[Guide] Noob guide to solo mining USB Erupters with cgminer

[Zeek_W]

To start:

Yes, I know the odds of finding a block solo with 5 USB Erupters is definately not in my favour.

No, I will not buy a lottery ticket instead.

This is for fun, not a quick profit.


Well, now that is out of the way I decided to go ahead and get some of my USB Erupters solo mining and after reading a heap of threads asking how to do it, and most going no where I thought I would write up a basic 'guide'

What you need for my guide:

• cgminer http://ck.kolivas.org/apps/cgminer/ I am using version 3.6.4
• I am using Windows 7 on this machine
• Bitcoin-QT with the blockchain up to date - I would recommend just letting Bitcoin-QT catchup instead of the torrent available
• Zadig Utility for Windows http://ck.kolivas.org/apps/cgminer/zadig/
• Powered USB Hubs, or onboard USB ports that can pump out 500mA at 5VDC per port (2.5W) - leave at least 500mA of headroom with hub PSUs

Step 1 - Getting things ready

Make sure Bitcoin-QT is caught up to the network - you will have a green tick on the bottom right of the GUI when it is.

Download and run the Zadig Utility. Select your Erupters and install the 'WinUSB' driver. The Erupters should show up as CP2102 USB to UART Bridge Controller, if you don't see them click 'List All Devices' under the 'Options' menu).

Download and extract cgminer onto your computer.

Step 2 - Setting Bitcoin-QT as a server

Create a new txt document and enter the following into it:

Code:

daemon=1
server=1
gen=0
rpcuser=USERNAME
rpcpassword=PASSWORD
rpcallowip=127.0.0.1
rpcport=8332

Change the text USERNAME to your desired miner username and PASSWORD to your desired miner password.

'File' > 'Save As...' this file as 'Bitcoin.conf' with the file type 'All Files *.*' to the folder where Bitcoin-QT.exe executable file is:

Code:

c:\users\user\Appdata\Roaming\Bitcoin

Next make sure Bitcoin-QT is NOT running.

Now browse in explorer to where Bitcoin-QT.exe is and hold the shift button on your keyboard and right click on an empty part of the window. Select 'Open Command Window here' from the drop down.

This will open a CMD window already pointing to the Bitcoin folder.

Type

Code:

bitcoin-qt.exe -server

This turns your Bitcoin-QT into a mining server.

Step 3 - cgminer setup

Browse to where you extracted cgminer previously and hold the shift button on your keyboard and right click on an empty part of the window. Select 'Open Command Window here' from the drop down.

Now type in the following:

Code:

cgminer.exe -o 127.0.0.1:8332 -u USERNAME -p PASSWORD -G

And there you go! Now sit back, relax, go get a drink, go to college, get a job, meet a special person, live your life to its fullest and occasionally check how cgminer is going

[Gws24]

Step 2 - Setting Bitcoin-QT as a server

Create a new txt document and enter the following into it:

Code:

daemon=1
server=1
gen=0
rpcuser=USERNAME
rpcpassword=PASSWORD
rpcallowip=127.0.0.1
rpcport=8332

Change the text USERNAME to your desired miner username and PASSWORD to your desired miner password.

'File' > 'Save As...' this file as 'Bitcoin.conf' with the file type 'All Files *.*' to the folder where Bitcoin-QT.exe executable file is:

x86 Machines:

Code:

C:\Program Files\Bitcoin

x64 Machines:

Code:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Bitcoin

The bitcoin.conf file goes in c:\users\user\Appdata\Roaming\Bitcoin and not the locations you are giving. Furthermore gen=0 is not needed because that is the default for bitcoin-qt. I also don't use daemon=1 but i'm not sure what the difference is.

Next make sure Bitcoin-QT is NOT running.

Now browse in explorer to where Bitcoin-QT.exe is and hold the shift button on your keyboard and right click on an empty part of the window. Select 'Open Command Window here' from the drop down.

This will open a CMD window already pointing to the Bitcoin folder.

Type

Code:

bitcoin-qt.exe -server

This turns your Bitcoin-QT into a mining server.

Since you already have server=1 in the config.info you don't need to add the -server flag when starting bitcoin-qt.

[os2sam]

What's the Bitcoin-QT flag to sign a block?  Can't seem to find the reference now.
Thanks,
Sam

[Zeek_W]

Oops - knew I fucked something up haha

[jamesc760]

Does this work? Has anyone followd this guide successfully???

[os2sam]

Does this work? Has anyone followd this guide successfully???

I haven't followed this guide per se, but I have done the process and it does work.

What exactly are you looking for in way of an answer?

[joae1975]

I can only get v3.1.1 to work.  And it doesn't show any accepted shares.  The USB's blink like it's working.   It says, "No suitable long-poll found for http://127.0.0.1:8332"  Is it working without showing work?

[os2sam]

I can only get v3.1.1 to work.  And it doesn't show any accepted shares.  The USB's blink like it's working.   It says, "No suitable long-poll found for http://127.0.0.1:8332"  Is it working without showing work?

When solo mining the only accepted share you will see is a block finder.  So as long as your showing hash rate and the BE lights are blinking, your mining.

[rpg]

nice description. By the way, if anyone wants to mine some ALT coin solo, this applies as well, just change any reference (including folders) from bitcoin to the name of the alt coin

[just_me]

How many bitcoins do you get, when you are mining with 5 usb eruptors?

[elasticband]

25 + transaction fee's IF he finds a block 

[-ck]

Let me correct that for you

25 + transaction fee's IF he finds a block  

And that's literally a big if.

[Gws24]

lol, it sure is. At current diff he'll hit a block once every 200 years or something like it.

[jeppe]

Have been looking for this so long thank you !!! have 2 of them left lying around and was thinking of doing this instead of playing lottery and for fun Sold all my asics when the diff started to skyrocket and did not lose much

[joae1975]

So I'm solo mining PPC with my erupters using cgminer3.1.1.  I just received my bfl's in the mail and am running those on bfgminer.  But in order to get the cgminer started, I have to unplug the bfls from the computer first, start cgminer, then plug in the bfl's and run cgminer.  Otherwise cgminer gets all confused when I run the bat file.

Ok, so first I start the erupters, then the bfl.  When I start the bfl's, the cgminer running the erupters and soloing the ppc's has a message at the bottom:

USB init, open device failed, err -12, you need to install a windows USB driver for - BFL device 1:4
BitForce dectect <1:4> failed to initialise <incorrect device?>

Please note, the USB's are blinking and hashing.

Image of cgminer:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/rnkx73qwt31eavr/cgminer.ppc.png

[izzotheschizo]

By far this is the best guide I've seen for this.  I just got my $10 lottery stick in the mail.  I clicked on the zadig link and it says I dont have permission to access the file.

[os2sam]

By far this is the best guide I've seen for this.  I just got my $10 lottery stick in the mail.  I clicked on the zadig link and it says I dont have permission to access the file.

I got that too.  I had already downloaded it on another machine.

Post a note on the CGMiner thread so tha ckolivas can look into it.

[demonmaestro]

Just out of wondering but wouldn't this work instead of going through all the file stuff?   If not then would the way up top work?



and then download cgminer or bfgminer and make a file called mine.bat


open up mine.bat should look something like this.

[izzotheschizo]

I found a mirror link for the zadig drivers somewhere else.

demonmeastro does that work?  Where do I save the bat file?

[demonmaestro]

I am assuming its working. the bat file gets saved in the directory with your bfgminer or cgminer