New NotFred Diskless Folding Version

[Apoptosis]

I'm not sure how many of you are running diskless folding (I am currently), but a new version came out this month for those that use it or want to try it out. With diskless folding you don't need a hard drive or even a video card, so it cuts down on power and you need less hardware. The new version came out on March 1st and can be downloaded here.

Fixes -

- Fix a bug in the hang check - wasn't killing cores with a 0 in the PID. Fix 1903637
- Add kill link to homepage. Fix 1870815
- Allow SMP per 2 CPUs.

The biggest change other than the bug fix is allowing one SMP per 2 CPU's, so those that have one or more quad-core processors can run more SMP's at once. I just this morning updated my folding sever to this new version and changed from 1 SMP per 4 CPU's to 1 SMP per 2 CPU's.

I was averaging 5,035 points a day with the old version, so let's see what happens now. I got four p2605 work units to start... 4 x 1760 = 7040 I like the sounds of that, but let's see how long it takes. I was averaging 8 minutes 20 seconds with one p2605 WU per 4 CPU's. Right now I'm averaging 14 minutes 30 seconds a step...

So i was getting two projects done per 8 CPU's in 13.8 hours... now I'm getting four projects done per 8 CPU's in 24.2 hours...

To fold FOUR WU's with 4 cores per SMP with a p2605 WU - 27.6 hours
To fold FOUR WU's with 2 cores per SMP with a p2605 WU - 24.2 hours

Should be nearly getting 7,000 points a day now...

[stev]

I wonder how this would work on my single-core 3.0Ghz processor with hyperthreading. It says, "...It will run an instance of folding per processor that it finds (logical processor, so 2 on hyperthreading and dual-core CPUs)."

The USB jump/thumb drive version is found here ... http://reilly.homeip.net/folding/usb.html The USB needs to be a bootable drive much like the CD version boots too.

These are good options to try. Thanks Nate!

[vbironchef]

Will try it after my WU is finished. SMP with 2 clients running at the same time, sweet. Can I download it from the folding@home page or use your link and burn it to a cd. I would rather not have to burn a cd.

[Apoptosis]

use the link that Stev gave for the USB Key version, should perform the same!

[vbironchef]

I'm sure it works great. I tried it and it was a bit confusing. Do I need to leave the cd in the player? That will not work for us. We burn a lot of movies. Running 2 smp client sounds good though. I don't have a thumb drive.

[bubba]

Is there a way to change it from DHCP to a fixed IP address?

[martini161]

if you dont have a video card, how will you know its folding? (this is probably a stupid question i know)

[kenc51]

if you dont have a video card, how will you know its folding? (this is probably a stupid question i know)

SSH

[stev]

if you dont have a video card, how will you know its folding? (this is probably a stupid question i know)

FAHMON I guess?

[kenc51]

if you dont have a video card, how will you know its folding? (this is probably a stupid question i know)

you just need to type the IP of the folding rig into a browser

[Apoptosis]

or check out the local network and find it.

[DMB2000uk]

Does it give the regular config options like using a proxy server?

Dan

[Apoptosis]

well, i've been using the latest version for a week now and the results are impressive...

This week my one system turned in 43,221 points with 28 work units with one SMP instance per 2 CPU's. Last week when I was running one instance per 4 CPU's I was got 34,602 points on 22 work units.

That adds up to a 25% increase in points per week. Granted the system was having issues last week getting work units on time though.

[Apoptosis]

A new version of this has come out...

26 March 08: Stanford upgraded the beta and moved the download location - again.

Be sure to grab the latest version!