Bitcoin Forum

Other => Beginners & Help => Topic started by: Misterboy on June 21, 2011, 01:02:22 AM



Title: What's a typical Bitcoin install size? I have ~500mb of log.xxxxxxx files?
Post by: Misterboy on June 21, 2011, 01:02:22 AM
Hi all,

New to all this.  I just moved my bitcoin working directory and wallet to a secure Truecrypt file.  After bitcoin re-downloaded all it's blocks, I noticed the Truecrypt "drive" is over 500mb in size!  Is this normal?

I've discovered that the culprit is the Bitcoin/database folder, which is full of ~10mb log files, named log.0000000001, log.0000000002, etc.  Is that normal, or can those logs be deleted?

This matters because I've defined my secure file/drive to a set size and I don't want it filling up if I can help it.

Many thanks!


Title: Re: What's a typical Bitcoin install size? I have ~500mb of log.xxxxxxx files?
Post by: gangstarasp on June 21, 2011, 01:18:43 AM
Sounds interesting... I dont want to mess with my own wallet because im new to this and dont wanna lose what ive already gained.

Regarding your file, 500mb seems like a lot for a simple btc install... My files are just under 15mb.

I will probably move towards some encrypted files later after i figure out how to sell some BTC.


Title: Re: What's a typical Bitcoin install size? I have ~500mb of log.xxxxxxx files?
Post by: Yatta99 on June 21, 2011, 01:20:10 AM
The Bitcoin app will automatically purge some of that when you close it. When I first installed it I let it run for almost 8 days without shutting it down. It grew to a bit over 1.8 GB in size for the whole .bitcoin directory and sub directories. After shutting it down and restarting it it's down to about 820 MB.

tl;dr once you download the full block chain shut it down for 5 min and then restart and it will purge out most of the crap



Title: Re: What's a typical Bitcoin install size? I have ~500mb of log.xxxxxxx files?
Post by: samadamsbeer on July 01, 2011, 03:49:10 PM
I have the same issue or concern. I think Misterboy is talking not about the program directory but the data directory as described here: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Data_directory

Mine is over 300MB already, looks like the block chain files are the main culprit in the hundred of mb. Like the file blk0001.dat is over 300MB. But if I want to follow the instructions to secure my wallet here https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Securing_your_wallet using a Truecrypt container it says to make the container at least 100MB. At this rate of growth it seems I need to make my container in the GBs if I don't want to keep recreating it? Am I missing something? Can I just encrypt a container for the wallet.dat and not the block chains?


Title: Re: What's a typical Bitcoin install size? I have ~500mb of log.xxxxxxx files?
Post by: Kasmal on July 01, 2011, 10:50:37 PM
Block files are the main culprit and steadily growing, right now over 460mb, while directory size can come in at just under 500mb