Add overview of interacting with monerod daemon

docs/index.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Unofficial Monero Documentation (2% done)
+# Unofficial Monero Documentation (4% done)
 
 Monerodocs attempts to organize basic technical knowledge on Monero in one place.
 

docs/interacting/monerod.md

@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-# monerod
-
-https://www.reddit.com/r/Monero/comments/3jhyqc/0mq_help_share_this_exciting_news/
-
-https://monero.stackexchange.com/questions/1482/how-much-information-is-passed-from-the-daemon-to-simplewallet-when-scanning-for?rq=1
-https://monero.stackexchange.com/questions/1134/is-it-safe-to-share-a-daemon-with-a-roommate?noredirect=1&lq=1
-
-The Monero daemon is the piece of software that keeps you synced up with the Monero network. That's all it does, it doesn't know about "you" or "your funds" or "your transactions". If you want to do anything on the Monero network, and thus on the Monero blockchain, you have to talk to this daemon that will then talk to the network as a whole by rebroadcasting transactions you initiate. Similarly, if you want to get history from the blockchain, or the current memory pool of transactions, or outputs to mix with, you can ask the daemon for that information.

docs/interacting/monerod/overview.md

@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+# `monerod`
+
+## Connects you to Monero network
+
+The Monero daemon `monerod` keeps your computer synced up with the Monero network.
+
+It downloads and validates the blockchain from the p2p network.
+
+## Not aware of your private keys
+
+`monerod` is entirely decoupled from your wallet.
+
+`monerod` does not access your private keys - it is not aware of your transactions and balance.
+
+This allows you to run `monerod` on a separate computer or in the cloud.
+
+In fact, you can connect to a remote `monerod` instance provided by a semi-trusted 3rd party. Such 3rd party will not be able to steal your funds. This is very handy for learning and experimentation.
+
+However, there are privacy and reliability implications to using remote, untrusted node. For any real business **you should be running your own full node**.
+
+## Data directory
+
+This is where the blockchain, log files, and p2p network memory are stored.
+
+By default data directory is at:
+
+* `$HOME/.bitmonero/` on Linux
+* `$HOME/Library/Application\ Support/` on 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
+
+
+## Running
+
+First, go to directory where you unpacked Monero.
+
+The **[stagenet](/networks)** is what your should be using for learning and experimentation.
+
+Start: `./monerod --stagenet --detach`
+
+Watch:
+`tail -f ~/.bitmonero/stagenet/bitmonero.log`
+
+Stop:
+`killall monerod`
+
+The **[mainnnet](/networks)** is when you want to deal with the real XMR.
+
+Start: `./monerod --detach`
+
+Watch:
+`tail -f ~/.bitmonero/bitmonero.log`
+
+Stop:
+`killall monerod`

docs/interacting/monerod/running.md

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# `monerod` - reference
+
+
+## Reference
+
+* [Reddit answer](https://www.reddit.com/r/Monero/comments/3jhyqc/0mq_help_share_this_exciting_news/)
+* [SE 1](https://monero.stackexchange.com/questions/1482/how-much-information-is-passed-from-the-daemon-to-simplewallet-when-scanning-for?rq=1)
+* [SE 2](https://monero.stackexchange.com/questions/1134/is-it-safe-to-share-a-daemon-with-a-roommate?noredirect=1&lq=1)

docs/interacting/overview.md

@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Interacting with Monero
+---
+
 # Interacting with Monero
 
 You can interact with Monero via desktop GUI, commandline interface, and programming API.
@@ -15,7 +19,7 @@ Wallet logic is offered through three independent user interfaces - the GUI, the
 
 | Executable                 | Description  
 | -------------------------- |:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-| `monerod`                  | The full node daemon. Does not require a wallet. 
+| `monerod`                  | The full node daemon. Does not require a wallet. <br />[Documentation](/interacting/monerod/overview).
 | `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.

mkdocs.yml

@@ -6,7 +6,11 @@ site_url: 'https://monerodocs.org/'
 
 nav:
 - Home: 'index.md'
-- Interacting: 'interacting/overview.md'
+- Interacting:
+  - Overview: 'interacting/overview.md'
+  - monerod:
+    - Overview: 'interacting/monerod/overview.md'
+    - Reference: 'interacting/monerod/running.md'
 - Technical specs: 'technical-specs.md'
 - Cryptography:
     - Introduction: 'cryptography/introduction.md'
@@ -25,7 +29,7 @@ nav:
     - Subaddress: 'public-address/subaddress.md'
     - Integrated: 'public-address/integrated-address.md'
 - Multisignature: 'multisignature.md'
-- Mainnet, Stagenet, Testnet: 'networks.md'
+- Mainnet, stagenet, testnet: 'networks.md'
 
 theme:
   name: 'material' # 'material'