Folding@Home on Core i7: Bonus points for 8 core Linux VMs

[Bodaggit23]

I am running 64bit Linux...through VMPlayer with the image provided by the tutorial from mep's link in this thread.

 

[mep916]

This is frustrating me. I got it working once but I had the SMP client set to big units, and
I remembered mep saying you need to do "smaller" units first, so I started over,

Right, keep your configuration set to "big" and run this command:

./fah6 -smp 8

This will fire up the 1920 PPD Core A2 Units. You need to complete 10 of those before folding the bonus bigadv units.

now I can't get the client to start.

Tell me exactly what happens when you start up the VM. It should boot, then you'll be prompted to enter the fah login and pass.

FAH Login: fah
pass: fah1234

After you log in, at the command line enter:

./fah6 -smp 8

and hit return. It should start right up.

And, Fahmon...what file or folder do I point it to for my GPU and normal clients?
The "work" folder? Where's my GPU "work" folder?

Your location will be given above the fah login prompt. Then open up FAHMon, right click and enter the info:

How do you stop the SMP client running in VMplayer?

Enter the VM and hit Ctrl + C. This will open up the command line and shut down the client. If you want to shut down the VM, type in:

shutdown -h now

If you carefully follow each step in the guide, you shouldn't have any problems. Did you get a passkey? If so, did you enter it when you first setup the client? This is very important. You have to get the passkey from the stanford website and enter it when you initially setup the client.

To setup your GPU client in FahMon, right click -> select add new client -> then point to the following directory (assuming you installed the client in the default folder):

C:\Users\your username here\AppData\Roaming\Folding@home-gpu\

 

[Bodaggit23]

Right, keep your configuration set to "big" and run this command:

./fah6 -smp 8

This will fire up the 1920 PPD Core A2 Units. You need to complete 10 of those before folding the bonus bigadv units.

Ok, I did that except I ran -smp 7, to free one core for GPU folding as suggested in the tutorial.


Tell me exactly what happens when you start up the VM. It should boot, then you'll be prompted to enter the fah login and pass.

When I start the VM, it says it can't find some .iso image located at
E:/root/etc/etc/....can't remember exactly. (I'm at work)

After that, it will load and I can run a client but it fails to retrieve any work.
Is this an issue with the folding servers?


Enter the VM and hit Ctrl + C. This will open up the command line and shut down the client. If you want to shut down the VM, type in:

shutdown -h now

Sweet. That will help bunches, because I couldn't figure out how to stop and reconfigure the client to work on different sized units. I tried the "shutdown" command but it didn't work. Maybe because the client was running.?

If you carefully follow each step in the guide, you shouldn't have any problems. Did you get a passkey? If so, did you enter it when you first setup the client? This is very important. You have to get the passkey from the stanford website and enter it when you initially setup the client.

Yes, I have a passkey and I entered it as required. (after username and team number)

To setup your GPU client in FahMon, right click -> select add new client -> then point to the following directory (assuming you installed the client in the default folder):

So, you just point it to the base folder. Ok.

I guess my main issue must be that the VM can't find that .iso it's looking for?

No matter where I move the folder to, it still looks to this "E:" directory for that image.

I do have an "E:" drive, but the location it's looking for is not there.

 

[mep916]

I guess my main issue must be that the VM can't find that .iso it's looking for?

No matter where I move the folder to, it still looks to this "E:" directory for that image.

I do have an "E:" drive, but the location it's looking for is not there.

Have you tried opening up the VMWare folder and manually selecting the Linux64_FAH.vmx file? Try that again and see what happens. The first time I ran the client, I got that same error (the can't find E: root bla bla) but I haven't since. As far as retrieving the work, I'm not sure what's going on there. Try again when you get home. Also, if you haven't already, make sure you setup VMWare to allocate an appropriate amount of memory, at least 3.6GB. I've set it to 4GB for the initial units and 5GB for the bigadv units.

BTW, you can run all 8 cores (-smp 8) with the 1920 units without negatively affecting your GPU client. He's running 7 cores with the bigadv units, just as a personal preference, so I'd recommend using all 8 with the 1920 units. You'll get through a little faster.

Try it when you get home and reply back. I'll do what I can to help out. It looks like you've done everything else correctly, so we should be able to get this sorted soon.

 

[ScOuT]

Is the 8 core thing only for i7 chips?

I have the -smp tag at the end of my execution file. I should see what happens when I add the 8 to the tag

-smp 8

 

[mep916]

Is the 8 core thing only for i7 chips?

Yes, or dual socket quads.

I have the -smp tag at the end of my execution file. I should see what happens when I add the 8 to the tag

-smp 8

haha. It would probably just fold 4 cores or spit out an error.

