VH has added the no boost option as it is on by default:-
+ cleared issue sending AB stratum message on non AB pools.
+ if pool indicates AB is supported, AB will be enabled.
+ removed option "--gekko-newpac-boost", use "--gekko-noboost" to force non AB mode.
+ added [plus] flag after chip count to indicate asic-boost is functioning.
Thats the issue I was having. With it ON i was getting no nonce and restart of the sticks constantly. With it OFF it runs as expected. VH is going to look at bitminter to see whats going on as the pool is an asicbokst pool.
Then I stand corrected. I have not updated the software running mine in ages and its default is
NO AB: AB has to be specifically turned on. In my case just a matter of "it works so leave it alone!" I take it sometime after the version I run VH changed that to be ON by default.
Dumb move (making AB active by default) in my book because the smaller pools that accept stick miners probably did not do their homework and just went with -ck's implementation of enabling the pool end of AB expecting it to work without any issues... Kano delayed activating AB support for 2 months because he not surprisingly found several bugs in the example code -ck provided. As I recall, those bugs were specifically related to the new Stratum calls. Only after Kano fixed those and PROPERLY TESTED THE CODE - unlike a certain other programmer/pool operator/mod who does not do that - did he enable AB on the pool. The large pools of course no doubt had the resources to figure it out fast as well.