[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

[1715373881]

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[1715373881]

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[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

[izzotheschizo]

I think its working. thank you so much.
the annoying led went off, (thank god)

bes 0:            | 336.0/327.4/ 0.00 Mh/s  | A:0 R:0+0(none) HW:0/none

does that sound right?

[frankenmint]

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.

Thanks!  This is being quoted so I can find it easily in my own history later.  I'll be coming back to this in Feb.

[Zeek_W]

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.

Thanks for the support! Be sure to think of me when you mine that elusive block

The links appear to work now - not sure what happened there :/

[Trongersoll]

Just how much hash power can be aimed a BitcoinQT and have things function correctly?

[Trongersoll]

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

Did you ever get an answer to this? is it something that the mining software might be modified to do?

[os2sam]

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

Did you ever get an answer to this? is it something that the mining software might be modified to do?

No I haven't gotten an answer yet.

I don't know if the mining software could do it or not.

It's a normal function of the Bitcoin Client, but as with many functions of the Client it isn't documented in a place I can find it.  I had seen several times people posting it in various threads but I can't find any of those old threads at the moment.  But I haven't really tried too hard yet either.

Sam

[izzotheschizo]

one block erupter gets 336 Mh/s.  Did you really not know that?  some people overclock them or put 7 in a hub, but then your errors go up.  so basically its less efficient to do that.  but at 1 cent a day per blockeurpter, I guess it doesn't really matter.

if you can find a pool with a low enough threshold, you might be able to make ten cents a day with one.  the time I checked my ten dollar lottery stick was worth $20.  this is because bitcoins sky rocketed over the last 30 days.  but once the difficulty goes up enough they wont be worth nothing.

[qtronix]

how does it no what wallet to pay into. don't you have to put --coinbase-addr-

[os2sam]

how does it no what wallet to pay into. don't you have to put --coinbase-addr-

It goes into the Bitcoin client wallet that you are mining against.  As far as I know you don't need to put "--coinbase-addr-" in your miners command line.  People have been solo mining long before BFGMiner and GBT Ever existed.

[qtronix]

how does it no what wallet to pay into. don't you have to put --coinbase-addr-

It goes into the Bitcoin client wallet that you are mining against.  As far as I know you don't need to put "--coinbase-addr-" in your miners command line.  People have been solo mining long before BFGMiner and GBT Ever existed.

thanks, i am thinking of going solo.

[os2sam]

how does it no what wallet to pay into. don't you have to put --coinbase-addr-

It goes into the Bitcoin client wallet that you are mining against.  As far as I know you don't need to put "--coinbase-addr-" in your miners command line.  People have been solo mining long before BFGMiner and GBT Ever existed.

thanks, i am thinking of going solo.

Doesn't BFG Miner have a readme for solo mining?  That should be helpful I would think.

The "--coinbase-addr-" wouldn't hurt as I think it goes specifically to the address in your client that you specify.  That way it would be easier to search for in the blockchain.

[izzotheschizo]

If I was going to tip someone it would be Luke-jr no offense.
flag to sign block    --coinbase-sig "Found with a ten dollar block erupter my nigga!"

[os2sam]

Just how much hash power can be aimed a BitcoinQT and have things function correctly?

I'm solo mining on two different machines with local Bitcoin-QT's (v0.8.5) one each.  40 Erupters on one and 34 on the other.  Both seem fine.  I have regular pools setup as failovers and shares get leaked to those on block changes but the rest of the time the client holds up just fine, so far.  Next task is to combine all my erupters on the same P4 Vista machine and see how well it works now.
Sam

[qtronix]

Just how much hash power can be aimed a BitcoinQT and have things function correctly?

I'm solo mining on two different machines with local Bitcoin-QT's (v0.8.5) one each.  40 Erupters on one and 34 on the other.  Both seem fine.  I have regular pools setup as failovers and shares get leaked to those on block changes but the rest of the time the client holds up just fine, so far.  Next task is to combine all my erupters on the same P4 Vista machine and see how well it works now.
Sam

i am going solo as soon as qt is downloaded 

[os2sam]

i am going solo as soon as qt is downloaded 

Good luck with it.  I just want to have my rig running without having to look at it anymore.  We'll see how well that works for me.
Sam

[qtronix]

i keep getting (bitcoin qt exe server the ntvdm cpu has encountered an illegal ) every time i try to start the server.

[bomberb17]

So IF we find a block how would we know it? Where will the 25BTC be stored?

[os2sam]

So IF we find a block how would we know it? Where will the 25BTC be stored?

In your Bitcoin-QT client that your mining against.

[TomCoin]

put testnet=1 to your config i you wanna see how it looks like to find a block. You should find one withing 1-2 hours. (port 18332) everthing else stays the same.

[somatic]

This guide worked great for me, thanks. The only difference is that the new cgminer (3.9.0) no longer accepts the -G option. I simply removed it and it works fine.

[demonmaestro]

This guide worked great for me, thanks. The only difference is that the new cgminer (3.9.0) no longer accepts the -G option. I simply removed it and it works fine.

That is because the -G is for the GPUs. Support for GPUs were taken out of cgminer.

[last2come222]

That's a good and easy to understand guide. Thanks for doing this. Going to try solo mining - seems to be cool

[Sea Cow Sister]

 ???I feel like an idiot. I can't seem to figure out how to get the cgminer.exe to open. All the files on winzip or peazip have 10 files with the .exe file and they won't open. What am I doing wrong? I have tried cgminer files from all over the web. Help please.

Mary

p.s. My Rebuild Mary's Breasts website is not getting enough hits. I even said I would accept bitcoin. Cyber-begging is hard work. What forum does this belong in?

https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/68t3/rebuild-mary-s-breasts

[demonmaestro]

???I feel like an idiot. I can't seem to figure out how to get the cgminer.exe to open. All the files on winzip or peazip have 10 files with the .exe file and they won't open. What am I doing wrong? I have tried cgminer files from all over the web. Help please.

Mary

p.s. My Rebuild Mary's Breasts website is not getting enough hits. I even said I would accept bitcoin. Cyber-begging is hard work. What forum does this belong in?

https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/68t3/rebuild-mary-s-breasts

it shouldn't be a exe file it should be a zip file with a possible bat file.

[Sea Cow Sister]

It is a zip file. Open it and there are many many files, my computer kept kicking off the exe file since it said it was corrupted. I fixed that and no worries. However, every time I tried to extract all of the files, they don't extract. I expected to extract the files and see the exe to just click and poof... an application for a miner would open up and be the cgminer. Forgive me, I always make things too difficult. Nevermind. Appreciate your taking the time to answer.

[sobe-it]

i think i got this working correct. i figured id give it a try since my big ant is going to town. took only a few minutes.