Miner Guide

FAQ — Miners

Getting Started

Q: What do I need to start mining?

A: A computer (Linux, macOS, or Windows via WSL), internet connection, and a GitHub/Google account. No special hardware required—start with what you have.

Q: Is mining free?

A: Free to join and mine. No subscription fees. You only get paid when jobs complete.

Q: How much can I earn?

A: Depends on your hardware and uptime. Typical earnings:

  • Minimal setup (2 cores, 4GB RAM): $1–5/month
  • Standard setup (8 cores, 16GB RAM): $10–50/month
  • High-end setup (16+ cores, GPU): $100–500/month

Q: How long does it take to earn my first dollar?

A: Usually within hours. Once you’re online, jobs start coming in. Your first payment might be $0.05–$0.10 per job.

Q: Can I mine on Windows?

A: Windows support is coming. For now, use WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) or dual-boot Linux.

Earnings & Payments

Q: How are earnings calculated?

A: Earnings = (Execution Time in Seconds) × (Your Hourly Rate)

Example: 5-second task at $12/hour = $0.0167

Q: Can I set my own rate?

A: Yes. Set it in your dashboard. Higher rates attract fewer jobs but pay more per job. Most miners charge $10–$20/hour.

Q: When do I get paid?

A: Immediately after a job completes and is verified. No delay, no escrow.

Q: What if a job fails?

A: You’re paid for the work that was executed. If a miner’s execution takes 3 seconds before failing, you’re paid for 3 seconds.

Q: How do I withdraw my earnings?

A: Via bank transfer or crypto wallet. Go to Settings and add your account. Withdrawals settle in 1–2 business days.

Q: Is there a minimum withdrawal?

A: No. You can withdraw any amount, anytime.

Q: Are taxes my responsibility?

A: Yes. Earnings are taxable income. Keep records of all earnings and expenses.

Q: Can I get an invoice or tax summary?

A: Yes. Dashboard shows earnings history. Download for your records.

Jobs & Execution

Q: What kind of jobs will I see?

A: Mainly:

  • Code generation (write functions, APIs, etc.)
  • Data processing (transform, analyze data)
  • ML inference (run models)
  • Document processing (summarize, translate)

Q: Will jobs use my internet connection?

A: No. Jobs run in a sandbox with no network access.

Q: Can jobs access my files?

A: No. Jobs only see a temporary work directory. No access to home, system files, etc.

Q: What if a job tries to do something malicious?

A: It’ll fail safely. Sandbox prevents:

  • Filesystem access
  • Network access
  • Privilege escalation
  • Breaking out of the sandbox

Q: Can a job steal my data?

A: No. Jobs are network-isolated. See Security & Safety.

Q: How long do jobs typically run?

A: Most jobs: 1–10 seconds. Some might take up to a few minutes.

Q: What if a job is taking too long?

A: It’ll timeout after the developer’s specified timeout. You’re paid for the work completed.

Troubleshooting

Q: My daemon won’t start. What’s wrong?

A: Check:

swarmient-daemon health-check

Common issues:

  • Keyfile not found → Verify keyfile path
  • Port in use → Different port
  • Network down → Check internet
  • Permission denied → Run with sudo or fix permissions

Q: Daemon is running but no jobs come in.

A: Check:

swarmient-daemon status

Possible causes:

  • Insufficient resources → Advertise fewer cores/memory
  • Rate too high → Reduce rate
  • Low reputation → Build trust with more successful jobs
  • Network issues → Check connectivity

Q: Jobs are timing out frequently.

A: Increase timeout multiplier:

{
  "execution": {
    "timeout_multiplier": 1.5
  }
}

Or:

  • Use faster hardware
  • Reduce concurrent tasks
  • Check system load (stop other apps)

Q: Daemon uses too much memory.

A: Reduce concurrent tasks:

swarmient-daemon start --max-concurrent 1

Or:

  • Check for memory leaks
  • Update to latest version

Q: “Cannot connect to control plane” error.

A: Check:

curl https://api.swarmient.com/health

If it fails:

  • Check internet
  • Check firewall
  • Contact Swarmient support

Q: Disk space running low.

A: Move data directory:

swarmient-daemon start --data-dir /path/to/larger/disk

Or:

  • Delete old job cache
  • Upgrade disk

Q: CPU temperature is high.

A:

  • Improve ventilation
  • Increase fan speed
  • Reduce concurrent tasks
  • Stop overclocking

Support & Community

Q: How do I get help?

A:

Q: Can I contribute feedback?

A: Absolutely! Join our Discord or email feedback@swarmient.com.

Q: Is there a testnet?

A: Not yet. All jobs are on mainnet. Start small to get comfortable.

Q: Can I request features?

A: Yes. Post in our Discord or email features@swarmient.com.

More Questions?