Need step by step help with Ubuntu 11.04 and mining

[dudemier]

I'm trying to keep costs down so I'm using Ubuntu 11.04 and some leftover computer parts to start mining, I did buy a Radeon 6870. I don't want to waste money on Windows to get up and running. I've read a ton of messages, but nothing really helps, I haven't used linux in YEARS and don't really know my way around anymore. If someone could tell me or point me to a thread with step by step instructions (the current wiki link threads (they point to to this forum) are very confusing because they cover different OSs and Linux versions and Graphic cards) that would be a great help.

What I have done so far is (aside from downloading every package) is download and install, ATI drivers, 2 or 3 miners, bitcoin (this works), joined a pool, and a few other things. I hope I'm on the right track. Any help is greatly appreciated and I'll toss a coin or two (if I ever make any) to whoever can help.


Thanks

[Dargo]

Have you considered Linuxcoin or BAMT instead? These are Linux distros that are more or less ready to go out of the box for mining. You can find info on them in the Project Development section of this forum. This is an easier way to go IMO.

[dudemier]

Have you considered Linuxcoin or BAMT instead? These are Linux distros that are more or less ready to go out of the box for mining. You can find info on them in the Project Development section of this forum. This is an easier way to go IMO.

Thanks for the reply, I'll look into it. As much as I want to start mining, this is also a learning experience for me, I do have a copy of Windows 2000 , can this work on Windows 2000?

Maybe I'll just spend the money on one Windows XP to get going...there is so much to figure out (overclocking, protecting my wallet file, etc) that it might justify the expenditure. After I get that machine going I can start building a second machine for a linux machine.

I know there is a debate on which returns higher hash rate, linux or windows...I do want to run 2 cards in the future, which OS is better/easier to setup for 2 cards?

I'm not going give up on Linux or mining, so any Linux/ubuntu help is still appreciated.


Thanks

[Dargo]

I recommend that you give Linuxcoin or BAMT a shot before spending money on an OS. They are both good, but BAMT *might* be easier to get started with. I haven't tried it, but from what I've read, the first time you boot up from USB it opens some configuration files where you enter personal info, such as pools, miner names, miner passwords, etc. And I think it has GUI to configure your cards (for clocking and such). It might even be easier than getting started in Windows. Linuxcoin is also really easy, and there is a new version coming out soon which promises to be stellar.

For Linuxcoin, see the thread in project development. There are pretty good directions in the first post for creating the boot USB. Once you boot up and get an internet connection going (try ethernet cable if your wireless card isn't recognized), you are mostly home free. First find the ATI SDK License under systems tools - open it and accept. Then, open a terminal window, type "aticonfig --lsa" to list your adapter (i.e. video card) numbers. Then type "start_mining" to call up a little menu system. Enter 1 for poclbm, then enter your first card number and your pool info (the format for the pool url is: "miningpoolurl port xxxx"). Finally, for flags, just try "-v -w128" to start and hit enter. Hopefully your first miner will start hashing away and you can repeat for other cards if you have any. Obviously this just gets you up and running in the most basic way (and I hope I haven't forgotten something). Here is a page that summarizes the terminal commands for overclocking:

https://github.com/secmff/Diskless-miner/wiki/Overclocking

If I haven't forgotten something this should be enough to get you started mining with Linuxcoin, and you can decide from there if you like it or not. Good luck!

 

[dudemier]

I recommend that you give Linuxcoin or BAMT a shot before spending money on an OS. They are both good, but BAMT *might* be easier to get started with. I haven't tried it, but from what I've read, the first time you boot up from USB it opens some configuration files where you enter personal info, such as pools, miner names, miner passwords, etc. And I think it has GUI to configure your cards (for clocking and such). It might even be easier than getting started in Windows. Linuxcoin is also really easy, and there is a new version coming out soon which promises to be stellar.

