F.A.Q. - Check them out here

[belorsch]

Well I'll try and see if I can get this ball rolling:p

Q: Can work started on one pc be completed on another pc?
A: I have been able to do this with the present graphical client{v2.15} by doing the following: Copy the work folder, client.cfg, queue.dat, fahlog.txt to a floppy. If this ends up being to big the files can be zipped and also spanned across multiple disks if necessary. Install graphical client on new pc and choose not to start program at the end of setup. Copy/extract info from floppy/ies to the FAH dir. Then start the program. Your old info should be picked up. Let me know if anyone has any edits to this Q.

[lennytiger]

Interesting Idea why then don't we do one fold to 99/100 frames then re submit the same data by re loading the data from the disks, that way we could really catch the aussies!!

[belorsch]

Originally posted by lennytiger
Interesting Idea why then don't we do one fold to 99/100 frames then re submit the same data by re loading the data from the disks, that way we could really catch the aussies!!

Yeah, so much for finding a cure for altzheimers:eek: No I don't think we're looking for that kind of credit.
Someone had the idea of starting an FAQ thread(ploaf I believe but not sure). I'm just trying to put my non-helpful 2cents worth in and get things started. My problem is I've burnt out to many brain cells:beer:

If anyone knows of anything to throw onto this thread that can help people streamline/expedite there folding process then please contribute:) Remember the basics are pretty much covered in the Tricks link here. (http://www.overclockers.ws/)

[lennytiger]

well we all kill brain cells sitting infront of comps etc all the time!

[Sir-Epix]

You might want to edit your Topic...and use all upper case. As of now it looks like is spells something that is not proper. Just saying.

[Ploaf]

Originally posted by Sir-Epix
You might want to edit your Topic...and use all upper case. As of now it looks like is spells something that is not proper. Just saying.

LOL. I didn't notice that until you mentioned it. Probably is a good idea to go with all caps.

Belorsch, Thanks for starting this thread. :) Here's a contribution.

Q- I just started folding, but don't see myself in the stats. Are my WU's being counted?

A- First things first. We need to determine whether you configured the Folding client with your name/team number 32/proxy info, etc. If you did all of that then good, if not then the client will need to be configured so that your work shows up with your name for the team - That's another topic. We will assume that you configured everything properly and are now folding. The client will download work that has a certain number of frames that need to be calculated. Currently(12/17/01) that number is usually 100 frames for 1 WU (Work Unit). The 100 frames need to be completed before any information is sent to Stanford. Once completed the work is sent to Stanford and you will download new work, but hold on.... Your work will not show up in the stats that quickly. The stats are updated once every hour, near the top of the hour. There may also be a longer delay from the time you sent in the work to the time that you appear in the stats. That time has been 1/2 or more at times and, in the past, was as long as 3 days. As long as everything is configured properly you will show up in the stats for our team.

[belorsch]

Originally posted by Sir-Epix
You might want to edit your Topic...and use all upper case. As of now it looks like is spells something that is not proper. Just saying.

I need all the help I can get:D Hmm, anybody know how I edit the thread title?

[funnyperson1]

yeah, i dont think cheating is the way to go...

[Ebola]

how about a really basic faq with links to the important sites and a link to the webpage. make it a sticky and close the thread.

[Ploaf]

Originally posted by Ebola
how about a really basic faq with links to the important sites and a link to the webpage. make it a sticky and close the thread.

Here's some :)
FAQ Links-
General information can be found here-
Our Team Site: http://www.overclockers.ws/
Stanfords Main Folding@Home (http://folding.stanford.edu) site: http://folding.stanford.edu

Further information on how to configure the client can be found at our tips and tricks page:
http://www.overclockers.ws/tricks.html


Stats are available at
The Folding@Home (http://folding.stanford.edu) site:
http://folding.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/searchteamstats
Statsman.org(This page uses Java): http://www.statsman.org/folding2stats/
Den's stats: http://users.neosmart.com/hruzaden/folding/stats/

Got More??
Need links to programs that can be used to hide the client. Links to foldmonitor, etc.
There are a lot of questions that were never answered in the original faq update because some things changed(config in cmd line) or I didn't remember some stuff or never anticipated some of the questions that arose. I also have some, albeit very little, experience using the client in Linux and none at all using the client with XP.
We could use a list of the command line flags for the text client with an explanation as to what each flag does- I can put that up or anyone can, for that matter. Some info on XP, Linux quirks, special instructions. An update on setting up as a service in XP, 2000/NT. etc. This is a good place to work on getting everything written and we can gather on the overall pool of knowledge here to create a pretty handy thread for new members. It should be locked(so that it doesn't turn into a mass mayhem thread of Q and A) and stickied once it's finished though.

