Time to update the "Welcome" thread

[Spacehead]

We should look over the welcome thread & see if anything needs fixed, changed, updated, etc.
I assume alot of us regulars don't look in there very often. I know i don't.

If some of you that run various projects would make sure the links to your project are correct that would be great.


Wolfsraider said he was going to take care of the Redeye Express site when he gets a new server. Maybe we should remove the link for now? Looks bad going to a hacked site, i think.

Can any one alse connect to amdxborg's site? I can't from here.
If there a problem maybe we should remove that too till it's fixed.


There have been a few newcomers here that have had a hard time finding the team # for our F@H team. Maybe we should include that in the welcome thread.


That's about all i can think of ATM.

Suggestion???


Things we need to decide as a TeAm
[*]If possable, should we add start-up guides with each project? Or keep it as is & have any start-up guides on one of the off-site websites?

[*]Add team numbers or team names along side each project in the welcome thread or leave that in the start-up guides?

[*]Make 2 different lists of projects... 1 for BOINC projects & 1 for non-BOINC projects? Add link to Fardringle's thread?

[*]Get rid of the link to SETI Classic, listed under "Discontinued But Still Active"?






Things to definately fix
[*]Change link to amdxborg's site from http://teamanandtech.sytes.net/ to www.teamanandtech.net

[*]Add any missing projects, get rid of any discontinued ones.


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The new welcome thread, as it stands as of the latest edit of this post
Differences between the new look & the old look as of this edit:
[*]Split projects into BOINC/non-BOINC
[*]Added a few TeAm nanes/numbers... more to come
[*]Dropped Wolfsraiders site & corrected the link to amdxborg's site
[*]Added the Wiki
[*]Dropped SETI Classic & Find-a-Drug, added Leiden & Malariacontrol
[*]Added link to Fardringle's BOINC thread
[*]Added MDE's F@H setup guide
[*]Added link to BOINC overview
[*]Updated links per Rattledagger's suggestions
[*]Added SIMAP & moved WCG to Life Sciences
[*]Dropped ZetaGrid, PrimeGrid, CHRONOS, Predictor@Home, Riesel Sieve, Orbit@Home, PlanetQuest, XtremLab, BURP & DHEP (10/12)
[*]Added QMC, uFluids & Stardust@Home (10/12)
[*]Added team names where i could find them, added links (10/13)
[*]Added QMC (10/15)
[*]Dropped Chessbrain (10/19)
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Welcome to the Team AnandTech Distributed Computing Forum! Here you will find plenty of great folks who would be glad to help you with the technical side of setting up and running distributed computing applications. You will find people who are more passionate about numbers than some mathematicians. You will find a great community who enjoy having [slightly] off topic discussions and helping each other immensely in real life.

So what is this "distributed computing" thing anyway? Distributed computing describes a system in which client systems receive work involving calculation of some sort from a server, perform the computation, and then send the results back to the server. Thus, it is possible to employ thousands or millions of personal computers, surpassing the power of many supercomputers.

You might ask, why would I want to donate my spare CPU time and electricity to something like this? A quick overview of the variety of projects listed below may well convince you that the very small cost of electricity required to run a computer 24/7 (hint: turn off the monitor to save power) is well worth the difference you can make in your project?s area of scientific research.

Some projects look outward into space, to look for extraterrestrial life, pulsars, and other things. Others look around, to chart the development of life on the planet, or predict future weather patterns. Yet others look inward, to analyze the structure of atoms, molecules, or proteins. Each project can have a great impact on the development of science in its area, and you can help!

Project website quick reference, by category:

Projects run under the BOINC platform --- BOINC Homepage

[*]Life Sciences

Malaria Control Beta --- Team name - TeAm AnandTech
Rosetta@Home --- Team name - TeAm AnandTech
SIMAP --- Team name - TeAm Anandtech
QMC@Home --- Team name - TeAm AnandTech
World Community Grid --- Team name - Anandtech


[*]Mathematics

SZTAKI Desktop Grid --- Team name - TeAm AnandTech


[*] Science

Climate Prediction --- Team name - TeAm AnandTech
Einstein@Home --- Team name - TeAm AnandTech
Leiden Classical --- Team name - TeAm AnandTech
LHC@HOME --- Team name -TeAm AnandTech --- Sometimes this project has no work to send out so it's best to run at least 1 other BOINC project at the same time.
SETI@Home --- Team name - TeAm AnandTech
µFluids --- Team name -TeAm AnandTech

The above list is only the more popular & stable of the BOINC projects.
For complete info on all BOINC projects, please see Fardringle's Comprehensive BOINC project list

To join one or more of these BOINC projects, choose "Attach to project" in BOINC-Manager, and copy the URL for the project you want to join. You can make an account in BOINC-Manager if you haven't got one from before. At the end, remember to visit the team-URL to join TeAm AnandTech.

