<p>You can also just tail the debug.log file in a new terminal window while bitcoind is running. It shows current block height i.e. <code>height=181888</code> and percentage of download complete i.e. <code>progress=68.189662</code> and keeps running in the window, so you see the progress.</p>

<p>On Linux:
<code>tail -f ~/.bitcoin/debug.log</code></p>

<p>On Mac:
<code>tail -f $HOME/Library/Application\ Support/Bitcoin/debug.log</code></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-27T20:45:57.500Z
log2_work is not a percentage of progress. It indicates how much the cummulative hashrate of the network is. For progress look at the 'progress=0..." field.
Pieter Wuille
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-27T20:48:19.217Z
ah thanks, was busy copying from the terminal and the numbers look the same. hehe
Herald Smit
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-06-08T19:43:18.603Z
Note the progress field [ranges from 0 to 1](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/96453/34190), it's not a percentage!
Lee
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-27T20:27:03.113Z
2017-11-27T21:09:04.777Z
2017-11-27T21:09:04.777Z
Herald Smit
<p>run bitcoind getinfo, compare the block count to the current block height of several major block explorers such as:</p>

<p><a href="https://blockchain.info/" rel="noreferrer">https://blockchain.info/</a></p>

<p><a href="https://www.blocktrail.com/BTC" rel="noreferrer">https://www.blocktrail.com/BTC</a></p>

<p><a href="https://blockexplorer.com/" rel="noreferrer">https://blockexplorer.com/</a></p>

<p><a href="http://blockr.io/" rel="noreferrer">http://blockr.io/</a></p>

<p>If your block count matches the block height from those sites, your block chain is in sync. If it does not match the difference in block height is how far you are behind (approximately 10 minutes per block)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-29T00:06:26.683Z
2016-06-29T00:06:26.683Z
Jane Miner
<p><code>bitcoin-cli getinfo</code> will display the information you're looking for, </p>

<p>OR simply <code>bitcoin-cli getblockcount</code>  and compare the <code>blockcount</code> in your machine with the one in a <code>block-explorer</code> online</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-16T08:27:46.850Z
This call was removed in version 0.16.0. Use the appropriate fields from:
- getblockchaininfo: blocks, difficulty, chain
- getnetworkinfo: version, protocolversion, timeoffset, connections, proxy, relayfee, warnings
- getwalletinfo: balance, keypoololdest, keypoolsize, paytxfee, unlocked_until, walletversion
SWD
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-29T14:40:58.317Z
2016-07-02T03:40:24.923Z
2016-07-02T03:40:24.923Z
Tom
<p>I found the easiest way to do this (version 0.12) is to issue the command (not case sensitive):</p>

<pre><code>bitcoin-cli getblockchaininfo
</code></pre>

<p>Then, compare the blocks received field, to the headers field. The blocks received should increase steadily until it matches the headers field, at which point the client is synced.</p>

<p>Once the client is synced you can check if the client is accepting inbound transactions by issuing the command:</p>

<pre><code>bitcoin-cli getconnectioncount 
</code></pre>

<p>If you have 0 connections, something is wrong. If you have 8 connections, then it means you are only doing outbound connections (which might be the case if you just want to use your client to execute your own personal transactions, not verify everyone else's). If you have more than 8 connections, then it means you are accepting inbound connections and are acting as a full node (good for you).</p>

<p>Two additional ways to get information about your node is to use <code>GetNetTotals</code> which returns information about network traffic, including bytes in, bytes out, and the current time, and <code>GetNetworkInfo</code> which provides information about your connections to other nodes.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-29T18:35:01.690Z
how do you accomplish this on a mac?
zero_cool
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-30T08:11:20.703Z
Or for regtest mode, `bitcoin-cli -regtest getblockchaininfo`.
Jus12
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-29T15:14:58.463Z
2016-06-29T15:14:58.463Z
Harry Pillsbury
<p>I have started bitcoind on my linux box. How can I ask it what its status is? I assume it is downloading the blockchain and will continue to do so for hours or days. How can I find out where it is in this process?</p>

<bitcoind><synchronization><command-line-options>
Check status of daemon?
Harry Pillsbury
# Check status of daemon?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-06-28)

I have started bitcoind on my linux box. How can I ask it what its status is? I assume it is downloading the blockchain and will continue to do so for hours or days. How can I find out where it is in this process?

**Tags:** bitcoind, synchronization, command-line-options


---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2016-06-29. Score: 20 | Accepted answer

I found the easiest way to do this (version 0.12) is to issue the command (not case sensitive):
bitcoin-cli getblockchaininfo

Then, compare the blocks received field, to the headers field. The blocks received should increase steadily until it matches the headers field, at which point the client is synced.
Once the client is synced you can check if the client is accepting inbound transactions by issuing the command:
bitcoin-cli getconnectioncount 

If you have 0 connections, something is wrong. If you have 8 connections, then it means you are only doing outbound connections (which might be the case if you just want to use your client to execute your own personal transactions, not verify everyone else's). If you have more than 8 connections, then it means you are accepting inbound connections and are acting as a full node (good for you).
Two additional ways to get information about your node is to use GetNetTotals which returns information about network traffic, including bytes in, bytes out, and the current time, and GetNetworkInfo which provides information about your connections to other nodes.

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: how do you accomplish this on a mac?  
> **username_8**: Or for regtest mode, `bitcoin-cli -regtest getblockchaininfo`.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-11-27. Score: 12

You can also just tail the debug.log file in a new terminal window while bitcoind is running. It shows current block height i.e. `height=181888` and percentage of download complete i.e. `progress=68.189662` and keeps running in the window, so you see the progress.

On Linux:
`tail -f ~/.bitcoin/debug.log`

On Mac:
`tail -f $HOME/Library/Application\ Support/Bitcoin/debug.log`

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: log2_work is not a percentage of progress. It indicates how much the cummulative hashrate of the network is. For progress look at the 'progress=0..." field.  
> **username_1**: ah thanks, was busy copying from the terminal and the numbers look the same. hehe  
> **username_3**: Note the progress field [ranges from 0 to 1](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/96453/34190), it's not a percentage!  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-06-29. Score: 7

run bitcoind getinfo, compare the block count to the current block height of several major block explorers such as:

<https://blockchain.info/>

<https://www.blocktrail.com/BTC>

<https://blockexplorer.com/>

<http://blockr.io/>

If your block count matches the block height from those sites, your block chain is in sync. If it does not match the difference in block height is how far you are behind (approximately 10 minutes per block)


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2016-06-29. Score: 3

`bitcoin-cli getinfo` will display the information you're looking for,

OR simply `bitcoin-cli getblockcount` and compare the `blockcount` in your machine with the one in a `block-explorer` online

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: This call was removed in version 0.16.0. Use the appropriate fields from: - getblockchaininfo: blocks, difficulty, chain - getnetworkinfo: version, protocolversion, timeoffset, connections, proxy, relayfee, warnings - getwalletinfo: balance, keypoololdest, keypoolsize, paytxfee, unlocked_until, walletversion  

---

