-
@ Girino Vey!
2025-03-08 23:07:57
Recently, I found an old **Sapphire Block Erupter USB** at home that I used for Bitcoin mining back in 2013. Out of curiosity and nostalgia, I decided to try getting it to work again. I spent an entire afternoon configuring the device and, after much trial and error, discovered that I needed an older version of **CGMiner** to make it work.
The **Sapphire Block Erupter USB** was one of the first ASIC devices designed for Bitcoin mining. Although obsolete for competitive mining, it can still be used for learning, nostalgia, or experimentation. In this post, I’ll show you how to run a **Block Erupter USB** on Linux today.
## 1. Prerequisites
Before you start, make sure you have:
- A **Sapphire Block Erupter USB**
- A powered USB hub (optional but recommended)
- A computer running **Linux** (Ubuntu, Debian, or another compatible distribution)
- A mining pool account (e.g., Slush Pool, KanoPool, etc.)
## 2. Installing Dependencies
Before running the miner, install some dependencies:
```bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y git build-essential autoconf automake libtool pkg-config libusb-1.0-0-dev
```
## 3. Determining the Compatible Version of CGMiner
To find the correct **CGMiner** version that still supports Block Erupter USB, I performed a **binary search** across different versions, testing each one until I found the last one that properly recognized the device. The result was that **version 3.4.3** is the most recent one that still supports Block Erupters. However, different versions of these devices may require different CGMiner versions.
## 4. Downloading and Compiling CGMiner
**CGMiner** is one of the software options compatible with Block Erupters. You can download the correct version from two trusted sources:
- From the official repository: [CGMiner v3.4.3 on GitHub](https://github.com/ckolivas/cgminer/archive/refs/tags/v3.4.3.tar.gz)
- Alternatively, from this mirror: [CGMiner v3.4.3 on Haven](https://haven.girino.org/3b44da12e5f24f603eeeefdaa2c573bd566c5c50c9d62946f198e611cd55876b.tgz)
To ensure file integrity, verify the **SHA-256 hash**:
```
3b44da12e5f24f603eeeefdaa2c573bd566c5c50c9d62946f198e611cd55876b
```
Now, download and extract it:
```bash
wget https://github.com/ckolivas/cgminer/archive/refs/tags/v3.4.3.tar.gz
# Or, alternatively:
wget https://haven.girino.org/3b44da12e5f24f603eeeefdaa2c573bd566c5c50c9d62946f198e611cd55876b.tgz
sha256sum v3.4.3.tar.gz # Confirm that the hash matches
# Extract the file
tar -xvf v3.4.3.tar.gz
cd cgminer-3.4.3
# Compile CGMiner
./autogen.sh --enable-icarus
make -j$(nproc)
# Install on the system (optional)
sudo make install
```
## 5. Connecting the Block Erupter USB
Plug the device into a USB port and check if it is recognized:
```bash
dmesg | grep USB
lsusb
```
You should see something like:
```
Bus 003 Device 004: ID 10c4:ea60 Cygnal Integrated Products, Inc. CP2102 USB to UART Bridge Controller
```
If needed, adjust the USB device permissions:
```bash
sudo chmod 666 /dev/ttyUSB0
```
## 6. Configuring and Running CGMiner
Now, run **CGMiner**, pointing it to your mining pool:
```bash
./cgminer -o stratum+tcp://your.pool.com:3333 -u yourUsername -p yourPassword
```
If the miner detects the Block Erupter correctly, you should see something like:
```
[2025-03-08 22:26:45] Started cgminer 3.4.3
[2025-03-08 22:26:45] No devices detected!
[2025-03-08 22:26:45] Waiting for USB hotplug devices or press q to quit
[2025-03-08 22:26:45] Probing for an alive pool
[2025-03-08 22:26:46] Pool 0 difficulty changed to 65536
[2025-03-08 22:26:46] Network diff set to 111T
[2025-03-08 22:26:46] Stratum from pool 0 detected new block
[2025-03-08 22:27:02] Hotplug: Icarus added AMU 0
```
## Conclusion
Although no longer viable for real mining, the **Sapphire Block Erupter USB** is still great for learning about ASICs, testing mining pools, and understanding Bitcoin mining. If you enjoy working with old hardware and have one lying around, it’s worth experimenting with!
If you have any questions or want to share your experience, leave a comment below!