Which OS is best suitable for mining?

[johnyj]

As I understand, linux will be the better choice, gives better h/s. With windows xp, I have to make dummy DVI plugs and using VNC might not always be fast

But when it comes to OC, fan control, temp monitoring etc, I don't know how much function linux can provide? And Guiminer is really easy to use and switch between different profiles

Any recommendations?

[1715220879]

1715220879

[1715220879]

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[1715220879]

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[cdnadvis]

Im using Linux, seems much more suitable than WinOS.

[max in montreal]

I would love to use windows if I could get rid of the hard disk drive and run a full version of windows on a usb disk...

[m3sSh3aD]

unfortunitly windows as best ATI stream drivers so windows will always get the better hash. but with Linux your not restricted to 4 cards in one system. mac I'm not sure but I'm beating all people on Linux and mac that are on the charts. I'm using 5850's. 420 out off a new one I got, stock volt too as it as not been added to trixx yet stock cooler too

[bcforum]

Linux is free, and has fewer viruses than windows.

The linux command line program 'aticonfig' gives you access to all the usual overclock parameters except fan control without the catalyst GUI. There is also an open-source (sourceforge) program for overclocking, but I forget the name.

[Neokolzia]

my understanding is to use a windows OS to set overclocking up then dual boot into Linux.

[1984]

linux hands down, offers better options for everything but flashing customised roms. atitweak or aticonfig to sort out overclocking, 11.6 drivers and you won't have to worry about rom flashing. Linux offers better security, better remote access, higher stability and best of all it's free.

[m3sSh3aD]

my understanding is to use a windows OS to set overclocking up then dual boot into Linux.

erm, I'm not saying its not possible, but how can you load drivers up in one language, and expect.to load another straight after and have anything to do with the previous boot work on a fresh one, if that makes sense ones is dos based, ones Unix based. my experience is they ain't related and don't mix  ATI drivers are still not the best either. wish they'd address that issue.

as for windows, this is the only thing I've seen windows beat unix, Linux, osx etc for anything pretty much. but windows does have more mature video drivers cause of gaming. 2.1 steam is better (10.4 catalyst driver). I get 400 to 420 mhash out of 5850s all day long in windows. the 420 is stock volt to, as it a revsion that's not volt moddable yet can't wait for shapphire release new trixx

and you can't use xp, its 3.2gb bound, there's a gig at least on each graphics card, without including the RAM!  4 cards, 4 to 8gb. no good for me at least

I hate ms, and they'll never get a penny from me anyways. I'm suprised anyone buys there products at all tbh. I don't use anti virus (attracts virus), never update, never nothing like that. had an xp machine up for 3 years, not a problem, and a win 7 for a year or so. nothing. FireFox with ad block plus, no script and ccleaner and what else do you need. an iP changer/blocked maybe if you want extra security and use tor if you really want to be safe. just don't listen to what windows reccomends windows can and is secure, if you take the right actions, at least as secure as osx which is just as vunerable although jobs wouldn't like you knowing that

end of the day its all opinion realy but I'm not getting nothing like the speeds I get in windows. 11.6 isn't as good as 11.5 driver in windows. 10.4 all the way, good 5 to 10th mhash better with pheonix and especially diablo miner and diablo is multi platform, may be worth checking. my stales are amazing with diablo. 0.5% compared to 2% on phoenix.

I don't know how osx or Linux could possibly have better drivers than windows, drivers on windows are infanitly better due to gamers and the sort. I'm sticking up for billy for mining OS

[being]

I guess it has quite a lot to do with personal preference.
I have tried running both and for my setup windows beats linux easily in every angle.

[m3sSh3aD]

I guess it has quite a lot to do with personal preference.
I have tried running both and for my setup windows beats linux easily in every angle.

cause it does except for the 4 card limit and having to use dummy plugs, millions of them ha ha. reminds me I need go stock up on resisters

[SolarSilver]

The linux command line program 'aticonfig' gives you access to all the usual overclock parameters except fan control without the catalyst GUI.