[lennytiger]

I think most people join and then discover that they either don't like the client running in the background eating idle cpu power heating up the cool processors, so I contribute this:

Q-Is it safe to have my computer working 24/7 with the processor constantly working at 100%?

A-Computers generally a better left on, with very little temparature fluctuation because as the chip heats up it expands and when you switch it off it contracts, this constant expansion and contraction of the cpu over a long period of time causes it to crack, meaning dead cpu! So if your cpu is well cooled with a good hsf(heatsink and fan) and it is at a constant temp at full load it is actually healthier for the chip!!

[belorsch]

How about using this thread as an ongoing place to collect useful info and then copying it to a closed thread/sticky. Can a closed thread be added to by a Mod on request?

here is info on Hideit2
Download link (http://homepages.waymark.net/~lperry/weather/download/HideIt2.exe)

Commands
No Command....... Starts F@H2 Client in current path and hides it.
-hide.... Hides all open F@H2 client windows.
-stop.... Shuts down all F@H2 clients.
-show...Shows all F@H2 client windows currently running.
-help.... Shows this message box

I could also just upload the program if that would be easier. This info gathered from a thread posted by kendan. thanks

[lennytiger]

that link didn't worlk 4 me, anyone else tried?

[belorsch]

Originally posted by lennytiger
that link didn't worlk 4 me, anyone else tried?

You're right it doesn't work anymore:( Here is the thread where kendan was talking about it thread (http://forums.overclockers.ws/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=51169)

[Ploaf]

Is Hideit GNU?? Can we distribute it?

[belorsch]

Originally posted by Ploaf
Is Hideit GNU?? Can we distribute it?

If I need to edit my post and take it off someone let me know quick. I don't recall any documentation coming with it to say you can or can't. I followed a thread to forum site clicked a link expecting to go to another site to read up on it and it went straight to dl.

[Ploaf]

Originally posted by belorsch


If I need to edit my post and take it off someone let me know quick. I don't recall any documentation coming with it to say you can or can't. I followed a thread to forum site clicked a link expecting to go to another site to read up on it and it went straight to dl.

Actually that's not why I asked. I was wondering if we could distribute it from the site since it seems useful and it would be a shame if it couldn't be found. It is freeware and I just wondered about it. With a GNU license we would be able to distribute it freely, or I would even host it myself. As for leaving it up, sometimes that comes down to better safe than sorry, although I doubt in this case that it would be a problem to leave it up for a short while.

[Ploaf]

OK this link works for Hide It
http://www.expocenter.com/hideit/hideit11.zip

Edit- Is there a 2.0 version of hide it?? I got this one from the HideIt site

[belorsch]

Originally posted by Ploaf
OK this link works for Hide It
http://www.expocenter.com/hideit/hideit11.zip

Edit- Is there a 2.0 version of hide it?? I got this one from the HideIt site

Thats what I believe my ver is.

[Ploaf]

It's weird. I did a search on the web for HideIt and found a bunch of HideIt's all claiming to do the same thing but with different version numbers and different icons. Not sure what the difference is between one and the other although I found one version with a dll and a user interface that seems to have been written by one person, but there are several sites for it and it is mirrored on the Ars Flying Squad page with instructions here- http://flyingars.beverlywebdesign.com/faqs/hideitfaq.shtml

I can't tell, but it looks like something that we can mirror with permsission. The one that is available in this thread appears to have been written by LPerry from [H]ardOCP. Oh well, with several versions available it seems that we won't even have to.

[belorsch]

Q:I added the client and the foldmonitor to my laptop yesterday(P3 1000) and I've turned in 2 WU off of it since adding it to my other 2 computers folding. The question I have is this: It is not showing any finished WU's in the client, but the foldmonitor is showing 2 logged WU's being done by the laptop. It is configured the exact same way as the other 2 computers that I have folding. From the way my score has jumped up since this morning I am guessing that at least 1 of the WU's done by my laptop has been counted, but I'm not sure. Why isn't the folding client showing 2 finished WU's on my laptop? Also, the team stats at Stanford still show me with only 2 processors working this week. Can anyone fill me in on what is going on. I would appreciate any info provided. (originally submitted by muddocktor)

