Fold in Win2k or Linux?

[jpersinger]

I am currently dual booting and have been doing my folding through the win2k operating system. My question is whether or not I should begin folding through the linux OS; I use the Ubuntu distro. Which OS will more efficiently utilize my 2.8 gHz of AMD processing power? Thanks.

[ihrsetrdr]

There's not going to be alot of differance, from what I heard since I've asked this very same question on numerous forums.

My 2 cents worth...I have yet(read: not been) to be able to run fAh as a service in any Linux distro...except Foldix. As a matter of fact, I had particular difficulty(read: failure) to even set up the client in Ubuntu. That's just me tho', the flaming Linux noob that I am. Sooo, that means I have to re-start the client every time the box reboots.

I know some Linux pro will come along and say-"well all you need to do is:

Copy the following script and save it as:
/etc/rc.d/init.d/fah.sh (Mandrake/Redhat)
or
/etc/init.d/fah.sh (Debian/Suse)


#!/bin/sh

# fah.sh system startup and shutdown script for the folding at home client

PATH=/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/home/folder
cd /home/folder
echo -n "F@H Client: "

case "$1" in
start)
echo "start"
# run the client as the user 'folder' and redirect all output to the file fah.log
su -m folder -c "./FAH4Console-Linux.exe >> /home/folder/fah.log 2>&1 &"
;;
stop)
echo "stop"
# kill every process owned by the 'folder' user, including the folding client
echo kill -TERM -1 | su -m folder
;;
esac
exit 0


Make the script executable:

chmod 0700 /etc/rc.d/init.d/fah.sh (Mandrake/Redhat)
or
chmod 0700 /etc/init.d/fah.sh (Debian/Suse)

Now create soft links from the fah.sh script to the appropriate startup and shutdown directories:

(Mandrake/RedHat)
ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/fah.sh /etc/rc.d/rc3.d/S98Folder
ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/fah.sh /etc/rc.d/rc3.d/K98Folder
ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/fah.sh /etc/rc.d/rc5.d/S98Folder
ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/fah.sh /etc/rc.d/rc5.d/K98Folder

(Debian/Suse)
ln -s /etc/init.d/fah.sh /etc/init.d/rc3.d/S98Folder
ln -s /etc/init.d/fah.sh /etc/init.d/rc3.d/K98Folder
ln -s /etc/init.d/fah.sh /etc/init.d/rc5.d/S98Folder
ln -s /etc/init.d/fah.sh /etc/init.d/rc5.d/K98Folder

and yer done!" Well, I've scoured forum threads for a little more in depth tutorial, but so far haven't found a "Running fAh as service in Linux for dummies" post. :shrug:

[Arkaine23]

It exists... I write it frequently. I also made a folding service installer for Debian type init distros (should work on the Redhat/Suse/Madriva too, but I haven't tested it).

Regardless, you shouldn't switch to Linux just to fold faster. On some WU's it will fold a bit faster and on others a bit slower. Granted you will never ever really have to reboot it like you would doing driver updates on windows.... But are you planning to use this box for anything else? Linux has a learning curve that many long-time Windows users slide down face first. It can do about everything you could ever want, but it'll also be like jumping into a frigid water. Yet again if you feeel adventurous, many many linux users are freindly and happy to help you out. And anyway, its just plain superior to other OS's.

Linux. 4 out of 5 evil geniuses prefer it.

[jpersinger]

I am already dual booting. However, I have little knowledge of how to utilize Linux effectively. I currently am not looking to invest a great deal of time in learning Linux; I would like to at some point as I don't enjoy supporting M$ however at the present I have little available time. If it is the concensus that I can fold more efficiently through Linux I will do so and thus require some assistance. I would also like to utilize the Ubuntu distro. Thanks for the assistance.

[ihrsetrdr]

Arkaine23,
I'm glad you showed up...always appreciate the work you do and the guidence you provide. Could you point to a link for a fAh service-mode installer? I'm like jpersinger in that I don't have a ton of time to devote to learning Linux; been flirting with many distros over the past year and a half and have made some progress...still a long road ahead. Ending m$ dependancy completely is my ultimate goal.

[Arkaine23]

http://overclockix.octeams.com/foldinstaller.tgz

Read the readme... The first time you launch it you'll need to supply a username who will be running folding (not a F@H username, but the user on the linux box). It should then do all the file copying and chmodding for you. It'll also run thru the F@H client config routine so you can set username/team and other options. It picks the flags it thinks are best for you and will setup multiple clients if you have multiple CPU's or HT.

I'm still working out kinks in it. Report any problems, please. Oh and if you're interested in seeing those scripts, just unpack and take a look. They are no doubt sloppy and unneccesarily complicated, but they seem to get the job done.

[Arkaine23]

For those already dual-booting, if you have a Fat32 partition and will move folding there, it would not be hard to setup wine to fold on the same WU when you boot into Linux. My F@H installer uses the linux client tho, so it'd involve writing your own init script of about 4-5 lines.