Install xmrig with Homebrew, apk, apt, Nix, pacman, zypper, scoop

Project links

• Homepage
• Repository

Commands and aliases

• xmrig

Project history

The GitHub repository was created in April 2017, during the CryptoNight mining era, and evolved into a cross-platform C/C++ miner with official builds for major desktop and server operating systems. The repository topics and documentation center Monero, XMR, CryptoNight, RandomX, and CPU mining, while the current product page also covers GPU backends and the XMRig Proxy.

A major inflection point was Monero's 2019 RandomX migration. The Monero project announced the November 30, 2019 network upgrade and new long-term proof-of-work algorithm, while XMRig's own RandomX migration guide told miners to update before that date. XMRig 5.0.0, published shortly before the upgrade, was described by the project as the first stable unified CPU plus OpenCL plus CUDA release.

Adoption history

XMRig adoption is tied to Monero's mining culture, where miners need a fast CLI, pool/daemon configuration, hardware tuning, and cross-platform binaries. The official RandomX optimization guide documents details such as huge pages, 1GB pages on Linux, MSR-related tuning, and cache/QoS behavior, which shows the tool's role as both miner and performance-tuning surface.

The project also became visible outside voluntary mining because XMRig is commonly repackaged or abused in unauthorized cryptomining campaigns. For package-nerd history, that dual reputation matters: the same easy-to-ship, headless, performant binary that helps legitimate miners also made it a recognizable artifact in endpoint security and incident-response work.

How it is used

Legitimate users run xmrig with a config.json file or command-line options pointing at a pool, wallet address, algorithm/coin settings, CPU/GPU backend choices, TLS/proxy options, and performance tuning. The hosted wizard and docs help generate configs, while benchmark mode gives a reproducible way to compare RandomX performance across CPUs.

Operators with many workers can use xmrig-proxy to reduce pool-side connection pressure and centralize stratum traffic. Solo and pool mining setups also intersect with Monero node configuration, P2Pool-style workflows, and hardware-specific tuning.

Why package nerds care

XMRig is a package with a very real operational footprint: one CLI can drive CPU mining, GPU mining, benchmarking, HTTP APIs, and proxy-style deployment. It is significant because it packages hard hardware-specific performance work into something users can install and run like any other Unix tool.

It is also a reminder that package metadata categories can be awkward. XMRig is a cryptocurrency tool, a benchmark, a hardware-tuning workload, and a security indicator depending on context.

Timeline

• 2017-04-15: The xmrig/xmrig GitHub repository is created.
• 2019-09-28: XMRig opens its RandomX migration guide for the upcoming Monero network change.
• 2019-11-13: XMRig 5.0.0 is published as the first stable unified CPU/OpenCL/CUDA release.
• 2019-11-30: Monero activates RandomX at block height 1978433.
• 2020s: XMRig continues as a maintained multi-algorithm miner, RandomX benchmark, and related proxy/cloud API ecosystem.

Related projects

• Monero is the primary cryptocurrency ecosystem associated with XMRig's RandomX mining use.
• XMRig Proxy is the related stratum proxy for large worker deployments.
• XMRig CUDA is the plugin path for NVIDIA CUDA mining support.
• P2Pool and Monero nodes are common adjacent components in decentralized Monero mining setups.

Sources

• https://api.github.com/repos/xmrig/xmrig
• https://api.github.com/repos/xmrig/xmrig/releases/tags/v5.0.0
• https://docs.getmonero.org/technical-specs/
• https://github.com/xmrig/xmrig
• https://github.com/xmrig/xmrig/issues/1204
• https://www.getmonero.org/2019/10/01/announcement-release-0-15.html
• https://xmrig.com/
• https://xmrig.com/docs/miner/randomx-optimization-guide
• https://xmrig.com/proxy