A: You can create a shortcut and insert the -queueinfo flag in the shortcut and run it from the shortcut and then check the log file or you can Click Start, Run and type in 'cmd' It will bring up a dos window. From there you can type(this is an example of where the client is on my HD)
C:\Program Files\Folding@Home\FAH2Console.exe -queueinfo and it will bring up the details right in front of you. If there is anything in queue it can be sent by typing C:\Program Files\Folding@Home\FAH2Console.exe -send #
The # represents whatever the number of the wu is that is waiting in queue. It may show only one wu in the list. In this case it is probably the one you are working on at the moment and it won't get returned because it isn't finished. (originally submitted by ploaf)

[Ploaf]

KDFold is being updated for Folding 2.
This is where to find it - http://www.plasticstudios.org/robsdelphipage.htm

The link is at the bottom of the page. KDFold is a program for monitoring the client across a network similar to foldmonitor.
Just a little something different :)

[Ploaf]

Update on HideIt from LPerry at [H]ardOCP. This would explain why the link wasn't working :)

HideIt X ... Hides any program
I have modified HideIt so that you can use it with just about any program. It will not remove items from the system tray... yet. I will see about doing that at a later date for all you UD crunchers.

How to use HideIt X:
Make sure you put this program in your client Folder or HideItX won't be able to find the client program when you want to start it using HideItX. Put a shortcut to HideItX in your startup folder to start everything when Windows starts. Put a space between the command and the program info. If you are hiding, showing, or stopping a program, be sure to put the exact title of the process including upper and lowercase letters.

Startup Commands :
Command -start....Starts any listed client in current path and hides it.
Command -hide.... Hides all open listed client windows.
Command -stop.... Shuts down all listed clients in Win 95/98/ME.
Command -show...Shows all listed client windows currently running.
Command -help.... Shows this message box.
Examples:
-start FAH2Console.exe
-hide FAH2Console

Get the program here:
http://homepages.waymark.net/~lperry/weather/download/HideItX.exe

[belorsch]

Little thing I noticed yesterday that may or may not be useful. Win2000 running on laptop w/1400x1050 resolution. I click on little cog in systray for graphical client and I get a pixel error. The icon in the systray disappears after clicking ok. I check the processes and the client is still chugging away at 9X%. Just an FYI for people with laptops.

[Ploaf]

Originally posted by belorsch
Little thing I noticed yesterday that may or may not be useful. Win2000 running on laptop w/1400x1050 resolution. I click on little cog in systray for graphical client and I get a pixel error. The icon in the systray disappears after clicking ok. I check the processes and the client is still chugging away at 9X%. Just an FYI for people with laptops.

This is exactly the same problem I have with my laptop. It will run the GUI version but when you click on it the client crashes and the icon disappears, but the core_65 continues to run, exactly as you have described. Win2000. don't know the resolution but it's got a 15.1" screen.

[lennytiger]

i also get the same problem the core runs but the graphical client crashes I also have a 15.1 screen at 1024x768

[belorsch]

Q: I have seen the folding forum many, many, many times, and I have even ventured inside a couple of times, yet to this day I am not sure what Folding is. Could someone please explain what exactly folding is or does?(Question originally submitted by explorer)

A: Folding@Home is a distributed computing project, the sole purpose of which is to figure out how proteins fold and misfold in the body so that we can come up with medicines/treatments to help prevent diseases that are caused by misfolded proteins. This task requires amazing amounts of computational power. The projects are divided into smaller tasks which are sent out to users on the internet to take advantage of the power of thousands of individual pc's all connected to the internet. The power they derive from this method is greater, although different in function and ability, than most supercomputers and is useful for this sort of task. In this project we allow, in the case of Folding@Home, Stanford University's Pandegroup(the people running the project) to send information that needs to be calculated to our computers. The computer performs the calculation and sends the work back to Stanford where it will then get more work to complete. The results from the project will be released to the public and it is proving useful to IBM, NASA and a few other folks and has received the endorsement of Intel.
We have gathered into a team that competes with other teams to see who can do the most work. The science of the project is serious. The teams and competition are just something to help keep your interest. Hope that helps. If not then more information can be found at http://folding.stanford.edu (answer originally submitted by ploaf)

[belorsch]

Q: How can I have my pc dial the ISP so folding@home can send wu results and dl new wu when I'm not around.

