Prune wallet

[Little Mouse]

My PC has crashed and now I have reinstalled Bitcoin Core and tried with prune mode. I need help to figure out whether I'm on the right path or not.

I have created a bitcoin.conf file with the below text inside-

Code:

prune=550

and placed the file into the Bitcoin wallet folder. Is the text correct, am I running a prune wallet? Or do I have to add something else? How can I check whether I'm running prune mode or not? If I can remember correctly, I can check through the command console, what should I write there to check whether the prune mode is enabled or not?

What's the main difference between a full node and a prune node? In full node, I have all the tx records since the beginning of the Bitcoin blockchain while in prune, I will have a few last records as I set (550 MB in my case). How does that exactly matter?

[1714543120]

1714543120

[LoyceV]

Are you running Bitcoin Core from the CLI? If so, I just start it like this:

Code:

bitcoind -dbcache=4096 -prune=550

If you use the GUI, pruned mode is the default setting when you install Bitcoin Core.

(I never got the logic behind the location of configuration files)

An easy way to check: if your Bitcoin Core directory doesn't grow to more than a few GB, it's pruning.

How does that exactly matter?

If you ever want to import an old private key, a pruned node will require to download the blockchain again.

[Little Mouse]

Are you running Bitcoin Core from the CLI? If so, I just start it like this:

No, well, I think mentioning "command" was wrong here. I meant the console tab in the wallet.
For example, with dumpprivkey, I can get the private key of a certain address. There is a code to check if the wallet is prune or not. Anyway, it's not anymore necessary since I used GUI and its default setting as you said.

If you use the GUI, pruned mode is the default setting when you install Bitcoin Core.

I didn't know that, neither did I check any steps when I installed the wallet 

(I never got the logic behind the location of configuration files)

I don't know. I am used to doing this with some other wallets (altcoin) too. So, I'm following the same. The location of the configuration file doesn't matter at all?

If you ever want to import an old private key, a pruned node will require to download the blockchain again.

Damn! Then I shouldn't go with prune mode, right? I didn't think about that lol.

[LoyceV]

No, well, I think mentioning "command" was wrong here. I meant the console tab in the wallet.

If you use a GUI, why not just click Settings > Options? The Prune-settings are in there.

I didn't know that, neither did I check any steps when I installed the wallet 

If you want to "be your own bank", you should make it a habit to read everything before you click "Next".

The location of the configuration file doesn't matter at all?

It matters. I just don't like how there are 2 locations for it (at least on Linux).

Then I shouldn't go with prune mode, right?

It depends: are you going to import old keys?

[Little Mouse]

If you use a GUI, why not just click Settings > Options? The Prune-settings are in there.

Didn't know that.

It depends: are you going to import old keys?

Here old means older than the prune block storage. If so, I got your point.

[nc50lc]

How can I check whether I'm running prune mode or not? If I can remember correctly, I can check through the command console, what should I write there to check whether the prune mode is enabled or not?

You remembered correctly, just use the command getblockchaininfo and look for "pruned" among the results.
It's either "true" or "false" which is self-explanatory.

and placed the file into the Bitcoin wallet folder. Is the text correct, am I running a prune wallet?

You put the "bitcoin.conf" file in your selected bitcoin data directory in the GUI's welcome screen (first time launch),
if you're using the default data directory or bitcoind, then put in: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Data_directory#Default_Location