Common Issues

Common Issues

Troubleshooting guide for MacMetal Miner.

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Connection Issues

"Connect failed" or "Connection refused"

Causes:

• Pool server is down
• Wrong server/port
• Firewall blocking connection
• No internet

Solutions:

1. Verify server and port:

   Server: public-pool.io
   Port: 21496
   

2. Test connection in Terminal:

   nc -zv public-pool.io 21496

3. Try a different pool

4. Check firewall (System Settings → Network → Firewall)

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"Authorization failed" / {"result":false}

Causes:

• Pool requires registration
• Invalid Bitcoin address format
• Wrong worker name format

Solutions:

1. Use a pool that doesn't require registration:

   • public-pool.io:21496
   • solo.ckpool.org:3333

2. Verify your Bitcoin address is valid (starts with bc1q, 1, or 3)

3. Try a simple worker name (letters and numbers only)

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Frequent Disconnections

Causes:

• Unstable internet
• Pool overloaded
• Timeout settings

Solutions:

1. Use a regional pool server closer to you

2. Check your internet stability:

   ping public-pool.io

3. Try a different pool

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Performance Issues

Hashrate Lower Than Expected

Causes:

• Thermal throttling
• Running on battery
• Other GPU-intensive apps
• Background processes

Solutions:

1. Plug in your Mac - Battery mode limits performance

2. Improve cooling:

   • Use in a cool room
   • Elevate laptop for airflow
   • Consider a cooling pad

3. Close other apps - Especially browsers, games, video editors

4. Check Activity Monitor - Look for high GPU usage from other apps

5. Reset SMC (Intel Macs) or restart (Apple Silicon)

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Hashrate Fluctuates Wildly

Normal! Hashrate is calculated from shares found, which is probabilistic. It will stabilize over time.

If using very high pool difficulty, you'll see more variance.

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Mac Gets Very Hot

Normal for mining. Your Mac is designed to handle sustained loads.

To reduce heat:

• Mine in a cool environment
• Elevate the laptop
• Reduce mining time
• Use a cooling pad

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Share Issues

No Shares Being Found

Causes:

• Pool difficulty too high
• GPU not working correctly
• Incorrect configuration

Solutions:

1. Verify GPU with test mode:

   ./MacMetalCLI --test

2. Check pool difficulty - Should be < 1 for consumer hardware

3. Wait longer - At high difficulty, shares take time

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High Rejection Rate

Causes:

• Stale shares (new block arrived)
• Clock out of sync
• Network latency

Solutions:

1. Sync your clock:

   sudo sntp -sS time.apple.com

2. Use a closer pool server (regional servers)

3. Some rejections are normal - under 5% is fine

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"Stale Share"

A share was submitted after the pool moved to a new block. This is normal and unavoidable - blocks change every ~10 minutes.

High stale rate?

• Use a faster internet connection
• Connect to a closer pool server

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Application Issues

App Won't Launch

Solutions:

1. First launch: Right-click → Open (bypasses Gatekeeper)

2. Allow in Security settings:

   • System Settings → Privacy & Security
   • Click "Open Anyway"

3. Rebuild from source:

   ./BUILD.command

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App Crashes

Solutions:

1. Check crash log:

   • Open Console.app
   • Look for MacMetal crashes

2. Rebuild:

   ./BUILD.command

3. Reset settings:

   defaults delete com.dlt.macmetalminer

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Keychain Access Denied

If you clicked "Deny" on the Keychain prompt:

• App still works, but won't save your address
• To reset: Delete keychain entry in Keychain Access.app
• Search for "com.dlt.macmetalminer" and delete it

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Ayedex Pool Issues

"Failed to connect to Bitcoin Core"

Solutions:

1. Ensure Bitcoin Core is running

2. Check RPC credentials match:

   # ~/Library/Application Support/Bitcoin/bitcoin.conf
   rpcuser=ayedex
   rpcpassword=YourPassword

3. Verify Bitcoin Core is synced:

   bitcoin-cli getblockchaininfo | grep verificationprogress

   Should show 1.0

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"getblocktemplate failed"

Bitcoin Core isn't fully synced. Wait for sync to complete (check Bitcoin Core GUI or bitcoin-cli getblockchaininfo).

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Still Having Issues?

1. Check the logs - Activity Log shows detailed information
2. Run test mode - ./MacMetalCLI --test to verify GPU
3. Try a different pool - Eliminates pool-specific issues
4. Rebuild from source - Ensures clean installation
5. Contact support - david@knexmail.com

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See Also

• Connection Problems
• Performance Tuning
• Frequently Asked Questions