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---
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# This file is licensed under the MIT License (MIT) available on
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# http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT.
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layout: base
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lang: en
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id: full-node
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title: "Running A Full Node - Bitcoin"
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---
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<!-- Variable assignment
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{% capture installFinished %}
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You have now completed installing Bitcoin Core. If you have any questions, please ask in one of Bitcoin's many [communities](/en/community), such as [Bitcoin StackExchange](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/), [BitcoinTalk technical support](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=4.0), or the [#bitcoin](https://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=bitcoin&uio=d4) IRC chatroom on Freenode.
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To support the Bitcoin network, you also need to allow incoming
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connections. Please read the [Network
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Configuration](#network-configuration) section for details.
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{% endcapture %}
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{% capture verifyReleaseSignatures %}
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<div class="box" markdown="1">
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*Optional: Verify the release signatures*
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If you know how to use PGP, you should also click the *Verify Release
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Signatures* link on the download page to download a signed list of SHA256
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file hashes. The file is currently signed by [Wladimir J. van der Laan's
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key](/laanwj.asc). His primary key's fingerprint is:
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71A3 B167 3540 5025 D447 E8F2 7481 0B01 2346 C9A6
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Many previous releases were signed by [Gavin Andresen's
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key](/gavinandresen.asc). His primary key's fingerprint is:
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2664 6D99 CBAE C9B8 1982 EF60 29D9 EE6B 1FC7 30C1
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You should verify these keys belong to their owners using the web of
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trust or other trustworthy means. Then use PGP to verify the signature
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on the release signatures file. Finally, use PGP or another utility to
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compute the SHA256 hash of the archive you downloaded, and ensure the
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computed hash matches the hash listed in the verified release
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signatures file.
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</div>
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{% endcapture %}
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-->
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# Running A Full Node
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<p class="summary">Support the Bitcoin network by running your own full node</p>
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<div markdown="1" id="toc" class="toc"><div markdown="1">
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* Table of contents
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{:toc}
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<ul class="reportissue"><li><a href="https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin.org/issues/new">Report An Issue</a></li></ul>
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<ul class="editsource"><li><a href="https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin.org/tree/master/en/full-node.md">Edit On GitHub</a></li></ul>
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</div></div>
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<div markdown="1" class="toccontent">
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## What Is A Full Node?
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A full node is a program that fully validates transactions and blocks.
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Almost all full nodes also help the network by accepting transactions
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and blocks from other full nodes, validating those transactions and
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blocks, and then relaying them to further full nodes.
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Most full nodes also serve lightweight clients by allowing them to
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transmit their transactions to the network and by notifying them when a
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transaction affects their wallet. If not enough nodes perform this
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function, clients won't be able to connect through the peer-to-peer
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network---they'll have to use centralized services instead.
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Many people and organizations volunteer to run full nodes using spare
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computing and bandwidth resources---but more volunteers are needed to
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allow Bitcoin to continue to grow. This document describes how you can
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help and what helping will cost you.
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## Costs And Warnings
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Running a Bitcoin full node comes with certain costs and can expose you
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to certain risks. This section will explain those costs and risks so you
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can decide whether you're able to help the network.
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### Special Cases
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Miners, businesses, and privacy-conscious users rely on particular
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behavior from the full nodes they use, so they will often run their own
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full nodes and take special safety precautions. This document does not
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cover those precautions---it only describes running a full node to help
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support the Bitcoin network in general.
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Please [consult an expert](/en/community) if you need help setting up
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your full node correctly to handle high-value and privacy-sensitive
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tasks.
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### Secure Your Wallet
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It's possible and safe to run a full node to support the network and use
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its wallet to store your bitcoins, but you must take the same
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precautions you would when using any Bitcoin wallet. Please see the
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[securing your wallet page](/en/secure-your-wallet) for more
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information.
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### Minimum Requirements
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Bitcoin Core full nodes have certain requirements. If you try running a
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node on weak hardware, it may work---but you'll likely spend more time
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dealing with issues. If you can meet the following requirements, you'll
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have an easy-to-use node.
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* Desktop or laptop hardware running recent versions of Windows, Mac OS
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X, or Linux.
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* 50 gigabytes of free disk space
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* 2 gigabytes of memory (RAM)
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* A broadband Internet connection with upload speeds of at least 400
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kilobits (50 kilobytes) per second
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* An unmetered connection, a connection with high upload limits, or a
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connection you regularly monitor to ensure it doesn't exceed its
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upload limits. It's common for full nodes on high-speed connections to
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use 200 gigabytes upload or more a month. Download usage is around 20
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gigabytes a month, plus around an additional 40 gigabytes the first
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time you start your node.
