<p>Warning: doing what is described below will not gain you any coins at all with exceedingly high probability, and just burn electricity (see other answer).</p>

<p>Bitcoin Core still has a built-in miner. It is not efficient, not optimized, does not use any special hardware (like special CPU instructions, GPUs, FPGAs, or ASICs), and is only useful for testing on test chains.</p>

<p>You can enable it by issuing the RPC command <code>setgenerate true</code>, and disable it with <code>setgenerate false</code>. These commands can be issued in the debug console in Bitcoin-Qt, or using an RPC client (like <code>bitcoin-cli</code>) to send it to a running <code>bitcoind</code> instance.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-09-04T16:00:00.777Z
Update: [The `setgenerate` RPC command for mining was removed in version 0.13.0](https://bitcoin.org/en/release/v0.13.0#removal-of-internal-miner)
RedGrittyBrick
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-04T22:13:57.277Z
The solution don't work in the new version
Mine
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-06T13:37:53.620Z
2016-02-06T13:37:53.620Z
Pieter Wuille
<p>You do understand that mining using a CPU is pretty much pointless? Please dig around on the wiki address provided by Nick for the specifics. Short version - it takes lots of dedicated GPU cards or specialized hardware to mine any measurable quantity. I've been running a Xeon workstation with a Radeon GPU for almost a month non stop and a) have yet to create more that a tenth of a bitcoin and b) have dramatically seen my electrical bill increase.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-09T22:43:53.313Z
2013-04-09T22:43:53.313Z
foobar
<p>I have done the whole synchronization and now it should be mining bitcoins from what I understand but I don't see anything showing that it is actually mining for bitcoins nor any activity from my cpu… Is this normal ?</p>

<p>Do I need to enter a command to start the mining process or is the process done automatically without having to do anything ?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-09T00:11:09.127Z
Are you sure you told it to mine? It defaults off in Bitcoin-Qt, and it's pretty difficult to enable.
Nick ODell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-09T00:18:30.537Z
Really ? I did not know this.. Why don't they say this on bitcoin.org ?? Are you sure ?
Vincent
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-09T00:23:33.687Z
Anyone as anathor theory or is this true ?
Vincent
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-09T00:42:33.353Z
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/FAQ#Why_was_the_.22Generate_coin.22_option_of_the_client_software_removed.3F
Nick ODell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-09T01:02:26.807Z
ok thank you that helped! I am still very new to bitcoins and that is why I have asked...
Vincent
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-09T01:03:09.217Z
I guess that I have missed to mining days. oh well. If anyone feels sorry feel free to send me a gift...
Vincent
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-09T08:22:37.697Z
@Vincent they can't send you a gift if you don't publish an address... ;)
o0'.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-09T17:17:38.243Z
@Lohoris He put one, I flagged it as off-topic.
Nick ODell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-10T10:35:09.517Z
possible duplicate of [How can I start mining Bitcoin?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/1433/how-can-i-start-mining-bitcoin)
Stephen Gornick
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-13T11:04:23.210Z
`bitcoin-cli -rpcconnect=127.0.0.1 generate 1`
ton
<bitcoin-core><miner-configuration><cpu-mining>
How to activate the mining process in the standard bitcoin client?
Vincent
# How to activate the mining process in the standard bitcoin client?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-04-09)

I have done the whole synchronization and now it should be mining bitcoins from what I understand but I don't see anything showing that it is actually mining for bitcoins nor any activity from my cpu… Is this normal ?

Do I need to enter a command to start the mining process or is the process done automatically without having to do anything ?

**Tags:** bitcoin-core, miner-configuration, cpu-mining

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Are you sure you told it to mine? It defaults off in Bitcoin-Qt, and it's pretty difficult to enable.  
> **username_0**: Really ? I did not know this.. Why don't they say this on bitcoin.org ?? Are you sure ?  
> **username_0**: Anyone as anathor theory or is this true ?  
> **username_1**: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/FAQ#Why_was_the_.22Generate_coin.22_option_of_the_client_software_removed.3F  
> **username_0**: ok thank you that helped! I am still very new to bitcoins and that is why I have asked...  
> **username_0**: I guess that I have missed to mining days. oh well. If anyone feels sorry feel free to send me a gift...  
> **username_2**: @username_0 they can't send you a gift if you don't publish an address... ;)  
> **username_1**: @Lohoris He put one, I flagged it as off-topic.  
> **username_3**: possible duplicate of [How can I start mining Bitcoin?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/1433/how-can-i-start-mining-bitcoin)  
> **username_4**: `bitcoin-cli -rpcconnect=127.0.0.1 generate 1`  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2016-02-06. Score: 5

Warning: doing what is described below will not gain you any coins at all with exceedingly high probability, and just burn electricity (see other answer).

Bitcoin Core still has a built-in miner. It is not efficient, not optimized, does not use any special hardware (like special CPU instructions, GPUs, FPGAs, or ASICs), and is only useful for testing on test chains.

You can enable it by issuing the RPC command `setgenerate true`, and disable it with `setgenerate false`. These commands can be issued in the debug console in Bitcoin-Qt, or using an RPC client (like `bitcoin-cli`) to send it to a running `bitcoind` instance.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: Update: [The `setgenerate` RPC command for mining was removed in version 0.13.0](https://bitcoin.org/en/release/v0.13.0#removal-of-internal-miner)  
> **username_7**: The solution don't work in the new version  

---

### Answer by username_8 on 2013-04-09. Score: 1

You do understand that mining using a CPU is pretty much pointless? Please dig around on the wiki address provided by Nick for the specifics. Short version - it takes lots of dedicated GPU cards or specialized hardware to mine any measurable quantity. I've been running a Xeon workstation with a Radeon GPU for almost a month non stop and a) have yet to create more that a tenth of a bitcoin and b) have dramatically seen my electrical bill increase.


---