For system requirements for each project, look here, here & here




Projects with their own Distributed Computing infrastructure

[*] Cryptography

OGR:RC5-72 --- Team name - AnandTech 10635


[*] Life Sciences

Community TSC --- Team name - Team AnandTech
D2OL --- Team name - Team AnandTech
Folding@Home --- Team number - 198 --- F@H setup guide by MDE
Ubero --- Team name - TeAm AnandTech
UD Cancer Research


[*] Mathematics

ECMNET
Euler --- Team name - Team AnandTech
SoB - Seventeen Or Bust --- Team name - Anandtech


[*] Science

DIMES Internet Mapper --- Team name - TeAm AnandTech --- Low CPU use, but a lot of Bandwith, and thus can be run along with another DC project.
DPAD --- Team name - Team Anandtech
eOn --- Team name - Team AnandTech
Evolution@Home
Stardust@Home - There are no teams for this, it's an individual project.




General DC Notes

Some projects, BOINC & non-BOINC, are down for extended periods. Either re-coding their clients, re-aiming their scientific search, possible lack of funding or many other reasons, not knowing when they will be open again. For that reason not all TeAm run projects are shown here. For the complete list of TeAm run projects, please visit our TeAm AnandTech Websites:
TeAm AnandTech DC Projects hosted by "amdxborg"

Many of the projects have daily stats threads posted by members here on the forums. If you have any questions about a certain project please post in the stats thread. If no thread is available, feel free to start your own thread.

Look over the various projects. Most are very easy to set up and run, don't require 24 hour/day operation (but once addicted, you may just do that), and have almost no effect on the operation of your everyday PC(s).

For a general overview about Distributed Computing and various projects, please visit Kirk's Dstributed Computing Info site or the List of Distributed Computing Projects Wiki

If you have a question, please jump right in and ask ... or just say hello! You'll be glad you did, and we will, too!

 

[CupCak3]

I think it would be a great idea to list the team name or number for each client. (even though most of them are TeAm AnandTech or AnandTech)

 

[BlackMountainCow]

It's a tough decission sometimes. Take PlanetQuest for example, or Orbit&Home. They've been inactive for such a long time and most people think that they'll never get off the ground anyway. As a matter of fact, Orbit@Home didn't get the NASA money the applied for and thus is mostly dead.

Then we good projects missing, like Leiden Classical, Malariacontrol.net and such ...

I did the update last time for the welcome thread, so I know it's a lot of work. The only ting that really worked for me was to go through all the links, look for new projects on stats sites like boincstas.com or rebirther.de.vu and then compile a new list.

As for projects to get kicked out, that's a different story. In my opinion, the "Discontinued But Still Active " should be removed completely.

And we should have two lists, one for BOINC, one for others. Makes getting started so much easier. Maybe with a link to some BOINC guide, or Wiki entry, and Berkeley.


Ideas ... ideas ....

 

[Spacehead]

Some good points BMC & CupCak3, thanks.

I'm not familiar with any of the BOINC projects. Can a general how-to be written up for the BOINC projects? Or are they all different?


I think adding MDE's start-up guide for F@H would be a help. MDE's New and Improved F@H Setup Guide V1.5
I think if a start-up guide is already written somehwere for a project we should just add it in the welcome thread.

Definately need to add any missing projects & get rid of any discontinued ones.

 

[InlineFive]

I would also like to have our team number listed next to it's project. That would be really useful.

 

[Leros]

Originally posted by: InlineFive
I would also like to have our team number listed next to it's project. That would be really useful.

excellent idea, it took me abotu ten minutes to find Anandtech's team number for F@H.

 

[Spacehead]

bump


If anyone knows of projects not listed please post them, with a link if you got it.
BMC already mentioned Leiden Classical & Malariacontrol.net.

 

[The Borg]

Hi guys,

My 2 cents: What about a link to Fardringle's list of Boinc projects? Most of the stuff you are talking about is already there. Just pad it with the setup stuff and a link.

How about adding a link of some sort to the guys that seem to be most involved with certain projects? That excludes Johan of course. He is wonderfully involved in every project ;-) Something like a giude or mentor?

 

[Spacehead]

Originally posted by: The Borg
Hi guys,

My 2 cents: What about a link to Fardringle's list of Boinc projects? Most of the stuff you are talking about is already there. Just pad it with the setup stuff and a link.

How about adding a link of some sort to the guys that seem to be most involved with certain projects? That excludes Johan of course. He is wonderfully involved in every project ;-) Something like a giude or mentor?

Great idea about using Fardringle's list :thumbsup:

We used to have a mentor team for SETI classic. But for this you would have to have volunteer mentors for almost every project. Probably just easier to have people ask in the various stats threads i'm guessing.

