Ethereum Community Forum
›
Vega Finally Unleashed! Fine-tuned performance and power consumption in a single chassis.

Mining on Windows 7 & 8 (a working version)

celticwarrior72celticwarrior72 Member Posts: 83 ✭
edited August 2015 in Mining
I gave up trying to build anything from source and just decided to download the installable versions. It took some pulling of hair and gnashing of teeth but I got it working.
  1. Download and install Geth installer here: http://www.github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum (the automated development build)
  2. Download and install Ethereum here: https://build.ethdev.com/builds/Windows C++ develop branch/ (the latest Windows c++ build is a .exe file at the bottom)
  3. Then download the genesis JSON file (http://jev.io/genesis_block.json) and save it somewhere (it's easiest to save it in the same folder as Geth actually)
  4. Start Geth and open a new account from the DOS CMD line: "geth account new" (save the account name and password you use). Exit that (CRTL+C)
  5. Start Geth with the genesis JSON "geth --genesis [path_to_genesis_JSON_filename] and let it catch up to whatever the current block is on http://stats.ethdev.com. Exit that (CRTL+C)
  6. Start GETH again with the RPC API: "geth --rpc". Now we are ready to start mining.
  7. Open another DOS terminal and start the miner "ethminer -G --opencl-device 0" and if everything goes right you should be mining away
  8. One more thing, the Geth terminal is super clunky. If you want to actually use it as a terminal you have to open another instance of the DOS terminal and type "geth attach". This gives you another Geth window into which you can actually type the javascript API commands.
Thanks to many people on the Freenode IRC #ethereum channel for helping me figure this out.

Edit: These exact steps are confirmed to work on Windows 7 & 8.1
Post edited by celticwarrior72 on
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
«1

Comments

  • roz303roz303 Member Posts: 66 ✭
    Wow, thank you!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • arandyarandy Member Posts: 37 ✭
    edited August 2015
    Can someone please give an example of this for me?
    JSON "geth --genesis [path_to_genesis_JSON_filename]

    tried this : geth --genesis C:\Program Files\Ethereum (++) 0.9.38\Release\genesis_block.json

    Keep getting error can't find file in the end
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • CarlWillhelmCarlWillhelm Member Posts: 20 ✭
    try this because of the spaces
    geth --genesis C:\"Program Files"\"Ethereum (++) 0.9.38"\Release\genesis_block.json
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • VandalVandal Member Posts: 1 ✭
    anyone know how to check the balance?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • arandyarandy Member Posts: 37 ✭
    never mind i got it now. Tried it directly in c: and it worked
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Marvell9Marvell9 Member Posts: 593 ✭✭✭
    Didn't work for me geth freezes on starting server
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • celticwarrior72celticwarrior72 Member Posts: 83 ✭
    Marvell9 said:

    Didn't work for me geth freezes on starting server

    Check your firewalls.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Marvell9Marvell9 Member Posts: 593 ✭✭✭
    edited August 2015
    I turned windows firewall off , I also have it set to prompt though when it was on so its not windows firewall. Externally I opend the ports needed I thought already here is what I see :smile:
    Chocolatey uninstalled 0/1 packages. 1 packages failed.
    See the log for details (C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\logs\chocolatey.log).
    Failures
    - alethzero-stable

    C:\Windows\system32>geth
    I0802 18:48:22.041382 6440 flags.go:383] WARNING: No etherbase set and no acc
    ounts found as default
    I0802 18:48:22.042382 6440 database.go:74] Alloted 16MB cache to C:\Users\ola
    wal\AppData\Roaming\Ethereum\blockchain
    I0802 18:48:22.048382 6440 database.go:74] Alloted 16MB cache to C:\Users\ola
    wal\AppData\Roaming\Ethereum\state
    I0802 18:48:22.056383 6440 database.go:74] Alloted 16MB cache to C:\Users\ola
    wal\AppData\Roaming\Ethereum\extra
    I0802 18:48:22.061383 6440 backend.go:290] Protocol Versions: [61 60], Networ
    k Id: 1
    I0802 18:48:22.062383 6440 backend.go:319] Blockchain DB Version: 3
    I0802 18:48:22.062383 6440 chain_manager.go:232] Last block (#0) d4e56740f876
    aef8c010b86a40d5f56745a118d0906a34e69aec8c0db1cb8fa3 TD=17179869184
    I0802 18:48:22.068384 6440 cmd.go:122] Starting Geth/v1.0.0/windows/go1.4.2
    I0802 18:48:22.068384 6440 server.go:311] Starting Server

    It just hands right there
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • celticwarrior72celticwarrior72 Member Posts: 83 ✭
    You are not following my guide. I mention nothing about Chocolatey.

    "I gave up trying to build anything from source ...."
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Marvell9Marvell9 Member Posts: 593 ✭✭✭
    the Chocolatey stuff is from my previous failed attempts I uninstalled all of that and also killed the ethereum folder in app data and started all over using your instructions
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • celticwarrior72celticwarrior72 Member Posts: 83 ✭
    Marvell9 said:

    the Chocolatey stuff is from my previous failed attempts I uninstalled all of that and also killed the ethereum folder in app data and started all over using your instructions

    Let us know how it goes.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Marvell9Marvell9 Member Posts: 593 ✭✭✭
    I cant figure it out , the thing I have eth working from the dev builds but no blocks are ever mined for some reason , not sure what to do , I have a Linux test build that works flawlesely but this windows thing is baffling. There are no errors in event log either geth just sits there at starting server so wierd
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • andyatcruxandyatcrux Member Posts: 10 ✭
    edited August 2015
    After hours of messing with cmake and visual studio, I was getting weary , so excellent find. I did not bother reinstalling geth, I just cherry picked the compiled ethminer out.

