# FAQ

Common questions about using CLORE.AI for AI workloads.

{% hint style="success" %}
Can't find your answer? Join [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/clore-ai) or [Telegram](https://t.me/clorechat) for help.
{% endhint %}

## Getting Started

### How do I create an account?

1. Go to [clore.ai](https://clore.ai)
2. Click **Sign Up**
3. Enter email and password
4. Verify your email
5. Done! You can now deposit funds and rent GPUs

### What payment methods are accepted?

* **CLORE** - Native token (often gives best rates)
* **BTC** - Bitcoin
* **USDT** - Tether (ERC-20, TRC-20)
* **USDC** - USD Coin

### What's the minimum deposit?

There's no strict minimum, but we recommend $5-10 to start experimenting. This covers several hours on budget GPUs.

### How long until my deposit arrives?

| Currency  | Confirmations     | Typical Time |
| --------- | ----------------- | ------------ |
| CLORE     | 10                | \~10 minutes |
| BTC       | 2                 | \~20 minutes |
| USDT/USDC | Network dependent | 1-15 minutes |

***

## Choosing Hardware

### Which GPU should I choose?

It depends on your task:

| Task                     | Recommended GPU                                              |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Chat with 7B models      | RTX 3060 12GB ($0.15–0.30/day)                               |
| Chat with 13B-30B models | RTX 3090 24GB ($0.30–1.00/day)                               |
| Chat with 70B models     | RTX 5090 32GB ($1.50–3.00/day) or A100 40GB ($1.50–3.00/day) |
| Image generation (SDXL)  | RTX 3090 24GB ($0.30–1.00/day)                               |
| Image generation (FLUX)  | RTX 4090/5090 ($0.50–3.00/day)                               |
| Video generation         | RTX 4090+ or A100 ($0.50–3.00/day)                           |
| 70B+ models (FP16)       | A100 80GB ($2.00–4.00/day)                                   |

See [GPU Comparison](/guides/getting-started/gpu-comparison.md) for detailed specs.

### What's the difference between On-Demand and Spot?

| Type          | Price          | Availability       | Best For               |
| ------------- | -------------- | ------------------ | ---------------------- |
| **On-Demand** | Fixed price    | Guaranteed         | Production, long tasks |
| **Spot**      | 30-50% cheaper | Can be interrupted | Testing, batch jobs    |

Spot orders may be terminated if someone bids higher. Save your work frequently!

### How much VRAM do I need?

Use this quick guide:

| Model Size | Minimum VRAM (Q4) | Recommended |
| ---------- | ----------------- | ----------- |
| 7B         | 6GB               | 12GB        |
| 13B        | 8GB               | 16GB        |
| 30B        | 16GB              | 24GB        |
| 70B        | 35GB              | 48GB        |

See [Model Compatibility](/guides/getting-started/model-compatibility.md) for full details.

### What does "Unverified" mean on a server?

Unverified servers haven't completed CLORE.AI's hardware verification. They may:

* Have slightly different specs than listed
* Be less reliable

Verified servers have confirmed specs and better reliability.

***

## Connecting to Servers

### How do I connect via SSH?

After your order starts:

1. Go to **My Orders**
2. Find your order
3. Copy SSH command: `ssh -p <port> root@<proxy-address>`
4. Use password shown in order details

**Example:**

```bash
ssh -p 10022 root@proxy.clore.ai
# Enter password when prompted
```

### SSH connection refused - what do I do?

1. **Wait 1-2 minutes** - Server may still be starting
2. **Check order status** - Must be "Running"
3. **Verify port** - Use the port from order details, not 22
4. **Check firewall** - Your network may block non-standard ports

### How do I access web interfaces (Gradio, Jupyter)?

1. In order details, find the HTTP port link
2. Click the link to open in browser
3. Or manually: `http://<proxy-address>:<http-port>`

### Can I use VS Code Remote SSH?

Yes! Add to your `~/.ssh/config`:

```
Host clore-gpu
    HostName <proxy-address>
    Port <port>
    User root
```

Then connect in VS Code: `Remote-SSH: Connect to Host` → `clore-gpu`

### How do I transfer files?

**Upload to server:**

```bash
scp -P <port> local_file.zip root@<proxy>:/root/
```

**Download from server:**

```bash
scp -P <port> root@<proxy>:/root/output.zip ./
```

**For large transfers, use rsync:**

```bash
rsync -avz -e "ssh -p <port>" ./data/ root@<proxy>:/root/data/
```

***

## Running AI Workloads

### How do I install Python packages?

```bash
pip install torch transformers accelerate
```

For persistent installations, include in your startup command or Docker image.