 

[ScOuT]

I will try it on the next one and report the status...I am 87% done with a 1920 and done want to mess it up

Have you actually started crunching a Monster unit yet?

 

[mep916]

Have you actually started crunching a Monster unit yet?

Well, I was at 3% on a 1920 unit and ran the -bigadv flag. So, after I finish this 1920 unit I think it will download one of the big projects. I'm concerned amount the amount of RAM required though. I've allocated 5GB to the VM, but I only have a total of 6 installed on my PC so I dunno if it will run properly. Even worse, my mobo only has three slots so I can't really add another stick if I need to.

 

[Jet]

Well, I was at 3% on a 1920 unit and ran the -bigadv flag. So, after I finish this 1920 unit I think it will download one of the big projects. I'm concerned amount the amount of RAM required though. I've allocated 5GB to the VM, but I only have a total of 6 installed on my PC so I dunno if it will run properly. Even worse, my mobo only has three slots so I can't really add another stick if I need to.

I think the minimum I've read is around 4.5ish for a bigadv--though others say that it takes up as much as you give it, up to 6ish or so!

 

[mep916]

I think the minimum I've read is around 4.5ish for a bigadv--though others say that it takes up as much as you give it, up to 6ish or so!

Yup, that's what I've read too. Occasionally my wife uses photoshop and other apps while I'm folding, so I'm concerned that something's gonna crash with the limited amount I'll have available. I'll find out soon enough.

 

[Jet]

That's why I like these EL WUs so much--they take a genuinely powerful computer to run them. Almost anyone can run an SMP client, and most can just stick a nice GPU in a junk computer and get lots of points, but the EL WUs take lots of computing power.

What do you have the i7 overclocked to?

 

[mep916]

What do you have the i7 overclocked to?

It's still at stock. Today I'm gonna work on getting it to 3.6 - 3.8. If I can keep it stable in that range, I'll try for 4, but I'll be happy with 3.6 tbh. That should give me some decent bonus points.

 

[Jet]

Mid to high 3Ghz is what I've seen a whole bunch of people running--all I want now is for Fry's to have an i7 in their Black Friday motherboard/processor deal along with a decent set of DDR3 ram for cheap.

 

[mep916]

Mid to high 3Ghz is what I've seen a whole bunch of people running--all I want now is for Fry's to have an i7 in their Black Friday motherboard/processor deal along with a decent set of DDR3 ram for cheap.

I'd expect to see at least the i7 itself on sale.

 

[Jet]

I'd expect to see at least the i7 itself on sale.

Man, Fry's has an i7 860 and a Biostar TP55 for $280 after rebate. I wish I had a car so I could drive up there . Then, if BF had something good, I could just return it....maybe I can work something out.

http://shopping.dallasnews.com/ROP/ads.aspx?advid=2519&adid=8570603&subid=27367448&type=

 

[Bodaggit23]

Try it when you get home and reply back.

Well, I came home and did nothing different, and what do you know...IT WORKED!

Thanks for the Fahmon tip. :good:

(what's up with Windows "print screen" or "Snipping Tool" crap res pics...)

 

[mep916]

Well, I came home and did nothing different, and what do you know...IT WORKED!

Thanks for the Fahmon tip. :good:

haha. Awesome.

(what's up with Windows "print screen" or "Snipping Tool" crap res pics...)

Yeah, I use snipping tool too and have the same quality issues. Well, I'm glad you got it running. In Fahmon, you can read the logs (select view -> view/hide logs) and the log will tell you how many units you've completed. Once you complete 10, you can run the -bigadv flag and start working on the bonus units.

As for myself, I ran it for 30 minutes at 3.6 GHz without any crashes (at a 1.3 vcore) but my temps were nearing 80*C, so tomorrow I'll reseat my V8 with some of the shin etzu I got from bomber. Hopefully that'll bring my temps within a reasonable range. I'd like to have it no higher than 70*C.

 

[Turbo10]

it makes sense as linux uses less resources so in theory should produce more folding thingos, my brother uses linux for editing films so it doesnt suprise me

 

[Jet]

As for myself, I ran it for 30 minutes at 3.6 GHz without any crashes (at a 1.3 vcore) but my temps were nearing 80*C, so tomorrow I'll reseat my V8 with some of the shin etzu I got from bomber. Hopefully that'll bring my temps within a reasonable range. I'd like to have it no higher than 70*C.

For that good of a cooler, I'd think that remounting it would be a good idea--it should be doing much better than that.

 

[Bodaggit23]

I think I screwed up.

I ran ./fah6 -bigadv -smp 8 first...which started a huge work unit.

I noticed what I'd done so I shut down the client and loaded ./fah6 -smp 8

It's still working on the huge work unit...

(btw, is there any way to scroll up in the VMPlayer?)