Bitcoin Forum

The title may be a little grammatically confusing, but it's exactly what it means. Basically, instead of installing drivers in the computer and run it from there, can I install those same drivers on, say a flash drive and then plug it into another computer and make it work?

Here's the situation: My school's computers are relatively good mining machines, all having an ATI 68xx graphics cards. Also, I have a couple of ASICs that can be brought about (which I do sometimes, "borrowing" my friend's computer :P).

Now, these computers have one stupid thing called "restrictions" enabled. Basically, I cannot install programs or drivers, but I can run them. I cannot install GTA inside the computer, but if I have installed it on my flash drive, I can run it. So, I asked a question on another forum as to how I can run programs off a computer and the answer I got was http://portableapps.com/

Now, I am not exactly sure about drivers, since although they are programs, they work differently compared to executables. I am asking this because I also intend to "borrow" my school's computers to mine ;D.

NOTE: Windows only, although if anyone has something for Mac, feel free to talk about it (since I used to be in a school which had Macs).

As long as the pc's are well maintained, you shouldn't need to worry about drivers.  
I'm not sure why the school needs gpu's like that.  But the 6800's wouldn't be of any value to the school if the right drivers weren't installed and working.  

Another idea, if those pc's support booting from usb.  You could boot to linux off a flashdrive, or even a dvd.  That way you completely sidestep all their security and you can do anything you want.

Edit: Check out BAMT.  Very easy to use, and it works great.

You can run the miner for as long as you can.  Then when its time to go, just remove the usb stick and reboot the pc, and it will boot back to windows like nothing happened.

A lot of graphic design or Autocad classes will use computers with beefy GPUs. Back several years ago I went to college where the library computers were pretty basic, but the workstation computers in the lab off of the library had dual core CPUs and Nvidia 9800s, which were pretty good at the time. Me and my brother used to play WoW on them, since they only got wiped when they rebooted, and that was never.

If you're looking for a USB based system, might I suggest CraPE (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=247537.0)? It's a windows based system that runs from your USB drive just like BAMT, but works with both USB ASICs and GPU scrypt mining. It's got all the drivers pre-installed/pre-configured. IIRC, BAMT takes some work to get working with ASICs, and can't run two versions of CGMiner at the same time (one for BTC, one for LTC). Let me know if that works for you.

Sorry to disappoint you guys, but I know about booting off an external drive. Thing is, I cannot do that without the teacher seeing. There's this teacher sitting in the front of the class and all the screens face the front. Even if you could attempt to boot up Linux or something else on the computer, the teacher will see it.

Even if he does not see it, the teacher's computer has a software that can "see" what you have on your screens. I can't remember the technical term for that, but basically, it's a manual override. Even if I boot up on Linux and he can't use the program on me, my "friends" may root me out anyway. Even if they don't, the teacher still patrols about.

I was expecting something like a program that auto-runs when you jack in the USB stick. It hooks up to the GPU and just works. Like CGMiner. It detects ASICs and just works. No configuration needed.

I prolly should have mentioned this earlier, but if you don't own the hardware you're mining on, you should not be doing it. You're literally asking for help setting up a system where you can mine for maybe a dozen hours a week, on hardware owned and maintained by your school? Ya, you're asking for all sorts of issues with that, both technical and legal.

No, no. That's not my intention. I'm no idiot. I just want to "borrow" the GPU while I am doing work and when I am not using it, I plug out the USB and the computer goes back to normal. Anyway, I only have access to it for about 3 hours per week, and most of the time, I'm doing school work that the teacher intends for us to do.

If that's illegal, then what about playing WoW and earning virtual currency on the school's computers? Or using the Internet (which the school paid money for) when you aren't supposed to?

Anyway, everyone has the right to answer or not. This is a question and I'm not threatening you with some computer virus if you don't answer. FYI, I know nothing of those. I'm only 16.

Two things:

1. If you can only get 3 hours a week, then its not even worth the effort.
and
2. What do you need their gpu for if you have an ASIC in hand?

Are you 'borrowing' the power you're going to be sucking, too?   ::)

I posit that you are indeed the thing you say you aren't.  Grow up.

I presume then, that 1) my question cannot be answered because no one actually knows whether it's possible and 2) everyone has morals.

How do I run an ASIC when I cannot install a driver for it?

You CANNOT run drivers off a USB stick.  It's not possible, period.

The morality is a totally separate issue.

Finally, a conclusive answer. I thank you for that.

I've done this in the pass.

the ATI driver should be already install, the only thing you just need is the miner.

Most miners don't required you to install it.


So just get a bunch of 128MB Flash drives load the miner and an autorun file and connect to each computer. Then you will able to mine with all the GPU on each computer.

Why not just run your asics on your home PC?  They're safer there, can run 24/7, and you don't break any rules.

My dear friend... I am asking about running drivers off the computer, not mining off the computer. Very different. I already know how to mine off computers. It's about running the drivers that's causing me problems, because the computers do not have the drivers already installed in them.

Anyway, it appears that it is impossible to do so, unless someone has really done it before.

My parents are beyond miserly. They hoard money and say that they are "poor"...