> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installation

> Detailed installation instructions for Bitcoin Core on different platforms

Bitcoin Core can be installed via pre-built binaries or compiled from source. This guide covers both methods for major platforms.

## Download pre-built binaries

For most users, downloading pre-built binaries is the fastest and easiest option.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Visit the official download page">
    Go to [bitcoincore.org/en/download](https://bitcoincore.org/en/download/) to download the latest stable release.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the download">
    <Warning>
      Always verify downloads before installation. Bitcoin Core is security-critical software.
    </Warning>

    Verify signatures and checksums according to the instructions on the download page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install for your platform">
    See platform-specific instructions below.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Platform-specific installation

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Linux">
    ### Install from binary

    1. Download and extract the archive:

    ```bash theme={null}
    tar -xzf bitcoin-*-x86_64-linux-gnu.tar.gz
    cd bitcoin-*/
    ```

    2. Copy binaries to your PATH:

    ```bash theme={null}
    sudo install -m 0755 -o root -g root -t /usr/local/bin bin/*
    ```

    3. Run Bitcoin Core:

    ```bash theme={null}
    bitcoin-qt  # GUI version
    # or
    bitcoind    # Headless daemon
    ```

    ### System requirements

    <Note>
      Bitcoin Core requires several hundred gigabytes of disk space for the full blockchain. Ensure you have sufficient space before installation.
    </Note>

    **Disk space options:**

    * Full node: 500+ GB (and growing)
    * Pruned node: Configurable minimum (e.g., 50 GB with `prune=50000`)

    ### Configuration location

    Default data directory: `~/.bitcoin/`
    Configuration file: `~/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf`
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="macOS">
    ### Install from DMG

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Download the DMG file">
        Get the `.dmg` file from [bitcoincore.org/en/download](https://bitcoincore.org/en/download/)
      </Step>

      <Step title="Install the application">
        1. Open the downloaded `.dmg` file
        2. Drag Bitcoin Core to your Applications folder
        3. Launch Bitcoin Core from Applications
      </Step>

      <Step title="First launch">
        On first launch, macOS may require you to confirm opening the application from an identified developer.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    ### Command-line access

    To access Bitcoin Core tools from the terminal:

    ```bash theme={null}
    # Add to your PATH or create aliases
    alias bitcoin-cli="/Applications/Bitcoin-Qt.app/Contents/MacOS/bitcoin-cli"
    alias bitcoind="/Applications/Bitcoin-Qt.app/Contents/MacOS/bitcoind"
    ```

    ### Configuration location

    Default data directory: `~/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin/`
    Configuration file: `~/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin/bitcoin.conf`
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Windows">
    ### Install from installer

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Download the installer">
        Get the `.exe` installer from [bitcoincore.org/en/download](https://bitcoincore.org/en/download/)
      </Step>

      <Step title="Run the installer">
        Double-click the downloaded `.exe` file and follow the installation wizard.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Launch Bitcoin Core">
        Start Bitcoin Core from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    ### Portable installation

    Alternatively, download the `.zip` archive and extract to any directory:

    1. Extract the archive
    2. Run `bitcoin-qt.exe` (GUI) or `bitcoind.exe` (daemon)

    ### Configuration location

    Default data directory: `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Bitcoin\`

    Example: `C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Bitcoin\bitcoin.conf`
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Building from source

For developers or users who want to build from source, Bitcoin Core supports multiple platforms.

<Note>
  Building from source requires technical knowledge and several dependencies. Most users should use pre-built binaries.
</Note>

### Prerequisites

All platforms require:

* C++ compiler (see [dependencies.md](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/doc/dependencies.md) for version requirements)
* CMake 3.22 or later
* Python 3

### Build on Linux/Unix

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install dependencies">
    **Ubuntu/Debian:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    sudo apt-get install build-essential cmake pkgconf python3
    sudo apt-get install libevent-dev libboost-dev libsqlite3-dev
    ```

    **For GUI support:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    sudo apt-get install qt6-base-dev qt6-tools-dev qt6-l10n-tools \
                         qt6-tools-dev-tools libgl-dev libqrencode-dev
    ```

    **For ZMQ support:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    sudo apt-get install libzmq3-dev
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Clone the repository">
    ```bash theme={null}
    git clone https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin.git
    cd bitcoin
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure and build">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Configure
    cmake -B build

    # See all options
    cmake -B build -LH

    # Build (use -j for parallel jobs)
    cmake --build build -j$(nproc)

    # Optional: Install
    sudo cmake --install build
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

#### Build options

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Disable wallet theme={null}
  cmake -B build -DENABLE_WALLET=OFF
  ```

