Folding@Home

[Zargon]

Does anyone else here use the console version of F@H?

I do!

Here are the installation steps:
First downloaded the file (FAH504-Console.exe) and place it in a directory by itself. If have a dual core computer, this means using any two directories (not the same one). e.g. I use c:\folding\client1 and c:\folding\client2 directories.

For each directory created, do the following:
A) Right click on the file (FAH504-Console.exe) and select to create a shortcut.
B) Right click on the newly created shortcut and select properties. In the window that pops-up, add at the end of the line called 'Target' all the following: -configonly -local and then click Ok. Use this shortcut whenever you want to change the configuration for the client in that directory. We need to use it at least once each directory to setup the configuration. So... (for each)
C) Double click on the shortcut. It will then ask you a few questions.
D) Here are the questions and suggested answers:
- Qn 1. User name? Answer suggested is to use your GitP forum name. Use the same name on any client you set up.
- Qn 2. Team Number? Answer 82447 (our GitP team number of course!)
- Qn 3. Launch automatically at machine startup. Answer suggested Yes - This will install the client as a service (runs automatically in the background). If it is already installed as service, this question will ask if you want to remove the service (that is how to uninstall this client as a service).
- Qn 4. Ask before fetching/sending work (no/yes)? Answer no.
- Qn 5. Use Internet Explorer Settings (no/yes)? Answer no.
- Qn 6. Use Proxy? Answer no, unless your network has proxies (it will ask about it if you answer yes).
- Qn 7. Allow receipt of work assignments ... greater than 5MB ... (no/yes)? Answer suggested No (unless you have lots of spare memory and bandwidth).
- Qn 8. Change advanced options (yes/no)? Answer Yes
- Qn 9. Core Priority (idle/low)? Answer idle
- Qn 10. CPU usage requested (5-100)? Answer suggested 80 (if a PC) or 40 (if a notebook). You can adjust this up or down as you like later on (e.g. if you find your system gets too noisy, lower it).
- Qn 11. Disable highly optimized assembly code (no/yes)? Answer no.
- Qn 12. Pause if battery power... (no/yes)? Answer yes for laptops, no for PCs.
- Qn 13. Interval in minutes, between checkpoints (3-30)? Answer 15
- Qn 14. Memory to indicate? Hit enter (or enter the maximum memory to use)
- Qn 15. Request work units without deadlines (no/yes)? Answer no
- Qn 16. Set -advmethods flag? Answer no
- Qn 17: Ignore any deadline information (no/yes)? Answer no
- Qn 18. Machine ID ( 1-8 )? On each computer, no two clients can use the same number. So set this to 1 for the first client, and 2 for the second client.

Then the window will close.
If installed as a service (question 3), it will start automatically in the background after rebooting the computer.
If not installed as a service, click on FAH504-Console.exe file (not the shortcut) to run it.
The unitinfo.log file (quick info) and fahlog.txt file (has lots of info) in the directory gives some details on what is happening, but you can also install a 3rd party program. My favourite for ease of use is fahmon (free) available at http://fahmon.silent-blade.org/ - just put it in your folding directory and right click in the window to tell it where your folding client(s) are located.

Although these instructions are for the PC console version, all the other console versions (Mac, Linux and BSD, ATI GPU) and the SMP clients are all quite similar.

Let me know if you run into any problems, or to correct/improve this post!