How can I start mining Bitcoin? Ok. I don't care if I make only a small amount of bitcoins mining. I want to mine.

How do I setup my machine (amd x64 4.6Ghz 6GB/RAM with GeForce Nvidia 7300, LinuxMint 10) to start mining?

Is it damn simple, or it's a damn-high-geek-setup?

Can I set up to use both CPU and GPU?

How much should I expect in this simple system per month with my machine on all time?
Please check this question first:
How much Bitcoin will I mine right now with hardware X?

Before you go through all this work, it is important to know what to expect from your hardware.



There are two options: solo mining or pool mining. Unless you have a lot of computing power (several ASICs), you should probably mine at a pool.

So the first thing to do is to sign up at a bitcoin pool. The stickies in this bitcointalk section have links for the top 10 pools. The main differences between them are the payout models and the fees. If you just want to try things out, choose one of the most popular pools like Deepbit or BTC Guild. You can then try others, according to your needs.

Now you need to install a miner. It has a simple interface, a drop down menu with a list of pre-configured pools and it is not difficult to setup.

After you install the miner, you need to point it towards your pool. So select device you want to mine with (probably your FPGA/ASIC), enter the pool URL (if you don't know what it is, check the FAQ/help section of your pool's website) and your username/password.

That's it. You can now see your progress at the pool's website.

Useful links:


What is a Mining Pool, what is it good for?
Is CPU mining even worth it?
What is a good mining pool/payout model for infrequent mining?




In your specific case, you have no ASICs or FPGAs, so you will earn less than a penny of Bitcoin.