Official FutureBit Apollo BTC Software/Image and Support thread

[heslo]

There wasn't even a single update to miner binary software since initial release in May 2021, and you are talking about LN?!   miner binary crashes almost everyday, no Raspberry Pi releases as promised... I wouldn't count on LN this year. I understand jstefanop and team are busy, so I wait - but just replying realistically to you - leave it running for a few months, maybe something (hopefully) will be released then.

Lots of work going on in the background. Unfortunately were still focused on scaling production, but that will shift to software once we start shipping Batch 3 in the next few months.

That being said 0.3.2 will be released in the next few weeks with updated miner binaries, lots of GUI fixes, 32 and 64bit RPi binaries etc.

Please dont forget IDLE mode when internet conection is lost. A few days ago, another 20 hours "full mining" without internet. 4 Apollo LTC + 1 Apollo BTC. Came on... this is not difficult to add. Both Apollo NEED this. Its a "must have" for small miners.

I got done by this the other day too, luckily I noticed it pretty quickly and stopped the miner but yeah, it definitely needs addressing

[crypto_curious]

A few days ago, another 20 hours "full mining" without internet. 4 Apollo LTC + 1 Apollo BTC.

  Full mining without internet. Yes this is a pain.

[chrisism]

I restored my configuration from a backup.  The node is up and downloading the blockchain.  The miner is up, but inactive and the original pool information seems to be stuck in the settings, despite changing to my new one.  Any ideas?  Thanks!

Try restarting in the miner software. Seems a hard restart sometimes does not restart right

That did it, thank you.  I'll let it run in eco mode until the chain syncs-up.

To upgrade to a larger M.2 SSD without an enclosure, I first got a second SD card and imaged it using the resources from the first post. That was more of a precaution than a necessity.

Then, since my node was fully in sync on the original SSD, before I replaced the M.2 SSD I use the full node's file manager app to connect to a valid SMB file-share target on my home network and copied the node's data-files to it. It's way faster copying ~400 GB of data on your home network than it is to wait for the node to re-sync from scratch. Then I shut everything off and replaced both the SD card and the M.2 SSD. Upon bootup the OS formats the M.2 and starts to sync the node, which will take days. So, that's the time to stop the node, reconnect to the file-share and copy the data-files you backed up onto the new SSD, overwriting whatever the node just recently created with what we know to be complete data files. Then all ya have to do is re-start the node and it'll sync any changes that occurred while you were working on the full unit. That'll take minutes, as opposed to days.

HTH

Sorry for the late reply.  Thanks for the share, but I just let the node synch on its own in ECO mode.  Good to know if a drive ever lets go.

--C

[dazedn1]

Thanks! Yea any 1-4TB NVMe drive should work fine on these.

FYI to anyone that Pre-Ordered a Batch 3 full unit order your in for a treat! We were able to score 1TB drives for a good price so we will be upgrading everyones order to a 1TB version for free!

I know this is a sorta old post but this is great news! Can't wait to receive my batch 3 units. Any idea when they will start shipping?

[amanz360]

I've also still been having trouble keeping all 3 of my units hashing. A lot of the time one of them will drop off and stop hashing, after reading the messages above I tried moving down to Eco mode and they've been running stably since. I have the official futurebit PSU's that I'm using with them, so not sure if it's a power problem or something else. I'm likely gonna keep them on eco mode since the efficiency makes more sense for me with my high electric rate, but wanted to confirm so far turning down the hashrate has helped the stability issues I had with running 3 units (1 full 2 standard). Not sure if it's an internet connectivity issue since it seemed to happen while the rest of my internet is working just fine. I'm excited for future updates and sure the new firmware will be very helpful

[crypto_curious]

I've also still been having trouble keeping all 3 of my units hashing. A lot of the time one of them will drop off and stop hashing, after reading the messages above I tried moving down to Eco mode and they've been running stably since. I have the official futurebit PSU's that I'm using with them, so not sure if it's a power problem or something else. I'm likely gonna keep them on eco mode since the efficiency makes more sense for me with my high electric rate, but wanted to confirm so far turning down the hashrate has helped the stability issues I had with running 3 units (1 full 2 standard). Not sure if it's an internet connectivity issue since it seemed to happen while the rest of my internet is working just fine. I'm excited for future updates and sure the new firmware will be very helpful

This most likely is miner binary crashing. It crashes every few days, on every machine. You can resolve this by looping it in bash script, I posted it in this thread a few months ago. Unless this is already fixed for Full units? I don't know.