For Linuxcoin, see the thread in project development. There are pretty good directions in the first post for creating the boot USB. Once you boot up and get an internet connection going (try ethernet cable if your wireless card isn't recognized), you are mostly home free. First find the ATI SDK License under systems tools - open it and accept. Then, open a terminal window, type "aticonfig --lsa" to list your adapter (i.e. video card) numbers. Then type "start_mining" to call up a little menu system. Enter 1 for poclbm, then enter your first card number and your pool info (the format for the pool url is: "miningpoolurl port xxxx"). Finally, for flags, just try "-v -w128" to start and hit enter. Hopefully your first miner will start hashing away and you can repeat for other cards if you have any. Obviously this just gets you up and running in the most basic way (and I hope I haven't forgotten something). Here is a page that summarizes the terminal commands for overclocking:

https://github.com/secmff/Diskless-miner/wiki/Overclocking

If I haven't forgotten something this should be enough to get you started mining with Linuxcoin, and you can decide from there if you like it or not. Good luck!

 

Wow, a ton of helpful info, thanks. Something I don't understand, when I start command line mining, how does the mining pool know how/when to pay me, I know there are user names and password involved, but this is confusing also.

When I sign up to a mining pool, I gave them my bitcoin address, so when I start mining I login to the mining pool server, right? They send payments to the bitcoin address I provided them, right?

During my setup attempts, I was ask to setup a bitcoin.conf file (I was doing this late last night, if I remember correctly a user name and password was involved), what does this do exactly?

Sorry that I don't remember everything I was working on this at 2-3am.

[Dargo]

Your earnings stay with the mining pool until you login to your account and request that they send you a payment to the address you gave them. For the purposes of starting your GPUs, all you need is the pool url, port #, worker name, and worker password (do *not* enter your password for the pool account, just the worker password). I don't know about the bitcoin config file - I used linuxcoin with bitcoin already installed, so I didn't have to mess with that. If you already have a wallet.dat file, you should be able to copy this into the bitcoin client on Linuxcoin. Otherwise, it might be easier to just have the client in Linuxcoin generate a new addy for you. BTW, Eligius is a good pool to start with since you don't even need an account. You enter your public key address as your "worker name," and any password will do. You can google them and find the instructions. I did this at the start just to cut down on the crap I had to deal with in the beginning. But Eligius is a great pool anyway and you might decide to stick with them.

[dudemier]

Your earnings stay with the mining pool until you login to your account and request that they send you a payment to the address you gave them. For the purposes of starting your GPUs, all you need is the pool url, port #, worker name, and worker password (do *not* enter your password for the pool account, just the worker password). I don't know about the bitcoin config file - I used linuxcoin with bitcoin already installed, so I didn't have to mess with that. If you already have a wallet.dat file, you should be able to copy this into the bitcoin client on Linuxcoin. Otherwise, it might be easier to just have the client in Linuxcoin generate a new addy for you. BTW, Eligius is a good pool to start with since you don't even need an account. You enter your public key address as your "worker name," and any password will do. You can google them and find the instructions. I did this at the start just to cut down on the crap I had to deal with in the beginning. But Eligius is a great pool anyway and you might decide to stick with them.

In general, but what is my user name/worker name, is it just something I make up on the spot? Do I need to use it anywhere else?

I might have ubuntu setup so I can try Eligius now, only thing that worries me is that I downloaded so many program that I might have installed some "malware" on my ubuntu system. I knew going into this "learning experience" that it would involve securing and locking down my machines.

I'll try Eligius now, do I need to remember my password? Are these passwords use for anything?

[Stephen Gornick]

If someone could tell me or point me to a thread with step by step instructions

Here's one:
 - http://forum.bitcoin.org/?topic=7514.0

[Dargo]

For Eligius, the password can be anything at all. I just use a single letter like 'a' or something. But it doesn't matter and there's no security issue. The mining software needs a password, but otherwise it doesn't serve any function. If you are worried about all the stuff you have installed, you might at some point want to start over and make a cleaner version. At terminal, you can type "ps -e" to list all your running processes to see if there is anything strange running, but don't assume that will expose all malware you might have.

[supersonic3974]

If someone could tell me or point me to a thread with step by step instructions

Here's one:
 - http://forum.bitcoin.org/?topic=7514.0

Yeah, this is what I used to set up my mining rig.  If you use this thread and run into any issues just send me a pm and I may be able to help.  Also, the Eclipse Mining Consortium is a great pool to work with as well.