linux?

1337z0r

1337z0r

1337z0r

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Hi,
I see a lot of threads here about linux and folding at home and people getting very nice points.... could i run vmware with gentoo installed (linux os) and fold off my dual core ?
 
You can run the SMP client, as long as it's a 64-bit version of Linux. You will lose about 20% performance through running it through VMWare, but the points should still be much better than the standard client.
 
You'll suffer a significant performance loss due to VMWare (less so, but still noticeable, if you have one of the really new CPUs that can handle virtualisation properly). If you can survive without Windows for a while, try a live CD distro instead, or, even better, if you have a spare hard disk, shove Gentoo or whatever else you fancy on that. :)
 
Or use a small distro and boot from a USB stick/ memcard.

I was considering giving SLAX a whirl (although I'd be Boincing on it naturally.) :p
 
Ulp. :confused:

I'm simply brimming over with confidence now, 'Zerker.
If it works I'll be sure and post to rub your nose in it. :p






If it all goes horribly wrong we'll just forget I ever mentioned it. :o
 
Your sig says you have 920GB of hard disk. Are you seriously telling me you don't have a spare partition to set up a dual boot?

How much pr0n do you really need?

I'd recommend the installation of a distro with a windows style GUI as the simplest way of starting with Linux (Fedora Core, Gentoo, Suse, Ubuntu etc)
If you don't want to use a full install some linux distros can be run direct from CD (a live CD) and some smaller distros (although still with a GUI in some cases) can be run from USB sticks or SD cards.

An extensive list of distros can be found at linux.org here

EDIT: I'm a Linux novice myself but occaisionally have need of some codes at work which were developed by old farts who grew up with Unix. Far more knowledgable people can be found in the linux board of OCUK, or any dedicated linux forum. :cool:
 
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1337z0r said:
arg i cant do with out windows :(.
Click to expand...
then stick with your original plan

found a whole thread full of info here

so you lose ~20% on running it natively but that's still great output and you get to use windows for the things you need
I will be trying this out at the weekend if I can get some time (better start downloading too :o)


edit: handy stuff :)

LeeLegend said:
1. download vmware from here http://www.vmware.com/download/server/

and get a serial number

2. download ubunto desktop from here http://www.ubuntu.com/products/GetUbuntu/download#currentrelease

make sure you download the correct version for your hardware, its a big download so make sure!!

you will need the 64bit version: 64-bit PC (AMD64) desktop CD

this works with all AMD64 and new intel chips with 64bit instructions, make sure you enable virtulisation/64bit in the bios if there is a option.

burn the ISO to a CD.

3. Install VMWare, nice and easy windows installer :)

4. Load VMWare and create a new virtual machine (wizard), select "other" option and select "other 64bit" from the drop down.

select all of the default options, but make sure you select 2 processors

select the right amount of disk/memory for your machine (i currently install with 5gb of disk and 500mb ram

on the "network type" screen, i have been selecting "NAT" option, as it saves messing about with network settings, and just bridges your windows internet connection......

5. Put your previously burnt CD in the drive and "start virtual machine"

VMWare will start and hopefully boot off of the CD, you might need to restart the virtual machine again, so that it notices the cd.

once ubunto loads, try to surf the net, if that works you are ready to install.

6. Run the Ubunto installer.....i just pick all of the default settings, you are running within a virtual machine, so it wont mess with your windows install whatever you pick....superb!!!

install away and reboot the virtual machine on completition (not the whole machine!).....take out the cd

7. restart the virtual machine (should be a lot quick now its running off of a hard drive!), surf the net again, to check all is ok.

8. in the drop down menu at the top (Accessories), select "terminal", and type:

sudo apt-get install ia32-libs

and answer yes to it request for disk space.

9. INSTALL folding at home SMP from typing the following:

mkdir -p ~/folding/FAH
cd ~/folding/FAH
wget http://www.stanford.edu/~kasson/folding/FAH_SMP_Linux.tgz
tar xzf FAH_SMP_Linux.tgz

GET IT RUNNING WITH:

./fah5

There are further instructions for creating a batch file and flags etc here:
http://folding.stanford.edu/FAQ-SMP.html

i hope this helps....i have not used linux up until trying this, and i had it up and running in a couple of hours

1 TIP....ALT/CTRL PUTS THE MOUSE CONTROL BACK TO WINDOWS :)

i am getting 9minutes a frame on a AMD X2 4400.

lee
Click to expand...
 
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Good lord above, I've got Ubuntu on a spare partition and it works!
So easy I can't believe it, last time I tried a linux install I got completely lost :o
SMP here I come:)
 
ubuntu is quite possibly the easiest install EVER
mainly because it does most of it for you. and iirc it doesn't setup a swap partition
 
Actually it does. But it doesn't make a big fuss about it like other Linux distros.

Ubuntu is exactly what the other distros should be like. Ubuntu is the only distro I have ever installed first go without problems.

SiriusB
 
I agree. I have installed a bunch of distros over the years (except gentoo, never been brave enough). Ubuntu, especially 6.10 is an absolute breeze. No harder than winblows IMHO.

Dunc
 
SiriusB said:
Actually it does. But it doesn't make a big fuss about it like other Linux distros.

Ubuntu is exactly what the other distros should be like. Ubuntu is the only distro I have ever installed first go without problems.

SiriusB
Click to expand...
see I never had any issues installing slackware, or redhat, or mandrake, or suse, or anything for that matter. Ubuntu can be a pain with virtual PC (iirc there is a workaround but its a pig)
 
Just thought it was worth mentioning that I'm having a go at running the SMP client in VMware as in my post above - http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=8549606&postcount=10

All looks good so far, crunching a p3025 and getting about 13 mins a frame so far - works out to about double what I'm getting with two of the current WUs in the normal windows client.
Also according to Windows Task Manager there was 10-20% total CPU power spare so I'm running a single windows client alongside at lower priority :D

The plan is to leave it running overnight for frame times to settle and then switch the GPU client on in windows for while I'm at work tomorrow and see how that affects times - will post back here when I've got some findings :)
 
ok the results are in:

[email protected] with 1GB PC3200@200MHz


SMP under VMware & standard windows client:
p3025 - 11m3s = 750 PPD
p2124 - 3h20m = 29 PPD
Total PPD: 779 PPD

SMP under VMware & GPU client:
p3025 - 11m20s = 746 PPD
p2736 - 12m25s = 383 PPD
Total PPD: 1129 PPD

Also since the GPU is being limited by the CPU time available (though not anything like as much as the standard client was) it's not operating at full whack so isn't using as much juice and thus the fan speed/noise is a lot lower than it's been recently.

Pretty pleased so far :)
 
At last I have the SMP client running on the C2D and Opty rigs under VMware. :D

5 mins 18 second per frame on the C2d ;) with a console client running in windows to soak up the unused cycles.

Just a quick question, on the Opty rig I went full screen with the virtual machine and can't for the life of me find out how to go back to windows. Any ideas guys?

Cheers
Steevo38 returning from his self imposed exile in the land of Rosetta@home

edit

Don't worry found it! :rolleyes:
 
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