### Why is my model running out of memory?

1. **Use quantization** - Q4 uses 4x less VRAM than FP16
2. **Enable CPU offload** - Slower but works
3. **Reduce batch size** - Use batch\_size=1
4. **Lower context length** - Reduce max\_tokens
5. **Choose bigger GPU** - Sometimes necessary

### How do I use Hugging Face models that require login?

```bash
# Set token as environment variable
export HUGGING_FACE_HUB_TOKEN=hf_xxxxx

# Or login interactively
huggingface-cli login
```

For gated models (Llama, etc.), first accept terms on Hugging Face website.

### Can I run multiple models at once?

Yes, if you have enough VRAM:

* Each model needs its own VRAM allocation
* Use different ports for different services
* Consider vLLM for efficient multi-model serving

### How do I keep my work after the order ends?

**Before order ends:**

1. Download outputs: `scp -P <port> root@<proxy>:/root/outputs/* ./`
2. Push to cloud: `aws s3 sync /root/outputs s3://bucket/`
3. Commit to Git: `git push`

**Data is lost when order ends!** Always backup important files.

***

## Billing & Orders

### How is billing calculated?

* **Hourly rate** × **hours used**
* Billing starts when order status is "Running"
* Minimum billing: 1 minute
* Partial hours billed by the minute

### How do I stop an order?

1. Go to **My Orders**
2. Click **Stop** on your order
3. Confirm termination

You'll only be charged for time used.

### Can I extend my order?

Yes, if no one has bid higher on your spot order. Add funds to your balance and the order continues automatically.

### What happens if my balance runs out?

1. Warning notification sent
2. Grace period (\~5-10 minutes)
3. Order terminated
4. **All data lost!**

Keep sufficient balance or download work before running low.

### Can I get a refund?

Contact support for:

* Hardware issues (GPU not working)
* Significant downtime
* Billing errors

Refunds not provided for:

* User errors
* Normal order usage
* Spot order interruptions

***

## Docker & Images

### What Docker images are available?

See [Docker Images Catalog](/guides/getting-started/docker-images.md) for ready-to-use images:

* `ollama/ollama` - LLM runner
* `vllm/vllm-openai` - High-performance LLM API
* `universonic/stable-diffusion-webui` - Image generation
* `yanwk/comfyui-boot` - Node-based image gen

### Can I use my own Docker image?

Yes! Specify your image in the order:

```
Image: your-registry/your-image:tag
```

Ensure the image is publicly accessible or provide credentials.

### How do I persist data between restarts?

Use the provided volume mount points or specify custom volumes:

```
-v /data/models:/root/.cache/huggingface
```

***

## Troubleshooting

### "CUDA out of memory" error

1. **Check VRAM** - `nvidia-smi`
2. **Use smaller model** or quantization
3. **Enable offload** - `--cpu-offload`
4. **Reduce batch size** - `batch_size=1`
5. **Kill other processes** - `pkill python`

### "Connection timed out" error

1. **Check order status** - Must be "Running"
2. **Wait longer** - Large images take time to start
3. **Check ports** - Use correct port from order
4. **Try again** - Network issues are temporary

### Web UI not loading

1. **Wait for startup** - Some UIs take 2-5 minutes
2. **Check logs**: `docker logs <container>`
3. **Verify port** - Use HTTP port from order details
4. **Check command** - Must include `--listen 0.0.0.0`

### Model download stuck

1. **Check disk space**: `df -h`
2. **Use smaller model** - Start with 7B
3. **Pre-download** - Include in Docker image
4. **Check HF token** - Required for gated models

### Slow inference speed

1. **Check GPU usage**: `nvidia-smi`
2. **Enable GPU** - Model may be on CPU
3. **Use Flash Attention** - `--flash-attn`
4. **Optimize settings** - Reduce precision, batch

***

## Security

### Is my data secure?

* Each order runs in isolated container
* Data is deleted when order ends
* Network traffic goes through CLORE proxies
* Don't store sensitive data on rented GPUs

### Should I change the root password?

Optional but recommended for long orders:

```bash
passwd root
```

### How do I protect API keys?

1. **Use environment variables** - Not command line args
2. **Don't commit to Git** - Use `.gitignore`
3. **Delete after use** - Clear history: `history -c`

***

## Still Need Help?

* [Troubleshooting Guide](/guides/getting-started/clore-troubleshooting.md)
* [Discord Community](https://discord.com/invite/clore-ai)
* [Telegram Chat](https://t.me/clorechat)
* Email: <support@clore.ai>


---

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