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* 6 hours a day that your full node can be left running. (You can do
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other things with your computer while running a full node.)
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More hours would be better, and best of all would be if you can run
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your node continuously.
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Note: many operating systems today (Windows, Mac, and Linux) enter a
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low-power mode after the screensaver activates, slowing or halting
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network traffic. This is often the default setting on laptops and on
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all Mac OS X laptops and desktops. Check your screensaver settings
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and disable automatic "sleep" or "suspend" options to ensure you
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support the network whenever your computer is running.
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### Possible Problems
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* **Legal:** Bitcoin use is [prohibited or restricted in some
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areas.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_bitcoin_by_country)
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* **Bandwidth limits**: Some Internet plans will charge an additional
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amount for any excess upload bandwidth used that isn't included in
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the plan. Worse, some providers may terminate your connection without
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warning because of overuse. We advise that you check whether your
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Internet connection is subjected to such limitations and monitor your
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bandwidth use so that you can stop Bitcoin Core before you reach your
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upload limit.
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* **Anti-virus:** Several people have placed parts of known computer
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viruses in the Bitcoin block chain. This block chain data can't infect
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your computer, but some anti-virus programs quarantine the data
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anyway, making it more difficult to run a full node. This problem mostly
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affects computers running Windows.
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* **Attack target:** People who want to disrupt the Bitcoin network may
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attack full nodes in ways that will affect other things you do with
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your computer, such as an attack that limits your available download
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bandwidth or an attack that prevents you from using your full node's
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wallet for sending transactions.
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## Linux Instructions
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The following instructions describe installing Bitcoin Core on Linux
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systems.
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### Ubuntu 14.10
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*Instructions for Bitcoin Core 0.10.0.*
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If you use Ubuntu Desktop, click the Ubuntu swirl icon to start the Dash and type "term" into the
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input box. Choose any one of the terminals listed:
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Alternatively, access a console or terminal emulator using another
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method, such as SSH on Ubuntu Server or a terminal launcher in an
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alternative desktop environment.
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Type the following line to add the Bitcoin Personal Package Archive
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(PPA) to your system:
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sudo apt-add-repository ppa:bitcoin/bitcoin
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You will be prompted for your user password. Provide it to continue.
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Afterwards, the following text will be displayed:
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Stable Channel of bitcoin-qt and bitcoind for Ubuntu, and their dependencies
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More info: https://launchpad.net/~bitcoin/+archive/ubuntu/bitcoin
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Press [ENTER] to continue or ctrl-c to cancel adding it
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Press enter to continue. The following text (with some variations) will
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be displayed and you will be returned to the command line prompt:
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gpg: keyring `/tmp/tmpixuqu73x/secring.gpg' created
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gpg: keyring `/tmp/tmpixuqu73x/pubring.gpg' created
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gpg: requesting key 8842CE5E from hkp server keyserver.ubuntu.com
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gpg: /tmp/tmpixuqu73x/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created
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gpg: key 8842CE5E: public key "Launchpad PPA for Bitcoin" imported
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gpg: no ultimately trusted keys found
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gpg: Total number processed: 1
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gpg: imported: 1 (RSA: 1)
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OK
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Type the following line to get the most recent list of packages:
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sudo apt-get update
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A large number of lines will be displayed as different update files are
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downloaded. This step may take several minutes on a slow Internet
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connection.
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<div class="box" markdown="1">
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*To continue, choose one of the following options*
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1. To install the Bitcoin Core Graphical User Interface (GUI), type the
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following line and proceed to the [Bitcoin Core GUI](#ubuntu-gui)
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section below:
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sudo apt-get install bitcoin-qt
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2. To install the Bitcoin Core daemon (bitcoind), which is useful for
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programmers and advanced users, type the following line and proceed
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to the [Bitcoin Core Daemon](#ubuntu-daemon) section below:
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sudo apt-get install bitcoind
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3. To install both the GUI and the daemon, type the following line and
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read both the [GUI instructions](#ubuntu-gui) and the [daemon
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instructions](#ubuntu-daemon). Note that you can't run both the GUI
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and the daemon at the same time using the same configuration
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directory.
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sudo apt-get install bitcoin-qt bitcoind
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After choosing what packages to install, you will be asked whether you
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want to proceed. Press enter to continue.
