MDE's New and Improved F@H Setup Guide V1.5

[MDE]

Glad to be of assistance 🙂

 

[Spacehead]

OK, my WU is finished... how do i get it to upload/download a new one?
I installed the CLI as a service. I did hear what i bet was the "OK to connect to network" window popping up but by the time i got to look there was nothing there. At the time i wasn't connected to the 'net but now i am, obviously.

 

[GLeeM]

Oh sorry, yeah if you run as a service and use the "Ask to connect" feature, you will also have to set the service to be able to 'interact with the desktop' or something like that. I think it will work OK then. (Just last week read about this at the folding-community forum)

Hmmm.... never ran as a service, but I think if you go into the MMC services module and stop and restart the service, that should work.

If not, then stop the service and make a shortcut to the client, right click that shortcut and select Properties. At the end of what is in the Target textbox add a space, a dash, and "local" without the quotes, and another space, dash and "send all" without the quotes, this will get the results sent.

When I think about it, just stopping and starting the service should do it.

 

[Spacehead]

Well, i tried stopping & starting the service. Didn't work.
Unless i'm doing something wrong here. I'm going into admin tools-->Services--> hi-liting F@H, then it gives the options to Stop, Pause or Restart the service. I tried restart, nothing. Then i treid stopping , then starting... nothing. Just makes the "default beep" noise.
If you look at the pic MDE posted in the setup guide i'm seeing the same thing.

If you installed Folding@Home as a service, then your Services window (in Administrative Tools) should look like this.

I'll try your second method. Maybe i shouldn't of set this up as a service till i got things figured out 😱


edit-
added commands as you said, DOS-like box popped up & the window asking if it's OK to connect, clicked OK(or yes) then nothing...
Now the DOS-like window is gone... 😕

 

[GLeeM]

Go back into Services and right click the F@H service and select Properties.

Click the "Log On" tab and put a check in the "Allow the service to interact with the desktop" checkbox. Click "OK".

Now stop the service and then restart it.

I hope this works 😛

EDIT for your EDIT: Sounds like it did what it was supposed to 🙂 You could look in the FAHlog.txt file for a lines like:

[03:43:03] + Results successfully sent
[03:43:03] Thank you for your contribution to Folding@Home.
[03:43:03] + Number of Units Completed: 1

But I think you will still have to get it to interact with the desktop to get the Ask to Connect to work right.

 

[Spacehead]

OK, did what you said, "OK to connect" window popped up, said yes..... something's connecting to the internet 😀

Yeah!!! F@H is running again :w00t; 😛


So, do you think this shouldn't be so difficult the next time? Or just wait & see?
Should i get rid of the shortcut i created?

 

[GLeeM]

I would guess that it will work how you want when the WU finishes.

You can delete the shortcut or put it in the F@H folder in case you need it again.

 

[Spacehead]

Just as an FYI, this morning that "OK to connect" window was sitting there witing for me to connect to the 'net. So it looks like getting it to interact with the desktop was the trick.

Thanks again GLeeM :thumbsup:

 

[Spacehead]

Next round of questions.

8b) CPU usage requested (5-100)- Lets you allocate a percentage of your CPU to F@H, useful if you want to run two DC projects at the same time or want to try controlling heat output from your CPU.

When i set up the 1st computer i wasn't sure how this would effect a HT system so i set it at the default 100%. However, F@H is only using 50%. That's how i actually wanted it.
When i set up the 2nd comp i did the same thing when asked but F@H is in fact using 100%. So i will want to go back & change that setting.
Before i asked you how to go about changing the settings & you said:
"Yes, by stopping the client and starting it with the -config or -configonly flag/switch. Some settings take effect right away and some after the current WU is finished."

Would that mean stopping the client, creating a shortcut like i did before & adding "-config"(no quotes) to the "Target" box?

8f) Memory, in MB, to indicate (XXX available)- This allows you to set the amount of RAM that F@H is allowed to use, can be useful in RAM constrained or dual CPU configurations.

Also, when i set up the 1st comp i was never asked this question but i was on the 2nd set up. Is there a certain amount i should put in there or just use the default setting(it was 509 MB for me).




