Bitcoin Forum

Bitcoin => Mining => Topic started by: jsttn on April 21, 2012, 04:03:02 PM



Title: Best Mining OS
Post by: jsttn on April 21, 2012, 04:03:02 PM
I'm planning out building mining rig and am considering an OS to install. I don't really have much experience with all of this so I was thinking I could just install Ubuntu on a usb drive and mine from that. I've read about LinuxCoin but it just seems to complex for me. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: Cablez on April 21, 2012, 04:24:27 PM
My vote is for BAMT.  Simpleish linux usb key install. Lots of help.   Just be sure to donate to lodcrappo.  :D


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: wknight on April 21, 2012, 04:51:57 PM
BAMT is the easiest to use. Very easy to setup also.


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: Fiyasko on April 21, 2012, 05:00:52 PM
I hate linux with a fire.
BAMT(linux) Is the best for mining


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: jsttn on April 21, 2012, 06:00:16 PM
BAMT is the easiest to use. Very easy to setup also.

Are there detailed instructions for setting it up? Sorry, I'm new to this whole process.


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: Cablez on April 21, 2012, 07:21:48 PM
BAMT is the easiest to use. Very easy to setup also.

Are there detailed instructions for setting it up? Sorry, I'm new to this whole process.

Try the old wiki.  Lots of good info there.

https://github.com/aaronwolfe/Big-A-Miner-Thing/wiki


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: bitlane on April 21, 2012, 07:48:45 PM
......Sorry, I'm new to this whole process.
Then run Windows and call it a day.
No sense in getting fancy and spending all of your time trying to learn a new OS when you could be generating BTC.

I run Windows 7 on all my rigs and have never had a problem in nearly a year of mining....well, nothing that would make me want to learn Linux.


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: mufa23 on April 21, 2012, 08:08:02 PM
BAMT


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: AzN1337c0d3r on April 21, 2012, 08:45:52 PM
Who needs an OS? I run everything bare-metal baby!


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: Gomeler on April 21, 2012, 10:17:31 PM
I use Windows to test new cards. I run my small farm on BAMT.


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: norulezapply on April 22, 2012, 01:02:55 AM
100% BAMT.

It's basically plug-n-play


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: 01BTC10 on April 22, 2012, 01:21:39 AM
I'm planning out building mining rig and am considering an OS to install. I don't really have much experience with all of this so I was thinking I could just install Ubuntu on a usb drive and mine from that. I've read about LinuxCoin but it just seems to complex for me. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
LinuxCoin is outdated and unmanaged.

I vote for the BAMT.


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: 1l1l11ll1l on April 22, 2012, 03:53:58 AM
I switched all 55 rigs to BAMT leaving Windows 7. Best mining decision of my life.


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: dropt on April 22, 2012, 05:03:30 AM
Don't listen to these guys.  It's all about OS/2 Warp these days.

*cough*BAMT*cough*


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: Internet151 on April 22, 2012, 06:27:38 AM
I switched all 55 rigs to BAMT leaving Windows 7. Best mining decision of my life.

Care to go into detail and explain why?


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: bitlane on April 22, 2012, 08:37:09 AM
I switched all 55 rigs to BAMT leaving Windows 7. Best mining decision of my life.

Obviously that's a bit different. He's talking about something quite a bit smaller in scope than what you have just advertised.
Learning a Linux distro makes no sense for a single miner. For 55, it makes no sense not to, as Windows would be a nightmare with anything over 10 I would imagine.
I have less than 10 dedicated mining rigs, but all use Windows 7. If I were to grow any larger, I would switch to Linux.


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: cuz0882 on April 22, 2012, 08:49:30 AM
I'm pretty sure windows is needed to overvolt 5970's. Unless you want to flash them. There is really no benefit to using another OS. Programs like logmein work fine for remote access to dedicated miners. New people should especially not waste time trying to learn how to set up BAMT. There is nothing to be gained from it, unless you don't know how to use windows either. You can buy refurbished hard drives on new egg for 20 bucks. In my experience usb drives fail a lot.


