diff --git a/doc/files.md b/doc/files.md index 25f2bccc3..6232f0ac0 100644 --- a/doc/files.md +++ b/doc/files.md @@ -1,102 +1,106 @@ # Bitcoin ABC file system **Contents** - [Data directory location](#data-directory-location) - [Data directory layout](#data-directory-layout) - [Multi-wallet environment](#multi-wallet-environment) - [GUI settings](#gui-settings) - [Legacy subdirectories and files](#legacy-subdirectories-and-files) - [Notes](#notes) ## Data directory location The data directory is the default location where the Bitcoin ABC files are stored. 1. The default data directory paths for supported platforms are: Platform | Data directory path ---------|-------------------- Linux | `$HOME/.bitcoin/` macOS | `$HOME/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin/` Windows | `%APPDATA%\Bitcoin\` [\[1\]](#note1) 2. The non-default data directory path can be specified by `-datadir` option. 3. All content of the data directory, except for `bitcoin.conf` file, is chain-specific. This means the actual data directory paths for non-mainnet cases differ: Chain option | Data directory path --------------------|-------------------- no option (mainnet) | *path_to_datadir*`/` `-testnet` | *path_to_datadir*`/testnet3/` `-regtest` | *path_to_datadir*`/regtest/` ## Data directory layout Subdirectory | File(s) | Description -------------------|-----------------------|------------ `blocks/` | | Blocks directory; can be specified by `-blocksdir` option (except for `blocks/index/`) `blocks/index/` | LevelDB database | Block index; `-blocksdir` option does not affect this path `blocks/` | `blkNNNNN.dat`[\[2\]](#note2) | Actual Bitcoin blocks (in network format, dumped in raw on disk, 128 MiB per file) `blocks/` | `revNNNNN.dat`[\[2\]](#note2) | Block undo data (custom format) `chainstate/` | LevelDB database | Blockchain state (a compact representation of all currently unspent transaction outputs and some metadata about the transactions they are from) `indexes/txindex/` | LevelDB database | Transaction index; *optional*, used if `-txindex=1` `indexes/blockfilter/basic/db/` | LevelDB database | Blockfilter index LevelDB database for the basic filtertype; *optional*, used if `-blockfilterindex=basic` `indexes/blockfilter/basic/` | `fltrNNNNN.dat`[\[2\]](#note2) | Blockfilter index filters for the basic filtertype; *optional*, used if `-blockfilterindex=basic` `wallets/` | | [Contains wallets](#multi-wallet-environment); can be specified by `-walletdir` option; if `wallets/` subdirectory does not exist, a wallet resides in the data directory `./` | `banlist.dat` | Stores the IPs/subnets of banned nodes `./` | `bitcoin.conf` | User-defined [configuration settings](bitcoin-conf.md) for `bitcoind` or `bitcoin-qt`. File is not written to by the software and must be created manually. Path can be specified by `-conf` option `./` | `bitcoind.pid` | Stores the process ID (PID) of `bitcoind` or `bitcoin-qt` while running; created at start and deleted on shutdown; can be specified by `-pid` option `./` | `debug.log` | Contains debug information and general logging generated by `bitcoind` or `bitcoin-qt`; can be specified by `-debuglogfile` option `./` | `guisettings.ini.bak` | Backup of former [GUI settings](#gui-settings) after `-resetguisettings` option is used `./` | `mempool.dat` | Dump of the mempool's transactions `./` | `onion_private_key` | Cached Tor hidden service private key for `-listenonion` option `./` | `peers.dat` | Peer IP address database (custom format) `./` | `settings.json` | Read-write settings set through GUI or RPC interfaces, augmenting manual settings from [bitcoin.conf](bitcoin-conf.md). File is created automatically if read-write settings storage is not disabled with `-nosettings` option. Path can be specified with `-settings` option `./` | `.cookie` | Session RPC authentication cookie; if used, created at start and deleted on shutdown; can be specified by `-rpccookiefile` option `./` | `.lock` | Data directory lock file ## Multi-wallet environment Wallets are Berkeley DB (BDB) databases: Subdirectory | File(s) | Description -------------|-------------------|------------ `database/` | BDB logging files | Part of BDB environment; created at start and deleted on shutdown; a user *must keep it as safe* as personal wallet `wallet.dat` `./` | `db.log` | BDB error file `./` | `wallet.dat` | Personal wallet (BDB) with keys and transactions `./` | `.walletlock` | Wallet lock file 1. Each user-defined wallet named "wallet_name" resides in `wallets/wallet_name/` subdirectory. 2. The default (unnamed) wallet resides in `wallets/` subdirectory; if the latter does not exist, the wallet resides in the data directory. 3. A wallet database path can be specified by `-wallet` option. +4. `wallet.dat` files must not be shared across different node instances, as that can result in key-reuse and double-spends due the lack of synchronization between instances. + +5. Any copy or backup of the wallet should be done through a `backupwallet` call in order to update and lock the wallet, preventing any file corruption caused by updates during the copy. + ## GUI settings `bitcoin-qt` uses [`QSettings`](https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qsettings.html) class; this implies platform-specific [locations where application settings are stored](https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qsettings.html#locations-where-application-settings-are-stored). ## Legacy subdirectories and files These subdirectories and files are no longer used by the Bitcoin ABC: Path | Description | Repository notes ---------------|-------------|----------------- `blktree/` | Blockchain index; replaced by `blocks/index/` in [0.8.0](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/doc/release-notes/release-notes-0.8.0.md#improvements) | [PR #2231](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/2231), [`8fdc94cc`](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/commit/8fdc94cc8f0341e96b1edb3a5b56811c0b20bd15) `coins/` | Unspent transaction output database; replaced by `chainstate/` in 0.8.0 | [PR #2231](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/2231), [`8fdc94cc`](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/commit/8fdc94cc8f0341e96b1edb3a5b56811c0b20bd15) `blkindex.dat` | Blockchain index BDB database; replaced by {`chainstate/`, `blocks/index/`, `blocks/revNNNNN.dat`[\[2\]](#note2)} in 0.8.0 | [PR #1677](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/1677) `blk000?.dat` | Block data (custom format, 2 GiB per file); replaced by `blocks/blkNNNNN.dat`[\[2\]](#note2) in 0.8.0 | [PR #1677](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/1677) `addr.dat` | Peer IP address BDB database; replaced by `peers.dat` in [0.7.0](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/doc/release-notes/release-notes-0.7.0.md) | [PR #1198](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/1198), [`928d3a01`](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/commit/928d3a011cc66c7f907c4d053f674ea77dc611cc) ## Notes 1. The `/` (slash, U+002F) is used as the platform-independent path component separator in this paper. 2. `NNNNN` matches `[0-9]{5}` regex.