[n0nce]

I've also still been having trouble keeping all 3 of my units hashing. A lot of the time one of them will drop off and stop hashing, after reading the messages above I tried moving down to Eco mode and they've been running stably since. I have the official futurebit PSU's that I'm using with them, so not sure if it's a power problem or something else. I'm likely gonna keep them on eco mode since the efficiency makes more sense for me with my high electric rate, but wanted to confirm so far turning down the hashrate has helped the stability issues I had with running 3 units (1 full 2 standard). Not sure if it's an internet connectivity issue since it seemed to happen while the rest of my internet is working just fine. I'm excited for future updates and sure the new firmware will be very helpful

This most likely is miner binary crashing. It crashes every few days, on every machine. You can resolve this by looping it in bash script, I posted it in this thread a few pages ago. Unless this is already fixed for Full units? I don't know.

Interesting, so you have the issue even if you're not using the stock Apollo software, but custom Linux OS and connect the miner to 'itself' using a short USB cable (that was you right)?

[crypto_curious]

I've also still been having trouble keeping all 3 of my units hashing. A lot of the time one of them will drop off and stop hashing, after reading the messages above I tried moving down to Eco mode and they've been running stably since. I have the official futurebit PSU's that I'm using with them, so not sure if it's a power problem or something else. I'm likely gonna keep them on eco mode since the efficiency makes more sense for me with my high electric rate, but wanted to confirm so far turning down the hashrate has helped the stability issues I had with running 3 units (1 full 2 standard). Not sure if it's an internet connectivity issue since it seemed to happen while the rest of my internet is working just fine. I'm excited for future updates and sure the new firmware will be very helpful

This most likely is miner binary crashing. It crashes every few days, on every machine. You can resolve this by looping it in bash script, I posted it in this thread a few pages ago. Unless this is already fixed for Full units? I don't know.

Interesting, so you have the issue even if you're not using the stock Apollo software, but custom Linux OS and connect the miner to 'itself' using a short USB cable (that was you right)?

Yes, that's was mine idea, unfortunately miner binary (proprietary) crashes on everything. I looped it, so it works for me. Worst is for full package users, when it crashes, they have to kill entire machine including Bitcoin Node, so it can reboot and start over (unless this is fixed, I am speculating here, not using full package software kit).

[gigahashes]

I've also still been having trouble keeping all 3 of my units hashing. A lot of the time one of them will drop off and stop hashing, after reading the messages above I tried moving down to Eco mode and they've been running stably since. I have the official futurebit PSU's that I'm using with them, so not sure if it's a power problem or something else. I'm likely gonna keep them on eco mode since the efficiency makes more sense for me with my high electric rate, but wanted to confirm so far turning down the hashrate has helped the stability issues I had with running 3 units (1 full 2 standard). Not sure if it's an internet connectivity issue since it seemed to happen while the rest of my internet is working just fine. I'm excited for future updates and sure the new firmware will be very helpful

This most likely is miner binary crashing. It crashes every few days, on every machine. You can resolve this by looping it in bash script, I posted it in this thread a few months ago. Unless this is already fixed for Full units? I don't know.

Greetings from UK

Loving this little Apollo BTC Miner.Full package but using Corsair CX750M PSU.
Probably stopped once in over a month with a short power outage here in UK

Great with my silly expensive Electrickery price Octopus energy 1 year fix approx £0.16 per KWH.

6 days up and running this time, maybe a fairly high error rate.

https://imgur.com/a/r5f8jXL

Many Thanks @ jstefanop

[amanz360]

I've also still been having trouble keeping all 3 of my units hashing. A lot of the time one of them will drop off and stop hashing, after reading the messages above I tried moving down to Eco mode and they've been running stably since. I have the official futurebit PSU's that I'm using with them, so not sure if it's a power problem or something else. I'm likely gonna keep them on eco mode since the efficiency makes more sense for me with my high electric rate, but wanted to confirm so far turning down the hashrate has helped the stability issues I had with running 3 units (1 full 2 standard). Not sure if it's an internet connectivity issue since it seemed to happen while the rest of my internet is working just fine. I'm excited for future updates and sure the new firmware will be very helpful

Following up on this just to note that even on Eco mode I have had a unit stop hashing but it only requires one reboot to get things working again and it is generally still more stable than when I was on turbo

[achtung082]

Have had 4 batch 1 units running on a power-one psu for some time, still on v0.3.0 and they do seem to be more stable when using a USB hub. They seem to need a reboot or even better a power reset every 1-2 weeks without a USB hub.

Not sure if there is a way to set voltage and MH/z on a per hashboard basis, but that would enable some much better tuning.

[crypto_curious]

Received Apollo BTC Batch 3 Production Update e-mail just now.

Currently we are still on track to ship everyone's order that ordered on the 31st of August in December, and we expect most orders will ship by end of the year.

Gotta love that 31st of August in December shipping date! 

