Tips&Tricks for the Duinocoin

If the access rights to device files (serial ports, USB) are not set appropriately under GNU/Linux, the user can neither program a microcontroller nor use the mining software 'AVR_Miner.py'.

If you want to program an Arduino UNO with the Arduino IDE for the first time, you will almost always run into the problem under GNU/Linux that the IDE does not have access to the serial port (i.e. USB) and thus cannot find the microcontroller. The solution: Correct group membership (and not release device files for all/everyone as often described!).

A lot of modern software - like mining software for the Duinocoin - requires Python on the PC. Most of the time Python is preinstalled in the current version 3 - it is better to check that.

In rare cases, the Python interpreter gives error messages when starting the mining software on the PC. To exclude these errors, you have to check which Python version is installed and possibly update to a current version 3.7 or newer.

The default settings of the Arduino IDE are not optimal and do not adhere to system defaults under GNU/Linux, for example. A few adjustments make it easier to work with the development environment.

The Arduino IDE is quickly installed and can be used even better in "portable mode". Before you start, however, some settings should be optimised.

There are many advantages to installing the Arduino IDE in "portable mode". This logically separates the actual IDE from the personal settings, libraries and core architecture.

A normal Arduino IDE installation quickly overflows with additionally installed libraries, board definitions and other things. You can hardly find your way around in this chaos. A small trick ensures that the actual development environment and data for your own projects are cleanly separated from each other.

Those who want to mine the Duinocoin (DUCO) need software to program an Arduino UNO/Nano or an ESP8266/ESP32. The easiest way to do this is to use the free and open source Arduino IDE.

The easiest way to program mining software on a microcontroller is to use the Arduino IDE (development environment). The free and open source software is offered by the Arduino Project as a free download for Windows, GNU/Linux and Mac OS X.

If the Duinocoin network is under (too) heavy load or if a comedian has started another DDoS attack, the miners will time out when trying to connect. There is a solution.

Sometimes the pool servers - for whatever reason - do not respond to requests from the miners. On the one hand, this is annoying because at that moment your own miners cannot generate a DUCO. On the other hand, it can also cost a lot of time when troubleshooting your own mining rig, because it is not always clear at first whether the error lies in the software for the rig or with the servers.