to test your connection.
If something else went wrong re-read the DHCP, port forwarding, and
firewall instructions above to see if you missed anything, search the
web for help with "port forwarding" and "opening firewall ports", and
ask for help on sites like [SuperUser](http://superuser.com).
We can't provide direct support, but if you see a way to improve these
instructions, please [open an issue.](https://github.com/bitcoin-dot-org/bitcoin.org/issues/new)
## Configuration Tuning
This section contains advice about how to change your Bitcoin Core
configuration to adapt it to your needs.
There are two ways to change your configuration. The first is to start
Bitcoin Core with the options you want. For example, if you want to
limit it to using one CPU core for signature verification, you can start
Bitcoin Core like this:
{% highlight bash %}
## Bitcoin Core daemon
bitcoind -par=1 -daemon
## Bitcoin Core GUI
bitcoin-qt -par=1
{% endhighlight %}
Once you've decided you like an option, you can add it to the Bitcoin
Core configuration file. You can find that file in the following
directories:
- Windows: %APPDATA%\Bitcoin\
- OSX: $HOME/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin/
- Linux: $HOME/.bitcoin/
To add an option to the configuration file, just remove its leading
dash. You may also need to remove any quotation marks you used in your shell.
For example, the `-par` option seen above would look like this in the
configuration file:
{% highlight text %}
par=1
{% endhighlight %}
A user-friendly configuration file generator is [available here.](https://jlopp.github.io/bitcoin-core-config-generator/)
If you have any questions about configuring Bitcoin Core, please stop by
one of our [forums](/en/bitcoin-core/help#forums) or [live
chatrooms](/en/bitcoin-core/help#live).
### Reduce Storage
It is possible to configure your node to to run in pruned mode in order to
reduce storage requirements. This can reduce the disk usage from over {{site.text.bitcoin_datadir_gb}}GB to
around {{site.text.bitcoin_datadir_gb_pruned}}GB.
Running a node in pruned mode is incompatible with `-txindex` and `-rescan`. It
also disables the RPC `importwallet`. Two RPCs that are available and
potentially helpful, however, are `importprunedfunds` and `removeprunedfunds`.
To enable block pruning set `prune=N` on the command line or in `bitcoin.conf`,
where `N` is the number of MiB to allot for raw block and undo data.
A value of `0` disables pruning. The minimal value above `0` is `550`. Your
wallet is as secure with high values as it is with low ones. Higher values
merely ensure that your node will not shut down upon blockchain reorganizations
of more than 2 days - which are unlikely to happen in practice. In future
releases, a higher value may also help the network as a whole because stored
blocks could be served to other nodes.
### Reduce Traffic
Some node operators need to deal with bandwidth caps imposed by their ISPs.
By default, bitcoin-core allows up to 125 connections to different peers, 8 of
which are outbound. You can therefore, have at most 117 inbound connections.
The default settings can result in relatively significant traffic consumption.
Ways to reduce traffic:
#### Maximum Upload Targets
{% highlight text %}
-maxuploadtarget=
{% endhighlight %}
A major component of the traffic is caused by serving historic blocks to other nodes
during the initial blocks download phase (syncing up a new node).
This option can be specified in MiB per day and is turned off by default.
This is *not* a hard limit; only a threshold to minimize the outbound
traffic. When the limit is about to be reached, the uploaded data is cut by no
longer serving historic blocks (blocks older than one week).
Keep in mind that new nodes require other nodes that are willing to serve
historic blocks. **The recommended minimum is 144 blocks per day (max. 144MB
per day)**
#### Disable listening
{% highlight text %}
-listen=0
{% endhighlight %}
Disabling listening will result in fewer nodes connected (remember the maximum of 8
outbound peers). Fewer nodes will result in less traffic usage as you are relaying
blocks and transactions to fewer nodes.
#### Reduce maximum connections
{% highlight text %}
-maxconnections=
{% endhighlight %}
Reducing the maximum connected nodes to a minimum could be desirable if traffic
limits are tiny. Keep in mind that bitcoin's trustless model works best if you are
connected to a handful of nodes.
#### Blocks-only mode
{% highlight text %}
-blocksonly
{% endhighlight %}
{% comment %}update-if-segwit: change max bandwidth amounts{% endcomment %}
Causes your node to stop requesting and relaying transactions unless they are
part of a block and also disables listening as described above.
This reduces your node's bandwidth to the absolute minimum necessary to stay
synchronized with the network, about 150 megabytes incoming data per day and
about 1 megabyte of outgoing data per day, but it does mean that your node
won't see incoming transactions until they've received at least one confirmation.
You will still be able to send transactions from the built-in wallet or from
peers you've whitelisted using the `-whitelist` parameter.