CGWatcher 1.4.0, a GUI/monitor for CGMiner & BFGMiner to help minimize downtime

[Rishodi]

Thanks for looking at and fixing my problem so quickly! v1.2.4.1 is working great.

[1714659392]

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[dnaleor]

wow! really great software!

I had some troubles with my USB hub, it randomly disconnects on average once a day.
With this software, it detects this problem and just restarts CGminer => problem solved

I'll donation mine for a few days (1 hour a day)

[dnaleor]

Hi!

I encounter some problems;
It seems that it's not working properly after all:

When I start CGWatcher and import these files:



first file is just cgminer-nogpu
second file code:

Code:

{
"pools" : [
	{
		"url" : "http://eu-stratum.btcguild.com:3333",
		"user" : "dnaleor_blockErupter",
		"pass" : "123"
	},
	{
		"url" : "http://mint.bitminter.com:8332",
		"user" : "dnaleor_backup",
		"pass" : "123"
	}
]
,
"api-port" : "4028",
"expiry" : "120",
"hotplug" : "5",
"log" : "5",
"no-pool-disable" : true,
"queue" : "1",
"scan-time" : "60",
"shares" : "0",
"kernel-path" : "/usr/local/bin",
"icarus-options" : "115200:1:1",
"icarus-timing" : "3.0=100"
}

When I click 'start mining' in CGWatcher, the command window starts, works a few seconds, and than it's gone and i get this error:




**********

The strange thing is that if I don't use CGWatcher, everything works just fine.
Also, when I use this routine, CGWatcher runs perfectly:
1) start CGMiner
2) click 'start mining' in CGWatcher (a second command window opens)
3) quit (with key q) the first command window (1)
4) restart in CGWatcher the second command window running CGMiner
5) hashing works, statistics work etc

Also, when I don't plug in the Block Erupter I'm using and just click start Mining in CGWatcher (without the routine!) I get NO errors and everything works (except the hashing off course)


Does anybody has an idea what I do wrong?

[milone]

How are you starting cgminer outside of CGWatcher (when it works correctly)? With a batch file or shortcut?

I'd suggest creating a batch file that contains those arguments, so something like...

Code:

C:\Crypto\cgminer-3.1.1-windows\cgminer-3.1.1-windows\cgminer-nogpu.exe --icarus-options 115200:1:1 --icarus-timing 3:0=100 -S //./COM3

Save the batch file, then edit the profile to use the batch file as the miner path instead of the exe. The arguments will still be loaded into the Arguments textbox from the batch file so if you edit them they will be saved back into the batch file.

I'm suggesting this because I am thinking Windows may have an issue with those arguments being used in the .NET process class, similar to how the 2>miner.log argument will cause problems unless used in a batch file. It seems very picky in how it likes arguments to be formatted, where a batch file doesn't use the same method so it is not an issue. This is something I plan on looking more into in the future, but because of other things I'm not sure how soon I'll get to it.

[dnaleor]

Hi!

I already tried using a batch file, tried it again and same error.

I took a printscreen of CGminer for the brief moment it's visible:


It seems that CGWatcher isn't able to use my Erupter (COM3) due to "user privileges"
Any way to solve it?

I can mine with my erupter without a problem using just CGMiner...



edit: also tried running CGWatcher wothout the icarus arguments necessary for the Block Erupter.
Now CGWatcher runs fine (without mining off course)

[milone]

Have you tried running CGWatcher as Administrator and then trying to start the miner with it? I'm not sure what OS you're using but Windows 8 in particular seems to introduce some new permission issues and I don't have a Windows 8 miner setup yet to dig into this right now. Running as Administrator has resolved these problems for any users that have reported them (at least so far).

[dnaleor]

Have you tried running CGWatcher as Administrator and then trying to start the miner with it? I'm not sure what OS you're using but Windows 8 in particular seems to introduce some new permission issues and I don't have a Windows 8 miner setup yet to dig into this right now. Running as Administrator has resolved these problems for any users that have reported them (at least so far).

I'm on windows 7 (server edition)
Tried it, same problem...

Very strange.

edit: tried it on a windows 7 laptop (wich was just a few days ago formatted and windows installed again)
... same problem...


Maybe it's a problem with the block erupter only? Don't know. Had anybody had the same issues with block erupters?
(block erupters are USB ASIC devices who 'act' as COM FPGA devices)

[dnaleor]

I found an option to run always as admin, but it didn't resolved the problem.

Well, I think I need to switch to RasPi I guess...
(and buy another hub, because my Anker 3.0 will not work on RasPi...)

But first I'll try to update cgminer to 3.3.1

(thanks for the usefull tips, ct1aic)


The strange thing is, once I have it running (with the routine I described above) it works perfectly, even the restarts when there is a problem (or I force a problem)
The problem is it's my fathers server. So he need to do a restart from time to time. And I don't want to give him additional work running my mining farm

[mbbc]

I found an option to run always as admin, but it didn't resolved the problem.

Well, I think I need to switch to RasPi I guess...
(and buy another hub, because my Anker 3.0 will not work on RasPi...)

