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

[jonnybravo0311]

We have been on fire this last week!

However, I am still trying to figure out why we historically get so few transaction fees. I look back at the blocks we solve and the blocks surrounding ours are almost always >900kB. The last block we solved, block 435656, was only 20kB. I am betting kano is going to jump in on this and say something like, "People do not configure their setup properly. That is the problem you will always run into with p2pool." In any case, I think we should attempt to improve this somehow. Any ideas?

You're spot on with your reasoning.  Knowing how to set things up properly plays a large role in the composition of the blocks you create.

In a more typical pool model (like mine, kano's, etc) a single source provides the workload for all miners.  You as the miner don't have to know anything other than how to configure your hardware to point to the pool.  Details of block size, block composition, etc are all managed by the pool software and the pool operator.  With p2pool, when you are running your own node, you must also learn how the blocks are created.  Ideally, you should understand the code - how it creates blocks, how often it changes the block composition, etc.  For example, what happens in the p2pool code when a block is found on the network?  How does it invalidate the transactions on which miners are currently hashing?  Does it produce an empty shell and push that to miners?  Does it fully validate the new block?  What are the optimal block size settings that will be most efficient for your p2pool node?  What kinds of transactions should be in any blocks it creates?

These are just some of the things a pool operator needs to know, regardless of whether or not that operator runs a typical pool like myself, or a p2pool node.  The reality is some pool operators don't have the foggiest.  This applies to both models - I'm not singling out p2pool here.

In a nutshell, on a pool like mine or kano's, the burden of this knowledge is ours to bear.  We tune our pools as best we can to produce full blocks with lots of transactions and fees.  For example, kano ensures that all of his own pool's transactions are included in the work given to his miners.  Why?  Because it allows him to confirm the pool's miner payout transactions, which might otherwise not be picked up by other pools.

[in2tactics]

We have been on fire this last week!

However, I am still trying to figure out why we historically get so few transaction fees. I look back at the blocks we solve and the blocks surrounding ours are almost always >900kB. The last block we solved, block 435656, was only 20kB. I am betting kano is going to jump in on this and say something like, "People do not configure their setup properly. That is the problem you will always run into with p2pool." In any case, I think we should attempt to improve this somehow. Any ideas?

You're spot on with your reasoning.  Knowing how to set things up properly plays a large role in the composition of the blocks you create.

In a more typical pool model (like mine, kano's, etc) a single source provides the workload for all miners.  You as the miner don't have to know anything other than how to configure your hardware to point to the pool.  Details of block size, block composition, etc are all managed by the pool software and the pool operator.  With p2pool, when you are running your own node, you must also learn how the blocks are created.  Ideally, you should understand the code - how it creates blocks, how often it changes the block composition, etc.  For example, what happens in the p2pool code when a block is found on the network?  How does it invalidate the transactions on which miners are currently hashing?  Does it produce an empty shell and push that to miners?  Does it fully validate the new block?  What are the optimal block size settings that will be most efficient for your p2pool node?  What kinds of transactions should be in any blocks it creates?

These are just some of the things a pool operator needs to know, regardless of whether or not that operator runs a typical pool like myself, or a p2pool node.  The reality is some pool operators don't have the foggiest.  This applies to both models - I'm not singling out p2pool here.

In a nutshell, on a pool like mine or kano's, the burden of this knowledge is ours to bear.  We tune our pools as best we can to produce full blocks with lots of transactions and fees.  For example, kano ensures that all of his own pool's transactions are included in the work given to his miners.  Why?  Because it allows him to confirm the pool's miner payout transactions, which might otherwise not be picked up by other pools.

Yes, I am aware of the technical aspects that go into setting up a proper node. I myself took the time to optimize my entire setup from hardware, through system tools, to the bitcoin node itself for maximum performance and payout.

To rephrase my original question of "Any ideas?", how do we get everyone onto the same page? I find we still have a problem with getting everyone onto the same version of p2pool. Is this task a bridge too far?

[jonnybravo0311]

Yes, I am aware of the technical aspects that go into setting up a proper node. I myself took the time to optimize my entire setup from hardware, through system tools, to the bitcoin node itself for maximum performance and payout.

To rephrase my original question of "Any ideas?", how do we get everyone onto the same page? I find we still have a problem with getting everyone onto the same version of p2pool. Is this task a bridge too far?

That's the hard part .  I ran my own p2pool nodes for about 2 years prior to opening up my own mining pool.  I also spent the time learning how to best optimize my nodes.  Unfortunately, not everyone will bother to take the time to do so.  As you've noted, it's hard enough just getting node operators to all use the same/latest version of the code.  It's one of the benefits of p2pool, and also one of its pitfalls.  Because everyone can set their nodes up how they like, not everyone will set them up the same.  Some might run a node on an old Windows box sitting around their house.  Others might setup dedicated hardware in a data center.  Some might tune their coin daemon.  Others might not.  Some might merge mine as many coins as they can.  Others might not merge mine at all.

