# 19.2: Knowing Your core lightning Setup

> :information_source: **NOTE:** This section has been recently added to the course and is an early draft that may still be awaiting review. Caveat reader.

Before you begin accessing the Lightning Network, you should come to a better understanding of your setup.

## Know Your core lightning Directory

When using core lightning, everything is kept in the `~/.lightning` directory.

The main directory just contains directories for whichever networks are configured, in this case testnet:
```
$ ls ~/.lightning
testnet
```

The `~/.lightning/testnet directory` will then contains the guts of your setup:
```
$ ls ~/.lightning/testnet3
config  gossip_store  hsm_secret  lightningd.sqlite3  lightningd.sqlite3-journal  lightning-rpc
```

> :link: **TESTNET vs MAINNET:** If you're using mainnet, then _everything_ will instead be placed in the main `~/.lightning/bitcoin` directory. These various setups _do_ elegantly stack, so if you are using mainnet, testnet, and regtest, you'll find that `~/.lightning/bitcoin` contains your config file and your mainnet data, the `~/.lightning/testnet` directory contains your testnet data, and the `~/.lightning/regtest` directory contains your regtest data.

## Know Your lightning-cli Commands

Most of your early work will be done with the `lightning-cli` command, which offers an easy interface to `lightningd`, just like `bitcoin-cli` does.

