Will the testnet just merge to the mainnet when it's active or will you be using a different port for the mainnet ?
For example if I was to be mining on the testnet before mainnet goes live will I be auto switched to mainnet or will I need to change something
That would be pool dependent, if your solo mining right now test is 18332 and main is 8332 by default,
Every pool has its own proxy, and its own ports
I think suprnova.cc being a good company, and wanting to keep the transistion perfect would use the same port as they have for testing, this way their customers make no changes, besides what would be the point of keep the -testnet active for the mining pools, nobody wants to mine a 'testnet' that promises zero coin
For the other mining pools, you probably would need to study their 'how to'
***
Here's what SUPRNOVA.CC is saying ...
BTGold is NOT LIVE YET !!!!!
You are mining worthless testnet coins currently. This is used to set up your rigs, test everything and then switch over to "real" coins once the devs of BTG release the mainnet wallets. There is no precise date for that release yet. You can test everything but remember - YOU'RE MINING ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS TESTNET COINS !!!
TESTNET-PORT IS: stratum+tcp://btg.suprnova.cc:8816 Nicehash: 8862***
See right now they say "TESTNET-PORT" 8816, that will probably drop, and no reason to say MAIN-NET, problem is that suprnova.cc can't activate until they have the working code, and nobody has the code cuz it hasn't been released, and there is no public block-chain for the post fork main-net
The pools will not be getting the code ( source github.com/btcgpu ) any earlier than anybody else, most likely the 'first' to mine, will be those who mine solo, and have their own blocks ready to go when they get the source, ... which is promised 12NOV @ noon, but this the 4th promise in 3 weeks, thus promises mean nothing from BTC-GPU.
WRT to other pool's who knows,
Now POOL.GOLD they're part of the BTC_GPU team, so they will have the code early, and they will probably day's ahead of all other mining pools, because they have insiders advantage, thus MAJORITY of miners will be on POOL.GOLD,
Once suprnova.cc gets got up on the blockchain, and has the source, then the miners will most likely end up there, as suprnova.cc is a good company, and can handle the over-load, while btc-gpu/pool.gold cannot handle a load, as we know a few weeks ago a MINOR dos attack brought them down.
***
Precise date language above is important, this is the 4th 'deadline' for delivery that BTC-GPU has given us in 3 weeks, ergo its not likely that they will deliver on 12NOV@noon. Incompetent people are frequently forced by their superiors ( jack liao ) to work for a new dead-line, but given the team hasn't changed, and the same ppl are still fumbling along, its NOT likely to get better, more likely to get worse.