How to install and set up HiveOS for the first time?

System Requirements and Hardware Compatibility

1. HiveOS supports AMD and NVIDIA GPUs from the GCN 1.0 architecture onward, including RX 400/500/6000 series and GTX 10xx, RTX 20xx, and RTX 30xx cards.

2. Minimum RAM requirement is 2GB, though 4GB or more is strongly advised for stable mining operations with multiple GPUs.

3. A USB flash drive with at least 8GB capacity is necessary to create a bootable installer image.

4. The host motherboard must support UEFI firmware and have PCIe lanes sufficient for all installed GPUs.

5. Network connectivity via Ethernet is mandatory during initial setup; Wi-Fi is not supported in early boot stages.

Creating a Bootable HiveOS USB Drive

1. Download the latest HiveOS ISO file directly from the official hiveos.farm domain—third-party mirrors are not verified.

2. Use BalenaEtcher or Rufus in DD mode to write the ISO onto the USB device; standard ISO mode may result in boot failure.

3. Ensure Secure Boot is disabled in BIOS/UEFI before attempting installation.

4. After flashing, verify checksum integrity using the SHA256 hash provided on the HiveOS download page.

5. Insert the USB into the target rig and select it as the primary boot device in the boot menu.

Initial Installation and Network Configuration

1. Upon first boot, HiveOS automatically launches a minimal Debian-based environment with no graphical interface.

2. Connect the Ethernet cable and wait for DHCP assignment—no manual IP configuration is required unless using static addressing.

3. Access the HiveOS web dashboard by entering the assigned IP address into a browser on another device within the same network.

4. Register or log in using a valid hiveos.farm account—the miner will not proceed without authentication.

5. Assign a unique rig name and select the appropriate region server (e.g., us-west, eu-central) to minimize latency.

GPU Detection and Driver Initialization

1. HiveOS auto-detects connected GPUs during boot and displays them under the “Hardware” tab in the dashboard.

2. If any GPU appears as “Unknown”, check PCIe slot power delivery, riser cable integrity, and BIOS PCIe settings (e.g., Gen3 vs Gen4 compatibility).

3. Drivers load automatically based on detected hardware—AMD uses open-source amdgpu, while NVIDIA loads proprietary drivers bundled in the ISO.

4. Overclocking profiles and fan curves are not applied until manually configured through the “Tuning” section.

5. A reboot is required after changing driver versions or enabling experimental kernel modules.

Basic Mining Configuration

1. Navigate to “Miners” and choose a preconfigured miner package—Hiveon, T-Rex, or GMiner are available for most algorithms.

2. Select a mining pool and enter wallet address, worker name, and algorithm (e.g., ethash, kawpow, autolykos).

3. HiveOS validates pool connection parameters before saving—invalid URLs or missing fields trigger immediate error feedback.

4. Enable “Auto-start miner on boot” to ensure continuous operation after power cycles.

5. The “Watchdog” feature monitors GPU temperature and process health—disable only if running custom scripts that conflict with default checks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can HiveOS be installed on an SSD already containing another OS?A: No. HiveOS requires full disk control and overwrites the entire target storage device. Dual-boot configurations are unsupported.

Q: Why does my RX 7900 XTX show as “Unsupported” despite being listed in compatibility docs?A: This occurs when using outdated HiveOS versions prior to v0.6-231120. Update via CLI using sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade after login.

Q: Is SSH access enabled by default?A: Yes. SSH is active on port 22 with credentials matching the hiveos.farm account username and password.

Q: Can I use HiveOS without internet access after setup?A: Limited offline functionality is available—mining continues if pool endpoints are cached, but dashboard updates, remote monitoring, and OTA updates require connectivity.