rbitcoin

01 / Get started

Run rbitcoin.

Download rbitcoin for Linux and try it on Bitcoin’s test network. Check that it connects and starts syncing before moving to mainnet.

Download rbitcoin

Download the latest release for your platform. Save the node, CLI, and checksum file in a new working directory.

Linux is the main supported path. Windows and macOS builds are less-tested snapshots; macOS builds are not notarized. If macOS refuses to launch a downloaded binary, run xattr -d com.apple.quarantine rbitcoin-node rbitcoin-cli. Windows and macOS setup notes.

Continue on Linux. The commands below use Linux x86_64. In a terminal, open your download directory. Rename the binaries to match the checksum file, then verify them:

Verify the download 
mv rbitcoin-node-x86_64-linux rbitcoin-node
mv rbitcoin-cli-x86_64-linux rbitcoin-cli
sha256sum --check SHA256SUMS.linux-musl

Both files should report OK. If either fails, stop and download the files again from the same release.

Make the binaries executable and check that the node starts:

Check the binary 
chmod +x rbitcoin-node rbitcoin-cli
./rbitcoin-node --help

You should see the command-line help. Run the remaining commands from this directory.

Already running rbitcoin? Read the upgrade notes before opening an existing data directory. A 0.7 directory opens in place. A directory from 0.6 or earlier is refused and needs a fresh sync. Do not point an older binary at a directory this release has opened.

Build with Nix instead

With Git and Nix installed on Linux x86_64, build the release from its pinned source and lockfile. This is the reproducible Linux build path.

Replace RELEASE_TAG with the tag shown on the release page.

Build with Nix 
git clone --branch RELEASE_TAG --depth 1 \
  https://github.com/reardencode/rbitcoin.git
cd rbitcoin
nix build .#rbitcoin-musl
cp result/bin/rbitcoin-node result/bin/rbitcoin-cli .
./rbitcoin-node --help

Continue below from the cloned rbitcoin directory. The musl build is static and can run without Nix. Use this build for portable binaries; a regular build inside a Nix shell may depend on Nix’s libraries. Reproducible build guide.

Try signet

Signet is a Bitcoin test network. This two-minute run checks that the node starts, connects to peers, and begins syncing.

Run on signet 
./rbitcoin-node --datadir ./datadir-signet \
  --network signet --listen 127.0.0.1:38333 \
  --milestone 0 --max-run-secs 120

Signet checks every historical script by default. --milestone 0 states that explicitly. Wallet interfaces stay off for this first run.

Keep syncing

Look for ibd: progress messages in the terminal as syncing gets underway. The process stops after two minutes; that does not mean syncing is complete. If there is no progress, check the operator guide.

To continue, run the same command without --max-run-secs 120. Press Ctrl+C to stop. Restart with the same --datadir to resume.

Before mainnet

Plan for a 1 TB-class disk, with room for growth. The default keeps a full archive. Older witness data can be dropped with a witness window; silent payments need the full witness. Storage requirements.

rbitcoin is an independent consensus implementation and is still pre-1.0. A short signet run is only a first check. Operators may want another node in view until they are satisfied with chain agreement. Monitor reorgs and free disk space. Use a separate mainnet data directory and follow the mainnet runbook.

The mainnet default names block 840,000. Script and signature checks at or below that height are skipped only when the header path contains the anchored block and chain work meets the minimum. Other checks still run. Set --milestone 0 before the first sync to check every historical script. An explicit height skips by height alone. About validation defaults.