Please add startup options to the Configure menu

[Bulstrode]

Hey everybody. I am an unsophisticated user that came across F@H due to reading about COVID19. There are a couple of UX issues that already bother me about the software, but the most frustrating issue is an easy way to control startup options. I should not have to hunt for the application in my task manager's startup tab (where it doesn't show up) or enter in values in Extra client options to turn on or off startup options (which I apparently did not do correctly since it still starts up on launch). There should just be a clear check box or toggle option that lets me control it.

I think issues like these ones, even though they are small, have easy fixes that can help keep more prospective users from being turned off and continue contributing their processing power. Thanks for reading.

[bruce]

There is a misunderstanding here. FAHClient is designed to run as a background service, just like the service that writes data to your printer. Both should start when your system is booted and they deliver the data to where it's supposed to go whenever it needs to be delivered. It does NOT run interactively.

When you want to print something, you perform an interactive function (like selecting the Print Icon in a document) and that works even if your printer is out of paper.

FAHControl can start/pause/finish WUs and the background daemon FAHClient will perform the necessary functions for you.

Maybe the problem is that FAHControl creates slots which start processing automatically. The programmer wondered why you installed it if you didn't want to fold but you can still control it at any time from the interactive process.

I enable a setting PAUSE-ON-START = TRIE if I don't want it to start after a reboot. Do you think that everyone wants that to be the default setting?

[Denisok]

Do you think that everyone wants that to be the default setting?

Me yes. And I think many people yes. It's pretty aggressive to start crunching several-hour task without my command and even any notice. I always didn’t like it.

[Nathan_P]

I enable a setting PAUSE-ON-START = TRIE if I don't want it to start after a reboot. Do you think that everyone wants that to be the default setting?

@Bruce, there's a typo here it should be PAUSE-ON-START = TRUE. Appreciate you were pounding teh keys for 20 hours yesterday so no biggie.

This would be a good idea. Even I get caught out if doing a reinstall. CPU slots are usually added and i don't want them starting until i have tweaked number of threads to use on my big machine and disabled it on the quad core. Could we get this added to the next client/control update?

[HaloJones]

for all those who want a default of TRUE expect there to be a similar number who want it to be FALSE. I want all my machines to just work and get on with it. Do we get to have a vote?

This project has been running for a long time and now suddenly we have an influx of new users (great, thanks very much!) and have suggestions flying around as if they've never been discussed before.

[bruce]

New ideas are good, but you're clogging the support channels. This is a place to ask for help or to offer help. let's focus on getting proteins folding within the current constraints rather than insisting that we can no longer accept the current software. We know it's not perfect, but it is doing the necessary research.

Support is voluntarily helping others. Ask yourself How many Donors have I helped today? It's a lot nicer than saying How many things have I found that I can criticize today.

[Bowi]

I want to add on what Bruce said.

There are a lot of people on social media who ask simple questions about installing or using Folding@home. People who have spare time should go there and reply to them.

[Bulstrode]

Sorry. It's unclear from the original post, but I am still contributing and want to continue contributing (later, I'm looking into how to get my GPU to fold). Like anybody, I just want to minimize frustrations and do it within my own comfort level.

I searched the forums for my topic before posting, but only found people talking about how the F@H client would not startup for them anymore. I understand that this forum is primarily a support channel, but I found no better place to suggest ideas. I think it would be a good idea to create a suggestions sub-group to funnel these sorts of topics away from the normal support forums. If there are an influx of new users, there are bound to be a lot more suggestions - some good because they bring a fresh perspective and some that don't add value or are just plain bad.

Short of adding startup options for the F@H client, it seems like the best solution is to make config settings save between new client versions (I am assuming this doesn't happen from HaloJones and Nathan_P's posts), have the F@H client default to PAUSE-ON-START = TRUE for new donors, and strongly encourage donors somewhere obvious to let the F@H client run on startup. As a new donor, it is jarring to start up your computer to a roaring fan without your knowledge and a straightforward option to prevent it from happening again. Most normal users (maybe the F@H population is different) wouldn't go to the forums/social media or research solutions for something they'd probably see as a secondary, volunteer thing. They would just get frustrated by it and ten other small things and uninstall. I think the above solution seems technically easy to implement and would help retain more donors for a minimal amount of time and effort.

On a lighter note, we had 3 people for and 1 against the original proposal, haha.

[Nathan_P]

I want to add on what Bruce said.

There are a lot of people on social media who ask simple questions about installing or using Folding@home. People who have spare time should go there and reply to them.

I've been posting on here on and off all day. I don't do facebook, twitter or any of that nonsense but i've also been running this for a long time and this is one of those little things that i would like to see fixed, or at the very least discussed at some point in the future when the feature set for any new version of the client is being set out

[HaloJones]

config settings do stay set between reboots. some of these settings though are not obvious and require a little work to find them but there is plenty of websites with this sort of thing discussed and answered.