But first I'll try to update cgminer to 3.3.1

(thanks for the usefull tips, ct1aic)


The strange thing is, once I have it running (with the routine I described above) it works perfectly, even the restarts when there is a problem (or I force a problem)
The problem is it's my fathers server. So he need to do a restart from time to time. And I don't want to give him additional work running my mining farm

Try to use \\.\COM3 for the S parameter, because this is the official Microsoft naming notation: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa365247%28VS.85%29.aspx#Win32_Device_Namespaces
I also used cgminer 3.3.1, but had problems, even on my Raspberry Pi. I switched to cgminer 3.1.1 and it worked flawlessly. Running since two weeks now without interruption or errors.

[Mavy]

I could get them to work under windows by using "-S COM3 -S COM4". I think windows does not like the \\.\ notation very much.

As for cgminer 3.2 and later. You will need to use the zadig driver installer (See FPGA-README.txt). As 3.2 no longer supports serial drivers, so the -S option is no longer available either.

[dnaleor]

I could get them to work under windows by using "-S COM3 -S COM4". I think windows does not like the \\.\ notation very much.

As for cgminer 3.2 and later. You will need to use the zadig driver installer (See FPGA-README.txt). As 3.2 no longer supports serial drivers, so the -S option is no longer available either.

the strange thing is that without CGWatcher, CGMiner works perfectly (even with //./)
But I'll try it in a minute...

[mbbc]

I could get them to work under windows by using "-S COM3 -S COM4". I think windows does not like the \\.\ notation very much.

But this will only work with COM1 to COM9. If you have COM ports greater than 9, you'll have to use the \\.\ notation.

the strange thing is that without CGWatcher, CGMiner works perfectly (even with //./)
But I'll try it in a minute...

You could use Microsoft's ProcessExplorer to compare cgminer's command line when invoked manually and per CGWatcher to see if there is a difference... ProcessExplorer will also show which user is the owner of the process.

[evilscoop]

sorry but save yourself some troubles use bfgminer....

cgminer sucks on asics....as it did for fpga's

[minimin3r]

cgminer in v3.1.1 works flawlessly here with 3 USB Eruptors on WIN7x64. Whereas bfgminer killed them of one by one in a
matter minutes to several hours - totally random - both in v3.0.2 and v3.1.1

Now with cgminer they are running almost 2 days straight without problems. Also with the -S \\.\COMx notation.

[dnaleor]

cgminer in v3.1.1 works flawlessly here with 3 USB Eruptors on WIN7x64. Whereas bfgminer killed them of one by one in a
matter minutes to several hours - totally random - both in v3.0.2 and v3.1.1

Now with cgminer they are running almost 2 days straight without problems. Also with the -S \\.\COMx notation.

but does it work with CGWatcher?
Here it works without problems with CGMiner 3.1.1

[MrHempstock]

Thanks a million for this software. The popups alone are really helping me better understand BFGminer.
When my coffers have something in them, I'll donate!

[milone]

but does it work with CGWatcher?
Here it works without problems with CGMiner 3.1.1

I can confirm that CGWatcher works with cgminer and block eruptors (and using the -S argument). Some of the device reports I received from users back before I was adding support for FPGAs and ASICs were using block eruptors. I only have GPUs so I relied on data from users to add support for these devices.

I'm not sure how helpful it is, but one user happened to send me the arguments he used for cgminer to detect his block eruptors (though he didn't say which version of cgminer he was using, this was on June 12 if that helps eliminate newer versions):

Code:

--api-listen --api-allow W:127.0.0.1 --icarus-options 115200:1:1 --icarus-timing .0=11 -S //./COM11 -S //./COM23 -S //./COM19 -S //./COM20 -S //./COM21 -S //./COM22

I don't see any differences that would cause a problem, and I'm not sure what the difference would be from starting cgminer outside of CGWatcher and inside CGWatcher as far as privilege goes. There are options for setting a user and password when launching a process in .NET, so it is possible for CGWatcher to launch cgminer as a specific user... but I'd rather not deal with asking for and storing Windows passwords if I don't have to. And I'm not sure it would even solve the problem. If there is no other solution, it is something I can add and send you to test... but I'm not sure exactly how soon I can do it because I'm working on CGRemote at the moment.

[dnaleor]

i'll try what you've posted, thanks

And if that soesn't work I just try different versions of cgminer...

Really like your software, but I need it to get working

[minimin3r]

Really dumb question: Have you tried to run it as Administrator? ...regarding user privileges

[dnaleor]

Really dumb question: Have you tried to run it as Administrator? ...regarding user privileges

guys, I went back to the basics and got it WORKING

I feel very stupid now...
The problem was that I had indeed no admin rights on the map:
When I select THE EXACT SAME FILE file trough C/users/admin/desktop/crypto... it works perfectly... (so not just C/desktop/crypto)

(although I changed CGMiner and CGWatcher to run always as admin)

I forgot why I hated windows... This is one of the (many) reasons
(I use Linux, but the server of my father runs on Windows...)


Thank you all very much for the help and now (finally) milone will receive his 30min daily donation mining for a week


And can't wait for the release of CGRemote, because I'm mostly not at home (I live on weekdays mostly not at my parents house)