Next question... F@H Logstats isn't showing anything for the 2nd comp i set up. If i click on the computer name it will show me the 'F@Hlog.txt' for that comp but there's no other info in the summary or under the Detailed Stats section other than username & team#.

 

[GLeeM]

When i set up the 1st computer i wasn't sure how this would effect a HT system so i set it at the default 100%. However, F@H is only using 50%.

50% is what Windows reports, but it is really using all of the processor. If another program is running then Windows shows 50% for each and each is using half of the CPU.
I have tried turning off in BIOS the HT feature and a WU does the same as when HT is turned on.

When i set up the 2nd comp i did the same thing when asked but F@H is in fact using 100%.

I don't think the 2nd comp is HT CPU or HT is turned off in BIOS. Does Task Manager show two graphs in the "CPU Usage History" area of the Performance Tab?

Would that mean stopping the client, creating a shortcut like i did before & adding "-config"(no quotes) to the "Target" box?

Yes. With the -config flag the client will start crunching after you finish configuring. With the -configonly flag the client closes after you finish configuring.

Also, when i set up the 1st comp i was never asked this question but i was on the 2nd set up. Is there a certain amount i should put in there or just use the default setting(it was 509 MB for me).

This question is only asked by the 5.04beta client and is in the Advanced Options part.
I would leave it at the default, unless you find that the WUs you are getting are using more ram than you want.
The main use of this feature is to trick the Assignment Server (AS). If you have a dual core/CPU comp and want to run two clients, but only want to run one bonus WU, you can set one client to tell the AS that you have less ram than is needed to get bonus WUs.

F@H Logstats isn't showing anything for the 2nd comp i set up.

I'm not sure about this one 😕
Have you tried "Update"ing the "Protein point and deadline information [Fetched from Stanford.edu]". You can find the button by clicking "Settings" and then the "General Settings" tab.

🙂

 

[Spacehead]

I don't think the 2nd comp is HT CPU or HT is turned off in BIOS. Does Task Manager show two graphs in the "CPU Usage History" area of the Performance Tab?

Well, it was a HT system when bought it 😛
ATM it only shows 1 graph in the Performance tab but it does list 2 processors in the Device Manager.

This question is only asked by the 5.04beta client and is in the Advanced Options part.

Dang... wonder if i accedentally D/Led the wrong client?
Oops, yes i did. Should i get rid of the beta & get the 5.02 client? Could that be the reason F@HLogstats isn't seeing the client on my 2nd comp... 'cause it's the beta client?

 

[GLeeM]

Well, it was a HT system when bought it
ATM it only shows 1 graph in the Performance tab but it does list 2 processors in the Device Manager.

In Task Manager go to the View dropdown menu and click "CPU History" and select "One graph per CPU".
That's only an answer to the one graph problem. I don't know what is up with your comp. Anyone else?

Could that be the reason F@HLogstats isn't seeing the client on my 2nd comp... 'cause it's the beta client?

No, at least from my experience.
It's not really a beta. They made it for the former Top Folder so he could run bonus WUs without getting QMDs on his hundreds of dual CPU work computers.

Is that client doing a QMD core WU? FAH LogStats can't display QMD WUs 🙁

But Electron Microscope III can. There is a nice ppd calculator there too.

 

[Spacehead]

Hmmm... no option for "One graph per CPU" 😕
I'll have to figure that out.



Yes its doing a QMD now.
[05:42:27] Writing local files
[05:42:27] Extra SSE2/SSE3 boost OK.
[05:42:27] Entering QMD...
[05:43:11] System: p1912_ALA-dipeptide_umb2

 

[biodoc]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally posted by: Spacehead

3. Can you change your original settings in the CLI later if you want?

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Reply by: GLeeM

3. Yes, by stopping the client and starting it with the -config or -configonly flag/switch. Some settings take effect right away and some after the current WU is finished.

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GLeeM, I just changed my Team to "198" mid-run. Do you know if this change will take effect right away?

 

[GLeeM]

Originally posted by: biodoc
GLeeM, I just changed my Team to "198" mid-run. Do you know if this change will take effect right away?

This change will take effect right away! The current WU when finished will be credited to you and TeAm Anandtech.

Welcome to the F@H TeAm 🙂

EDIT: And welcome to the forum too 😉

 

[biodoc]

Thanks for the info and the welcome, GLeeM!! 🙂

And thanks to MDE for the F@H setup guide!

