[1500 TH] p2pool: Decentralized, DoS-resistant, Hop-Proof pool

[p3yot33at3r]

Yeah, I found a few NMC blocks myself prior to the code change to the newer core client, but nothing since then, and from what I can see, neither has anyone else. I'm not saying there is definitely a problem with the core client & p2pool - but think it's worth looking into, just in case.

[jonnybravo0311]

Well, as long as the implementation of the auxpow code hasn't been touched in the new NMC codebase, then it should work as it previously did.  I believe Eligius is still merge mining blocks of NMC successfully.

Maybe forrestv could take a look into it to see if there's an issue.

Of course, my next question: if you are merge mining, have you found a share high enough to solve a block of NMC, but the block didn't get submitted?

[squidicuz]

Well, as long as the implementation of the auxpow code hasn't been touched in the new NMC codebase, then it should work as it previously did.  I believe Eligius is still merge mining blocks of NMC successfully.

Maybe forrestv could take a look into it to see if there's an issue.

Of course, my next question: if you are merge mining, have you found a share high enough to solve a block of NMC, but the block didn't get submitted?

Namecoin merge mining works, but there is no sharechain so it basically solomining.  There haven't been changes to auxpow.

[p3yot33at3r]

Namecoin merge mining works

I'm not so sure, can you confirm you found a block merge mining with the core client & p2pool?

there is no sharechain so it basically solomining

Yes, I'm aware of that.

There haven't been changes to auxpow

There have been many changes to auxpow, see the github page:    https://github.com/namecoin/namecoin-core/tree/auxpow

Again, I'm not saying that there is definitely a problem with merge mining NMC with p2pool, I just want to confirm that there isn't a problem with it, & until someone can report finding a block while merge mining NMC there simply isn't any proof. I find it strange that since the implementation of namecoin-core, nobody has found one. I think it's just too much of a coincidence & want to make sure.

As I said earlier:

I remember that forrestv had to make a few changes to p2pool to accommodate the new code, & am now wondering if maybe there was something we missed?

https://github.com/p2pool/p2pool/issues/270

...yet everyone assumed it was working fine then also, only it wasn't. If we missed something before, we could quite easily have missed something else, either in the NMC code or p2pool (but I suspect NMC tbh, as all my other merge mined coins are working normally).

[squidicuz]

Namecoin merge mining works

I'm not so sure, can you confirm you found a block merge mining with the core client & p2pool?

there is no sharechain so it basically solomining

Yes, I'm aware of that.

There haven't been changes to auxpow

There have been many changes to auxpow, see the github page:    https://github.com/namecoin/namecoin-core/tree/auxpow

Again, I'm not saying that there is definitely a problem with merge mining NMC with p2pool, I just want to confirm that there isn't a problem with it, & until someone can report finding a block while merge mining NMC there simply isn't any proof. I find it strange that since the implementation of namecoin-core, nobody has found one. I think it's just too much of a coincidence & want to make sure.

As I said earlier:

I remember that forrestv had to make a few changes to p2pool to accommodate the new code, & am now wondering if maybe there was something we missed?

https://github.com/p2pool/p2pool/issues/270

...yet everyone assumed it was working fine then also, only it wasn't. If we missed something before, we could quite easily have missed something else, either in the NMC code or p2pool (but I suspect NMC tbh, as all my other merge mined coins are working normally).

I have not found a namecoin block and would have to look deeper to see if any of my shares met the target.  I figure it is working since it says it is receiving work in the logs... Sorry I thought you meant changes to auxpow in p2pool.

Perhaps something is wrong?..

[Polyatomic]

In a desperate attempt for answers, you could ask in #p2pool on Freenode.
Though the channel appears to be a remnant of a great era now.

[e46btc]

Who knows what we are still verifying ?

Code:

2015-11-01 04:40:47.880774  Pool: 1311TH/s Stale rate: 20.0% Expected time to block: 2.4 days
17402 shares in chain (17406 verified/17406 total) 

[e46btc]

Khm..and this is decreasing

Code:

2015-11-01 04:58:25.163393 P2Pool: 17328 shares in chain (17332 verified/17332 total)

[windpath]

Who knows what we are still verifying ?

Code:

2015-11-01 04:40:47.880774  Pool: 1311TH/s Stale rate: 20.0% Expected time to block: 2.4 days
17402 shares in chain (17406 verified/17406 total) 

I'm not sure I fully understand you question but a maximum of the last 8,640 shares are paid (often less) when a block is found...

[e46btc]

Thank you for reply.  Actually I am not expert and I thought that we should find block before (or when) all shares in chain will be verified and found.   For example 2 days ago there was this count in p2pool log file

Code:

2015-10-29 21:21:25.788644 P2Pool: 17367 shares in chain (10488 verified/17371 total)

But for present moment all shares in chain were verified according to log file, what does it mean?

