Need a passkey

[joe53]

Hi:

Apologies if I'm posting in the wrong forum.

I'm a long-time user of F@H on an XP system using the CPU Client version 6.20. It's been a long time since I installed this, and I'm not the most sophisticated user when it comes to installing programs, but I usually can manage to muddle through stuff.

I have just received a new Dell 8300, which includes the Intel Core i7-2600 processor, Win 7 64 bit Home Premium OS, ATI Radeon HD 5870 1 GB GDDR5 video card, and wish to optimise my contributions to F@H.

So I downloaded the FAH SMP Client version 6.34, and am trying to configure it using Command Prompt. I'm stuck at the prompt for the Passkey. I submitted a request for one, and gave my username and email address at: http://fah-web.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/getpasskey.py but after several hours have yet to receive a reply.

Where do I go from here?

[OEOTS]

IIRC, the passkey was sent very fast to my email adres, so I think you should already have it.

Do however check the spambox of you mailprovider, because the passkey is a large key of random letters and numbers it is very plausible that it would trigger a spamfilter.

You can run the SMP client without the passkey if you don't care about points though.

[joe53]

Thanks!

The email with the passkey was indeed in my spam folder.

So I got the client to start by entering the passkey. I closed command prompt, and seem to have lost F@H. (Bear in mind that I'm new to Win 7).

What I want to do is retain control of running F@H in real-time. How do I pin its icon to my taskbar?

[OEOTS]

With the 6.34 version you can't. It's only possible with the uniprocessor (classic) clients, the GPU clients or the new v7 Beta.

The last one gives you some nice new control options. And the possibility to run multiple clients from one controlprogram.

if you want to switch to the v7 client I sugest you insert the -oneunit in your current SMP client and when it's done, just start using v7.
Mind you, it's still a beta release.

[joe53]

Thanks for that info.

But with all due respect, I'm not willing to turn my PC over to F@H without knowing what is going on.

My old client, weak tho it was, at least allowed me to enable/disable the Client. And to allow me to log on to the website, to see how I was doing. Where is the FAH icon in my tray that allows me to see this?

I would have thought that a quad processor offered more options and power to contribute. I'm not willing to accept beta software- this is my workhorse desktop.

All I want is the ability to contribute my CPU to the cause on my terms.

[PantherX]

Welcome to the F@H Forum joe53,

The Classic Client that you were used to was called the Systray version. It has the Graphical User Interface (GUI) which allowed you to have the icon in the notification area and links to the website. However, the SMP2 Client is only available as a console version (The Classic Client is also available in this version) which means that you don't get any GUI. Just a simple Command Line Interface (CLI) window which displays the current section of the FAHlog. Moreover with the Console Client, you can't pause the Client since it was meant for advanced users of F@H who were already familiar with how the F@H system works. There won't be any release of a SMP Systray version.

Currently, the V7 is in Beta Stage and so far, it hasn't crashed my system or caused me any loss of my work (experience will vary depending on your system and Slots). It has a nice GUI (FAHControl) that incorporates all the previous feature of the v6 Systray and added some more. If you are interested, please read this thread (viewtopic.php?f=67&t=18302).

However, if you would want to wait for a public release, then I can suggest that you run 4 copies of the Classic Client on your system by following this guide (http://folding.stanford.edu/English/WinUNIGuide#ntoc2). Please feel free to ask any further questions since this Forum is designed to help new users so you're in the correct Forum.

[Baowoulf]

Wasn't the SMP client always in a beta like state? I mean it sounded like it was because it was always being improved on at least while I've been visiting F@H's website. I think it also always had a beta tag on it somewhere as well.

[7im]

Although Stanford never removed the "beta" label from the SMP client, it would have been removed with v6.30 and/or v6.34 6 months ago IF the V7 client hadn't been just around the corner.

v6 SMP is not considered beta by most people. However, that client is only available as a console client. No tray icon, there will always be a console window open on your task bar at the bottom.

And I'm suprised to see what appears to be a lack of trust in FAH after having run this project for so long. You're never losing control of your PC. You can stop this console client any time you want, by simply closing the console window.

And you can always track what the client is doing by looking at the fahlog.txt file. Make a shortcut to that file on your desktop for easy access. You can also save a shortcut to your personal stats at Stanford in your Internet Explorer Favorites list. You don't need the client to access those stats.

I appreciate your caution, but it's not really needed in this instance.

[joe53]

Hi, 7im, and thanks for your input. Your explanations were most helpful.

I didn't mean to imply any lack of trust in F@H, as I've used the old Classic client for ~ 2 years with no problems. It's not easy dealing with a new computer, a new operating system, and a new console client all at the same time! But as I said, I'm muddling through it.

Anyways, I got 6.34 up and running full-time today, and in 3 hours it's completed 25% of 2 million steps, which seems a lot better than my old client. I'll continue to let it run for now, and see how it goes. I don't know how that compares to running 4 copies of the Classic client - thanks for the link to that guide.

I'll await the public release of V7. Even after 2 years, I'm still a new user with F@H, and am cautious about running beta software. I was relieved to hear that the 6.34 client was no longer considered beta.

Finally, I have an ATI Radeon HD 5800 Series video card, and I understand there is a client I could use for this also. Any recommendations?

[7im]

Install the newest NV GPU client on the download page. Yes, NV client, also works for ATI (and is the newest version). You seem to like the Systray client, so use that one since it is available.

Configure GPU client for the slightly higher priority setting.

Add environment variables to reduce GPU client's CPU load.

The GPU install guide works well also...

['Vette_Dude]

Hi, 7im, and thanks for your input. Your explanations were most helpful.

I didn't mean to imply any lack of trust in F@H, as I've used the old Classic client for ~ 2 years with no problems. It's not easy dealing with a new computer, a new operating system, and a new console client all at the same time! But as I said, I'm muddling through it.

Anyways, I got 6.34 up and running full-time today, and in 3 hours it's completed 25% of 2 million steps, which seems a lot better than my old client. I'll continue to let it run for now, and see how it goes. I don't know how that compares to running 4 copies of the Classic client - thanks for the link to that guide.

I'll await the public release of V7. Even after 2 years, I'm still a new user with F@H, and am cautious about running beta software. I was relieved to hear that the 6.34 client was no longer considered beta.

Finally, I have an ATI Radeon HD 5800 Series video card, and I understand there is a client I could use for this also. Any recommendations?

You'd be better off running v7 client to run both SMP and GPU. That's what I use for my Core 2 Quad and HD4550 (lol). It really is more like a Release Candidate, no major bugs or any loss of stability. Plus it has the bonus of a in-depth user interface where you don't have to use flags to tell it to stop at the end of a WU, just hit the button. But if you don't wanna do V7, then you'll have to do GPU2 or 3. That is also a console client with no user interface. Personally, I've never installed it, so I can't really help you. I didn't bother with GPU2 or 3 since my GPU isn't very powerful. But V7 made it so much easier to get it running.

EDIT: I guess there is a GPU3 systray version. Oh well, I like V7