Before you start playing with Bitcoin, you may always want to come to a better understanding of your setup.
To start with, you should understand where everything is kept: the ~/.bitcoin directory.
The main directory just contains your config file and the testnet directory:
$ ls ~/.bitcoin
bitcoin.conf testnet3
The setup guides in Chapter Two: Creating a Bitcoin-Core VPS laid out a standardized config file. §3.1: Verifying Your Bitcoin Setup suggested how to change it to support more advanced setups. If you're interested in learning even more about the config file, you may wish to consult Jameson Lopp's Bitcoin Core Config Generator.
Moving back to your ~/.bitcoin directory, you'll find that the testnet3 directory contains all of the guts:
$ ls ~/.bitcoin/testnet3
banlist.json blocks debug.log mempool.dat peers.dat
bitcoind.pid chainstate fee_estimates.dat onion_private_key wallets
You shouldn't mess with most of these files and directories — particularly not the blocks and chainstate directories, which contain all of the blockchain data, and the information in your wallets directory, which contains your personal wallet. However, do take careful note of the debug.log file, which you should refer to if you ever have problems with your setup.
🔗 TESTNET vs MAINNET: If you're using mainnet, then everything will instead be placed in the main
~/.bitcoindirectory. These various setups do elegantly stack, so if you are using mainnet, testnet, and regtest, you'll find that~/.bitcoincontains your config file and your mainnet data, the~/.bitcoin/testnet3directory contains your testnet data, and the~/.bitcoin/regtestdirectory contains your regtest data.
Most of your early work will be done with the bitcoin-cli command, which offers an easy interface to bitcoind. If you ever want more information on its usage, just run it with the help argument. Without any other arguments, it shows you every possible command:
$ bitcoin-cli help
== Blockchain ==
getbestblockhash
getblock "blockhash" ( verbosity )
getblockchaininfo
getblockcount
getblockfilter "blockhash" ( "filtertype" )
getblockhash height
getblockheader "blockhash" ( verbose )
getblockstats hash_or_height ( stats )
getchaintips
getchaintxstats ( nblocks "blockhash" )
getdifficulty
getmempoolancestors "txid" ( verbose )
getmempooldescendants "txid" ( verbose )
getmempoolentry "txid"
getmempoolinfo
getrawmempool ( verbose )
gettxout "txid" n ( include_mempool )
gettxoutproof ["txid",...] ( "blockhash" )
gettxoutsetinfo
preciousblock "blockhash"
pruneblockchain height
savemempool
scantxoutset "action" ( [scanobjects,...] )
verifychain ( checklevel nblocks )
verifytxoutproof "proof"
== Control ==
getmemoryinfo ( "mode" )
getrpcinfo
help ( "command" )
logging ( ["include_category",...] ["exclude_category",...] )
stop
uptime
== Generating ==
generatetoaddress nblocks "address" ( maxtries )
generatetodescriptor num_blocks "descriptor" ( maxtries )
== Mining ==
getblocktemplate ( "template_request" )
getmininginfo
getnetworkhashps ( nblocks height )
prioritisetransaction "txid" ( dummy ) fee_delta
submitblock "hexdata" ( "dummy" )
submitheader "hexdata"
== Network ==
addnode "node" "command"
clearbanned
disconnectnode ( "address" nodeid )
getaddednodeinfo ( "node" )
getconnectioncount
getnettotals
getnetworkinfo
getnodeaddresses ( count )
getpeerinfo
listbanned
ping
setban "subnet" "command" ( bantime absolute )
setnetworkactive state
== Rawtransactions ==
analyzepsbt "psbt"
combinepsbt ["psbt",...]
combinerawtransaction ["hexstring",...]
converttopsbt "hexstring" ( permitsigdata iswitness )
createpsbt [{"txid":"hex","vout":n,"sequence":n},...] [{"address":amount},{"data":"hex"},...] ( locktime replaceable )
createrawtransaction [{"txid":"hex","vout":n,"sequence":n},...] [{"address":amount},{"data":"hex"},...] ( locktime replaceable )
decodepsbt "psbt"
decoderawtransaction "hexstring" ( iswitness )
decodescript "hexstring"
finalizepsbt "psbt" ( extract )
fundrawtransaction "hexstring" ( options iswitness )
getrawtransaction "txid" ( verbose "blockhash" )
joinpsbts ["psbt",...]