You've already seen that the `help` command will gives you a list of other commands:
```
$ lightning-cli help
lightning-cli: WARNING: default network changing in 2020: please set network=testnet in config!
=== bitcoin ===

feerates style
    Return feerate estimates, either satoshi-per-kw ({style} perkw) or satoshi-per-kb ({style} perkb).

newaddr [addresstype]
    Get a new {bech32, p2sh-segwit} (or all) address to fund a channel (default is bech32)

reserveinputs outputs [feerate] [minconf] [utxos]
    Reserve inputs and pass back the resulting psbt

sendpsbt psbt
    Finalize, extract and send a PSBT.

signpsbt psbt
    Sign this wallet's inputs on a provided PSBT.

txdiscard txid
    Abandon a transaction created by txprepare

txprepare outputs [feerate] [minconf] [utxos]
    Create a transaction, with option to spend in future (either txsend and txdiscard)

txsend txid
    Sign and broadcast a transaction created by txprepare

unreserveinputs psbt
    Unreserve inputs, freeing them up to be reused

withdraw destination satoshi [feerate] [minconf] [utxos]
    Send to {destination} address {satoshi} (or 'all') amount via Bitcoin transaction, at optional {feerate}

=== channels ===

close id [unilateraltimeout] [destination] [fee_negotiation_step]
    Close the channel with {id} (either peer ID, channel ID, or short channel ID). Force a unilateral close after {unilateraltimeout} seconds (default 48h). If {destination} address is provided, will be used as output address.

fundchannel_cancel id
    Cancel inflight channel establishment with peer {id}.

fundchannel_complete id txid txout
    Complete channel establishment with peer {id} for funding transactionwith {txid}. Returns true on success, false otherwise.

fundchannel_start id amount [feerate] [announce] [close_to] [push_msat]
    Start fund channel with {id} using {amount} satoshis. Returns a bech32 address to use as an output for a funding transaction.

getroute id msatoshi riskfactor [cltv] [fromid] [fuzzpercent] [exclude] [maxhops]
    Show route to {id} for {msatoshi}, using {riskfactor} and optional {cltv} (default 9). If specified search from {fromid} otherwise use this node as source. Randomize the route with up to {fuzzpercent} (default 5.0). {exclude} an array of short-channel-id/direction (e.g. [ '564334x877x1/0', '564195x1292x0/1' ]) or node-id from consideration. Set the {maxhops} the route can take (default 20).

listchannels [short_channel_id] [source]
    Show channel {short_channel_id} or {source} (or all known channels, if not specified)

listforwards 
    List all forwarded payments and their information

setchannelfee id [base] [ppm]
    Sets specific routing fees for channel with {id} (either peer ID, channel ID, short channel ID or 'all'). Routing fees are defined by a fixed {base} (msat) and a {ppm} (proportional per millionth) value. If values for {base} or {ppm} are left out, defaults will be used. {base} can also be defined in other units, for example '1sat'. If {id} is 'all', the fees will be applied for all channels. 

=== network ===

connect id [host] [port]
    Connect to {id} at {host} (which can end in ':port' if not default). {id} can also be of the form id@host

disconnect id [force]
    Disconnect from {id} that has previously been connected to using connect; with {force} set, even if it has a current channel

listnodes [id]
    Show node {id} (or all, if no {id}), in our local network view

listpeers [id] [level]
    Show current peers, if {level} is set, include logs for {id}

ping id [len] [pongbytes]
    Send peer {id} a ping of length {len} (default 128) asking for {pongbytes} (default 128)

=== payment ===

createonion hops assocdata [session_key]
    Create an onion going through the provided nodes, each with its own payload

decodepay bolt11 [description]
    Decode {bolt11}, using {description} if necessary

delexpiredinvoice [maxexpirytime]
    Delete all expired invoices that expired as of given {maxexpirytime} (a UNIX epoch time), or all expired invoices if not specified

delinvoice label status
    Delete unpaid invoice {label} with {status}

invoice msatoshi label description [expiry] [fallbacks] [preimage] [exposeprivatechannels]
    Create an invoice for {msatoshi} with {label} and {description} with optional {expiry} seconds (default 1 week), optional {fallbacks} address list(default empty list) and optional {preimage} (default autogenerated)

listinvoices [label]
    Show invoice {label} (or all, if no {label})

listsendpays [bolt11] [payment_hash]
    Show sendpay, old and current, optionally limiting to {bolt11} or {payment_hash}.

listtransactions 
    List transactions that we stored in the wallet

sendonion onion first_hop payment_hash [label] [shared_secrets] [partid]
    Send a payment with a pre-computed onion.

sendpay route payment_hash [label] [msatoshi] [bolt11] [payment_secret] [partid]
    Send along {route} in return for preimage of {payment_hash}

waitanyinvoice [lastpay_index] [timeout]
    Wait for the next invoice to be paid, after {lastpay_index} (if supplied).  If {timeout} seconds is reached while waiting, fail with an error.

waitinvoice label
    Wait for an incoming payment matching the invoice with {label}, or if the invoice expires

waitsendpay payment_hash [timeout] [partid]
    Wait for payment attempt on {payment_hash} to succeed or fail, but only up to {timeout} seconds.

=== plugin ===

autocleaninvoice [cycle_seconds] [expired_by]
    Set up autoclean of expired invoices. 

estimatefees 
    Get the urgent, normal and slow Bitcoin feerates as sat/kVB.

fundchannel id amount [feerate] [announce] [minconf] [utxos] [push_msat]
    Fund channel with {id} using {amount} (or 'all'), at optional {feerate}. Only use outputs that have {minconf} confirmations.

getchaininfo 
    Get the chain id, the header count, the block count, and whether this is IBD.

getrawblockbyheight height
    Get the bitcoin block at a given height

getutxout txid vout
    Get informations about an output, identified by a {txid} an a {vout}

listpays [bolt11]
    List result of payment {bolt11}, or all

pay bolt11 [msatoshi] [label] [riskfactor] [maxfeepercent] [retry_for] [maxdelay] [exemptfee]
    Send payment specified by {bolt11} with {amount}

paystatus [bolt11]
    Detail status of attempts to pay {bolt11}, or all

plugin subcommand=start|stop|startdir|rescan|list
    Control plugins (start, stop, startdir, rescan, list)

sendrawtransaction tx
    Send a raw transaction to the Bitcoin network.

=== utility ===

check command_to_check
    Don't run {command_to_check}, just verify parameters.

checkmessage message zbase [pubkey]
    Verify a digital signature {zbase} of {message} signed with {pubkey}

getinfo 
    Show information about this node

getlog [level]
    Show logs, with optional log {level} (info|unusual|debug|io)

getsharedsecret point
    Compute the hash of the Elliptic Curve Diffie Hellman shared secret point from this node private key and an input {point}.

help [command]
    List available commands, or give verbose help on one {command}.

listconfigs [config]
    List all configuration options, or with [config], just that one.

listfunds 
    Show available funds from the internal wallet

signmessage message
    Create a digital signature of {message}

stop 
    Shut down the lightningd process

waitblockheight blockheight [timeout]
    Wait for the blockchain to reach {blockheight}, up to {timeout} seconds.

=== developer ===

dev-listaddrs [bip32_max_index]
    Show addresses list up to derivation {index} (default is the last bip32 index)

dev-rescan-outputs 
    Synchronize the state of our funds with bitcoind

---
run `lightning-cli help <command>` for more information on a specific command
```

