Smallest, fastest OS for Team projects and why to choose TA?

[BCinSC]

I've got a dozen pretty decent server class systems collecting dust. I am happy to load whatever OS is best for churning numbers in a TeamAnandtech project - whichever project is deemed most in need, mostly in terms of outcome value (like cancer research more than SETI). And the next question is - why TA?

 

[sciencewhiz]

It really depends on the client and project.

3 years ago, I did some comparisons with linux (caldera 2.3) and windows 98 with the distributed.net client. I found that the average speed of the benchmark was virtually identical (linux was slightly faster, but statistically insignificant). However, I found that when I was doing other things, the linux average was higher then the windows average. Later, I did a comparison between Windows 98 and 2000 on a different computer, and found virutally the same thing. The benchmark was virtually the same, but 2000 was better when doing other stuff. I don't have exact numbers to compare 2000 and linux, but I would say as long as it is either an NT based OS or linux, you are better of then win9x.

However, that only shows that linux and 2000 are better when the clients are equally optomized for both platforms. I know with SETI (never run it, but have read many threads about it), the windows client is significantly faster then the linux client. This isn't because of one OS vs another, just that the windows client has been optomized more. When you run the windows client with the WINE emulator in linux, it is actually slightly faster then the windows client run in windows.

I'd suggest first picking a project or two, and then asking again, in the distributed computing forum.


Why TA? because you obviously like Anandtech 😉

 

[bgeh]

Originally posted by: BCinSC
I've got a dozen pretty decent server class systems collecting dust. I am happy to load whatever OS is best for churning numbers in a TeamAnandtech project - whichever project is deemed most in need, mostly in terms of outcome value (like cancer research more than SETI). And the next question is - why TA?

we at Team AT F@H need your help. we are currently being chased down 3 teams, and 1 of them is about to overtake us now.

F@H can run on Linux and Windows, at the same speed

What does Folding@Home do? Folding@Home is a distributed computing project which studies protein folding, misfolding, aggregation, and related diseases. We use novel computational methods and large scale distributed computing, to simulate timescales thousands to millions of times longer than previously achieved. This has allowed us to simulate folding for the first time, and to now direct our approach to examine folding related diseases like Alzheimer's, Mad Cow (BSE), CJD, ALS, and Parkinson's disease.

Why TA?
if it isn't TA, then why are you posting here😉?
there's a strong community spirit here🙂

 

[BCinSC]

OK, downloaded console version of TA-F@H and logged in using BCinSC part of Team 198. Is that right?

 

[drag]

I don't know if it matters, but in Linux you can easily choose which proccess get prioty in the schedualing.

It's called "nice". Nice programs let others before them, not-nice programs hog the computer.

So you could have those boxes doing stuff like being extra file servers and stuff, but if you set the seti client to all the way not-nice you can stuff get most performance out of it.

I recommomend either slackware or debian. Just do minimal installs, even without X if you don't need it to run the client and then leave it at that. Install the Seti client on it, and set them in a corner of a room somewhere and forget about them. Barring power problems or hardware problems they will happily churn away for years with out needing any human interaction.

 

[bgeh]

Originally posted by: BCinSC
OK, downloaded console version of TA-F@H and logged in using BCinSC part of Team 198. Is that right?

yep
Welcome!!!😀
Glad to have you here🙂

 

[sciencewhiz]

Originally posted by: drag
I don't know if it matters, but in Linux you can easily choose which proccess get prioty in the schedualing.

It's called "nice". Nice programs let others before them, not-nice programs hog the computer.

NT based Windows can do the same thing from the task manager.