# Running a cardano node There are 2 types of nodes in Cardano: * normal nodes (relay nodes) * block producing nodes They are very similar, they have both a full copy of the Cardano blockchain and they can communicate with other nodes, distributing blocks and transactions. But the block producing nodes can also produce (mint) blocks, when the stake pool they belong to has enough delegation and is selected to produce a block. When running a cardano node, it can be started in a few of ways: * from the command line directly * from a command line inside a screen or tmux session * as a systemd service * as a container When the intention is to run it all the time, the best way is to start it as a systemd service or as a container (depending on your preference). For example, I prefer starting them as docker containers for testnets and as systemd services for mainnet. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://apexpool.gitbook.io/stake-pool-scripts/running-a-cardano-node.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.