A: Goto
Control Panel> Internet Options> Connections
Click "Always Connect"
Highlight default connection then click "setting"
Click last (right most) tab
set Retry to 10 and Interval to 60 seconds
set disconnect to 3 minutes or whatever works for you
Check the box "Do not ask to disconnect".
(Answer originally submitted by S_Wilson)

Works with Win98

[muddocktor]

Q: How do I enable Win2K to automatically dial up and send and receive WU's?

A: Look in the Win2k help files in the index and look up dialup connections and under it there is an entry for automating. Click on it and in the right hand pane is a link to autodial, click on it. It then shows a couple of links to configure autodial and to start the remote access auto connection manager. You will have to go into both of them and follow the steps, which are fairly easy. While you are in the RAACM, configure it to start the service automatically as it set set on manual by default. After you've done this it will be configured and close out the help files.
The first time that it goes to connect after starting the remote access auto connection manager and enabling auto dialup, it will ask if you want to connect. Then, it will ask you which connection to use, even if you only have 1 dialup account on the computer. Then it will ask if you want to be asked all this again before dialing the next time. Be sure to tell it not to ask again or the next time it finishes a WU, it will come up with this same dialogue again. Also, be sure to set the dialup to automatically disconnect after 5-10 minutes instead of relying on your ISP to knock you off for inactivity.

[SpeeDj]

Changed the Thread title as per request, let me know how it works out.

J

[Ploaf]

Looks good. :) Thanks SpeeDj.

[Ploaf]

staying alive .... staying alive .. oh oh oh oh staying aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive (it just doesn't come across right)

BUMP :)

[belorsch]

BUMP

[Ploaf]

I just did this. It is a screenshot with a list of the command line flags. These work. The -send flag requires that you instruct the client which queued wu to send in. as in -send all, or -send 1 etc

Here's the screenshot- also posted in another message but this is the FAQ thread so it's also a good place to put it :)

[belorsch]

Q: Is there a way to start the fah2console program so that it puts the work directory and other files it uses into a specific directory?
Normally when the fah2console.exe is started it creates/downloads files and puts them in the root of c: and it looks for those files there whenever it is started. Now if I use the hideit2 program I dl'd off the web it starts fah2console and puts those files in the same dir as the console and the hideit program. The problem with that is, the program is started with default config.

I figured it out. I always started the console from a dos prompt. Never thought to just double click the console program. When I did this it put all the files in the same place as the dl'd executable file.

[lennytiger]

why not just move the files in the root C: to a directory in c: say C:\Folding@Home

[belorsch]

Originally posted by lennytiger
why not just move the files in the root C: to a directory in c: say C:\Folding@Home

Thats ok as long as you don't have to restart the client. The first time you do it will chech for the files in the root of c and when isn't doesn't find them it starts the process all over again. At least that has been my experience.

[Shadow ÒÓ]

If I'm on dial up running folding, but don't want it to dial in automatically, will it wait patiently for me to connect and then exchange the work it needs?

I want to run it on my girlfriends machine too (well it was my machine until she started whining :mad: ) but she doesn't want it dialing in automatically.

[Kendan]

In the config there is an option to ask before using network. just set it to ask.

[Shadow ÒÓ]

but what would happen if I set it to "no" (don't ask first). If she's not on line, would it wait patiently for to go go on line? This machine only turns out a couple a day, but she's on every morning and every eve....so it would work out well.

[belorsch]

If you say no, it will try to connect and when it can't it will just go to sleep and then wake up and try every 5 minutes. Thats the message I see on my pc's anyway when there is a connection problem. Don't know that this works though if comp had been turned off in the mean time but it should.

[Ploaf]

bump

[lennytiger]

if you say yes it will do a popup box telling you that it is ready to connect to the network!

[Trainwreck]

I thinking of joining but I only have a 56k modem and dial up. I don't spend alot of time on line only 3or4 hrs /day. frist would it be worth it; second will folding slow down my internet speed or my slow down my computer.

[Ploaf]

It could occasionally slow down your connection when dl'ing work, but how often that happens depends on the speed of your machine and how quickly it completes the work. You could also make it ask before trying to dl or upload anything. I believe that the work downloads are in the 600k range somewhere.
You should not notice any slowdown of your computers performance. It uses some memory, but shouldn't use enough to affect performance either. The best way to find out is to try it and see how your machine performs while running the client. I haven't noticed any slowdown or problems with Folding running.

[lennytiger]

Originally posted by Trainwreck
I thinking of joining but I only have a 56k modem and dial up. I don't spend alot of time on line only 3or4 hrs /day. frist would it be worth it; second will folding slow down my internet speed or my slow down my computer.