sendrawtransaction "hexstring" ( maxfeerate )
signrawtransactionwithkey "hexstring" ["privatekey",...] ( [{"txid":"hex","vout":n,"scriptPubKey":"hex","redeemScript":"hex","witnessScript":"hex","amount":amount},...] "sighashtype" )
testmempoolaccept ["rawtx",...] ( maxfeerate )
utxoupdatepsbt "psbt" ( ["",{"desc":"str","range":n or [n,n]},...] )
== Util ==
createmultisig nrequired ["key",...] ( "address_type" )
deriveaddresses "descriptor" ( range )
estimatesmartfee conf_target ( "estimate_mode" )
getdescriptorinfo "descriptor"
signmessagewithprivkey "privkey" "message"
validateaddress "address"
verifymessage "address" "signature" "message"
== Wallet ==
abandontransaction "txid"
abortrescan
addmultisigaddress nrequired ["key",...] ( "label" "address_type" )
backupwallet "destination"
bumpfee "txid" ( options )
createwallet "wallet_name" ( disable_private_keys blank "passphrase" avoid_reuse )
dumpprivkey "address"
dumpwallet "filename"
encryptwallet "passphrase"
getaddressesbylabel "label"
getaddressinfo "address"
getbalance ( "dummy" minconf include_watchonly avoid_reuse )
getbalances
getnewaddress ( "label" "address_type" )
getrawchangeaddress ( "address_type" )
getreceivedbyaddress "address" ( minconf )
getreceivedbylabel "label" ( minconf )
gettransaction "txid" ( include_watchonly verbose )
getunconfirmedbalance
getwalletinfo
importaddress "address" ( "label" rescan p2sh )
importmulti "requests" ( "options" )
importprivkey "privkey" ( "label" rescan )
importprunedfunds "rawtransaction" "txoutproof"
importpubkey "pubkey" ( "label" rescan )
importwallet "filename"
keypoolrefill ( newsize )
listaddressgroupings
listlabels ( "purpose" )
listlockunspent
listreceivedbyaddress ( minconf include_empty include_watchonly "address_filter" )
listreceivedbylabel ( minconf include_empty include_watchonly )
listsinceblock ( "blockhash" target_confirmations include_watchonly include_removed )
listtransactions ( "label" count skip include_watchonly )
listunspent ( minconf maxconf ["address",...] include_unsafe query_options )
listwalletdir
listwallets
loadwallet "filename"
lockunspent unlock ( [{"txid":"hex","vout":n},...] )
removeprunedfunds "txid"
rescanblockchain ( start_height stop_height )
sendmany "" {"address":amount} ( minconf "comment" ["address",...] replaceable conf_target "estimate_mode" )
sendtoaddress "address" amount ( "comment" "comment_to" subtractfeefromamount replaceable conf_target "estimate_mode" avoid_reuse )
sethdseed ( newkeypool "seed" )
setlabel "address" "label"
settxfee amount
setwalletflag "flag" ( value )
signmessage "address" "message"
signrawtransactionwithwallet "hexstring" ( [{"txid":"hex","vout":n,"scriptPubKey":"hex","redeemScript":"hex","witnessScript":"hex","amount":amount},...] "sighashtype" )
unloadwallet ( "wallet_name" )
walletcreatefundedpsbt [{"txid":"hex","vout":n,"sequence":n},...] [{"address":amount},{"data":"hex"},...] ( locktime options bip32derivs )
walletlock
walletpassphrase "passphrase" timeout
walletpassphrasechange "oldpassphrase" "newpassphrase"
walletprocesspsbt "psbt" ( sign "sighashtype" bip32derivs )
== Zmq ==
getzmqnotifications
You can also type bitcoin-cli help [command] to get even more extensive info on that command. For example:
$ bitcoin-cli help getmininginfo
...
Returns a json object containing mining-related information.