    Just using ethminer -G -t 2 as the command fires up both my R9 270 cards and gets me about 36 MH/s. I sure wish I kept my mining rig, but my daily computer will have to do.
    Post edited by andyatcrux on
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Marvell9Marvell9 Member Posts: 593 ✭✭✭
    So my final solution was to keep Geth running on the ubunti 15 box and then run my personal pc I was trying to mine with towards it as a ethminer client in farm mode these are the commands I used .

    on Ubuntu Box
    --------------
    pkill geth // to kill the current node
    go-ethereum/build/bin/geth --rpc --rpcaddr "0.0.0.0" --rpcport 8545 --rpccorsdomain "*"
    //starts the geth in rpc mode an allows any clients in your domain to connect to it

    on personal desktop (any remote machine or even on the Ubuntu host as well if you want it to mine)
    ethminer -G -F http://192.168.0.92:8545 --farm-recheck 250

    // default farm recheck was 500 250 seems to submit work a bit faster
    //192.168.0.92:8545 is the ip and port of the gethnode.

    this is not solving my main issue, but I did open up a issue on the ethereum-go github page.
    one thing I found is I get a better hash rate than when I was running eth
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ramviramvi Member Posts: 10 ✭
    In step 5, geth wasn't able to connect to any nodes after upgrading to Windows 10. The reason is that Windows Time / the NTP service is disabled by default in Windows 10. Open Services from your start menu, find Windows Time in the list, start the service and set setup to Automatic.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • celticwarrior72celticwarrior72 Member Posts: 83 ✭
    ramvi said:

    In step 5, geth wasn't able to connect to any nodes after upgrading to Windows 10. The reason is that Windows Time / the NTP service is disabled by default in Windows 10. Open Services from your start menu, find Windows Time in the list, start the service and set setup to Automatic.

    Can you confirm that this guide works on Windows 10 with your suggested modification?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ramviramvi Member Posts: 10 ✭
    celticwarrior72 said:


    Can you confirm that this guide works on Windows 10 with your suggested modification?

    Yes, mr. celticwarrior #72
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ramviramvi Member Posts: 10 ✭
    With geth running and ethminer mining, how can I check that ethminer is actually mining to an etherbase account and not to NULL?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • celticwarrior72celticwarrior72 Member Posts: 83 ✭
    ramvi said:

    With geth running and ethminer mining, how can I check that ethminer is actually mining to an etherbase account and not to NULL?

    No idea. I just waited until I mined a block and checked my balance in the account that I created.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • celticwarrior72celticwarrior72 Member Posts: 83 ✭
    edited August 2015
    Updated guide for Windows 7, 8 & 10 here: https://www.reddit.com/r/ethereum/comments/3fk8eh/mining_ethereum_on_windows_7_8/

    Upvotes appreciated!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • corsarocorsaro Member Posts: 28 ✭
    edited August 2015
    ramvi said:

    With geth running and ethminer mining, how can I check that ethminer is actually mining to an etherbase account and not to NULL?

    on geth console type: web3.eth.coinbase then press enter and you should see the address
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • CoinbeastCoinbeast Member Posts: 20 ✭
    Thank you so much.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • zonozono Member Posts: 158 ✭✭
    edited August 2015
    what does "--rpc" mean in step 6?
    will it work the same if i start just geth without "--rpc"?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • celticwarrior72celticwarrior72 Member Posts: 83 ✭
    That tells you Geth to start the RPC server so Ethminer can talk to your node. It will not work without it unless you choose to use the mining pool www.ethpool.org
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • zonozono Member Posts: 158 ✭✭
    oh I see, thanks.
    that said I can run without rpc since I am mining on pool
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • celticwarrior72celticwarrior72 Member Posts: 83 ✭
    this guide was written before the pool existed.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cobracobra Member Posts: 18 ✭
    do you have some more complicated steps for this lol
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cryptojunkiecryptojunkie Member Posts: 5 ✭
    edited August 2015
    When I start Geth I have no command line options and opening a seperate command window says "geth is not a recognized command". What am I doing wrong please?

    Also getting "imported 0 blocks" error?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • trotoltrotol Member Posts: 102 ✭
    edited August 2015
    It doesn`t work for me: win 7 x64 proff.
    -geth.exe gets connect to the network but still there is no my address in this net
    -alethzero gets no connect to the network

    more: both geth.exe and alethzero.exe shows different addresses:
    just did web3.eth.coinbase in geth.exe attach-console
    and web3.eth.coinbase in -alethzero java-console.

    Are you sure that "geth --rpc" without "--genesis [path_to_genesis_JSON_filename]" is correct to keep doin weel with ether-net?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cgcd0909cgcd0909 Member Posts: 1 ✭
    how to mine with CPU core i3?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Sign In or Register to comment.