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: rjk on April 22, 2012, 11:08:52 AM
I'm pretty sure windows is needed to overvolt 5970's. Unless you want to flash them. There is really no benefit to using another OS. Programs like logmein work fine for remote access to dedicated miners. New people should especially not waste time trying to learn how to set up BAMT. There is nothing to be gained from it, unless you don't know how to use windows either. You can buy refurbished hard drives on new egg for 20 bucks. In my experience usb drives fail a lot.
....Have you even tried to set it up before? Seriously, there is no linux knowledge needed, especially for v0.5. It's pretty much as simple as editing a config and poking the "GO" button. And if you backup your config, USB failures don't matter at all, just flash a new drive and drop in the old config. Also, USB drives rarely fail while they are running, and a normal rig will be running 24/7.

Certainly there is something to be gained from it; it comes with extensive monitoring and reporting capabilities built right in, and is more stable than Windows, leading to more hash in the long run. Seriously, get a clue before bashing something based on its OS.


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: Cablez on April 22, 2012, 02:22:05 PM
I'm pretty sure windows is needed to overvolt 5970's. Unless you want to flash them. There is really no benefit to using another OS. Programs like logmein work fine for remote access to dedicated miners. New people should especially not waste time trying to learn how to set up BAMT. There is nothing to be gained from it, unless you don't know how to use windows either. You can buy refurbished hard drives on new egg for 20 bucks. In my experience usb drives fail a lot.
....Have you even tried to set it up before? Seriously, there is no linux knowledge needed, especially for v0.5. It's pretty much as simple as editing a config and poking the "GO" button. And if you backup your config, USB failures don't matter at all, just flash a new drive and drop in the old config. Also, USB drives rarely fail while they are running, and a normal rig will be running 24/7.

Certainly there is something to be gained from it; it comes with extensive monitoring and reporting capabilities built right in, and is more stable than Windows, leading to more hash in the long run. Seriously, get a clue before bashing something based on its OS.

I do have to concur here about the semi-easy nature of BAMT setup.  You really do not need any Linux experience to get it up and running, which is the idea.  The setup conf can be a little daunting if you are trying to go off base configuration but it is documented well enough.

One thing I have noticed on BAMT though is that my rigs use more power when mining than in windows.  I'd say about 50-75W more per rig using BAMT.  I have no clue why this is as there are no hard drives.
I have switched back to windows for the power savings but BAMT is much better for dedicated boxes.  Is it possible that the power savings settings in BAMT don't work correctly?  I find it hard to believe that a linux distro needs more juice.  Is there a cool and quiet setting in BAMT?  ???


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: 01BTC10 on April 22, 2012, 08:05:47 PM
It's easier and faster to use BAMT than Windows unless you are scared using a keyboard to edit a config file.


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: Internet151 on April 22, 2012, 09:33:57 PM
I switched all 55 rigs to BAMT leaving Windows 7. Best mining decision of my life.

Obviously that's a bit different. He's talking about something quite a bit smaller in scope than what you have just advertised.
Learning a Linux distro makes no sense for a single miner. For 55, it makes no sense not to, as Windows would be a nightmare with anything over 10 I would imagine.
I have less than 10 dedicated mining rigs, but all use Windows 7. If I were to grow any larger, I would switch to Linux.

I run 24 rigs (32 gh/s) on Windows 7 and it's a piece of cake, I seem to have less problems and more stability than other linux miners I know.

What issue do you see with windows when going beyond 10 rigs?


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: jsttn on April 23, 2012, 03:00:51 AM
See what I'm planing on doing now is just installing Ubuntu on a flash drive and the running like DiabloMiner or Phoenix or something easy like that. I feel like BAMT may be a good long term to thing to expiremtn with or maybe try if I get a second rig but I'll stick with something easy the first time unless there is some horrible reason I shouldn't (which if there is... please tell me!). 


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: 01BTC10 on April 23, 2012, 04:01:54 AM
See what I'm planing on doing now is just installing Ubuntu on a flash drive and the running like DiabloMiner or Phoenix or something easy like that. I feel like BAMT may be a good long term to thing to expiremtn with or maybe try if I get a second rig but I'll stick with something easy the first time unless there is some horrible reason I shouldn't (which if there is... please tell me!).  
BAMT is a Linux distro build with all drivers, customised kernel, remote access/monitoring tools and Phoenix. The only thing needed with BAMT is to edit 2 config file.