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</div>
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#### Bitcoin Core GUI {#ubuntu-gui}
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{:.no_toc}
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To start Bitcoin Core GUI, click the Ubuntu swirl icon to open the Dash,
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type `bitcoin`, and click the Bitcoin icon.
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You will be prompted to choose a directory to store the Bitcoin block
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chain and your wallet. Unless you have a separate partition or drive
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you want to use, click Ok to use the default.
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Bitcoin Core GUI will begin to download the block chain. This
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step will take at least several hours, and it may take a day or more on
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a slow Internet connection or with a slow computer. During the
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download, Bitcoin Core will use a significant part of your connection
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bandwidth. You can stop Bitcoin Core at any time by closing it; it will
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resume from the point where it stopped the next time you start it.
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After download is complete, you may use Bitcoin Core as your wallet or
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you can just let it run to help support the Bitcoin network.
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<div class="box" markdown="1">
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*Optional: Start Your Node At Login*
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Starting your node automatically each time you login to your computer
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makes it easy for you to contribute to the network. The easiest way
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to do this is to tell Bitcoin Core GUI to start at login.
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While running Bitcoin Core GUI, open the Settings menu and choose
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Options. On the Main tab, click *Start Bitcoin on system login*. Click
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the Ok button to save the new settings.
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The next time you login to your desktop, Bitcoin Core GUI will be
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automatically started in as an icon in the tray.
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</div>
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{{installFinished}}
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#### Bitcoin Core Daemon {#ubuntu-daemon}
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{:.no_toc}
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If you're logged in as an administrative user with sudo access, you may
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log out. The steps in this section should be performed as the user you
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want to run Bitcoin Core. (If you're an expert administrator, you can
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make this a locked account used only by Bitcoin Core.)
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Before using the Bitcoin Core daemon, `bitcoind`, you need to create its
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configuration file with a user name and password. First create the
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`.bitcoin` directory, create (touch) the file, and set the file's
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permissions so that only your user account can read it. From the
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terminal, type:
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mkdir ~/.bitcoin
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touch ~/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf
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chmod 600 ~/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf
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Then you can run the command `bitcoind`. It will print output similar
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to this:
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bitcoind
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Error: To use the "-server" option, you must set a rpcpassword in the configuration file:
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/home/bitcoinorg/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf
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It is recommended you use the following random password:
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rpcuser=bitcoinrpc
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rpcpassword=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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(you do not need to remember this password)
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The username and password MUST NOT be the same.
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If the file does not exist, create it with owner-readable-only file permissions.
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It is also recommended to set alertnotify so you are notified of problems;
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for example: alertnotify=echo %s | mail -s "Bitcoin Alert" admin@foo.com
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The "rpcpassword" displayed will be unique for your system. You can
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copy the rpcuser and rpcpassword lines into your configuration file
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using the following commands. Note that in most Ubuntu terminals, you need
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to press Ctrl-Shift-C to copy and Ctrl-Shift-V to paste because Ctrl-C
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and Ctrl-V have different meanings in a Unix-style terminal.
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echo rpcuser=bitcoinrpc >> ~/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf
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echo rpcpassword=XXXXXX >> ~/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf
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(**Warning:** Don't use XXXXXX as your RPC password. Copy the
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rpcpassword displayed by bitcoind for your system.)
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Now you can start Bitcoin Core daemon for real. Type the following
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command:
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bitcoind -daemon
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It will print a message that Bitcoin Core is starting. To interact with
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Bitcoin Core daemon, you will use the command `bitcoin-cli` (Bitcoin
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command line interface). Note: it may take up to several minutes for
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Bitcoin Core to start, during which it will display the following
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message whenever you use `bitcoin-cli`:
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error: {"code":-28,"message":"Verifying blocks..."}
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After it starts, you may find the following commands useful for basic
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interaction with your node:
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[`getblockchaininfo`](/en/developer-reference#getblockchaininfo),
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[`getnetworkinfo`](/en/developer-reference#getnetworkinfo),
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[`getnettotals`](/en/developer-reference#getnettotals),
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[`getwalletinfo`](/en/developer-reference#getwalletinfo),
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[`stop`](/en/developer-reference#stop), and [`help`](/en/developer-reference#help).
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For example, to safely stop your node, run the following command:
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bitcoin-cli stop
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A complete list of commands is available in the [Bitcoin.org developer
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reference](/en/developer-reference#rpc-quick-reference).