  ```bash Disable GUI theme={null}
  cmake -B build -DBUILD_GUI=OFF
  ```

  ```bash Enable ZMQ theme={null}
  cmake -B build -DWITH_ZMQ=ON
  ```

  ```bash Disable IPC theme={null}
  cmake -B build -DENABLE_IPC=OFF
  ```
</CodeGroup>

#### Memory-constrained systems

<Tip>
  If you have limited RAM (less than 1.5 GB), use these compiler flags to reduce memory usage:
</Tip>

```bash theme={null}
cmake -B build -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS="--param ggc-min-expand=1 --param ggc-min-heapsize=32768"
```

Or reduce debug info:

```bash theme={null}
cmake -B build -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO="-O2 -g0"
```

### Build on macOS

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install Xcode Command Line Tools">
    ```bash theme={null}
    xcode-select --install
    ```

    Click **Install** in the popup that appears.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install Homebrew">
    If not already installed, get Homebrew from [brew.sh](https://brew.sh)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install dependencies">
    ```bash theme={null}
    brew install cmake boost pkgconf libevent capnp
    ```

    **For GUI support:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    brew install qt@6
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Clone and build">
    ```bash theme={null}
    git clone https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin.git
    cd bitcoin

    cmake -B build
    cmake --build build -j$(sysctl -n hw.ncpu)
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  macOS ships with a usable SQLite package, so you don't need to install it separately for wallet functionality.
</Note>

### Build on Windows

Bitcoin Core can be built on Windows using several methods:

#### Option 1: Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install WSL">
    Follow the [official WSL installation guide](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Build in WSL">
    Once WSL is set up, follow the Linux build instructions above.
  </Step>
</Steps>

#### Option 2: Cross-compile from Linux

You can cross-compile Windows binaries from Linux:

```bash theme={null}
# Install cross-compilation toolchain
sudo apt-get install g++-mingw-w64-x86-64-posix

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin.git
cd bitcoin

# Build dependencies and Bitcoin Core
gmake -C depends HOST=x86_64-w64-mingw32 -j$(nproc)
cmake -B build --toolchain depends/x86_64-w64-mingw32/toolchain.cmake
cmake --build build -j$(nproc)
```

#### Option 3: Microsoft Visual Studio

See [build-windows-msvc.md](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/doc/build-windows-msvc.md) for detailed instructions on building with Visual Studio.

<Warning>
  For WSL builds, the Bitcoin Core source path **must** be in the default WSL filesystem (e.g., `/usr/src/bitcoin`), not under `/mnt/` on the Windows filesystem, or dependency scripts will fail.
</Warning>

## Post-installation

### Create a configuration file

Create `bitcoin.conf` in your data directory to customize Bitcoin Core:

```ini theme={null}
# Network options
testnet=0  # Use mainnet (default)
# testnet=1  # Use testnet
# signet=1   # Use signet
# regtest=1  # Use regression test mode

# Connection options
maxconnections=125
maxuploadtarget=5000  # Limit upload to 5GB/day

# RPC options
server=1  # Enable RPC server
rpcauth=user:salt$hash  # Use rpcauth for security

# Storage options
prune=50000  # Prune blockchain to ~50GB
# prune=0    # Store full blockchain (default)

# Performance
dbcache=4000  # Database cache size in MiB
```

<Tip>
  Use `contrib/devtools/gen-bitcoin-conf.sh` to generate an example configuration file with all available options after building from source.
</Tip>

### Verify installation

Test your installation:

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Check version theme={null}
  bitcoind --version
  ```

  ```bash Run in regtest mode theme={null}
  bitcoind -regtest -daemon
  bitcoin-cli -regtest getblockchaininfo
  bitcoin-cli -regtest stop
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Storage considerations

### Full node

* **Current size**: 500+ GB (as of 2024)
* **Growth rate**: \~50-100 GB per year
* **Recommended**: 1 TB+ for future growth

### Pruned node

Reduce storage requirements by pruning old block data:

```ini theme={null}
# bitcoin.conf
prune=50000  # Keep ~50 GB of recent blocks
```

<Note>
  With pruning enabled, you can still validate new transactions and participate in the network, but you cannot serve historical blockchain data to other nodes.
</Note>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Configuration guide" icon="gear">
    Learn about bitcoin.conf options and network settings
  </Card>

  <Card title="Security best practices" icon="shield">
    Secure your Bitcoin Core installation
  </Card>

  <Card title="RPC authentication" icon="key">
    Set up secure RPC access with rpcauth
  </Card>

  <Card title="Running a node" icon="server">
    Best practices for operating a Bitcoin node
  </Card>
</CardGroup>