## Know your Lightning Info

A variety of `lightning-cli` commands can give you additional information on your lightning node. The most general ones are:
```
$ lightning-cli --testnet listconfigs
$ lightning-cli --testnet listfunds
$ lightning-cli --testnet listtransactions
$ lightning-cli --testnet listinvoices
$ lightning-cli --testnet listnodes   
```
* listconfigs:  The `listconfigs` RPC command lists all configuration options.
* listfunds: The `listfunds` RPC command displays all funds available, either in unspent outputs (UTXOs) in the internal wallet or funds locked in currently open channels.
* listtransactions: The `listtransactions` RPC command returns transactions tracked in the wallet. This includes deposits, withdrawals, and transactions related to channels.
* listinvoices: The `listinvoices` RPC command retrieves the status of a specific invoice, if it exists, or the status of all invoices if given no argument.
* listnodes: The `listnodes` RPC command returns nodes that your server has learned about via gossip messages, or a single one if the node id was specified.

For example `lightning-cli listconfigs` gives you a variety of information on your setup:
```
c$ lightning-cli --testnet listconfigs
{
   "# version": "v0.8.2-398-g869fa08",
   "lightning-dir": "/home/standup/.lightning",
   "network": "testnet",
   "allow-deprecated-apis": true,
   "rpc-file": "lightning-rpc",
   "plugin": "/usr/local/bin/../libexec/c-lightning/plugins/fundchannel",
   "plugin": "/usr/local/bin/../libexec/c-lightning/plugins/autoclean",
   "plugin": "/usr/local/bin/../libexec/c-lightning/plugins/bcli",
   "plugin": "/usr/local/bin/../libexec/c-lightning/plugins/pay",
   "plugin": "/usr/local/bin/../libexec/c-lightning/plugins/keysend",
   "plugins": [
      {
         "path": "/usr/local/bin/../libexec/c-lightning/plugins/fundchannel",
         "name": "fundchannel"
      },
      {
         "path": "/usr/local/bin/../libexec/c-lightning/plugins/autoclean",
         "name": "autoclean",
         "options": {
            "autocleaninvoice-cycle": null,
            "autocleaninvoice-expired-by": null
         }
      },
      {
         "path": "/usr/local/bin/../libexec/c-lightning/plugins/bcli",
         "name": "bcli",
         "options": {
            "bitcoin-datadir": null,
            "bitcoin-cli": null,
            "bitcoin-rpcuser": null,
            "bitcoin-rpcpassword": null,
            "bitcoin-rpcconnect": null,
            "bitcoin-rpcport": null,
            "bitcoin-retry-timeout": null,
            "commit-fee": "500"
         }
      },
      {
         "path": "/usr/local/bin/../libexec/c-lightning/plugins/pay",
         "name": "pay"
      },
      {
         "path": "/usr/local/bin/../libexec/c-lightning/plugins/keysend",
         "name": "keysend"
      }
   ],
   "disable-plugin": [],
   "always-use-proxy": false,
   "daemon": "false",
   "wallet": "sqlite3:///home/user/.lightning/testnet/lightningd.sqlite3",
   "wumbo": false,
   "wumbo": false,
   "rgb": "03fce2",
   "alias": "learningBitcoin",
   "pid-file": "/home/user/.lightning/lightningd-testnet.pid",
   "ignore-fee-limits": false,
   "watchtime-blocks": 144,
   "max-locktime-blocks": 720,
   "funding-confirms": 3,
   "commit-fee-min": 200,
   "commit-fee-max": 2000,
   "cltv-delta": 6,
   "cltv-final": 10,
   "commit-time": 10,
   "fee-base": 1,
   "rescan": 15,
   "fee-per-satoshi": 10,
   "max-concurrent-htlcs": 483,
   "min-capacity-sat": 10000,
   "offline": "false",
   "autolisten": true,
   "disable-dns": "false",
   "enable-autotor-v2-mode": "false",
   "encrypted-hsm": false,
   "rpc-file-mode": "0600",
   "log-level": "DEBUG",
   "log-prefix": "lightningd"
}
```

## Summary: Knowing Your lightning Setup

The `~/.lightning` directory contains all of your files, while `lightning-cli help` and a variety of info commands can be used to get more information on how your setup and Lightning Network work.

## What's Next?

You're going to need to have a second Linode node to test out the actual payment of invoices. If you need support in setting one up, read [Interlude: Accessing a Second Lightning Node](19_2__Interlude_Accessing_a_Second_Lightning_Node.md).

Otherwise, continue "Understanding Your Lightning Setup" with [§19.3: Setting Up_a_Channel](19_3_Setting_Up_a_Channel.md).