For fan control, use:

   aticonfig --adapter=$ADAPTER --pplib-cmd 'set fanspeed 0 100'

[being]

nd having to use dummy plugs, millions of them ha ha. reminds me I need go stock up on resisters

You do not need dummy plugs anymore. I'm running windows and using none.
Try finding catalyst 11.6b

[max in montreal]

does it still put the cpu to 100%?

[johnyj]

and you can't use xp, its 3.2gb bound, there's a gig at least on each graphics card, without including the RAM!  4 cards, 4 to 8gb. no good for me at least

Is it true? I just plan to install a windows xp with only 1GB ram for 3 cards, what could that be?

[m3sSh3aD]

and you can't use xp, its 3.2gb bound, there's a gig at least on each graphics card, without including the RAM!  4 cards, 4 to 8gb. no good for me at least

Is it true? I just plan to install a windows xp with only 1GB ram for 3 cards, what could that be?

its 3. something mate. 32 bit can only address that much, hence 64 bit been pushed when it wasn't really needed for everyone. some did   I've never seen what will happen, I'm guessing you won't get a gig of ram, more like a couple 100mb showing up.

as for 11.6b drivers, ill check it out but use 10.4 cause the stream 2.1 drivers rule :p how does the b driver stop the need for dummy plugs, I thought it was something within windows OS with the restrictions, not the ATI driver?

[max in montreal]

The linux command line program 'aticonfig' gives you access to all the usual overclock parameters except fan control without the catalyst GUI.

For fan control, use:

   aticonfig --adapter=$ADAPTER --pplib-cmd 'set fanspeed 0 100'

I do not want to set it at a specific number...I want it to go up when it needs to go up.

my 3 gpu are running at 65 degrees, and the fan is at a little over 60%. I like using the FanCTRL.

[larrythesimpleton]

Lots of other people already know this, but I wanted to put some actual numbers to it if anyone wanted to see it.

I have an original 2006 Mac Pro with a Mac flashed Radeon 5870 in it.  Running Diablo GPU miner within OS 10.6.8 gets me 170-190Mhash/sec.
I dual boot into Win XP (Apple doesn't support W7 on this machine) and get 400MHash/sec running guiminer using the same hardware.

I love my Macs, but they just don't do the OpenCL thing that well apparently.

[btcx]

free and fits on a $5 usb drive:

http://forum.bitcoin.org/?topic=7374.0

[Xephan]

I guess it has quite a lot to do with personal preference.
I have tried running both and for my setup windows beats linux easily in every angle.

cause it does except for the 4 card limit and having to use dummy plugs, millions of them ha ha. reminds me I need go stock up on resisters

The 4 card limit is in the ATI drivers, not Windows. Which has been increased since Catalyst 11.6

[Neokolzia]

it took me 5 minutes to make 4 dummy plugs, it aint hard...

[supersonic3974]

I'm also using linux because it's free.  The only problem is it can be a pain to use with wireless internet.  If you have a wired connection, it's fine though.

[flatSoda456]

ubuntu definiately

[khanning]

+1 for linux

These are my experiences mining on Ubuntu and XP

• XP idled between 10-15 % CPU usage
• Ubuntu idles at 1.5-2 %

• With XP the gui ran terrible while mining, making vnc run verrry slow
• With Ubuntu I do everything through SSH and it responds without a stutter

• I was able to OC on XP using gui tools without needing to flash the graphic card's BIOS
• In Ubuntu, AMDOverdriveCtrl was limited to 900Mhz core and I couldn't drop the memory down to 300Mhz like I could in XP. I made a quick change to the BIOS using RBE and flashed it with a DOS flash drive (very easy) now I can achieve the same speeds as I could on XP.

• Without making some sort of custom PE disk XP runs on a HDD, which generates heat and consumes power
• Ubuntu runs right from a flash drive eliminating HDD heat and reducing power consumption

Not to mention the obvious security advantages of Linux over Windows out of the box.

I'm sure some will state that Windows is be better for their setup, but certainly not me.

[max in montreal]

I come from a place where shady characters are the norm, and the chances of finding someone with a legit copy of windows is few and far between. It makes me laugh when someone mentions the price of the windows operating system. I do not factor that into the equation at all, but then again right now I am using linuxcoin, because I so not want to spend the extra wattage on a hard drive, but am looking for a solution using either Win XP or Win 7 because I am a windows guy, and can do most things effortlessly with windows, but I need to follow a guide when I do anything with Linux. The guide must be step by step, and if the step is not accurate, I get stuck.