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When Bitcoin Core daemon first starts, it will begin to download the
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block chain. This step will take at least several hours, and it may
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take a day or more on a slow Internet connection or with a slow
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computer. During the download, Bitcoin Core will use a significant part
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of your connection bandwidth. You can stop Bitcoin Core at any time using
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the `stop` command; it will resume from the point where it stopped the next
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time you start it.
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<div class="box" markdown="1">
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*Optional: Start Your Node At Boot*
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Starting your node automatically each time your computer boots makes it
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easy for you to contribute to the network. The easiest way to do this
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is to start Bitcoin Core daemon from your crontab. To edit your
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crontab, run the following command:
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crontab -e
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Scroll to the bottom of the file displayed and add the following line:
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@reboot bitcoind -daemon
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Save the file and exit; the updated crontab file will be installed for
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you. Now Bitcoin Core daemon will be automatically started each time
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your reboot your computer.
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If you're an Ubuntu expert and want to use an init script instead, see
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[this Upstart
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script](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/tree/0.10/contrib/init/bitcoind.conf).
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</div>
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{{installFinished}}
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|
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### Other Linux Distributions
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*Instructions for Bitcoin Core 0.10.0.*
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The following instructions describe installing Bitcoin Core using tools
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available in most mainstream Linux distributions. We assume you use a
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Bourne-like shell such as `bash`.
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Using any computer, go to the [Bitcoin Core download page](/en/download)
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and verify you have made a secure connection to the server.
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In the "Linux (tgz)" section of the Download page, choose the
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appropriate file for your Linux install (either 32-bit or 64-bit) and
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download the file. If necessary, move the file to the computer you want
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to use to run Bitcoin Core.
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{{verifyReleaseSignatures}}
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If you aren't already logged into the computer you want to install
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Bitcoin on, login now. Make sure you use an account that can use `su`
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or `sudo` to install software into directories owned by the root user.
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If you logged in graphically, start a terminal. If you logged in
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another way, we will assume you're already in a shell.
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Locate the file you downloaded and extract it using the `tar` command
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followed by the argument `xzf` followed by the file name. The argument
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`xzf` means eXtract the gZipped tar archive File. For example, for a
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64-bit tar archive in your current directory, the command is:
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tar xzf bitcoin-0.10.0-linux64.tar.gz
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This will create the directory `bitcoin-0.10.0` within your current
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working directory. We will install the contents of its `bin`
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subdirectory into the `/usr/local/bin` directory using the the `install`
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command. The install command is part of the GNU coreutils available on
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nearly every Linux distribution, and the `/usr/local/bin` directory is a
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standard location for self-installed executables (you may edit the
|
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commands below to use a different location).
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If you use `sudo` to run commands as root, use the following command
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line:
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sudo install -m 0755 -o root -g root -t /usr/local/bin bitcoin-0.10.0/bin/*
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If you use `su` to run commands as root, use the following command line:
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su -c 'install -m 0755 -o root -g root -t /usr/local/bin bitcoin-0.10.0/bin/*'
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<div class="box" markdown="1">
|
|
*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.
|
|
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|
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.
|
|
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
#### 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
|
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your computer yet. To determine whether you're missing any libraries,
|
|
open a terminal (if you haven't already) and run the command
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`/usr/local/bin/bitcoin-qt` to start Bitcoin Core GUI.
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If all the required libraries are installed, Bitcoin Core will start.
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If a required library is missing, an error message similar to the
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following message will be displayed:
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/usr/local/bin/bitcoin-qt: error while loading shared libraries: libQtGui.so.4: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
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|
|
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 hours, and it may take a day or more 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.
|
|
|
|
<div class="box" markdown="1">
|
|
*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).
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
{{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.
|
|
|
|
Before using the Bitcoin Core daemon, `bitcoind`, you need to create its
|
|
configuration file with a user name and password. First create the
|
|
`.bitcoin` directory, create (touch) the file, and set the file's
|
|
permissions so that only your user account can read it. From your
|
|
terminal or console, type:
|
|
|
|
mkdir ~/.bitcoin
|
|
touch ~/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf
|
|
chmod 600 ~/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf
|
|
|
|
Then you can run the command `bitcoind`. It will print output similar
|
|
to this:
|
|
|
|
bitcoind
|
|
Error: To use the "-server" option, you must set a rpcpassword in the configuration file:
|
|
/home/bitcoinorg/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf
|
|
It is recommended you use the following random password:
|
|
rpcuser=bitcoinrpc
|
|
rpcpassword=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
|
|
(you do not need to remember this password)
|
|
The username and password MUST NOT be the same.