 

[The Borg]

In terms of mentor's I was thinking like there are a few people that update the stats and stuff. I am presuming here, that they are really interested in that project and would be more than willing to help. eg:

Rattledagger - SETI
BMC - Rosetta
Spacehead - SoB
amd.borg - DPAD
etc

Another 2 cents!!!

 

[Spacehead]

I know everyone would be willing to help. What were you thinking... something like next SoB have "If you have any questions please contact Spacehead" thru either PM or email?

It might be easier to have "If you have any questions on a specific project, please post in that projects stats thread. If no stats thread is available feel free to start a new thread asking your question."

Please expand on you idea if i've completely missed in my above example.

It seems that keeping the Welcome thread as general as possible is the best way to go as once it's setup it stays that way for awhile. That's one of the reasons we have links to offsite forums & websites. It's easier & faster to update those than to keep bothering the mods here for changes.
If you have a certain persons name attached to a projects as a mentor, maybe something comes up in real life in a few months that they can't do it anymore.
Maybe if we had mentors listed on one of the offsite places, if theres enough interest.

 

[Smoke]

The "Welcome Thread" will always be a work in progress ... just the nature of the beast.

Anyone remember my first attempt in the creation of this "thing"? A paragraph on each project which included a brief description and links. As time went on it became longer and longer and longer. :frown: :laugh: (and a ah heck to edit and update)

I think you have the right idea on how to handle things, Space.

Heck, if everything was crystal in the "Welcome Thread", we'd have nothing to talk about in the forums. Helping newbies is really a great way to develop and maintain our sense of "TeAm Spirit".

Keep up the good work. :wine:

 

[MrX8503]

I think a startup guide for each Project would be a very good idea. I know i was tearing my hair out trying to figure out how to join team anandtech. I wasnt sure if I should search here, www.teamanandtech.com, or the clients homepage.

 

[The Borg]

Spacehead and Smoke: I think you have the right ideas.

 

[Wolfsraider]

It's up to you guys, if you want the link removed you have my blessing.

If and when things slow down and I get some free time , i'll see what can be done.

Take care

Mike

 

[Spacehead]

edit-
moved to my OP

 

[BlackMountainCow]

Looks pretty good to me.

But you need to remove the "Find-a-Drug" entry, that is long over .

Also, I'd remove any kind of "alpha, beta, pre-alpha" notice on the different projects. Some stay beta forever - like µfluids which works well - and others call themselves gold - like Predictor, which somtimes sucked. So these terms have pretty much no meaning in my opinion. And besides, if people look into Fardringle's thread, they'll see a more up to date notice anyway.

Further, and that really is debatable, I'd list the BOINC projects first. There are more projects and will be even more to come, and newbies can get themselves familiar with the BOINC platform and then venture into separate platforms, like F@H or DPAD. BUt as I said, that's higly debatable, especially from a point of view of the none-BOINCers.

As you referr to the BOINC thread but still want to take some projects into the welcome thread, which ones do you like to take? I'd say limit it to the really well known and stable projects, with enough WUs to get, like CPDN, Rosetta, SETI, Malaria, Einstein, QMC, SIMAP, Spinhenge, TANPAKU, µfluids and such. Mentioning a every tiny project, where neither functionality nor WUs are known to be available - like Stealheating@Home - will do more harm than good in my opinion.

Last thing: Predictor@Home is not open anymore, Fardringle hasn't changed that yet in his thread, so I don't know if to include this one or nor.





EDIT: You might want to get in touch with Fardringle about his post. He hasn't updated it in a while, so keep an eye on the tings you copy out of it, like the Predictor entry.

 

[Spacehead]

But you need to remove the "Find-a-Drug" entry, that is long over

Yeah, i'm definately going to need help on wich projects to add & drop.


Seems to me the only projects listed in the welcome thread should be currently active, TeAm run projects. No sense in listing projects we don't even have a team for.
Not sure what to do about projects we do have a TeAm for but are unstable and/or hit-&-miss on getting any WUs. guess that's why we need more input from members on this.


Yeah, we'll have to decide on the order of the layout too

 

[The Borg]

I think the list is coming on nicely. And BMC's comments are all very valid and insighful. Spacehead too.

My comments:

BOINC projects first.
Only the big and well run. the rest - Fardringles list. Let the DC bug have a good chance to bight and infect...
Non-BOINC next

A spin off on this is that the thread will naturally stay more current.

 

[BlackMountainCow]

Maybe we should include a link to this picture as well: pic.

Gives a pretty good estimation about how long WUs take on AMD/Intel and such. Just as a reference.

 

[Spacehead]

Thanks BMC.
I added the pic but wasn't sure of the best wording for the link. That can be fixed though.