As for the above comment with the CPU idle, try doing a search for a stripped down version of windows...few years ago there was something called Tiny XP and they were at revision 9, so google Tiny XP rev 9. Latest is something called Tiny XP rev 10, which includes MICRO XP...a stripped down version, real light, i think it takes less than 15 seconds to reboot...not boot...reboot...I was impressed, and have used this in the past...but then again...I am shady...

[supersonic3974]

Ubuntu

+

This mining guide.

+

The Eclipse Mining Consortium

+

? ? ?

=

PROFIT

[sunny day]

For me linux
a. installs to a flash drive -> no HDD, saves $$$
b. more stable, no more stupid bsods
c. less maintenance

[m3sSh3aD]

I come from a place where shady characters are the norm, and the chances of finding someone with a legit copy of windows is few and far between. It makes me laugh when someone mentions the price of the windows operating system. I do not factor that into the equation at all, but then again right now I am using linuxcoin, because I so not want to spend the extra wattage on a hard drive, but am looking for a solution using either Win XP or Win 7 because I am a windows guy, and can do most things effortlessly with windows, but I need to follow a guide when I do anything with Linux. The guide must be step by step, and if the step is not accurate, I get stuck.

As for the above comment with the CPU idle, try doing a search for a stripped down version of windows...few years ago there was something called Tiny XP and they were at revision 9, so google Tiny XP rev 9. Latest is something called Tiny XP rev 10, which includes MICRO XP...a stripped down version, real light, i think it takes less than 15 seconds to reboot...not boot...reboot...I was impressed, and have used this in the past...but then again...I am shady...

I couldnt believe what i read above you either. The extra mhash compared toi the cost of running a hdd (30 watt MAX) is a joke. WHats that, 12 p a month? Unfotunitly windows is best for mining, linux isnt to far behind but its blatently behind a bit. And with this thing about 11.6 actually unlocking the 4 card lock, well, My 1200 will do 5 cards and a system and i have a board with 1 x16 and 4x x1's

1.25 coins a day, not for tenners electric a week. THese psu's are way better than ballasts on efficency

[funkymunky]

Backtrack 5 livedistro for me 

[Xephan]

I couldnt believe what i read above you either. The extra mhash compared toi the cost of running a hdd (30 watt MAX) is a joke. WHats that, 12 p a month? Unfotunitly windows is best for mining, linux isnt to far behind but its blatently behind a bit. And with this thing about 11.6 actually unlocking the 4 card lock, well, My 1200 will do 5 cards and a system and i have a board with 1 x16 and 4x x1's

1.25 coins a day, not for tenners electric a week. THese psu's are way better than ballasts on efficency

30W for a HDD is only when it starts up. Once running, it will take about 3~5W if no writes are done, which is pretty much the case for mining so for practical considerations, it really is silly to bother about the HDD.

[Adamlm]

I use Win7 and ubuntu inside a VM (virtualbox)

[m3sSh3aD]

I couldnt believe what i read above you either. The extra mhash compared toi the cost of running a hdd (30 watt MAX) is a joke. WHats that, 12 p a month? Unfotunitly windows is best for mining, linux isnt to far behind but its blatently behind a bit. And with this thing about 11.6 actually unlocking the 4 card lock, well, My 1200 will do 5 cards and a system and i have a board with 1 x16 and 4x x1's

1.25 coins a day, not for tenners electric a week. THese psu's are way better than ballasts on efficency

30W for a HDD is only when it starts up. Once running, it will take about 3~5W if no writes are done, which is pretty much the case for mining so for practical considerations, it really is silly to bother about the HDD.

exactly. I'm just about to try 5 cards on win 7 with new driver. fitted 12000sa supply for ample juice. project continues. I hope this works cause I'm leaving 10.4 drivers for 11.6 which are slower. but 5 cards.....

[ladida]

I use linuxmint and it works beautifully and it is very user friendly + faster than windows 7

[andone]

Win 7, on another rings linux.