|
|
If the file does not exist, create it with owner-readable-only file permissions.
|
|
It is also recommended to set alertnotify so you are notified of problems;
|
|
for example: alertnotify=echo %s | mail -s "Bitcoin Alert" admin@foo.com
|
|
|
|
The "rpcpassword" displayed will be unique for your system. You can
|
|
copy the rpcuser and rpcpassword lines into your configuration file
|
|
using the following commands. Note that in many Linux terminals, you need
|
|
to press Ctrl-Shift-C to copy and Ctrl-Shift-V to paste because Ctrl-C
|
|
and Ctrl-V have different meanings in a Unix-style terminal.
|
|
|
|
echo rpcuser=bitcoinrpc >> ~/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf
|
|
echo rpcpassword=XXXXXX >> ~/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf
|
|
|
|
(**Warning:** Don't use XXXXXX as your RPC password. Copy the
|
|
rpcpassword displayed by bitcoind for your system.)
|
|
|
|
Now you can start Bitcoin Core daemon for real. 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). Note: it may take up to several minutes for
|
|
Bitcoin Core to start, during which it will display the following
|
|
message whenever you use `bitcoin-cli`:
|
|
|
|
error: {"code":-28,"message":"Verifying blocks..."}
|
|
|
|
After it starts, you may find the following commands useful for basic
|
|
interaction with your node:
|
|
[`getblockchaininfo`](/en/developer-reference#getblockchaininfo),
|
|
[`getnetworkinfo`](/en/developer-reference#getnetworkinfo),
|
|
[`getnettotals`](/en/developer-reference#getnettotals),
|
|
[`getwalletinfo`](/en/developer-reference#getwalletinfo),
|
|
[`stop`](/en/developer-reference#stop), and [`help`](/en/developer-reference#help).
|
|
For example, to safely stop your node, run the following command:
|
|
|
|
bitcoin-cli stop
|
|
|
|
A complete list of commands is available in the [Bitcoin.org developer
|
|
reference](/en/developer-reference#rpc-quick-reference).
|
|
|
|
When Bitcoin Core daemon first starts, it will begin to download the
|
|
block chain. This step will take at least several hours, and it may
|
|
take a day or more 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.
|
|
|
|
<div class="box" markdown="1">
|
|
*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/0.10/contrib/init).
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
{{installFinished}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Windows Instructions
|
|
|
|
### Windows 8.1
|
|
|
|
If you can provide instructions and screenshots for running the latest
|
|
version of Bitcoin Core on Windows 8.1, please [open an
|
|
issue](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin.org/issues/new) and we'll tell
|
|
you what we need.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### Windows 7
|
|
|
|
*Instructions for Bitcoin Core 0.10.0.*
|
|
|
|
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, run it by double-clicking
|
|
its icon. Windows will ask you to confirm that you want to run it:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<div class="box" markdown="1">
|
|
*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](#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.
|
|
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
#### 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 hours, and it may take a day or more 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.
|
|
|
|
<div class="box" markdown="1">
|
|
*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.
|
|
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
{{installFinished}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
#### Bitcoin Core Daemon {#win7-daemon}
|
|
{:.no_toc}
|
|
|
|
If you can provide instructions and screenshots for running the latest
|
|
version of Bitcoin Core daemon on Windows 7, please [open an
|
|
issue](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin.org/issues/new) and we'll tell
|
|
you what we need.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Mac OS X Instructions
|
|
|
|
If you can provide instructions and screenshots for running the latest
|
|
version of Bitcoin Core on Mac OS X, please [open an
|
|
issue](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin.org/issues/new) and we'll tell
|
|
you what we need.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## 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
|
|
GetAddr page](https://getaddr.bitnodes.io/#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:
|
|
|
|
<pre>$ <b>bitcoin-cli getconnectioncount</b>
|
|
52</pre>
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
* <http://192.168.0.1> (some Linksys/Cisco models)
|
|
* <http://192.168.1.1> (some D-Link/Netgear models)
|
|
* <http://192.168.2.1> (some Belkin/SMC models)
|
|
* <http://192.168.123.254> (some US Robotics models)
|
|
* <http://10.0.1.1> (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/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/bitcoin.org/issues/new)
|
|
|
|
</div>
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