I too am on a 56k modem, what you can do is let folding auto dial send its results etc and then set it to disconect after a certain time. This is the best way if your dial up is unmetered or toll free phone call to the isp. Or you can set it to display a popup box letting you know its ready and then you can connect when you feel like!

[Trainwreck]

Thanks that's the kind of answers I was looking for. I think I will join in but the Props have to go to IdeaMagnate for giving me the thought to join.

[Trainwreck]

Can I fold offline after I down load

[lennytiger]

Originally posted by Trainwreck
Can I fold offline after I down load

Of course!!! You don't need to be online when its folding!! :)

[belorsch]

Lets go retro and do da BUMP!

[lennytiger]

i thought this was a stick???

IT SHOULD BE MODS????????????????

[Ploaf]

This is a FAQ in progress thread I think.
There is a fair amount of info here and on the team site. Some of the info on the team site probably needs to be reworked a bit and definitely needs to be added to. Anyway. We could recreate this thread rather easily and clean out the extraneous postings rather easily simply by letting it die when the new thread is created. If it it gets stickied I fear that it will end up like the new member thread.
There will be another post about this thread in yet another thread :)

[Ploaf]

Starting Point. Can you do it?

[Ploaf]

bump

[lennytiger]

bumpety bump...

[belorsch]

Here are the links for the F@H2 Yahoo groups:
help with running the client
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/foldinghelp

bug reports (client side) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/folding-bugreports

operations issues (server side) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/folding-operations

discussions of the science
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/folding-science

an open topic forum http://groups.yahoo.com/group/folding2

[Ploaf]

This is an article just written by SickBoy on setting up a dedicated folding box. I'll just include the link -
http://forums.overclockers.ws/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=60886


And an article brought to us by Kendan from the Folding@Home mailing list/yahoo group explaining how to set up the client as a scheduled task in windows 2000/XP which will allow it to function when the computer is booted similar to setting it up as a service written by a member of that group known as Cajun Man - It works and is pretty easy to set up -
http://forums.overclockers.ws/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=60665

[muddocktor]

If you've been having problems sending WU's in and they are building up in the queue, you need to go read in some of those yahoo links that belorsch has posted up. They were informative to me and assured me that my work is getting through, even though the console client is telling me that they weren't transmitted.

Also, this is an official bump back to the top. SpeedDj, this really should be make a sticky and maybe we could get rid of 1 of the older stickys to keep them from taking up too much room.:D

[Ploaf]

This is thread has been more for working on a FAQ which is why we didn't ask for it to be a sticky. The original FAQ was incomplete but these threads can get cluttered with this and that. We will have an end FAQ pretty soon and this thread will be able to die a natural death ;) Oh yeah, and bump.

[Ploaf]

Reference thread on running the client in Linux - http://forums.overclockers.ws/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62384

reference dually thread http://forums.overclockers.ws/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62153

[belorsch]

"Bump" Pardon me. Didn't see you ol'chap:D

[muddocktor]

And here is a bump back to the front page.


----BUMP!!!----

[lennytiger]

Bump lol just me being a tiger ;):beer:

[Ploaf]

We really need to finish getting this together. Will hopefully have something soon.

[NedClocker]

Back up you go for all to see. :D

[NedClocker]

Time flys!
burp, I mean, bump.

[Loud]

Hmmm ... can I just ... do this? I've never done this before, so I'm a bit nervous. :rolleyes:

Well ... here goes ...

BUMP!

I feel good! -James Brown :D

[NedClocker]

You done good.

[Ploaf]

The day is rapidly approaching(I hope) when this will no longer need to be bumped.

[belorsch]

Originally posted by Ploaf
The day is rapidly approaching(I hope) when this will no longer need to be bumped.
Yeah! I know you guys are working hard. Sorry I haven't helped. I'm a bum, what can I say:(

[Loud]

Originally posted by NedClocker
You done good.

... gorsh ... tankx ... :D

[Loud]

<Scottish brogue> BUMP! </Scottish brogue> :D

[Ploaf]

Originally posted by belorsch

Yeah! I know you guys are working hard. Sorry I haven't helped. I'm a bum, what can I say:(

lol There are no bums around here. :D
Actually I've been busier than usual this last week and it's been hard doing what I want to with it. Ran into a stumbling block or two along the way. Hopefully things will get closer to normal soon and my head will stop spinning. (where's the spinning head icon)

[NedClocker]

oops!