01 September 2020
I need to run my Bitcoin Core node so that I can run my own Electrum Server that is not dependant on 3rd parties. I am using Centos 7 and need an UNPRUNED copy. That means I will need:
- About 450 GB of Disk Space
- At least 2GB of Ram
- A decent internet connection
(Full requirements can be found here)
I am using a dedicated server for this, so I should have no problem. But for many, the biggest problem is the 450 GB of space, especially if you want to run it on a SSD (Solid State Drive) which is usually significantly more expensive than SATA.
This is how you can install your own Bitcoin Core node:
- Start by downloading Bitcoin Core and make sure it is not tampered with by comparing the signature. Full instructions on how to do this can be found here.
- Create a user called "bitcoin"
- Extract the zip file to /home/bitcoin/DOWNLOAD
- Install the bin executables for everyone:
sudo install -m 0755 -o root -g root -t /usr/local/bin bitcoin-0.19.0.1/bin/* - Run the daemon:
bitcoind -daemon
Once running, these commands will be useful:
- Stop the daemon:
bitcoin-cli stop - Start it again:
bitcoind -daemon - Check the status: (i.e. how many blocks have been processed, and how many are remaining)
tail -f .bitcoin/debug.log
This will show something like this:
2019-12-26T08:18:26Z UpdateTip: new best=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx height=193999 version=XXXXXXXXX log2_work=68.540511 tx=XXXXXXXXXX date='2012-08-15T09:44:56Z' progress=0.012265 cache=114.1MiB(XXXXXXXX)
Notice the part in bold that says progress = 0.012265. This means progess is about 1.2265%. However, keep in mind that progress is initially fast, but does get slower over time. (I did read why this happens, but can't find the reference now) - Or an easier way to check your progress is shown below: (I got this from here)
echo `bitcoin-cli getblockcount 2>&1`/`wget -O - http://blockchain.info/q/getblockcount 2>/dev/null`
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