monero-docs/docs/interacting/overview.md

---
title: Interacting with Monero | Monero Documentation
---
# Interacting with Monero

You can interact with Monero via desktop GUI, commandline interface, and programming API.

On top of that, Monero nodes interact with each other in a peer-to-peer network.

## Installation directory overview

Once unpacked you will see several executable files. You will also find a nice PDF guide for the GUI wallet.

Monero project nicely decouples network node logic from wallet logic.
Wallet logic is offered through three independent user interfaces - the GUI, the CLI, and the HTTP API.

```
# cd monero-gui-v0.16.0.0

# ---- guide to Monero GUI ----

monero-gui-wallet-guide.pdf

# ---- main executable files -----------

monerod
monero-wallet-gui

# ---- extra executable files -----------

extra/monero-wallet-cli
extra/monero-wallet-rpc

extra/monero-blockchain-prune
extra/monero-gen-trusted-multisig
extra/monero-gen-ssl-cert

extra/monero-blockchain-export
extra/monero-blockchain-import

# ---- don't bother with these ----------

extra/monero-blockchain-stats
extra/monero-blockchain-mark-spent-outputs
extra/monero-blockchain-prune-known-spent-data
extra/monero-blockchain-usage
extra/monero-blockchain-ancestry
extra/monero-blockchain-depth
```

## Executables

| Executable                 | Description
| -------------------------- |:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| `monerod`                  | The full node daemon. Does not require a wallet. <br />[Documentation](/interacting/monerod-reference/).
| `monero-wallet-gui`        | Wallet logic and __graphical__ user interface. <br />Requires `monerod` running.
| `monero-wallet-cli`        | Wallet logic and __commandline__ user interface. <br />Requires `monerod` running.
| `monero-wallet-rpc`        | Wallet logic and __HTTP API__ (JSON-RPC protocol). <br />Requires `monerod` running.
| `monero-blockchain-prune`  | Prune existing local blockchain. This saves 2/3 of disk space (85GB -> 28GB as of June 2020). This is preferable over `monerod --prune-blockchain` which only logically releases space inside the file while the file remains large. The `monero-blockchain-prune` creates a shrinked copy of the blockchain file. See [tutorial1](https://monero.stackexchange.com/questions/11454/how-do-i-utilize-blockchain-pruning-in-the-gui-monero-wallet-gui), [tutorial2](https://www.publish0x.com/solareclipse/howto-prune-shrink-the-database-of-the-monero-blockchain-on-xpgwjx).
| `monero-gen-ssl-cert`      | Generate 4096 bit RSA private key and self signed TLS certificate for use with `monerod` RPC interface. See the [pull request](https://github.com/monero-project/monero/pull/5495).
| `monero-gen-trusted-multisig`          | Tool to generate a set of multisig wallets. <br />See chapter on [multisignatures](/multisignature).
| `monero-blockchain-export` | Tool to export blockchain to `blockchain.raw` file.
| `monero-blockchain-import` | Tool to import [blockchain.raw](https://downloads.getmonero.org/blockchain.raw) - ideally your own trusted copy.

## Executables - legacy

You most likely should not bother with these legacy or very specialized tools.

| Executable                 | Description
| -------------------------- |:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| `monero-blockchain-stats`              | Generate stats like tx/day, blocks/day, bytes/day based on your local blockchain.
| `monero-blockchain-mark-spent-outputs` | Advanced tool to mitigate potential privacy issues related to Monero forks. You normally shouldn't be concerned with that.<br />See the [commit](https://github.com/monero-project/monero/commit/df6fad4c627b99a5c3e2b91b69a0a1cc77c4be14#diff-0410fba131d9a7024ed4dcf9fb4a4e07) and [pull request](https://github.com/monero-project/monero/pull/3322).
| `monero-blockchain-prune-known-spent-data`  | Previous limited pruning tool to prune select "known spent" transaction outputs (from the before RCT era). Nowadays prefer `monero-blockchain-prune`. This only saves ~200 MB. See the [commit](https://github.com/monero-project/monero/commit/d855f9bb92dbfab707a0e37505906366de818a14).
| `monero-blockchain-usage`              | Advanced tool to mitigate potential privacy issues related to Monero forks. You normally shouldn't be concerned with that.<br />See the [commit](https://github.com/monero-project/monero/commit/0590f62ab64cf023d397b995072035986931a6b4) and the [pull request](https://github.com/monero-project/monero/pull/3322).
| `monero-blockchain-ancestry`           | Advanced research tool to learn ancestors of a transaction, block or chain. Irrelevant for normal users. See this [pull request](https://github.com/monero-project/monero/pull/4147/files).
| `monero-blockchain-depth`              | Advanced research tool to learn depth of a transaction, block or chain. Irrelevant for normal users. See this [commit](https://github.com/monero-project/monero/commit/289880d82d3cb206a2cf4ae67d2deacdab43d4f4#diff-34abcc1a0c100efb273bf36fb95ebfa0).


## Interacting

There are quite a few ways you can interact with Monero software.
Perhaps the most surprising for newcomers is that `monerod` daemon accepts interactive keyboard commands while it is running.

Also, please note that HTTP API is split across `monerod` and `monero-wallet-rpc`. You need to run and call both daemons to explore the full API.
This follows the node-logic vs wallet-logic split mentioned earlier.

All wallet implementations depend on the `monerod` running.

| Executable                 | p2p network         | node commands via keyboard | node HTTP API | wallet commands via keyboard | wallet HTTP API | wallet via GUI
| -------------------------- | ------------------- | -------------------------- | ------------- | ---------------------------- | --------------- | --------------
| `monerod`                  | ✔                   | ✔                          | ✔             |                              |                 |
| `monero-wallet-cli`        |                     |                            |               | ✔                            |                 |
| `monero-wallet-rpc`        |                     |                            |               |                              | ✔               |
| `monero-wallet-gui`        |                     |                            |               |                              |                 | ✔

## Data directory

This is where the blockchain, log files, and p2p network memory are stored.

By default data directory is at:

* `$HOME/.bitmonero/` on Linux and macOS
* `C:\ProgramData\bitmonero\` on Windows

Please mind:

* data directory is hidden as per OS convention
* the `bitmonero` directory name is historical artefact from before Monero forked away from Bitmonero, about 2000 years Before Christ

Data directory contains:

* `lmdb/` - the blockchain database directory
* `p2pstate.bin` - saved memory of discovered and rated peers
* `bitmonero.log` - log file

It can also contain subdirectories for stagenet and testnet, mirroring the same structure:

* `stagenet/` - data directory for Stagenet
* `testnet/` - data directory for Testnet