 

[MDE]

bump up

 

[AMDnewbie2006]

Originally posted by: GLeeM
Awesome! Thanks MDE 🙂

We really needed this again :thumbsup:

About the "-advmethods" flag: some bonus WUs can now be gotten without this flag. It IS needed to get QMD bonus WUs for Intel rigs.

I would encourage anyone with a P4 or Xeon computer (with 512MB or more ram) to at least try the QMD core WUs, they give a very good bonus for the resources used and will give the TeAm a good boost. To get them answer yes to "> 7" above and add the "-advmethods" flag to the startup shortcut or answer yes to "8h)" above.
If the TeAm had just 20 more P4s doing these we would be on our way to 17th rank.

Sweet, i have an old dual xeon rig, But where can i go to add Anandtech to my teams??

 

[Spacehead]

Originally posted by: AMDnewbie2006

Originally posted by: GLeeM
Awesome! Thanks MDE 🙂

We really needed this again :thumbsup:

About the "-advmethods" flag: some bonus WUs can now be gotten without this flag. It IS needed to get QMD bonus WUs for Intel rigs.

I would encourage anyone with a P4 or Xeon computer (with 512MB or more ram) to at least try the QMD core WUs, they give a very good bonus for the resources used and will give the TeAm a good boost. To get them answer yes to "> 7" above and add the "-advmethods" flag to the startup shortcut or answer yes to "8h)" above.
If the TeAm had just 20 more P4s doing these we would be on our way to 17th rank.

Sweet, i have an old dual xeon rig, But where can i go to add Anandtech to my teams??

During the setup process it'll ask you for a team #. Just enter 198 for TeAm AnandTech.



I set up both my comps just as MDE explained above & i'm not getting any QMD or any large WUs lately. Is anyone else?

 

[ksherman]

I know this is a really old thread, any special funny business needed for the GPU/nVIDIA CUDA version of F@H, to keep it optimized? with it running, seems to be using both CPU cores and the GPU (temp is pretty high). I ask only because for most of yesterday it looks like it was throttling up and down at regular intervals (like every few minutes or so).

 

[GLeeM]

any special funny business needed for the GPU/nVIDIA CUDA version of F@H, to keep it optimized? with it running, seems to be using both CPU cores and the GPU (temp is pretty high).

Right click the systray icon and select Configure... On the Advanced tab set Core Priority to Slightly Higher. This will help it get CPU cycles before other very low priority tasks (if you have any running).

The CUDA client should use less than 25% of one core, I think.

For cooler running you can set the GPU fan to a higher speed. Or set the temp when the fan speeds up automatically lower.

 

[ksherman]

Hmm, well the CUDA client seems to be using both quite a lot. Temps are high because I assume its being used a lot. Fan already at 100% or slightly below. Is it normal for it to use both so fully?

This is the version I downloaded: http://folding.stanford.edu/English/DownloadWinOther labeled with the special visualizer for nVidia cards... Right choice? Anything else I need to do to improve performance? I'm only using a lowly Dual-Core CPU, so I doubt there is a lot of performance to be gotten from it. And like I said, the client seems to be really using the CPU a ton already...

EDIT:: DUH! Just figured out the problem -

Note: The Viewer included with the Systray client is not yet working properly and is a known bug. This is the Display option when you right click the FAH tray icon. The Pande Group is aware of these issues and is working to fix them. Sometimes the viewer works, sometimes not. And it always uses a lot of CPU power, and may slow down the folding client. In the mean time, avoid using the viewer. The viewer is not required to make the client run.

Silly me... So if I stop using the viewer, how can I check out my GPU's performance?

 

[biodoc]

check out fahmon. 😎

 

[ksherman]

check out fahmon. 😎

VERY nice. Will feed my need for information.

And guess what?! Newegg has the HIS 5850 in stock! Kinda wanted a Sapphire with the Vapor-X heatsink though, much quieter. Well, when the sound gets on my nerves, I'll look at an after market solution. I love Zalman stuff... So, got a 5850 and a Q9550. Time to crank out those proteins! And get to editing some 1080p HD Video without pulling my brain out my nose.