Ubuntu Natty Narwhal 11.04 Mining Guide / HOWTO

[Inaba]

Just so you guys know, I set out to create a new guide for v11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot)... but after spending a better part of whole day trying to get it to work properly with multiple GPUs, I have given up for the time being.

v11.10 is just plain not good for mining for a number of reasons if you have more than 1 GPU (it's ok for 1 GPU though).

I am going to re-do the v11.04 guide and remove the x32 version, only doing an x64.  I'm pretty ticked off I wasted a whole day on v11.10 and I'm pretty ticked off at both AMD for not fixing their crap ass drivers for 3+ revisions and at Ubuntu for foisting the ultra crap that Unity is on us and also for using the crap AMD drivers that are a bag of fail (v11.8) as their base fglrx install.  

Look for the new guide soon.

[colorprint]

Just so you guys know, I set out to create a new guide for v11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot)... but after spending a better part of whole day trying to get it to work properly with multiple GPUs, I have given up for the time being.

v11.10 is just plain not good for mining for a number of reasons if you have more than 1 GPU (it's ok for 1 GPU though).

I am going to re-do the v11.04 guide and remove the x32 version, only doing an x64.  I'm pretty ticked off I wasted a whole day on v11.10 and I'm pretty ticked off at both AMD for not fixing their crap ass drivers for 3+ revisions and at Ubuntu for foisting the ultra crap that Unity is on us and also for using the crap AMD drivers that are a bag of fail (v11. as their base fglrx install.  

Look for the new guide soon.

The ATI drivers after 11.6 have a bug that makes them consume 100% of CPU.
But drivers before 11.7 not work with kernel 3.0+
So I have found a patch:
http://eduard-x.blogspot.com/2011/05/amd-catalyst-115-2639-debian.html
and using 3.1 kernel and 11.6 drivers with this patch on Ubuntu oneiric.
Everything works fine (also spent full day to found this solution).

[Inaba]

I just recommend staying away from Oneric all together.

Here's a link to the new guide:  https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=50388.0

[amazingrando]

Thanks catfish for this info.  I have quite a few of the XFX's but no problems like you're describing (still they do seem more flaky thank my other cards).  I'm on Ubuntu 11.04 x64 with Catalyst 11.6 and APP SDK 2.4.  Please let us know what you find out.  I am interested to see if 11.11 fixes the CPU bug, though 11.6 works just fine for me.

[Inaba]

Well, the CPU bug is still there, at least in Windows, for 11.11.  I have a pair of 6990's that I use as my gaming rig which mines in it's off time and I installed 11.11 to solve some BF3 graphic issues, but the CPU bug remains.

I'll be interested to know what you come up with, but I've not experienced any problems like you are describing myself.  The only XFX cards I have are some 6990s, a couple 5870's and I think one or two 5970's.

[check_status]

Based on this guide, are there any additional things required if installing from an Ubuntu 11.04 mini.iso a.k.a. minimal install?

[Inaba]

Yes, lots.  This guide isn't for a mini install.

[Andrew Vorobyov]

Never mind

[phr0stbyt3]

This guide is incredible. I'm having a small problem though.

I can run poclbm miner just fine with one card on a 2 card system(2x5850).

When I open up a second ssh window and start another poclbm on -d1 instead of -d0, it starts, but it on has half the hash rate and it reduces the other miners hash rate by half.

No matter what combo i use -d1 -d0  --platform etc, the second miner always cuts the first miners hash rate in half. Any ideas?

[DILLIGAF]

This guide is incredible. I'm having a small problem though.

I can run poclbm miner just fine with one card on a 2 card system(2x5850).

When I open up a second ssh window and start another poclbm on -d1 instead of -d0, it starts, but it on has half the hash rate and it reduces the other miners hash rate by half.

No matter what combo i use -d1 -d0  --platform etc, the second miner always cuts the first miners hash rate in half. Any ideas?

That seems like you are only starting the miners on the one card regardless of the -d switch used, I would give phoenix or cgminer a try and see if they work better with your setup and use something like below to make sure you have two devices initialized by the X server.

Code:

~$ grep -i /dev/ati /var/log/Xorg.0.log
[    20.834] ukiOpenDevice: node name is /dev/ati/card0
[    20.834] ukiOpenDevice: node name is /dev/ati/card1
[    21.802] ukiOpenDevice: node name is /dev/ati/card0
[    22.196] ukiOpenDevice: node name is /dev/ati/card0
[    22.196] ukiOpenDevice: node name is /dev/ati/card1
[    22.378] ukiOpenDevice: node name is /dev/ati/card0
[    22.519] ukiOpenDevice: node name is /dev/ati/card0
[    22.519] ukiOpenDevice: node name is /dev/ati/card1
[    22.615] ukiOpenDevice: node name is /dev/ati/card0

[Inaba]

This guide is outdated.  There is an updated guide, though I'm not sure that it will address your problem.

[bulanula]

This guide is outdated.  There is an updated guide, though I'm not sure that it will address your problem.

Care to post it ? I think people stopped using Ubuntu after the stupid switch to 11.10 and forced Unity onto the users.

At least I did ...

[Inaba]

It's already posted ... I don't have a link, but it's in the same forum as this guide.  Search of Oneric I think.

[Red Emerald]

This guide is outdated.  There is an updated guide, though I'm not sure that it will address your problem.

Care to post it ? I think people stopped using Ubuntu after the stupid switch to 11.10 and forced Unity onto the users.

At least I did ...

Xubuntu ftw

[kano]

There's the cgminer one ... in my sig ... that I wrote

[Inaba]

Here's the updated guide:  https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=50388.0

[bulanula]

So it seems like there are 4 options for new rig software ( Linux ) :

-DIY with Inaba's tutorial

-kano's xubuntu guide

-Linuxcoin which is dead

-BAMT which is alive and kicking

Any others I have missed ?

[milazi]

thx，very nice.