BFGminer Simple Question

[Higgs]

Can anyone tell me if this is what is expected on the BFGminer Console?

http://postimg.org/image/kogso2e99/ http://postimg.org/image/kogso2e99/

How do I know its actually mining a block?

If I get a block how do I know I was successful?

[ScripterRon]

In the status area, NB is the number of new blocks seen on the network, A is the number of blocks accepted from you and R is the number of blocks rejected.  You show 117 new blocks, which is about right for the amount of time you have been running (18 hours and 18 minutes works out to an average of a new block every 9 minutes).  No blocks have been submitted (A and R are 0).  So it doesn't look like you have found anything (not surprising since your total hash rate 7.5 GH/s)

Also, it appears that only 2 of your devices are working.  Don't know if that is intended or not.

I have 5 GH/s mining in a pool which yields about 0.0035 BTC per day (was 0.0046 BTC before the latest difficulty increase).  But it has been fun and educational and I expect to break even shortly (which is probably the best you can do)

[Higgs]

Thanks for the response

Im solo mining so didnt think shares comes into it?

[ScripterRon]

For solo mining, you either solve the current block or you get nothing for your efforts.  So you are right - there are no shares.  BTC Guild is up to 1,800 TH/s and they can go for an hour without getting a block or they can get three blocks in a row.  The odds of beating the mining pools with a solo miner are not good at all unless you have a very good setup.

[Higgs]

I thought if i was working on a block no1 else could work that block (unless of course i setup a pool), effectively not running a race.

[ScripterRon]

No, everybody is working on the next block in the chain.  Each block contains the hash of the previous block in the chain, so the miner who completes the hash of the next block wins and this block then becomes the current block.  This process then repeats using the hash of the current block as part of the next block in the chain.

If two miners complete a block at the same time, the peer nodes will select the block with the longest block chain.  The losing block then becomes an orphan block and is discarded.  So, if you eventually solve block 1300 based on block 1299 and the network has already solved block 1304 (based on 1299 -> 1300 -> 1301 -> 1302 ->1303), your block will be discarded and you will not receive anything.

[Higgs]

well so solo mining is pretty pointless. however there is still that chance that you get lucky thanks

[Sniperdude]

well so solo mining is pretty pointless. however there is still that chance that you get lucky thanks

the odds of you finding a block going solo is almost 13 years before you should find one. But hey you could find one today or you could never find one. and those odds get worse as diff increases.