stupid question

[yog]

I know it is a stupid question but what is Seti? How do I get it and what good is it? I hear people talking about getting to a certain score but what does that do for you.

Thanks

[Jon]

Well, if you'd like to learn more about SETI and our SETI team you can visit our team's website here (www.ocsetiteam.com).

As far as scores and such goes, there are numerous categories that we can try for the top spot in. Of course, there is the most WUs (work units) completed, best average completion time for a WU, most WUs produced daily, etc. You can check the stats on that team page to see how many we keep. There are even more overall on Berkeley's (http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/) official SETI website.

If you decide to join beware, it can be extremely addictive and you might see begin to see yourself building rig after rig to try and inch your way up into the standings. I myself started with two PCs and am beginning on my 10th since just this February! Several members have more than I do.

All in all it's alot of fun and a great team effort. We'd love to have you aboard if you're considering on joining!

[LandShark]

check my sig.

both our team site and my own site...;)

[yog]

ok I checked the website and read up on it but I can't figure out how to join. I also can't figure out how to get the software I need. HELP!!

[Mictlan]

If you want to join this wonderful addiction follow the next instructions found at our site (http://www.ocsetiteam.com/Instr1.htm). At that link you can find a zip file with all the needed files.

Note: the following assumes you have the latest download of SETI@home, SETISpy & SETI Driver ready at hand...

01.) If you have previous SETI versions, uninstall ALL SETI programs

02.) Create a "SETI" folder
03.) In the SETI folder, copy "setiathome-3_03_i386-winnt-cmdline.exe" & "SETI Driver.exe" & "SetiSpy.exe"

04.) Click on "SETI Driver.exe"
05.) Set "maximum processes" to "1"
06.) Set "desired cache size" to "1"
07.) Make sure the "hide processing box" is checked (default value).
08.) Set "SETI client priority" to "normal" (default is "low")
09.) "Process monitoring" is at the bottom of the window, make sure the "use SETI Driver" is checked.
10.) Click on the "save config" button
11.) Click on the "transmit" button (if you get an error window at this point, choose "ignore")

12.) A DOS window (the CLC or command line client) will open entitled "SETI 1 - Transmit"
13.) In the DOS window, enter "1" or "2" (depending on your status)

As you will be a new user you'll need to type 1.

You will be asked to feed a valid e-mail address and a nickname. Feed it to the program and continue

14.) Enter the email address you registered for SETI with

15.) The CLC will download data, display information on the WU downloaded, then stop when it reaches "beginning analysis"
16.) Then CLC should disappear as SETI Driver "hides" the processing

NOTE: You should have a blue radio telescope icon running in the system tray (next to time & volume in the lower right portion of your screen). If this is the case, SETI Driver & the CLC are working together... CONGRATS!!!

17.) Right click on the blue radio telescope icon, and select "exit"
18.) In your SETI folder, click on "SetiSpy.exe"
19.) Select "I agree" (if you do, of course)
20.) Click "ignore" (if you get the "error window")

NOTE: You should now be looking at the SETI Spy interface (GUI window). In the white-ish area on the left are what I will call "tabs" (named, "progress," performance," results," etc.). To select a tab, click on it.

21.) Select the "client" tab
22.) Click on the "configure" button, this will open the "client configuration" window
23.) Click on "browse", this will open the "select SETI@home Client" window
24.) Click on the "SETI Driver.exe"
25.) At the bottom of the window it should read [file name: SETI Driver.exe] [file type: executables]
26.) Click on "open"
27.) The "select SETI@home Client" will close, and the "Client Configuration" should be displayed

NOTE: Assuming I have set this up on a "C:" drive, using the "SETI" folder name as I mentioned above, the client configuration window will read "C:\SETI\SETI Driver.exe" in the "client path" area.

28.) In the "client parameter(s)" area type "-SETISpy" (don't miss the hyphen)
29.) Under "client control" at the bottom of the window, check all 4 boxes
30.) Click "OK" and you will be back at the SETI Spy GUI
31.) Select the "Setup" tab (should default to the "display" button setting, if not select "display")
32.) check the 3 left boxes in this order: "minimize to tray," "run in tray," "close to tray"
33.) Click on the "client" button
34.) Check the "Ignore presence of state file on startup" box
35.) In the system tray, right click on the SETI Spy icon (radio telescope with magnifying glass) and select "exit".

NOTE: At this point, there should be no SETI icons in the system tray, or other SETI windows open. If anything is open, close it.

36.) Click on "SetiSpy.exe" in the SETI folder, if you get an error message (which you probably will) select "ignore".
37.) You should have both the SETISpy AND SETI Driver icons now running in your system tray.

38.) Left click on the SETI Driver icon, make sure the "use SETI Spy" box is checked in the "process monitoring" section at the bottom of the window.
39.) Click on the "save config" button, then minimize the SETI Driver window.

40.) Left Click on the SETI Spy icon in your system tray.
41.) Select "exit".

42.) Next, click on the "SETI Spy.exe" icon in your SETI folder... No errors? GREAT.... CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You are now configured to run the CLC, Spy & Driver off the SETI Spy icon...

43.) To get the full functionality of SetiSpy you must do this workaround, it will enable you to update your user info and give you a direct link to our SETI@home team page.

44.) Finally double click the SETI driver icon in your tray, set the desired cache size to 3-5 days worth of work units. If you are not sure how many to set it to set it to 2 and see about how many units you complete in a day and then multiply that by 3 or 5. Save the configuration and you are now ready to crunch.

Of course, you can make a shortcut to SETISpy and paste it into your system startup folder, then SETI@home will automatically restart, every time you boot up Windows...

Happy Crunching!!!

Kris

After you have done all the above you'll have finished installing SETI@home in your PC. Afterwards and if you decide to join or team you'll need to ask for your password at this link (http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/get_passwd.html) and when berkeley give it to you you can go here (http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/cgi?cmd=team_join_form&id=94265) to join one of the biggest team at the SETI@home project.

[deez]

SETI is distributed computing meaning computers all over the world are doing a little bit of work each in order to meet a common objective. This work is done in increments called Work Units and the data is returned to a central computer system in order to analyze this information. Basically users filter the useless data and return just the important info for the central system to analyze.

In the case of SETI the objective is analyzing data from a radio telescope in an effort to find evidence of aliens