CPU Mining (Simple) — Using cpuminer

This is the simplest way to start mining: you use your computer’s CPU with a lightweight miner. It’s usually not the fastest method, but it’s great for beginners and for supporting the network.

What you need:

• An Altcoin wallet address (to receive payouts).
• A CPU miner program (cpuminer)
  Warning: “miner downloads” are a common malware trap. Only download from official sources.
• (Optional) A mining pool URL (pool mining is the easiest for beginners)

Steps

Step 1 — Get an Altcoin wallet address

Download and Install the official Altcoin wallet (desktop / linux) and create a receiving address: open the wallet → Receive → generate/copy a new address. Save that wallet address.

Step 2 — Download cpuminer

A common open-source CPU miner is cpuminer-multi. Official project page (GitHub): tpruvot/cpuminer-multi and Releases: cpuminer-multi releases.
Download the correct build (Windows or Linux), then extract it to a folder like: C:\Altcoin\miners\cpuminer\ (Windows) or ~/altcoin/miners/cpuminer/ (Linux).

Step 3 — Start CPU mining (Solo)

Solo mining means mining directly against your own synced Altcoin node. This requires setup (node sync + RPC config). Check the tutorial below.

Step 4 — Start CPU mining (Pool mining template)

Pool mining is usually the simplest: you mine to a pool and receive small, steady payouts.
(We will also maintain a separate Pool page listing available Altcoin pools.)

---

CPU Solo Mining

• First thing first, Make sure you installed and run the Altcoin wallet (Linux / Windows).
  Expected behavior: the wallet opens and begins syncing (this can take time).
• Then after synced, create new wallet, go to receive tab and create new wallet, Save that wallet address.
  Info: The wallet prefix is start with ALT
• Enable RPC locally (Altcoin node config).
  You’ll edit your altcoin.conf file (location depends on OS) and add RPC settings. Use strong credentials and bind RPC to localhost only.
  Example config (safe local-only RPC):

  # Altcoin Core - example config
  
  # P2P (network)
  port=11555
  addnode=node1.altoshi.org:11555
  # addnode=185.69.52.162:11555   # optional fallback
  
  # Safer default for casual users (still connects OUTBOUND)
  listen=1
  discover=1
  dnsseed=1
  upnp=0
  
  # Logging (optional)
  logtimestamps=1
  
  # =========================
  # Solo mining/local tools ONLY
  # Uncomment/Delete # if you need local RPC.
  # =========================
  # server=1
  # rpcbind=127.0.0.1
  # rpcallowip=127.0.0.1
  # rpcport=11433
  # rpcuser=rpcusername
  # rpcpassword=CHANGE_THIS_TO_YOUR_PASSWORD
  
  # === Advanced: mining during IBD (Initial Block Download) ===
  # By default, Altcoin nodes refuse mining via getblocktemplate while they are
  # in Initial Block Download (IBD). This protects normal users from accidentally
  # mining on an incomplete or incorrect view of the chain.
  #
  # For private networks or very early-chain bootstrap (for example, when you are
  # the first node/miner on a new NG1 chain), you can override this behaviour:
  #
  # allowminingduringibd=1
  #
  # Do NOT enable this on public mainnet nodes connected to untrusted peers.
  # It is intended for controlled environments only.
        

• Run cpuminer against your local node (GBT / RPC solo mining).
  In solo mode, you mine directly against your local node via HTTP RPC and pay the coinbase reward to your address.

  ## Windows Command: 
  cpuminer.exe -a scrypt 
  -o http://127.0.0.1:11433 
  -u altminer 
  -p CHANGE_ME_TO_A_LONG_RANDOM_PASSWORD 
  --no-stratum 
  --coinbase-addr=YOUR_ALTCOIN_WALLET_ADDRESS 
  -t 4
  
  -----------
  ## Linux Command: 
  ./cpuminer -a scrypt 
  -o http://127.0.0.1:11433 
  -u altminer 
  -p CHANGE_ME_TO_A_LONG_RANDOM_PASSWORD 
  --no-stratum 
  --coinbase-addr=YOUR_ALTCOIN_WALLET_ADDRESS 
  -t 4
    

• How to tell it’s working?
  Your miner shows work accepted by the node; your node’s block height increases when you find blocks. And wallet mined rewards may appear as “immature” first, before coins are spendable (often ~100 blocks).

Important: Solo mining requires a fully synced node and RPC enabled. Never expose RPC to the internet.

Mining Pool Windows — easiest method (batch file):

• Create a file named start_cpu_mining.bat inside your cpuminer folder.
• Paste this template and edit the values:

  @echo off
  REM ====== EDIT THESE VALUES ======
  set POOL=stratum+tcp://POOL_HOST:POOL_PORT
  set USER=YOUR_ALTCOIN_WALLET_ADDRESS
  set PASS=x
  set THREADS=4
  
  REM ====== RUN CPU MINER ======
  cpuminer.exe -a scrypt -o %POOL% -u %USER% -p %PASS% -t %THREADS%
  
  pause
        

• Double-click the file to start mining.
  Expected behavior: a console window opens, shows your hashrate, and you should eventually see “accepted” shares if the pool is working.

Mining Pool Linux / Ubuntu — terminal template:

./cpuminer -a scrypt -o stratum+tcp://POOL_HOST:POOL_PORT -u YOUR_ALTCOIN_WALLET_ADDRESS -p x -t 4
  

Expected behavior: the miner prints startup info, then ongoing hashrate output; pools accept shares periodically.

Performance & safety tips (read this before you cook your CPU)

• Heat: Mining runs your CPU hard. Ensure good airflow and clean fans.
• Threads: Use -t to limit CPU usage. Start with -t 2 or -t 4 and adjust.
• Laptop warning: Mining on laptops can cause overheating and battery wear. Use caution.
• Electricity: Your power bill may exceed your rewards.
• Security: Never open RPC to the internet. Keep it local-only (127.0.0.1)

Troubleshooting (common problems)

• “Connection refused” (pool or node)
  • - Double-check the pool URL/port or the node RPC port.
  • - Make sure your wallet/node is running
  • - If solo mining, confirm RPC is enabled and bound to localhost
• “HTTP 401 Unauthorized” (solo mining)
  • - Your RPC username/password is wrong
  • - Confirm the credentials exactly match your altcoin.conf
• “Node is syncing / initial download”
  • - Wait for your node to fully sync before solo mining.
  • - Check your internet connection and peer connectivity.
  • - Anti-virus deletes the miner
• Only download from official GitHub repos.
• Add an exclusion only if you understand the risk and trust the source.
• Never download “random prebuilt miners” from unknown sites.

FAQ

• Can I mine with GPU?
  • - Some Scrypt-compatible GPU/ASIC miners exist in the wider ecosystem.
    This page focuses on beginner-friendly CPU mining. Check our guide for GPU mining

• Where do my rewards go?
  • - Rewards are paid to the wallet address you provide (pool username or --coinbase-addr for solo). Always double-check your address before starting.

• How do I stop mining?
  • - Close the miner window or press Ctrl + C in the terminal/console.

This guide is provided for educational purposes. Mining involves costs and risks (hardware wear, heat, electricity use). Always download software from official sources and keep your node’s RPC access private.