Bitcoin Forum

So I managed to install live Ubuntu on a DVD (eventually), trouble is, I'm not entirely sure whether I can install bitcoin core directly on it (the dependencies won't write correctly will they)?

Anyway, I was wondering, before I go to the effort of installing Ubuntu, is there a faster operating system (also, I can use the same block database I already have on Windows that hasn't fully synced yet can't I)? My block database is a year and a half behind on its db.

What do you mean with "install"? All you need to do, is burn the ISO to the DVD.

I haven't tried. But it means you'll need to give the live OS access to write to your hard drive, which is possible, but goes against the idea of using a live OS.

I'm using Mint, but Ubuntu should be about the same. If you have enough RAM for file cache (12 GB works much faster than 4 GB), and if possible put your chainstate directory on a SSD, it'll be quite fast. Much faster than what I've read from Windows users.

This depends on your hardware.
If you are considering running ubuntu on old hardware you might want to use mint, lubuntu or xubuntu.
But if you are using a somewhat modern hardware, it doesn't make a difference in performance.




This should work, yes.

It's a laptop that I edited the settings of to make it fairly tamper-proof, I have to do a bit more to get another OS to run on it and not be completely corrupted (because Windows on its own isn't very well encrypted)...


OK thanks, I don't have any SSDs though I do have a few GB of RAM so that should work to make it a bit faster. 

My hardware is quite modern (about 2 years old) so it should hopefully work well with Ubuntu.

I think if you can switch from HDD to SSD it can improve the writing and reading speed that can help to speed up the process and I think if you add more RAM memory there's only a bit improvement in your machine, but it can help improve your syncing process.

Choosing Linux is the right choice because if we compare it to other OS like windows Linux is faster and less bug than windows based on my experienced.

Upgrade your processor can also help increase the performance.

If you are planning to copy the blocks from your old windows OS I think it's possible to continue syncing it shouldn't be a problem.

I'm not going to copy anything as my windows data should be picked up on the ubuntu os.

Can anyone suggest any help to something. I had it where my installer didn't manage to install on the boot partition so I had to do it separately.
I now have an issue where it doesn't bring up a menu to ask what operating system I want to use, anyone know what the issue could be - it had to do chkdsk initially and I was told that would affect it but it was just once.

You mean you want to install the linux on Windows OS I mean you wan't it to run them in dual boot? or you are planning to install the Linux in VMware?
If you want to install linux you must create new partion first then install linux in a new created  partion after installation it should ask if what OS you want to boot every time you restart it.
You can follow this guide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk0m6TlO8X4 but this guide is for windows 7 and windows vista but you can install linux as vista.

If you are using windows 10 I heard that dual boot on windows 10 is not working.
I found a solution here (https://askubuntu.com/questions/893559/dual-boot-not-working-in-windows-10) it might help.

Nope a dual boot
Yes I have my partitions and everything done already (not missing an opportunity to use dispart.exe and then setting the partitions in the setup wizzard).

I'll take a look at that guide however, I assumed I'd done everything right as there weren't that many steps to it in the install wizzard (or didn't seem to be at least).


I downgraded it to Windows 7 in a protest to how much I hate Windows 10.

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that video wasn't particularly relevant. I had to put up with a fairly thick american accent for 10 minutes as well ;D!

I'm going to try to redo another install in a few days and see if that fixes the issue.

What Os is booting right now? are you still booting on windows 7 or its now booting on ubuntu?
You must install grub bootloader to show both windows and ubuntu when startup

Try this
If it won't work try to follow this solution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzOXlIYB6-8 this time you must boot your bootable ubuntu cd or usb then choose try mode because you need here is the terminal to update your grub bootloader to fix it.

Your second partition needs to be formatted preferably in ext4 but not in fat32 or NTFS which are incompatible with a Linux installation (unless it changed the past years?)
The grub shall be installed in the disk MBR (sda). Installing in the partition (sda1) will not give you the possibility to boot on Ubuntu (you will have no more Windows...::)
Just to clarify in case you're making a confusion

I keep seeing it written as disk mbr, what's that? MBR to me is a memory buffer register in a control unit.