[n0nce]

This most likely is miner binary crashing. It crashes every few days, on every machine. You can resolve this by looping it in bash script, I posted it in this thread a few pages ago. Unless this is already fixed for Full units? I don't know.

Interesting, so you have the issue even if you're not using the stock Apollo software, but custom Linux OS and connect the miner to 'itself' using a short USB cable (that was you right)?

Yes, that's was mine idea, unfortunately miner binary (proprietary) crashes on everything. I looped it, so it works for me. Worst is for full package users, when it crashes, they have to kill entire machine including Bitcoin Node, so it can reboot and start over (unless this is fixed, I am speculating here, not using full package software kit).

Alright, interesting. Yeah I plan on doing your setup as well anyway; so it will be easy to put a bash loop around the miner execution

Code:

wihle 1; do ./miner; done

Received Apollo BTC Batch 3 Production Update e-mail just now.

Oh nice, I have not yet. Time really flew from August till now. Back then it seemed like it would take forever for Apollo to arrive, now it's coming in a month-ish..? Sick!

[gt_addict]

Any news on when the 32bit version is coming out?

[jstefanop]

Any news on when the 32bit version is coming out?

Wrapping up testing on updated binary today, and should have it out by next week!

[username@user@]

Hi,
Is someone try to add a GEKKOSCIENCE Compac F Hot-rod red with 7-Port USB Hub GEKKOSCIENCE to a Futurebit Apollo BTC?
Can it be stable in ECO mode for the Apollo?
Thanks.
laurent

[NotFuzzyWarm]

You would need to use Kano's updated cgminer to run the CompacF because you need the driver he wrote for the S17 chip...

[Muppet007]

I see many people have the same issue of one or all of their miners stopping when internet connection is lost.
There is nothing worse than looking at all the blocks you have missed.

I have a problem between midnight and 4AM (AEST) when my internet provider rotates/changes my IP; my IP is dynamic not static.
There is a brief loss of internet connection during this period.
I have 2 x Apollo LTC and 3 x Apollo BTC.

For 3 months I swapped the LTC node from one Apollo LTC to another on a weekly basis only to wake up and find only the one unit running the node had stopped mining completely.
These units have not stopped mining for a year since removing the node. I now run a full LTC wallet/node on an old Raspberry PI b+.
 
The same problem was apparent from day one of Apollo BTC running full node too.
I would wake up to find one, two or all three units had failed during the aforementioned hours of the morning. I persisted for a month and a half.
Since stopping the node, the Apollo BTC has been running 3 months without failure.

It never made any sense for me to run the Apollo BTC unit with a full node as I have RASPIBLITZ on an 8gig raspberry PI which has a full BTC/LND nodes.

I can only suggest anyone with a similar internet provider problem do a week long experiment as I did and just stop the node all together to see if this helps until the software matures.

[Optimalsunshine]

Any news on when the 32bit version is coming out?

Wrapping up testing on updated binary today, and should have it out by next week!

HI all, question from a non-technical person happily mining from home with this device to try and learn and support the decentralization of the network.  Forgive my question if it is an obvious one to most of you, but with all the talk of Taproot finally coming today, what does that mean for our nodes running with Futurebit?   Is there anything we are supposed to do?  If there is, if you could share the steps I would really appreciate it.  Thank you, much appreciated, I am really just in over my head with the software/programming side, but genuinely want to learn and here for it!

[amanz360]

I see many people have the same issue of one or all of their miners stopping when internet connection is lost.
There is nothing worse than looking at all the blocks you have missed.

I have a problem between midnight and 4AM (AEST) when my internet provider rotates/changes my IP; my IP is dynamic not static.
There is a brief loss of internet connection during this period.
I have 2 x Apollo LTC and 3 x Apollo BTC.

For 3 months I swapped the LTC node from one Apollo LTC to another on a weekly basis only to wake up and find only the one unit running the node had stopped mining completely.
These units have not stopped mining for a year since removing the node. I now run a full LTC wallet/node on an old Raspberry PI b+.
 
The same problem was apparent from day one of Apollo BTC running full node too.
I would wake up to find one, two or all three units had failed during the aforementioned hours of the morning. I persisted for a month and a half.
Since stopping the node, the Apollo BTC has been running 3 months without failure.

It never made any sense for me to run the Apollo BTC unit with a full node as I have RASPIBLITZ on an 8gig raspberry PI which has a full BTC/LND nodes.

I can only suggest anyone with a similar internet provider problem do a week long experiment as I did and just stop the node all together to see if this helps until the software matures.

That's very interesting, I have also been having stability issues with my units. Someone else also mentioned a USB hub is more reliable, I will try disabling the full node and see if that makes things more stable