128456b62d
db74d3390adoc: clarify test placement guidance (Lőrinc) Pull request description: **Problem:** `doc/developer-notes.md` does not explain where test coverage belongs in a commit stack, especially when existing behavior is uncovered or a refactor depends on uncovered behavior. This has led to review questions about whether tests should record current behavior before a change or be added with the final behavior, for example in [#35251](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/35251#discussion_r3217842286) and [#31212](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/31212#discussion_r1854105033). **Fix:** Add a `General Testing` section under the development guidelines explaining when to use automated tests or a manual testing guide and when behavior-preserving work is easy to validate without new tests. Add a `Commit Structure for Tests` subsection distinguishing existing coverage, simple uncovered changes, non-trivial changes to uncovered behavior, and non-trivial refactors whose preserved behavior is not covered. Replace the blanket `CONTRIBUTING.md` rule with a link to the detailed guidance. ACKs for top commit: maflcko: lgtm ACKdb74d3390apablomartin4btc: ACKdb74d3390aLarryRuane: ACKdb74d3390aw0xlt: ACKdb74d3390asedited: ACKdb74d3390aTree-SHA512: a8f3629b9bd59d20b1bc597d1b43fbb1d3cca9f500a8d79a7b62b417cd6b91c7b92cf6e32946171c76eb54e882a58eac94045753d8bb5899acdb48a7d1ccb2bd
Bitcoin Core
Setup
Bitcoin Core is the original Bitcoin client and it builds the backbone of the network. It downloads and, by default, stores the entire history of Bitcoin transactions, which requires several hundred gigabytes or more of disk space. Depending on the speed of your computer and network connection, the synchronization process can take anywhere from a few hours to several days or more.
To download Bitcoin Core, visit bitcoincore.org.
Running
The following are some helpful notes on how to run Bitcoin Core on your native platform.
Unix
Unpack the files into a directory and run:
bin/bitcoin-qt(GUI) orbin/bitcoind(headless)bin/bitcoin(wrapper command)
The bitcoin command supports subcommands like bitcoin gui, bitcoin node, and bitcoin rpc exposing different functionality. Subcommands can be listed with bitcoin help.
Windows
Unpack the files into a directory, and then run bitcoin-qt.exe.
macOS
Drag Bitcoin Core to your applications folder, and then run Bitcoin Core.
Need Help?
- See the documentation at the Bitcoin Wiki for help and more information.
- Ask for help on Bitcoin StackExchange.
- Ask for help on #bitcoin on Libera Chat. If you don't have an IRC client, you can use web.libera.chat.
- Ask for help on the BitcoinTalk forums, in the Technical Support board.
Building
The following are developer notes on how to build Bitcoin Core on your native platform. They are not complete guides, but include notes on the necessary libraries, compile flags, etc.
- Dependencies
- macOS Build Notes
- Unix Build Notes
- Windows Build Notes
- FreeBSD Build Notes
- OpenBSD Build Notes
- NetBSD Build Notes
Development
The Bitcoin repo's root README contains relevant information on the development process and automated testing.
- Developer Notes
- Productivity Notes
- Release Process
- Source Code Documentation (External Link)
- Translation Process
- Translation Strings Policy
- JSON-RPC Interface
- Unauthenticated REST Interface
- BIPS
- Dnsseed Policy
- Benchmarking
- Internal Design Docs
Resources
- Discuss on the BitcoinTalk forums, in the Development & Technical Discussion board.
- Discuss project-specific development on #bitcoin-core-dev on Libera Chat. If you don't have an IRC client, you can use web.libera.chat.
Miscellaneous
- Assets Attribution
- bitcoin.conf Configuration File
- CJDNS Support
- Files
- Fuzz-testing
- I2P Support
- Init Scripts (systemd/upstart/openrc)
- Managing Wallets
- Multisig Tutorial
- Offline Signing Tutorial
- P2P bad ports definition and list
- PSBT support
- Reduce Memory
- Reduce Traffic
- Tor Support
- Transaction Relay Policy
- ZMQ
License
Distributed under the MIT software license.