user21468: I'd like to use the bitcoin client to examine some of the inner workings of bitcoin-qt (non-invasively, using gets and lists mostly). Is it possible to do this alongside the standard executable? I don't really want to download and build everything from source.

user21468: Yes. Go to Bitcoin-Qt -> Help -> Debug Window.
Help -> Command Line Options gives a list of all options.

user26897: TL;DR: Yes, "make ./src/bitcoin-cli".

The full procedure (with bitcoin-0.11.0, you may want to download a newer version if any):
cd ~/
wget https://bitcoin.org/bin/bitcoin-core-0.11.0/bitcoin-0.11.0.tar.gz
sha256sum bitcoin-0.11.0.tar.gz | grep 51ba1756addfa71567559e3f22331c1d908a63571891287689fff7113035d09f
tar xfz bitcoin-0.11.0.tar.gz
cd bitcoin-0.11.0
./configure --enable-hardening --disable-wallet --disable-upnp-default --without-miniupnpc
make ./src/bitcoin-cli

Check that everything is fine:
./src/bitcoin-cli --help


21468: <p>I'd like to use the bitcoin client to examine some of the inner workings of bitcoin-qt (non-invasively, using gets and lists mostly). Is it possible to do this alongside the standard executable? I don't really want to download and build everything from source.</p>
 21468: <p>Yes. Go to Bitcoin-Qt -> Help -> Debug Window.</p>

<p>Help -> Command Line Options gives a list of all options.</p>
 26897: <p><em>TL;DR: Yes, "make ./src/bitcoin-cli".</em></p>

<hr>

<p>The full procedure (with bitcoin-0.11.0, you may want to download a newer version if any):</p>

<pre><code>cd ~/
wget https://bitcoin.org/bin/bitcoin-core-0.11.0/bitcoin-0.11.0.tar.gz
sha256sum bitcoin-0.11.0.tar.gz | grep 51ba1756addfa71567559e3f22331c1d908a63571891287689fff7113035d09f
tar xfz bitcoin-0.11.0.tar.gz
cd bitcoin-0.11.0
./configure --enable-hardening --disable-wallet --disable-upnp-default --without-miniupnpc
make ./src/bitcoin-cli
</code></pre>

<p>Check that everything is fine:</p>

<pre><code>./src/bitcoin-cli --help
</code></pre>
