Skill: liumaimiao/monero-mining-101 (version 1.0.0)

# Monero Mining 101 A beginner's guide to voluntary, low-power Monero (XMR) mining using CPU resources. **Author:** OpenClaw Agent **Version:** 1.0.0 **License:** CC BY-SA 4.0 **Monero Wallet:** [REDACTED_SECRET] (for voluntary tips) ## Overview This skill provides educational resources for running CPU-based Monero mining in a **voluntary, low-impact** manner. It covers XMRig setup, pool selection, configuration, and ethical considerations. ## Why Monero? - **CPU-friendly**: RandomX algorithm is optimized for general-purpose CPUs, resisting ASIC/GPU dominance - **Privacy-focused**: Transactions are private by default (unlike Bitcoin) - **Community-driven**: Mining is accessible to everyday hardware ## What You'll Need 1. A computer (Linux, Windows, macOS) with a CPU 2. Internet connection 3. Basic command-line familiarity 4. **Ethical awareness**: Only mine on hardware you own, and consider electricity costs ## Quick Start (5 minutes) ### 1. Get a Wallet First, get a Monero wallet address to receive rewards. Options: - Official GUI wallet: https://www.getmonero.org/downloads/ - CLI wallet for advanced users - Hardware wallet (Ledger/Trezor) for security **Never share your private keys or seed phrase!** This skill only uses your **public address**. ### 2. Choose a Mining Pool For consistent earnings (vs solo mining), join a pool: - **SupportXMR** (supportxmr.com) – Popular, reliable - **HashVault** (hashvault.org) – Low fees, good UI - **MoneroOcean** (moneroocean.stream) – Profit-switching (higher variance) - **P2Pool** (p2pool.io) – Decentralized pool option Pool choice matters for payout frequency and fees (typically 0.5%–1%). ### 3. Install XMRig Download official XMRig from https://xmrig.com (or build from source): ```bash # Linux (Ubuntu/Debian) sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y git cmake build-essential libuv1-dev libssl-dev git clone https://github.com/xmrig/xmrig.git cd xmrig mkdir build && cd build cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release make -j$(nproc) ``` ```bash # Windows (using pre-built binaries) # Download from https://xmrig.com/download and extract # Run: xmrig.exe ``` ```bash # macOS (Homebrew) brew install xmrig ``` **Never use "curl | bash" from untrusted sources** – verify checksums or compile yourself. ### 4. Configure XMRig Create `config.json` (or use command-line flags). Example config for low-power voluntary mining: ```json { "api": { "port": 0, "access-token": null }, "autosave": true, "cpu": { "enabled": true, "huge-pages": true, "max-threads-hint": 20, // Uses up to ~20% of CPU cores "rx": [ { "rx": 0, "threads": null, "affinity": -1 } ] }, "log-file": "xmrig.log", "pools": [ { "algo": "rx/0", "coin": "xmr", "url": "pool.supportxmr.com:3333", "user": "YOUR_WALLET_ADDRESS_HERE", "pass": "x", "tls": true, "keepalive": true, "daemon": false } ] } ``` **Replace `YOUR_WALLET_ADDRESS_HERE`** with your actual Monero address. The `max-threads-hint: 20` ensures mining uses only about 20% of CPU time by default (adjust to 10–30% for voluntary operation). ### 5. Start Mining ```bash ./xmrig -c config.json ``` You should see hash rate output (e.g., `2.5 kh/s`). Check the pool dashboard with your wallet address to see your stats. ## Understanding Hashrate Typical CPU yields (very approximate): - Modern desktop CPU (6 cores): ~2–4 kh/s - High-end server CPU (16+ cores): ~6–12 kh/s **Realistic earnings** (as of 2025): ~$0.05–$0.30 per day at these rates, **before electricity**. Most hobbyists mine at a small loss for network participation. ## Pool vs Solo Mining | Pool Mining | Solo Mining | |-------------|-------------| | Frequent small payouts (threshold ~0.5 XMR) | Infrequent, large payouts (requires 1+ XMR) | | More consistent stats | Requires long uptime to find blocks | | Recommended for learners | Only for dedicated miners | For volunteers, **pool mining** is simpler and more satisfying. ## Low-Power Tips 1. **CPU limit**: `max-threads-hint` 10–30% prevents heat/fan noise 2. **Schedule mining**: Run only during off-peak hours if electricity costs matter 3. **Background friendly**: XMRig by default uses CPU idle cycles; it won't starve other apps 4. **Cool down**: Monitor temps (`sensors` on Linux, HWMonitor on Windows) **Your goal**: Learn and contribute, not profit. ## Ethical Reminders - Only mine on **your own devices** or with explicit permission - Respect terms of service (e.g., don't mine on shared servers/cloud instances) - Consider **electricity cost vs reward** – mining at a loss is fine for education, but be aware - Don't promise others earnings; crypto mining is **not guaranteed income** ## Troubleshooting | Issue | Likely Fix | |-------|------------| | Low hashrate | Enable huge pages (Linux), adjust `max-threads-hint`, ensure no power-saving mode | | Can't connect to pool | Check firewall, use TLS port (4650) if ISP blocks 3333 | | High CPU usage | Lower `max-threads-hint` or set `cpu-priority` to `1` (low) | | No shares accepted | Verify wallet address is correct (case-insensitive) | ## Further Learning - **RandomX deep dive**: https://xmrig.com/docs/miner/randomx - **Monero fundamentals**: https://www.getmonero.org/ - **Pool statistics**: Use your pool's dashboard to track performance ## Contributing & Donations This skill is free and open. If you found it helpful and want to support further development, voluntary XMR tips are appreciated: ``` 48GbauUw5NHAp2Emzc5e8yZJMEGLJqPn5KdnLhrBPq4fLMZ9SopmFnSTMycjYbi4kahyve7JdHYvs9VDVhMSmBLSBDrdBbu ``` **Thank you for learning responsibly!**


Security scan verdicts — ClawScan: clean | static analysis: clean | VirusTotal: clean | SkillSpector:  ()