Ultimate Guide To Folding@home

INSTALLATION GUIDE
Step One: Installing the Client
The first step is to download the Folding@Home GUI client from the Folding@Home client download page. Log in as Administrator (if necessary), and double-click on the downloaded file to start the installation. You will see a welcome screen as shown below. Click next at that screen, and then proceed to click through the license and readme screens.
gui_1_intro.png

Next, you must enter the username you wish to use to be identified in the Folding@Home statistics. If this is the first system you are setting up for Folding@Home, you should check to see whether or not the username that you want to use is already used by someone else (it is ok, however, to use the same username on multiple computers that you own). Go to the Folding@Home User Rankings page and use the box next to the search button to see if the name you want is already taken. If it isn't, you're ready to proceed on to the next screen.
gui_2_username.png

Now, you can choose what folder to install Folding@Home to (the default is fine), and what you want the Start menu group to be called. The next screen asks you to confirm your settings before the installation begins. Finally, after the installation is complete, uncheck "View Readme" and press "Finish."
gui_6_finishinst.png


Step Two: Client Configuration
After the installation has been completed successfully, a configuration panel window will appear. You may adjust your settings in this window. If at any time you wish to change these settings in the future, you may access the dialog again from the menu obtained by right clicking on the Folding@Home system tray icon.

Your username should already be filled in properly if you entered it correctly while installing the Folding@Home client. If it is not, here is your chance to change it. For the team number, enter "34905"
gui_7_cp_user.png

On the Connection tab you will find the network settings. These will probably not need to be changed, however it is a good idea for you to check them out anyway to make sure.
gui_8_cp_net.png

Finally, on the Advanced tab, you will find more in-depth settings. Most of them do not need to be changed, but you should set the Client Type to Folding@Home.
gui_9_cp_adv.png


Step Three: The Client in Action
After Ok-ing the Configuration dialog, the client will begin running as an icon in the system tray. You can right click on it and choose display to observe it as it sets up files and prepares to work on a unit.
gui_10_systray.png

Immediately after configuration, the client will attempt to download the scientific core and begin to process a work unit. If you display it soon enough after configuration, you will see it downloading the core as shown in the screenshot below.
gui_11_core.png

Once the core has downloaded, the Folding@Home client will download its first work unit and begin to process it. When this happens, you will see a screen similar to the one shown below. You can safely minimize the client to the system tray by clicking on its "X" button. To restore it, right click on its icon, and choose Display.
gui_12_fah.png


and thts it...i will be adding GROMACS and other stuff soon..
 
2nd cpu now up and running - 1700XP running linux.

Started installation less than 2 hours ago and I'm using it's web browser now. :)
 
lucky U

remember if u have HYPER threading or some tht has dual processing (G5)

u have to run 2 instances of FAH for it to fully take effect or it will only work 50% of cpu
 
Originally posted by {I}{K}{E}@22 January 2004 - 00:31
why dont you just update the first page of the old topic?

{I}{K}{E}

btw. wasnt this spammed before on all the worlds?

I move this to the lounge because I think it fits there better.
Click to expand...
i did not know if it was spammed in the worlds....sorry...

:frusty:
 
if your machine has sse commands, then go to your startup folder, and alter then folding at home run command, and add the -advmethods switch, this should give u mostly gromacs, which use optimisations, where as the tinker core doesnt, thats why they are slower.
 
Originally posted by 4th gen@16 March 2004 - 17:22
Twice now since I've been using F@H, it's crashed taking hours of CPU time with it. The first time I lost about 71% of a work unit, due to a communications error with the server:

"[06:21:45] Completed 355000 out of 500000 steps (71)
[06:33:02] CoreStatus = 1 (1)
[06:33:02] Client-core communications error: ERROR 0x1
[06:33:02] Deleting current work unit & continuing...
[06:33:22] - Preparing to get new work unit...
[06:33:24] + Attempting to get work packet
[06:33:24] - Connecting to assignment server
[06:33:27] + Could not connect to Assignment Server
[06:33:27] + Could not connect to Assignment Server 2
[06:33:27] + Couldn't get work instructions.
[06:33:27] - Error: Attempt #1 to get work failed, and no other work to do.
Waiting before retry."

Which prompted me to stop using it. I retried it the other day, got one WU completed. My PC crashed again today, and no surprise, F@H lost its WU again:

"[16:33:30] Completed 480000 out of 500000 steps (96)"

:(
Click to expand...
The first bit (up to [06:33:02]) indicates some sort of file system error, not a communication error. Basically it could not write the results to the disk, presumably because it thought the file was corrupt. Rather than send bad results back to the source it deleted them.

The next part (up to [06:33:27]) is an attempt to get another WU. First of all it has to connect to an assignment server. This then routes the request to a Work Unit server, but as the error messages suggest it could not even connect to the assignment server.

Both of these events occuring together suggest you have some inherent instability in your system, which is causing the crash. I'm guessing that you are using FAT32 file system. When your system crashes with FAT32, the last part of the file will be lost (just like with Kazaa). So F@H thinks your results are corrupt and discards them (again, like Kazaa downloads).

Suggestions:
Convert to NTFS if you are using FAT32. It won't cure the crash but it may stop you from losing your work.
Sort out your system instability - I've found from experience that raising Vcore slightly (0.025V is usually enough) can cure this problem, even though the system is theoretically running at the correct settings. Watch your temps though.
 
Originally posted by liquidacid@21 January 2004 - 23:22
I've joined too and will let this run at all times, unless i'm gaming.
Click to expand...
There's no point in doing that at all - the process priority is automatically set to low so it will never harm your gaming performance. The folding program never uses CPU cycles if there is another program needing them. It also uses at most 10MB of RAM, so it's not going to clog up your memory either.
 
 
also gromacs dont show going by 1s they go by 5s 25s and stuff... :)
but in the log they go by ones :)

but i always push CTRL+ALT+DELETE to check if im running gromacs or a crappy tinker
 
dose eny1 know about overclocking ?How dose it work?do i need a prog?to check my cpu heat level do i need a senser?sorry to ask so much Q's but i want to learn about this stuff. :D
 
Thanks lynx.

If I do this, then the only difference is that I will have 2 separate wu's going? It will not use more of my processors capabilities? Sorry, this new computer setup is new to me and I want to be sure I am using it to it's full potential.

I am kinda confused about the HT technology. Do I really have 2 separate processors or does everest just report it that way?

I can see 2 separate cpu's listed and how much power is being used by each, however according to HP I only have 1 processor.

Anyway, thanks for you help. Hopefully I can use this computer for good as well as evil;)

TD
 
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