Checking on gulden p2pool server..
Checking on penguincoin p2pool server..
Getting started on a 0x0a P2Pool node is easier than eating an orange. Requirements: miner software, correct coin algorithm, pool address, and a wallet address, and having read the FAQ. That's it!
miner -a ALGORITHM -o stratum+tcp://COINNAME.p2p.0x0a.nl:COINPORT -u YOURWALLETADDRESS -p XSelect the coin you want to mine at the top to get the pool address, algorithm, example miner command and all other information you might need.
Important! Read the FAQ to understand the payout process, as well as some tips for effective mining!
Also note: The password argument is not necessary for P2Pool, but some miners don't understand how to function without one, so just put anything there. It's not used at all.
How does mining at 0x0a work?
The p2pool software used at 0x0a is P2Pool. A bit simplified, it works like this:
The pool's inner workings described above have a couple of tricky implications:
- - Miners (e.g. you!) mine with their address as a username
- - The pool keeps a record of the work done by all miners on all nodes in the past 24 hours* using P2Pool's "sharechain" mechanism
- (* The sharechain will average 24 hours; the period can vary based on fluctuation of the pool's hashrate)
- - When a block is found, it divides the block reward proportionally to the work done per address in the past 24 hours and the pool fee
- - The reward you see next to your address on the node's "Payout" tab reflects the work you have done in the past 24 hours in proportion to the other miners based on your amount of valid "shares"
The pool's inner workings described above have a couple of tricky implications:
- - The pool pays out during block generation (it's actually in the block), but that also means it only pays out when a block is found
- - Your reward on the node's "Payout" tab averages out over 24 hours, meaning it builds up proportionally to the rest of the pool's hashrate over a full day
- - At any time a block is found, your reward at that time on the "Payout" tab will be what you receive
- - For as long as no blocks are found, however, your reward will continue to be evaluated based on its proportion to the rest of the pool's hashrate over the past 24 hours.
- - When the pool hashrate is low compared to the coin's network hashrate, it can take a long time before a block is found (there's an estimate on the node page)
- - The longer it takes for the pool to find blocks based on its hashrate, the more irregular payout will be, as it takes place during block generation
- - In addition, when it takes a long time to find blocks, your reward has a long time to vary based on the proportion of your work to the other miners' work
What guidelines are there?
These guidelines work well for the reasons named earlier:
- - Use the node's estimate for finding blocks to determine how long it might take to receive payout; the higher, the less accurate the estimate will be
- - Mine long enough for at least a couple of blocks to be found!
- - If your hashrate drastically changes the pool's overall hashrate, calculate
(coin's number of blocks per day) * (your hashrate + pool's current hashrate) / (network's total hashrate)
to find an average of how many blocks will be found in a day.
Why does the payout tab show a reward for my address even though I have received nothing in my wallet yet?
Payout occurs when the pool finds a block. The longer it takes to find a block, the longer it takes for payout to occur. The reward on the node's "Payout" tab is what you would receive if a block was found right now, based on the amount of work you've done in the past 24 hours in relation to the other miners at the pool. This means that your actual reward at the time of payout can vary a lot, depending on the pattern of the pool's hashrate. This is also why it's best to mine for at least the time it will take for the pool to find a couple of blocks.
What's a "node page"?
Every node of the 0x0a pools uses P2PoolExtendedFrontEnd (github) as a frontend for the pool stats. You can find the node page by simply going to the pool's address, or click the link for "0x0a node" on the page for the coin of interest.
I don't see my address on any page. What's going on?
There's a finite amount of shares in the "sharechain" keeping track of everyone's 24-hour proportional reward. You need at least 1 to register as a worker at p2pool. This usually won't take long if your hashrate is reasonable, but might take a bit longer with a low hashrate. You can use the share estimate calculater on the node's page to get an estimate for when you'll show up.
0x0a is a big fan of open source and particularly FOSS / libre software. Cryptocurrency is extremely interesting to boot. Add P2Pool on top and there's a cake worth eating.
If you want to contact me for anything except spam, go right ahead!
P2Pool is awesome. For a slightly longer explanation, see the P2Pool wiki. For answers to frequently asked questions about how it works, see the FAQ.
Keep an eye on here for upcoming P2Pool Giveaways.
Contact me for questions / problems / suggestions / etc.!