Need Help With Folding!

[jimjiminyjim]

I had a lot of trouble getting started with folding. I didn't know how much of the time I wanted it to run. I didn't know if it was safe for my CPU to run it 24/7. I didn't understand that it really would have no impact on the speed of my day to day tasks. I installed it - multiple times - and removed it. I'm now happily running it on an ongoing basis.

So why did I start this thread?

1. To hear why people don't fold, and to answer any questions.

2. In hopes that potential folders can get the answers they/you need.

3. To get the bottom 1/3 of our Macrumors folding team active.

[jsalzer]

Heya,

My Pismo and I saw a tag of folding in someone's sig line, checked it out, and thought we'd do our part.

Unfortunately, after a weekend of folding, I discovered that shutting down the laptop for transport (to work - it stays there during the week) lost all of our hard work. I thought it would pick up where it left off, but it seemed I was wrong - and my laptop is never in the same place long enough to complete a fold.

If you have a tip of how I can get it to start up again where it left off, we'll rejoin, but it's not worth the extra CPU usage if it's just gonna lose it every time. Was I doing something wrong?

Thanks!

[MrMacMan]

It shouldn't lose any of your work, you should start up generally where you started.

After each 'part' (normally around 400 parts) it saves, and if you were to shutdown, on reboot it should continue.

[Dreadnought]

A pismo is a relatively slow machine, on which a percentage or step takes a while. Normally after each step or percentage the work done is saved. When you go into the advanced settings, you can set the time when it is forced to save the results made, say every 15 minutes. Then you only lose at most 14 minutes and 59 seconds ;)

[jsalzer]

A pismo is a relatively slow machine, on which a percentage or step takes a while. Normally after each step or percentage the work done is saved. When you go into the advanced settings, you can set the time when it is forced to save the results made, say every 15 minutes. Then you only lose at most 14 minutes and 59 seconds ;)

Aha - I hadn't seen a place to set that. I'll have to look again. That would be great. I know I was pretty upset after losing a weekend of work (which may not even have been a full step on this little guy.)

Can someone toss me a reminder of where to download the software, and I'll try it again and see if I can find that setting (now that I have someone to ask if I can't.)

Thanks! :)

(Edit - Never mind about the link - I see it in Mr. MacMan's post.)

[yellow]

Is there any benefit (or detriment) to running the GUI client at the same time as the screensaver client?

[bousozoku]

Is there any benefit (or detriment) to running the GUI client at the same time as the screensaver client?

Yes, they'll both be working on the same work unit. Every time the screensaver starts, it will probably wipe out whatever work has been done with the GUI client.

[Dreadnought]

The graphical version uses the same data, only let you see it, and the console version is the leading one, the one that really works if they are both running. Found that out by fooling around with it.

[bousozoku]

...
If you have a tip of how I can get it to start up again where it left off, we'll rejoin, but it's not worth the extra CPU usage if it's just gonna lose it every time. Was I doing something wrong?

Thanks!

If you shut down the machine without shutting down the folding@home client first, that would be the root of the problem. The client runs another piece that must also be shut down. Dreadnought's suggestion about changing the checkpoint will help, but shutting down the client first will save everything possible.