I’m interested in learning about mining as a hobby. I don’t imagine it’s an economically optimal way to get bitcoin, but I would still like to develop some “hands-on” experience with how it all works. Are there any guides/write-ups for a n00b hobbiest miner to read to help get started?
42 sats \ 0 replies \ @Arceris 18 Dec 2023
One good option, though it'll cost a bit, is the CryptoCloaks heater. https://www.cryptocloaks.com/product/s9-bitcoin-space-heater-bundle/
You can get experience loading braiins on it, tweaking the settings, and all of that. You could also do what @antic said, but this will give you (a small amount of) ASIC hardware experience.
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21 sats \ 0 replies \ @rajab 18 Dec 2023
I bought a used Antminer S9 from Ebay last year, and performed the mods from CryptoCloaks' guide (linked in another comment here). I also flashed BraiinsOS and detuned it to 400W so I can run it in my office while I work. It heats the room enough so that it's noticeable but not uncomfortable, but I know it'll never be profitable. It's just about the experience for me. All in I probably paid around $350 in total, including mods.
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13 sats \ 0 replies \ @antic 18 Dec 2023
If you want to start with a zero-budget approach and build from there, I would start with bcoin: https://bcoin.io/guides.html
You can install it and run it as a bitcoin full node, and set it to CPU mining mode. Then you can play with the mempool, etc.
This is extremely unlikely to find a block, but it's a great way to get started without spending any money (assuming you already have a computer with enough storage space to support a full node).
Now, this is how I would approach it if you are at all comfortable with coding or or have an interest in it... if you don't know how to code and don't want to learn... then you will probably end up spending money and losing money...
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