How do I generate coins on testnet? CPU, GPU, FPGA? Are there pools?

Question

Is it possible to mine coins on testnet using CPU? GPU? How about FPGAs?

Are there any pools running on testnet?

The reason I am looking for this is so I can master the new API's relating to AddMultiSigAddress

Or if anyone wants to help me get started on test net I'd appreciate some coins at the address mpBRZUHqehzvCRNW4ooaiHYL2ZKz2FWuvp — makerofthings7, Dec 13 '12 at 22:30
If testnet coins are this difficult to get, what's the chance people start throwing in some real money to speed along the process? — Kinnard Hockenhull, Dec 14 '12 at 03:01
@KinnardHockenhull From what I've read, testnet coins are easy to come by, and people have extras and historically just freely traded them. I don't think they are difficult to get per-se, I just don't know how to get started. — makerofthings7, Dec 14 '12 at 03:14
Get free testnet coins here: http://tpfaucet.appspot.com/ or http://testnet.mojocoin.com/ — Kozuch, Nov 17 '13 at 20:16

score 7 · Accepted Answer · answered Dec 14 '12 at 04:48

7

Testnet is designed to test Bitcoin software - including parts that have to do with finding blocks. As such, it should be easy for developers to generate testnet coins.

Because of this, it will be easy to solo mine on a CPU to generate them, and you should not use anything heavier than that because you would ruin it for everyone else.

It is also not designed to test pools, by the way. If you need a pool for whatever you're doing you can do that (but don't bring too much hashpower to it), but if it's the pool itself you're testing, do it on the main net.

answered Dec 14 '12 at 04:48

Meni Rosenfeld

19,700
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Understood... I will only CPU mine on testnet. To do this, all I need to do is edit my local bit coin.conf to gen=1 for coins? – makerofthings7 Dec 14 '12 at 04:50
@makerofthings7: I think so. I haven't used testnet myself, or seriously tried to CPU mine. – Meni Rosenfeld Dec 14 '12 at 04:51
I'll launch it now on OSX and see what happens in the morning. I'll post the results as well... – makerofthings7 Dec 14 '12 at 04:52
@makerofthings7 How'd it work out? – Kinnard Hockenhull Dec 17 '12 at 07:38
1

@KinnardHockenhull I have gen=1 on a fast Macbook Retina running for the past 48 hours... nothing. 8 CPUs. I may have to use my FPGA or weak Nvida card. Any recommendations? on software? – makerofthings7 Dec 17 '12 at 11:33
Unfortunately, this answer is no longer true. The testnet difficulty is currently around 4 million, and a typical CPU would take many months to mine a block. – Nate Eldredge Feb 25 '19 at 03:38

Jine · Answer 2 · 2012-12-18T23:56:20.780

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If anyone need a few testnet coins, drop me an e-mail at [email protected] with an address and we'll work it out. I have a "few" as a result of poolserver-software development and testing.

@makerofthings7: 100 coins sent to you, txid: 1227db61fd3f82bde11303632e3d01ec6b386bff0cf37979736385b5a9ec6960

edited Dec 18 '12 at 23:56

answered Dec 18 '12 at 23:50

Jine

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I could also use few testnet coins - the address is mgQCSPNP6vsdQBYmnx9hk7AZXpUA6tck6j. Thanks in advance! – Kozuch Nov 17 '13 at 18:35
Can anyone spare some test coins to me: mv3kpEMEuBqN2brSAPGyzBU8VMrY5epr7D – jan Jan 14 '14 at 16:46
Jan, I've sent you 10 TBTC – Robert-Reinder Nederhoed Apr 18 '14 at 12:18
mwgrobBLrCootoX9vh4oZFYKGNsocFwGEb Many Thanks! – Jan 21 '15 at 17:22

How do I generate coins on testnet? CPU, GPU, FPGA? Are there pools?

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