Result:
{ (json object)
"blocks" : n, (numeric) The current block
"currentblockweight" : n, (numeric, optional) The block weight of the last assembled block (only present if a block was ever assembled)
"currentblocktx" : n, (numeric, optional) The number of block transactions of the last assembled block (only present if a block was ever assembled)
"difficulty" : n, (numeric) The current difficulty
"networkhashps" : n, (numeric) The network hashes per second
"pooledtx" : n, (numeric) The size of the mempool
"chain" : "str", (string) current network name (main, test, regtest)
"warnings" : "str" (string) any network and blockchain warnings
}
Examples:
> bitcoin-cli getmininginfo
> curl --user myusername --data-binary '{"jsonrpc": "1.0", "id": "curltest", "method": "getmininginfo", "params": []}' -H 'content-type: text/plain;' http://127.0.0.1:8332/
📖 What is RPC?
bitcoin-cliis just a handy interface that lets you send commands to thebitcoind. More specifically, it's an interface that lets you send RPC (or Remote Procedure Protocol) commands to thebitcoind. Often, thebitcoin-clicommand and the RPC command have identical names and interfaces, but somebitcoin-clicommands instead provide shortcuts for more complex RPC requests. Generally, thebitcoin-cliinterface is much cleaner and simpler than trying to send RPC commands by hand, usingcurlor some other method. However, it also has limitations as to what you can ultimately do.
A variety of bitcoin-cli commands can give you additional information on your bitcoin data. The most general ones are:
bitcoin-cli -getinfo returns information from different RPCs (user-friendly)
$ bitcoin-cli -getinfo
! Chain: test
Blocks: 1977694
Headers: 1977694
Verification progress: 0.9999993275374796
Difficulty: 1
+ Network: in 0, out 8, total 8
Version: 219900
Time offset (s): 0
Proxy: N/A
Min tx relay fee rate (BTC/kvB): 0.00001000
@@ Wallet: ""@@
Keypool size: 1000
Unlocked until: 0
Transaction fee rate (-paytxfee) (BTC/kvB): 0.00000000
# Balance: 0.02853102
- Warnings: unknown new rules activated (versionbit 28)
Other commands to get information about blockchain, mining, network, wallet etc.
$ bitcoin-cli getblockchaininfo
$ bitcoin-cli getmininginfo
$ bitcoin-cli getnetworkinfo
$ bitcoin-cli getnettotals
$ bitcoin-cli getwalletinfo
For example bitcoin-cli getnetworkinfo gives you a variety of information on your setup and its access to various networks:
$ bitcoin-cli getnetworkinfo
{
"version": 200000,
"subversion": "/Satoshi:0.20.0/",
"protocolversion": 70015,
"localservices": "0000000000000408",
"localservicesnames": [
"WITNESS",
"NETWORK_LIMITED"
],
"localrelay": true,
"timeoffset": 0,
"networkactive": true,
"connections": 10,
"networks": [
{
"name": "ipv4",
"limited": false,
"reachable": true,
"proxy": "",
"proxy_randomize_credentials": false
},
{
"name": "ipv6",
"limited": false,
"reachable": true,
"proxy": "",
"proxy_randomize_credentials": false
},
{
"name": "onion",
"limited": false,
"reachable": true,
"proxy": "127.0.0.1:9050",
"proxy_randomize_credentials": true
}
],
"relayfee": 0.00001000,
"incrementalfee": 0.00001000,
"localaddresses": [
{
"address": "45.79.111.171",
"port": 18333,
"score": 1
},
{
"address": "2600:3c01::f03c:92ff:fecc:fdb7",
"port": 18333,
"score": 1
},
{
"address": "4wrr3ktm6gl4sojx.onion",
"port": 18333,
"score": 4
}
],
"warnings": "Warning: unknown new rules activated (versionbit 28)"
}
Feel free to reference any of these and to use "bitcoin-cli help" if you want more information on what any of them do.
The ~/.bitcoin directory contains all of your files, while bitcoin-cli help and a variety of info commands can be used to get more information on how your setup and Bitcoin work.
Continue "Understanding Your Bitcoin Setup" with §3.3: Setting Up Your Wallet.