Due to the individual choices people can make about how to setup and run their nodes, you're never going to reach a consensus on a "best" configuration that everyone can follow.

[SixOfFive]

More waves brewing ... I can smell it in the air 

[Meuh6879]

Hi, Hi, Captain !

[SixOfFive]

Well, its more than it was so far lol .. it wont be the highest powered run this time, but I expect a bigger surge in the near future

[tubexc]

But the best improvement in p2pool would be the ability to configure a node with a bitcoin wallet multibithd type or another similar.
It would be a great step more sustainable economically !!! 

[Meuh6879]

[tharani]

Should try p2p with an antminer s5 but the p2p pool is slow though, takes weeks to find a block.

[in2tactics]

Should try p2p with an antminer s5 but the p2p pool is slow though, takes weeks to find a block.

We have had 10 blocks in the last 30 days.

[Meuh6879]

[Meuh6879]

Should try p2p with an antminer s5 but the p2p pool is slow though, takes weeks to find a block.

and ?

the problem is not the number of blocks ... but the reward after the job.

[tharani]

Should try p2p with an antminer s5 but the p2p pool is slow though, takes weeks to find a block.

We have had 10 blocks in the last 30 days.

What was the equipment you were mining with.

Tried with my asic as a test , i think i posted here about the amount it mined , the amount was so low though.

Should probably try with an antminer s5.

[windpath]

P2Pool.org has been updated to Bitcoin Core 0.13.1

TBH I'm not completely sure there are no breaking changes for p2pool.

I went through the release notes, but there is a lot going on in this update.

https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/bitcoin-core-dev/2016-October/000023.html

[veqtrus]

P2Pool.org has been updated to Bitcoin Core 0.13.1

TBH I'm not completely sure there are no breaking changes for p2pool.

I went through the release notes, but there is a lot going on in this update.

https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/bitcoin-core-dev/2016-October/000023.html

P2Pool will break once the first tx with witness arrives because of the different serialization format. Also P2Pool will produce invalid blocks once segwit activates.

So I would strongly suggest downgrading to 0.13.0.

I'm working on an upgrade.

[windpath]

P2Pool will break once the first tx with witness arrives because of the different serialization format. Also P2Pool will produce invalid blocks once segwit activates.

So I would strongly suggest downgrading to 0.13.0.

I'm working on an upgrade.

Yea, I suspected as much, we have some time till activation, I also opened an issue on Github.

[tubexc]

P2Pool will break once the first tx with witness arrives because of the different serialization format. Also P2Pool will produce invalid blocks once segwit activates.

So I would strongly suggest downgrading to 0.13.0.

I'm working on an upgrade.

Yea, I suspected as much, we have some time till activation, I also opened an issue on Github.

Is this connected to the fact that p2pool not find a block for more than a week?   

[windpath]

P2Pool will break once the first tx with witness arrives because of the different serialization format. Also P2Pool will produce invalid blocks once segwit activates.

So I would strongly suggest downgrading to 0.13.0.

I'm working on an upgrade.

Yea, I suspected as much, we have some time till activation, I also opened an issue on Github.

Is this connected to the fact that p2pool not find a block for more than a week?   

No.

[tubexc]

Point your miner here!
All sexy girls mine at this pool

[botanik]

Good day job seekers! Help please configure ckproxy. Do this:

Code:

sudo git clone https://bitbucket.org/ckolivas/ckpool.git
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install build-essential libtool autoconf automake
cd ckpool
./autogen.sh
./configure --without-ckdb
make
sudo make install

# Next, create a file with the contents /usr/local/bin/notify.sh
#!/bin/bash
/usr/bin/notifier -s /opt

The daemon is started purse line add:
-blocknotify=/usr/local/bin/notify.sh

# Settings ckproxy.conf:
{
"proxy" :  [
	{
		"url" : "192.168.0.12:3332",
		"auth" : "14po2GaS4NQNWte4DnxGyWsWSFGBckHDD8",
		"pass" : "123"
	}
],
"update_interval" : 30,
"serverurl" : [
	"192.168.0.12:3334",
	"127.0.0.1:3334"
	],
"mindiff" : 1024,
"startdiff" : 1042,
"maxdiff" : 0,
"clientsvspeed" : false,
"loglevel" : 1,
"logdir" : "logs"
}
Comments from here on are ignored.

# Launch ckproxy
screen -dmS ckproxy ckpool -p -k -n ckproxy -c /root/ckpool/ckproxy.conf

Miner General Configuration
192.168.0.12:3334
14po2GaS4NQNWte4DnxGyWsWSFGBckHDD8
123

# Checking:
screen -r ckproxy

Proxy runs and runs, but DOA >= 50%.

What is my problem? Prompt and sundry. Thank you.