I have (according to the linux installer) 8 partitions.
I don't have a boot partition which is probabably what I'm missing but I cant seem to find a way to get round that (though I only did the first thing on Bitmaxz's list - doing the second in a few days).

As a creature of habbit, I assume when I don't understand the format of the drive to select, I pick the top option on the installer that was some sort of ext4.

MBR = Master Boot Record (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_boot_record)

Personally, I've found this tutorial useful (and pretty easy to follow) in the past... https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/257048-dual-boot-windows-7-linux.html

They also recommend using "EasyBCD" to help setup the Dual Boot menu options.

Just wondering, why on DVD? Isn't it easier /faster/ to put the ISO on a USB instead.
Back in the day there was one option called WUBI Windows-based Ubuntu Installer or something, you could install Ubuntu trough windows installer, it does everything for you and makes it a dual boot machine, you can uninstall it pretty easy too, but I think this option was discontinued after the Natty Narwhal version that came with Unity instead of GNOME as a default shell.

It would be faster to use a flash drive, but I have 50+ DVDs sitting there so why not?
And the DVDs are more likely to corrupt so you can verify that the information has copied across more easily.

I have a copy of wubi (which also didn't seem to work).

I'd use the DVDs to back up the blockchain and other data, chuck Windows, it's insecure, and drags everything down to its own level, and use an external SSD for the blockchain. I run a node on a celery netbook with an external SSD, and another node on a Win 10 notebook with a core i5 and a HDD. The celery syncs at about 4 times the speed of the i5.

On Mac this seems to be working slowly, I added couple of nodes and just waited, At first, it didnt look like much was happening, But checking the network connections tab showed I was connected to a few nodes on the network. The progress bar will come to a complete stop and everything will look frozen. But if i leave it alone for 10 mins, It will start back up. Goes in 1 min intervals. Not sure why. Maybe after a day or two it will be caught up. The devs should really fix it.

There is a network histogram in debug, and this seem to show that sync'ing works in bursts on my Windows machine. I'll post an image if I get a chance tomorrow. I can't use port 8333 where I am at the moment. I can make one for the Ubuntu as well if you want a comparison.

The same thing happens on Linux. I guess my internet is faster than my hardware can verify blocks.

In my experience what really makes difference is not the OS, but the presence of an SSD and many CPU threads to verify incoming blocks. And of course a good downstream rate.

linux/mac definitely seem better at this than windows.

I have good upload/download speeds.
I don't want to use a good computer for this, nor do I want to spend something trying to mod a potato as I only need it to be quick when downloading the blocks.
I thought it would, the source codes are similar if not the same for both.

I don't think you can separately download the files without verification as you go, so if you want it to go faster go SSD.

And OS wise, Xubuntu is a decent compromise, it looks good, and it's on the lightweight side, should do more than well enough on a 2 year old system. On the other hand, Lubuntu is perhaps overkill, it's designed to work in really old hardware. Then agan if you don't care about super minimalist GUI's then that should do. Ubuntu is too bloaty, I always avoid using it.

You could do the following: sync first a Bitcoin core instance on a fast desktop/laptop PC, then move the .bitcoin folder to a slower/cheaper device to keep the node synced.

Which is what I may turn to doing.

Meanwhile, I have a corrupted database that needs fixing (since I'm away from my high spec machines for a while).

In the time since you've created this thread, my old i3 (with Linux and enough RAM) could have synced the entire blocktime around 10 times.
Why don't you just start it and see how long it takes?

Because I can't install Linux without damaging a startup drive (which might not be possible depending on whether I can disable something or not).
And I'm not sure if I can install dependencies on live Linux, I have done it I think but I'm not entirely sure where the data gets saved.