--- title: Interacting with Monero --- # 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 [Download Monero](https://getmonero.org/downloads). Once unpacked you will see several executable files. Monero project nicely decouples node logic `monerod` from wallet logic `monero-wallet-*`. Wallet logic is offered through three independent user interfaces - the GUI, the CLI, and the HTTP API. ![Monero Directory](/images/monero-dir.png "Monero Unpacked") | Executable | Description | -------------------------- |:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | `monerod` | The full node daemon. Does not require a wallet.
[Documentation](/interacting/monerod/overview). | `monero-wallet-gui` | Wallet logic and __graphical__ user interface.
Requires `monerod` running. | `monero-wallet-cli` | Wallet logic and __commandline__ user interface.
Requires `monerod` running. | `monero-wallet-rpc` | Wallet logic and __HTTP API__ (JSON-RPC protocol).
Requires `monerod` running. | `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. | `monero-gen-trusted-multisig` | Tool to generate a set of multisig wallets.
See chapter on [multisignatures](/multisignature). | `monero-blockchain-blackball` | Advanced tool to mitigate privacy issues related to Monero forks.
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-usage` | Advanced tool to mitigate privacy issues related to Monero forks.
See the [commit](https://github.com/monero-project/monero/commit/0590f62ab64cf023d397b995072035986931a6b4) and the [pull request](https://github.com/monero-project/monero/pull/3322). ## 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` | | | | | | ✔