Can I install DCENT_OS on an S9 now?
No general S9 installation claim is made today. A signed package and SD image exist only for the exact Antminer S9 Zynq/XIL lane, but the public repository still lacks a witnessed current-artifact first-install, boot, soak and recovery capstone. This page is the validation procedure that must close that gap—not an install-now promise.
Scope: exact S9 Zynq/XIL only
This procedure does not apply to S9i, S9j, S9k, S9 SE or a control board identified only by connector appearance. Confirm the exact Antminer S9, Zynq/Xilinx control board, board revision, hash-board revisions and PSU before any test.
What is published
- Signed beta20260709 S9 XIL sysupgrade package.
- Bootable S9 XIL SD image.
- SHA-256 checksums and an Ed25519-signed package manifest.
- Accepted-share bench-mining evidence in the public platform matrix.
What remains unproven publicly
- A witnessed first install using the current public artifact on an identified stock unit.
- Board-revision-specific boot-media/jumper behavior.
- A dated first boot, pool configuration and accepted-share record tied to the artifact digest.
- 24/72-hour soak and recovery from the tested failure modes.
- Independent reproduction.
Stop gate before persistent testing
- Read the exact S9 evidence page and release record.
- Verify the package digest and signed manifest.
- Identify the board revision from physical markings; do not rely on a generic jumper diagram.
- Create and verify a known-good recovery image from the test unit.
- Prove UART access and removable-media recovery before changing persistent state.
- Use sacrificial lab hardware only and record every command and power cycle.
Required capstone record
A successful validation must publish the hardware identity, photos with sensitive identifiers redacted, stock state, artifact filename/digest, exact boot selection method, console log, first-boot behavior, accepted pool shares, wall power, temperatures, fan behavior, test duration, recovery test and every unexpected event. A failed attempt is evidence and must not be hidden.
Artifact access
The release record lists the files after the readiness warning. Taking a file means accepting experimental-firmware risk; it does not mean D-Central has validated your route.
Current conclusion
The exact S9 XIL lane has artifact and mining evidence, but install readiness remains lab-gated. This page will be promoted from “lab procedure” only after the current-artifact install/boot/soak/recovery capstone is published and linked.
When your miner retires: one more layer decentralized
Open-source firmware extends a miner's useful life. When a model retires from profitable mining, the power, cooling, and connectivity you built around it can still serve the distributed-compute layer — heat reuse, mesh comms, or freeing infrastructure for sovereign AI.
