<p><img src="//purenyx.com/transhumanly/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/07/ethos-e1469756805984.png" /></p>
<p>Two of the three cryptocurrency mining rigs I toy around with run Windows 10, which works well and offers great flexibility for trying new software, but I decided to try something different for the third.  I purchased an SSD preloaded with a ready-to-mine Linux distribution, called EthOS, from <a href="http://gpushack.com/collections/gpushack/products/ethos-16gb-ssd" rel="noopener">GPUShack.com</a>.  </p>
<p>EthOS is designed to mine Ethereum with as little hassle, and cost, as possible.  I've been using it for a couple weeks now and, while I can't say I've done truly exhaustive testing, I think I've got a pretty good handle on its pros and cons.  Overall I'm very impressed with how well it works, and think others ought to check it out.</p>
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<h1>--- EthOS Pros ---</h1>
<h2>It Actually Works... Very Well</h2>
<p>Mining Ethereum is pretty easy from Linux and Windows in the first place, so it's not surprising that it mines.  It is surprising how little setup and maintenance are required though.  I used it in a rig with several different, sometimes finicky, Radeon cards and it had no trouble getting them configured and connected to my chosen mining pool.</p>
<h2>It's Fairly Fast</h2>
<p>EthOS boots fast and the built-in ethminer gives stable, solid speed.  It didn't hash any faster than the same hardware on Windows, but the speed was more stable over time and production has been slightly superior.</p>
<h2>The Creators Keep It Up To Date... Sort Of</h2>
<p>The kernel within Ethos is a generation old, but EthOS itself seems to be updated regularly.  I've gone through 2 updates since getting the SSD and one during actual production.  Both went smoothly, added useful features, and were clearly communicated on the EthOS changelog.  They've also communicated a bit about future plans, such as the schedule for supporting Rx 480 GPUs.</p>
<h2>Stats, On-screen And Online, Are Useful</h2>
<p>Despite its minimalist nature, EthOS provides clear and detailed statistics on the things that matter.  The last couple updates have added subtle improvements as well.  There are some complaints about the centralized statis panel maintained by the maker, but I find it useful and have already grown accustomed to the idea that much of my mining activity is technically visible to the public.</p>
<h2>It Handles Failures Well</h2>
<p>NewEgg sent me a bad card a while back, then broke it worse when I returned it.  I tried to fix it just for giggles and EthOS did an admirable job of dealing with its repeat overheating.  The newest version safely hangs the overheating GPU without affecting the rest of the rig.  It also provides clear details on what occurred.</p>
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<h1>--- EthOS Cons ---</h1>
<h2>It Sometimes Fails To Boot</h2>
<p>I *think* this is related to the particular 16GB SSD it came on, but my Asrock BTC motherboard won't always detect that the image is bootable and instead drops the system into BIOS settings on startup.  This happens about once every three reboots.  It could also be a bad image, but it happens enough to me that it's worth mentioning.</p>
<h2>The Way It's Sold Is Weird</h2>
<p>A quick perusal of crypto forum threads on EthOS reveals that quite a few people have achieved maximum butthurt over the fact that EthOS is a commercial redistribution of an open-source product.  It might maybe possibly violate the original's license... I don't know and don't really care.  It works well and I appreciate the ongoing updates and stats panel offered by the EthOS team.  I think it's worth $39. </p>
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