How to get started?

[silkstone]

Hi guys,

I'm new here so please don't flame me

I was doing Compute4cash but after finding out it was basically a scam, i want to start bitcoin mining instead. I used to fold and also do the WCG on my rig too.

I've read the sticky and also searched google and spent hours reading, but i still have no idea how to start.
I downloaded Bitcoin from the site and it gives me a bit coin address, is this my private address or public address? can i give this out to pooled mining sites? I also downloaded a Gui miner, and i signed up to a mining pool (BTC guild) and gave them the address that was in my bit coin app should i be doing this? if this is the wrong address, can i make a new one? how can i find my public address?

Every time i start to try and mine, i just get an error that says problems communicating with bitcoin RPC, what is that about?

The miner i am using is GUIMiner v2011-06-09 by Chris Macleod. is this what i should be running with a HD6850+core2 duo?

I am sorry for the noob questions, but i am at my wits end trying to understand how to get started and i can;t find any simple step-by-step guides.

Thnak yhou for your patience

[CNMOH]

The address in the Bitcoin client is the correct address to give out when you want to receive payments, for example for pools. It is the only address.

As for the RPC error, that happens when the miner can't connect to the pool. I've never used GUIMiner, but make sure the URL to the pool is correct, as well as the port.

[silkstone]

Ah, ha.. Thank you.

I figured it out, i had actually typed in my username and password in those fields rather than my worker name and password.. is this dangerous? I changed my main password anyway.

How would i find my private address for sending bitcoins or would i even need one? If it's encrypted on disk i assume that keeping backups are a good idea?

If i were to get another GPU, would i have to make a second installation folder for my bit-coin miner and then run the second program from there or do the mining programs support multi GPU systems?

Thanks again for the help.

[CNMOH]

I figured it out, i had actually typed in my username and password in those fields rather than my worker name and password.. is this dangerous? I changed my main password anyway.

No, it's fine.

How would i find my private address for sending bitcoins or would i even need one? If it's encrypted on disk i assume that keeping backups are a good idea?

You only have the one that you can see in the Bitcoin client. You may want to backup your wallet.dat, because if you lose that, you lose your money.

If i were to get another GPU, would i have to make a second installation folder for my bit-coin miner and then run the second program from there or do the mining programs support multi GPU systems?

You don't need to create a new copy. Just run the miner a second time and select your other device (in this case GPU)