<p>Yes, congratulations you are running a full node.</p>

<p>Note that you're mostly running a full node so that you can fully validate everything so you can now send and receive money without trusting anyone. However you are trusting your PC itself, malware might steal your money or cause you to lose money (both would happen with non-full nodes too of course). </p>

<p>You might want to check how many connections you have (after bitcoind has been running for at least an hour or so) use <code>getpeerinfo</code>. If you only see 8 outgoing connections then other nodes can probably not reach you. If you would like to enable them to do so you might need to configure your router to do portforwarding.</p>

<p>For receiving bitcoins you don't even need to be online at all. For sending them you don't need to have finished downloading as long as it has downloaded far enough to know that you received any.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-31T05:46:04.717Z
2015-12-31T05:55:05.913Z
2015-12-31T05:55:05.913Z
Jannes
<p>Good job running a full node. You are already helping the bitcoin network. Yes, you have to wait for the full download of blockchain for sending or receiving BTC with bitcoin-cli.</p>

<p>To better know what bitcoind is doing, you can install <a href="https://github.com/azeteki/bitcoind-ncurses" rel="nofollow">frontend for bitcoind</a>. Have fun watching bitcoin transactions!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-31T05:55:46.007Z
2015-12-31T05:55:46.007Z
dark knight
<p>I've succesfully installed <code>bitcoind</code> and <code>bitcoin-cli</code>. I got some questions about it:</p>

<p>I run <code>bitcoind</code> in the background by typing: <code>bitcoind -daemon</code> and the blockchain begins to download: </p>

<p>By typing <code>getinfo</code>  I can see how many blocks are known to my client on the line “blocks”… that´s ok for me. </p>

<p>But what happens at the end? I don´t see that <code>bitcoind</code> reports me anything back on the shell. </p>

<p>I see by typing <code>getinfo</code> that the blockchain is already on my computer. Then I turn off or hibernate computer for few hours. </p>

<p>I run <code>bitcoind -daemon</code> everytime I turn on my computer and it downloads the latest blocks that, of course, are missing because my computer was turned off.  Is that all? </p>

<p>Am I already running a full node?</p>

<p>Do I have to wait for the full download of blockchain for sending or receiving BTC with <code>blitcoin-cli</code>?</p>

<p>Does <code>bitcoin-cli</code>  work without this large file?</p>

<blockchain><bitcoind><block><full-node><bitcoin-cli>
How to run a full node: Am I already doing so?
gwen2006
# How to run a full node: Am I already doing so?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-12-30)

I've succesfully installed `bitcoind` and `bitcoin-cli`. I got some questions about it:

I run `bitcoind` in the background by typing: `bitcoind -daemon` and the blockchain begins to download:

By typing `getinfo` I can see how many blocks are known to my client on the line “blocks”… that´s ok for me.

But what happens at the end? I don´t see that `bitcoind` reports me anything back on the shell.

I see by typing `getinfo` that the blockchain is already on my computer. Then I turn off or hibernate computer for few hours.

I run `bitcoind -daemon` everytime I turn on my computer and it downloads the latest blocks that, of course, are missing because my computer was turned off. Is that all?

Am I already running a full node?

Do I have to wait for the full download of blockchain for sending or receiving BTC with `blitcoin-cli`?

Does `bitcoin-cli` work without this large file?

**Tags:** blockchain, bitcoind, block, full-node, bitcoin-cli


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-12-31. Score: 3

Yes, congratulations you are running a full node.

Note that you're mostly running a full node so that you can fully validate everything so you can now send and receive money without trusting anyone. However you are trusting your PC itself, malware might steal your money or cause you to lose money (both would happen with non-full nodes too of course).

You might want to check how many connections you have (after bitcoind has been running for at least an hour or so) use `getpeerinfo`. If you only see 8 outgoing connections then other nodes can probably not reach you. If you would like to enable them to do so you might need to configure your router to do portforwarding.

For receiving bitcoins you don't even need to be online at all. For sending them you don't need to have finished downloading as long as it has downloaded far enough to know that you received any.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2015-12-31. Score: 0

Good job running a full node. You are already helping the bitcoin network. Yes, you have to wait for the full download of blockchain for sending or receiving BTC with bitcoin-cli.

To better know what bitcoind is doing, you can install [frontend for bitcoind](https://github.com/azeteki/bitcoind-ncurses). Have fun watching bitcoin transactions!


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