With Ubuntu you will need to find the good drivers, the good SDK and compile 2-3 things from source and then you might be ready to go.

BAMT is the most plug and play Linux distro available right now for miner.


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: twoglovedanny on April 23, 2012, 04:14:59 AM
!00% BAMT!


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: The LT on April 23, 2012, 07:28:00 AM
Running Gentoo with custom monitoring scripts and cgminer. Updating bitcoind, switching between drivers/SDKs or getting cgminer from git can't be easier. (for me). :)


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: R- on April 23, 2012, 07:46:08 AM
BAMT ~ Bad Ass Mother Tucker (read Fucker)


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: Nancarrow on April 24, 2012, 04:42:29 PM
I'm planning out building mining rig and am considering an OS to install.

I don't know why everyone's so coy around here, so I'll let you in a dirty little secret they don't want you to know. It's a Debian-based Linux distro that comes on a USB stick and can (and should) be run entirely from that stick, with no need for an HD and very little need to understand much about Linux. You just need to edit one configuration file to say how much gas you want to give your cards, and one more to say which pool you're using. It's been built by a guy who sometimes posts here, name of lodcrappo, and his distro is called

BAMT.

There, I said it, now make careful note of that before the mods send their hit squads round. And stop listening to all these people recommending MS-DOS, they're just pulling your leg.


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: Red Emerald on April 24, 2012, 10:15:48 PM
Another +1 for BAMT.

Been using it for months and it is so much easier to maintain than the custom scripts I was using in ubuntu and LinuxCoin before.


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: ChiangYay on April 25, 2012, 03:32:33 AM
Does BAMT works with the Single from Butterfly Labs?


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: Cablez on April 25, 2012, 03:56:22 AM
Does BAMT works with the Single from Butterfly Labs?

It depends on which version of cgminer it comes with.  If its 2.3.1 or later than it should.  I think gigavps is doing it that way.  :)


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: Red Emerald on April 25, 2012, 05:19:31 PM
Does BAMT works with the Single from Butterfly Labs?

It depends on which version of cgminer it comes with.  If its 2.3.1 or later than it should.  I think gigavps is doing it that way.  :)
I'm running an up to date 0.5 and its 2.3.1f

Code:
root@bamt-miner:~# /opt/miners/cgminer/cgminer -V
cgminer 2.3.1f


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: cuz0882 on April 25, 2012, 11:42:08 PM
I'm pretty sure windows is needed to overvolt 5970's. Unless you want to flash them. There is really no benefit to using another OS. Programs like logmein work fine for remote access to dedicated miners. New people should especially not waste time trying to learn how to set up BAMT. There is nothing to be gained from it, unless you don't know how to use windows either. You can buy refurbished hard drives on new egg for 20 bucks. In my experience usb drives fail a lot.
....Have you even tried to set it up before? Seriously, there is no linux knowledge needed, especially for v0.5. It's pretty much as simple as editing a config and poking the "GO" button. And if you backup your config, USB failures don't matter at all, just flash a new drive and drop in the old config. Also, USB drives rarely fail while they are running, and a normal rig will be running 24/7.

Certainly there is something to be gained from it; it comes with extensive monitoring and reporting capabilities built right in, and is more stable than Windows, leading to more hash in the long run. Seriously, get a clue before bashing something based on its OS.

Yes, I have tried it. There is a lot more to it then just turning it on. There is nothing it can do that windows can't. USB failures are just the same as hard drive failures. Any drive can be backed up. Monitoring and reporting can be done in windows. I have yet to hear a single benefit. More profit running BAMT is a joke. Windows can gain you another in 10% clock speed by increasing the voltage.

In my experience usb drives fail while plugged in frequently. They usually get extremely hot, to the point where the plastic starts to melt on them. Though while running a mining rig it would be pretty rare for a hard drive or a usb drive to fail. When it comes to down time, I really only worry about video card issues.