I think the only reason i listed the non-BOINC projects first was because i had "Projects run under the BOINC platform " above it to seperate it from the other projects.
If we list the BOINC projects first, what sould we have to seperate the other projects? "Non-BOINC Projects"? "Other Projects"?

Still looking for a simple answer to "Can a general how-to be written up for the BOINC projects? Or are they all different?"

I really could use some help figuring which projects to list & which not to... new projects, etc.


Dang, now the http://distributedcomputing.info/index.html site is working again. I couldn't get to it for the last several days & that's why i dropped it & added the Wiki. I'll add it again in the next edit as it's a great site.

 

[Rattledagger]

Well, a couple comments on the BOINC projects-list...

The Welcome-thread is updated, once per year or something? so any projects that is known to wind-down in a couple months should not be included.

Seasonal Attribution will end whenever currently cached work is sent-out, likely within a couple months, so should not be listed.

BBC/CPDN is more difficult, but this was from the start a "short" project, and it's a possibility they'll "soon" migrate all users over to CPDN... Also, the main CPDN-project does the same science, so would choose to not include BBC/CPDN...

So a general note, to not list any alpha/beta-projects. It can be argued some alpha/beta-projects is more stable than some of the "released"-projects, but still, including these projects in a link would in my opinion be better...


Looking on the list, PrimeGrid is alpha, so shouldn't be listed.

Chronos is Japanese, so is in reality not possible to understand that it's about, so would not recommend to include this.

Predictor@Home is having an extended outage, with no idea then they're back (if ever), so should not be listed.

Riesel Sieve is beta, so should in my opinion not be listed, but if it is listed, wrong url. http://boinc.rieselsieve.com/

ZetaGrid - never heard of this project, and atleast according to the home-page it ended in 2005 or something...

CPDN - wrong url: http://climateprediction.net/

Orbit@home - since didn't get the funding, chances are will never be released, so should not be listed.

PlanetQuest - another project that maybe will get an application in some months, so should not be listed.

SETI@home - wrong url : http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/

World Community Grid - for one thing, this should be listed under "Life Sciences", and for another, yet another wrong url: http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/

Xtremlab - another beta-project. Also, not sure if this is really "science"...

BURP - pre-alpha, never any work...


This leaves:
Rosetta@home
SZTAKI
Einstein@home
SIMAP - http://boinc.bio.wzw.tum.de/boincsimap/
CPDN, SETI@home and WCG, all with wrong URL.

LHC@home - a little difficult since often out of work, but the resent server-move, and plans to add another application, will hopefully give more constant work-supply...

Any more non-alpha/beta? Good chance I've forgotten something...


BTW, as for joining, can write something like:
To join one or more of these BOINC-projects, choose "Attach to project" in BOINC-Manager, and copy URL for the project you wants to join. You can make account in BOINC-Manager if haven't got one from before. At the end, remember to visit team-URL to join TeAm AnandTech.

To copy URL directly from welcoming-message, you can't use anything except the "official" URL.



As for "Mentors", would recommend users asking in the various stats-threads, or if no daily stats to make a separate forum-thread asking for help. This way it's much more likely someone will answer users questions in a timely manner, and not sit for days in someones PM-box or worse, in email-accounts trash-folder... that is maybe checked once every 6 months or something if anything interesting was wrong-filtered...

Oh, and BMC has RAC 1 in Rosetta, and myself has RAC 4 in SETI, so posting daily stats for a project does not automatically mean is currently crunching for this project...

 

[Spacehead]

Thanks you Rattledagger for the projects update & URL updates

Thanks for the brief setup info


I completely agree with your thought about the mentors... much quicker to ask in a thread i think. Faster response for the most part.

I will update my OP soon.

 

[Crazee]

As someone who has updated this thread in the past, I don't envy you Spacehead it is a hard task. Keep in mind it will never be perfect and there will always be something you either should have added or not put in.

As for the mentor team, it was developed under Seti Classic as a rotating group of guys that would greet a new member upon joining, contact them either through email or pm and make sure the person was set up and any questions were answered. For this to function correctly, it really should be coordinated at the project level. The reason it worked fairly well in Seti Classic is that there were at anytime between 8-20 people serving as mentors. The workload was spread out and no one was getting overwhelmed by too many people hitting them at once.

A mentor team should be proactive not reactive. They should be contacting a member shortly after they join, not waiting for someone to post in a thread. I think the mentor team is a great way to keep new users from falling through the cracks, but it can't be coordinated at this level. It needs to be done on a project by project basis.

 

[Spacehead]

Thanks for the insight Crazee. I agree.


I think things arelooking pretty good so far. Main thing now is to decide which projects to list/which to drop from the list.

Anything else look like it needs changing?