<p><a href="https://bitcointalk.org/?topic=87660" rel="nofollow">bitcoind 0.5.x, starting with 0.5.6rc3</a> and <a href="http://luke.dashjr.org/programs/bitcoin/files/bitcoind/0.6.3/" rel="nofollow">0.6.x starting with 0.6.3</a> include a deterministic Mac build. Unfortunately, bitcoind 0.7  does not build with the Mac OS X 10.5 toolchain (which is what I compiled for gitian), so until I <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/?topic=83743" rel="nofollow">manage to make a LLVM-based cross-compiler</a> you'll have to stick to the new Debug window interface and JSON-RPC.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-05T22:06:40.270Z
2012-07-05T22:06:40.270Z
Luke Dashjr
<p>Don't forget to add rpcallowip:</p>
<pre><code>open Bitcoin-Qt.app --args -server=1 -rpcuser=bitcoinrpc -rpcpassword=barfoo -rpcport=8332 -rpcallowip=0.0.0.0/0
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-15T09:50:22.727Z
2022-07-15T09:50:22.727Z
user2716262
<p>You can start it from the command-line using:</p>

<pre><code>open Bitcoin-Qt.app --args -server
</code></pre>

<p>I think the <code>--args</code> option to open is OSX 10.6 and later; if you are running an older OSX put <code>server=1</code> in your <code>~/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin/bitcoin.conf</code> file. In fact, to use the -server command you must set a <code>-rpcuser/-rpcpassword</code>, so I'd suggest creating a <code>bitcoin.conf</code> that contains:</p>

<pre><code>server=1
rpcuser=yourname
rpcpassword=...something else
</code></pre>

<p>We don't ship a bitcoind for the Mac, but you can use curl (for example) to send commands to the running Bitcoin-Qt:</p>

<pre><code>curl --user yourname --data-binary '{"id":"t0", "method": "getinfo", "params": [] }' http://127.0.0.1:8332/
</code></pre>

<p>The bitcoin source tree also contains python code that uses the free 'jsonrpc' library to communicate with a running Bitcoin-Qt (see contrib/bitrpc/).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-16T06:47:42.120Z
Can you set the datadir also as shown here? http://sourceforge.net/projects/bitcoin/files/Bitcoin/testnet-in-a-box/  The example there shows it calling 'bitcoin'.  Still a little unclear on how to get testnet-in-a-box up and running on mac.  Thanks!
Brian Armstrong
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-17T00:03:56.603Z
2017-03-26T17:35:10.830Z
2017-03-26T17:35:10.830Z
gavinandresen
<p>I'm trying to communicate with the new Bitcoin-Qt -server via a <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/API_reference_%28JSON-RPC%29#Controlling_Bitcoin">command line</a> on Mac. I run ./Bitcoin-Qt -server, the application starts, but my terminal window is stuck on an empty line (no matter what I type in, there is no response). Only when I quit Bitcoin am I able to run any commands, but then I can't communicate with Bitcoin, because it is already off.</p>

<p>How do I start Bitcoin-Qt -server on Mac and control it through command line?</p>

<bitcoin-core><mac><json-rpc><server>
Bitcoin-Qt command line control on Mac
ThePiachu
# Bitcoin-Qt command line control on Mac

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-01-13)

I'm trying to communicate with the new Bitcoin-Qt -server via a [command line](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/API_reference_%28JSON-RPC%29#Controlling_Bitcoin) on Mac. I run ./Bitcoin-Qt -server, the application starts, but my terminal window is stuck on an empty line (no matter what I type in, there is no response). Only when I quit Bitcoin am I able to run any commands, but then I can't communicate with Bitcoin, because it is already off.

How do I start Bitcoin-Qt -server on Mac and control it through command line?

**Tags:** bitcoin-core, mac, json-rpc, server


---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2012-01-17. Score: 19 | Accepted answer

You can start it from the command-line using:

```
open Bitcoin-Qt.app --args -server

```

I think the `--args` option to open is OSX 10.6 and later; if you are running an older OSX put `server=1` in your `~/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin/bitcoin.conf` file. In fact, to use the -server command you must set a `-rpcuser/-rpcpassword`, so I'd suggest creating a `bitcoin.conf` that contains:

```
server=1
rpcuser=yourname
rpcpassword=...something else

```

We don't ship a bitcoind for the Mac, but you can use curl (for example) to send commands to the running Bitcoin-Qt:

```
curl --user yourname --data-binary '{"id":"t0", "method": "getinfo", "params": [] }' http://127.0.0.1:8332/

```

The bitcoin source tree also contains python code that uses the free 'jsonrpc' library to communicate with a running Bitcoin-Qt (see contrib/bitrpc/).

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Can you set the datadir also as shown here? http://sourceforge.net/projects/bitcoin/files/Bitcoin/testnet-in-a-box/  The example there shows it calling 'bitcoin'.  Still a little unclear on how to get testnet-in-a-box up and running on mac.  Thanks!  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-07-05. Score: 3

[bitcoind 0.5.x, starting with 0.5.6rc3](https://bitcointalk.org/?topic=87660) and [0.6.x starting with 0.6.3](http://username_1.org/programs/bitcoin/files/bitcoind/0.6.3/) include a deterministic Mac build. Unfortunately, bitcoind 0.7 does not build with the Mac OS X 10.5 toolchain (which is what I compiled for gitian), so until I [manage to make a LLVM-based cross-compiler](https://bitcointalk.org/?topic=83743) you'll have to stick to the new Debug window interface and JSON-RPC.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-07-15. Score: 0

Don't forget to add rpcallowip:

```
open Bitcoin-Qt.app --args -server=1 -rpcuser=bitcoinrpc -rpcpassword=barfoo -rpcport=8332 -rpcallowip=0.0.0.0/0

```


---

