This tutorial will show you how to set up Linux on a Nvidia GPU-powered mining computer. We will also set up SSH to allow us to control the computer from another machine. SSH is the best way to set up your mining computer. This is because you can control them all from one main desktop or laptop connected to the same network. This means that you don’t need to connect an additional keyboard, mouse, and monitor to all your mining computers. This article is intended to help you install the Nvidia drivers and configure the GPU’s so that you can control the fan speed.
Linux Distribution
We don’t need a GUI to access our mining computer because we are using an SSH setup. Ubuntu Server is my Linux distribution.
As of this writing (4/14/2018), we are just 12 days away from Ubuntu 18.04 LTS’s release. The LTS version allows for updates for approximately five years after its release date. We want the LTS version Ubuntu server. We will be downloading drivers from their package repository, so we want the long-term update version. Non-LTS versions do not provide updates for nine month, so we would need to reinstall the OS or update it every nine months instead of five years. The LTS version allows you to easily update from one LTS version of the OS to the next LTS version without having to reinstall the OS.
If you read this before 4/26/2018, make sure to download the 16.04 LTS edition. Otherwise, download the 18.04 LTS. Since this is the future Ubuntu server OS, I will be using 18.04 beta. I also need to write this article about Ubuntu 18.04. I do not recommend using the beta version of 18.04 for your mining computer. It is better to wait until the official Ubuntu 18.04 server has been released. I am only using the beta version to write the tutorial for Ubuntu 18.04, not the older Ubuntu 16.04.
Create the Bootable Drive
Once you have downloaded the ISO file, you will need to burn it to a DVD or USB drive and make it bootable. I prefer to save it to a USB drive so I will show you how to do this. To create my bootable USB drives, I use Rufus. Rufus is only compatible with Windows. Download Rufus and then plug it in to the USB drive that you want to create the bootable ISO files.
Run the rufus file and you will see something similar to this. The red arrow denotes the USB drive to which you want to save the Linux ISO file.
Notification: Any USB drive that you make bootable will lose its data. Make sure it is empty before proceeding. You must not select your hard disk. Otherwise, it will erase any data on your computer. Make sure that you select a USB drive, not your Windows hard disk. This is why I have a separate USB stick that I use only for this purpose.
The blue arrow indicates which partition scheme you would like for your mining computer. I use the “GPT partition scheme to UEFI” selection most often. This partition scheme requires a motherboard that supports UEFI. You will need to verify your motherboard’s specifications. If you do not have the first choice, use the “MBR partition plan for BIOS” or “UEFI”.
Next, click the first box in the image (the one with the dvd-image on the hard drive) and then select the ISO file.
The name of the USB stick is indicated by the green arrow. I used the default name. After you are sure that all settings have been completed correctly, click on the start button. Depending on the speed of your USB drive and the size the ISO file, this can take several minutes to an hour.
Install the Linux OS
Once the process is complete, you will need to install Linux OS on your mining machine. This process is quite simple and will vary depending on each individual’s hardware. I won’t go into detail. However, I will give you a quick overview of how I installed Linux OS.
To install the Linux OS, you will need a keyboard and mouse as well as a monitor to connect to the mining computer.
I first booted the computer and then went into the BIOS. I changed the priority of the computer to boot from the USB. I saved the BIOS and exited it. I then rebooted my machine with the bootable Linux USB stick inserted.
Then I followed the instructions for installation.
Upgrading the Linux OS
After you have successfully installed Linux, log in to the username you created during installation. The first step in updating the system is to do so. This can be done by using:
Next, install the SSH Server. It was already installed on my computer, but it is still necessary to install it. Next, we need information about our network. This information is needed to connect to the mining machine using SSH and to set up a static IP address. These are the network settings that we need:
Local IP Address
Netmask CIDR Gateway Interface. Type:
The Local IP address is an ip address that begins with 192.168. In the example above, it is 192.168.1.71
The netmask is the netmask that is located on the same row with the local IP address. It is 255.255.255.0 in the example.
Type: The gateway is an address that is not 0.0.0.0 as in the example above. It is 192.168.1.254
The interface is Iface, which is on the same row with the gateway. It is enp1s0 in the example above.
Now we need to calculate your netmask address’s CIDR. This command will calculate the CIDR for your netmask address. A number should be between 24-30. In the example above, I get 24. This will allow you to finish the tutorial using the SSH feature. Now you can unplug your monitor, keyboard and mouse from the mining computer.
SSH using Windows
Connect to the mining computer via SSH using Windows. An SSH client will already be installed if your main computer runs on Linux or Mac. You will need to download putty if your main computer runs Windows. I prefer the non-installing file so I scroll down to other binary files and download putty.exe
Once you have downloaded putty, open the file. You should see something similar to this. You only need to enter your IP address and then press the open button.