Bitcoin Core is the original Bitcoin client and it builds the backbone of the network. It downloads and, by default, stores the entire history of Bitcoin transactions, which requires a few hundred gigabytes of disk space. Depending on the speed of your computer and network connection, the synchronization process can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or more.
* Ask for help on [#bitcoin](https://webchat.freenode.net/#bitcoin) on Freenode. If you don't have an IRC client, use [webchat here](https://webchat.freenode.net/#bitcoin).
The following are developer notes on how to build Bitcoin Core on your native platform. They are not complete guides, but include notes on the necessary libraries, compile flags, etc.
* Discuss on the [BitcoinTalk](https://bitcointalk.org/) forums, in the [Development & Technical Discussion board](https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=6.0).
* Discuss project-specific development on #bitcoin-core-dev on Freenode. If you don't have an IRC client, use [webchat here](https://webchat.freenode.net/#bitcoin-core-dev).
* Discuss general Bitcoin development on #bitcoin-dev on Freenode. If you don't have an IRC client, use [webchat here](https://webchat.freenode.net/#bitcoin-dev).