[p3yot33at3r]

Thank you for reply.  Actually I am not expert and I thought that we should find block before (or when) all shares in chain will be verified and found.   For example 2 days ago there was this count in p2pool log file

Code:

2015-10-29 21:21:25.788644 P2Pool: 17367 shares in chain (10488 verified/17371 total)

But for present moment all shares in chain were verified according to log file, what does it mean?

It means your node is still verifying shares - it can take a while if you have recently downloaded the sharechain.

Regarding NMC merge mining - I have posted about my concerns in the NMC forum:

https://forum.namecoin.info/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2371&p=15989#p15989

Hopefully domob or another dev will look into it. In the meantime, if anyone does actually find an NMC block - please report it, thanks.

[xyzzy099]

Regarding NMC merge mining - I have posted about my concerns in the NMC forum:

https://forum.namecoin.info/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2371&p=15989#p15989

Hopefully domob or another dev will look into it. In the meantime, if anyone does actually find an NMC block - please report it, thanks.

I would think that whether or not anyone has actually FOUND a block is not really the question at hand.  The real question is "Do you have a best share higher than the current NMC difficulty AND that share did not mine a block?"

If the answer to that question is yes, there is a problem.

[p3yot33at3r]

Or even more accurately "Does anyone have a best share higher than the current NMC difficulty AND that share did not mine a block?"

I would say probably, yes. But without seeing everyones log it's hard to say. I'm pretty sure that in the months that p2pool users have been using the namecoin-core client for merge mining with p2pool - somebody would have found a valid share & been paid for it......I'd love to hear from that person 

[nicklello]

Has it really been over 5 days since the last block was found ?

[e46btc]

Looks like it was 8 and even 12 days before http://p2pool.info/

[p3yot33at3r]

Looks like it was 8 and even 12 days before http://p2pool.info/

Do NOT use p2pool.info - it hasn't worked properly for at least 7 months.

Use   http://minefast.coincadence.com/p2pool-stats.php

[p3yot33at3r]

Or even more accurately "Does anyone have a best share higher than the current NMC difficulty AND that share did not mine a block?"

I would say probably, yes. But without seeing everyones log it's hard to say. I'm pretty sure that in the months that p2pool users have been using the namecoin-core client for merge mining with p2pool - somebody would have found a valid share & been paid for it......I'd love to hear from that person 

Update on this - I just got the stats through from cassini on the NMC thread - the last NMC block mined by p2pool was exactly 3 months ago, which pretty much matches up with what I thought:

https://forum.namecoin.info/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2371&p=15993#p15993

I think we need to look a little deeper into the namecoin-core code to try & find the cause - only I don't have a clue where to start 

[cassini]

was exactly 3 months ago

Sorry for creating confusion with my slightly unclear post at forum.namecoin.info. Actually it was 3 months ago when the miners had the last chance to mine a NMC block using one of the old Namecoin clients. However, there was a p2pool-mined NMC block six weeks ago, and another one five weeks ago. Both using the new Namecoin Core client.

2015-08-02 23:21 UTC, NMC block 242312, mined by ghash.io. This was the last time an old NMC client was able to sucessfully mine a non-orphaned block.
2015-10-13 21:17 UTC, NMC block 253122, mined by p2pool miner 1GqdAgC1zmzLFMg3XyYctSECWUjkbT7Nv9 using the new Namecoin Core client
2015-10-19 05:10 UTC, NMC block 253874, mined by p2pool miner 14N4xNSDtNYatfCgHhyRaAhdZtaczUBnAa using the new Namecoin Core client

[nicklello]

Looks like it was 8 and even 12 days before http://p2pool.info/

Do NOT use p2pool.info - it hasn't worked properly for at least 7 months.

Use   http://minefast.coincadence.com/p2pool-stats.php

WOW! Really 9 days without a block !

Is this due to lack of hashpower in the pool vs others (ie: everyone else is beating us to it) or simply really really bad luck..

[p3yot33at3r]

was exactly 3 months ago

Sorry for creating confusion with my slightly unclear post at forum.namecoin.info. Actually it was 3 months ago when the miners had the last chance to mine a NMC block using one of the old Namecoin clients. However, there was a p2pool-mined NMC block six weeks ago, and another one five weeks ago. Both using the new Namecoin Core client.

2015-08-02 23:21 UTC, NMC block 242312, mined by ghash.io. This was the last time an old NMC client was able to sucessfully mine a non-orphaned block.
2015-10-13 21:17 UTC, NMC block 253122, mined by p2pool miner 1GqdAgC1zmzLFMg3XyYctSECWUjkbT7Nv9 using the new Namecoin Core client
2015-10-19 05:10 UTC, NMC block 253874, mined by p2pool miner 14N4xNSDtNYatfCgHhyRaAhdZtaczUBnAa using the new Namecoin Core client

Ah! - that's more like it. Thanks for those stats & putting my concerns at rest cassini - phew!  

Is this due to lack of hashpower in the pool vs others (ie: everyone else is beating us to it) or simply really really bad luck..

I'd say it's a combination of all of those. Long blocks happen on all pools though, large & small, luck is luck