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: Red Emerald on April 25, 2012, 11:51:14 PM
I'm pretty sure windows is needed to overvolt 5970's. Unless you want to flash them. There is really no benefit to using another OS. Programs like logmein work fine for remote access to dedicated miners. New people should especially not waste time trying to learn how to set up BAMT. There is nothing to be gained from it, unless you don't know how to use windows either. You can buy refurbished hard drives on new egg for 20 bucks. In my experience usb drives fail a lot.
....Have you even tried to set it up before? Seriously, there is no linux knowledge needed, especially for v0.5. It's pretty much as simple as editing a config and poking the "GO" button. And if you backup your config, USB failures don't matter at all, just flash a new drive and drop in the old config. Also, USB drives rarely fail while they are running, and a normal rig will be running 24/7.

Certainly there is something to be gained from it; it comes with extensive monitoring and reporting capabilities built right in, and is more stable than Windows, leading to more hash in the long run. Seriously, get a clue before bashing something based on its OS.

Yes, I have tried it. There is a lot more to it then just turning it on. There is nothing it can do that windows can't. USB failures are just the same as hard drive failures. Any drive can be backed up. Monitoring and reporting can be done in windows. I have yet to hear a single benefit. More profit running BAMT is a joke. Windows can gain you another in 10% clock speed by increasing the voltage.
dd the drive, ssh in, vim 2 files, gpumon

I'm not sure what more there is. It handles updates and everything and has the best monitoring i've seen anywhere.

Quote
In my experience usb drives fail while plugged in frequently. They usually get extremely hot, to the point where the plastic starts to melt on them. Though while running a mining rig it would be pretty rare for a hard drive or a usb drive to fail. When it comes to down time, I really only worry about video card issues.
I've never seen a drive melt.  That sounds bad...

Also, if you care about video card issues, why do you care about overvolting? You should be undervolting if you want your cards to last longer.


Title: Re: Best Mining OS
Post by: cuz0882 on April 26, 2012, 03:51:24 AM
I'm pretty sure windows is needed to overvolt 5970's. Unless you want to flash them. There is really no benefit to using another OS. Programs like logmein work fine for remote access to dedicated miners. New people should especially not waste time trying to learn how to set up BAMT. There is nothing to be gained from it, unless you don't know how to use windows either. You can buy refurbished hard drives on new egg for 20 bucks. In my experience usb drives fail a lot.
....Have you even tried to set it up before? Seriously, there is no linux knowledge needed, especially for v0.5. It's pretty much as simple as editing a config and poking the "GO" button. And if you backup your config, USB failures don't matter at all, just flash a new drive and drop in the old config. Also, USB drives rarely fail while they are running, and a normal rig will be running 24/7.

Certainly there is something to be gained from it; it comes with extensive monitoring and reporting capabilities built right in, and is more stable than Windows, leading to more hash in the long run. Seriously, get a clue before bashing something based on its OS.

Yes, I have tried it. There is a lot more to it then just turning it on. There is nothing it can do that windows can't. USB failures are just the same as hard drive failures. Any drive can be backed up. Monitoring and reporting can be done in windows. I have yet to hear a single benefit. More profit running BAMT is a joke. Windows can gain you another in 10% clock speed by increasing the voltage.
dd the drive, ssh in, vim 2 files, gpumon

I'm not sure what more there is. It handles updates and everything and has the best monitoring i've seen anywhere.

Quote
In my experience usb drives fail while plugged in frequently. They usually get extremely hot, to the point where the plastic starts to melt on them. Though while running a mining rig it would be pretty rare for a hard drive or a usb drive to fail. When it comes to down time, I really only worry about video card issues.
I've never seen a drive melt.  That sounds bad...

Also, if you care about video card issues, why do you care about overvolting? You should be undervolting if you want your cards to last longer.

I don't care about pretty graphs, everything can be monitored from windows just fine. I have miners for the money, undervolting would defeat that purpose.. If you don't overvolt the cards your just wasting resources. Unless you have high power prices in which case you should probably not be mining with gpu's. I could buy a few new cards with the extra money I have made overvolting and so far I only have one bad gpu. Since its still on warranty its not much of a set back.