How to use passkey?

ryan · Post by **ryan** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:23 am

I'm interested in using the passkey stated in the FAQ. I entered my username and email and it generated a key, but I don't know where to enter it. I'm using the console version of FAH on Windows. Also, if I switch to the passkey, do all my old stats become unassociated with the new username?

7im · Post by **7im** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:24 am

http://folding.stanford.edu/English/FAQ-passkey

You have to be running a v6 client. The client setup prompts for the passkey, and is stored in the client.cfg file. Run the client with -config to get at those setup questions again.

A passkey is an additional way to keep track of points. It does NOT replace your user name. Your points will always be associated with your user name. However, not everyone has a unique user name, so all the Johns and Joans of the world will be able to distinguish themselves when the passkey is fully implimented.

Post by **bruce** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:30 am

ryan wrote:I'm interested in using the passkey stated in the FAQ. I entered my username and email and it generated a key, but I don't know where to enter it.

The passkey is only used with the v6 clients which are beta test versions that you can download. V5 doesn't accept passkeys. If you're already running v6 and didn't enter a passkey, you can reconfigure by restarting the client with the -configonly flag. You also can delete client.cfg and restart the client which will force a reconfiguration.

I'm using the console version of FAH on Windows. Also, if I switch to the passkey, do all my old stats become unassociated with the new username?

You don't need a new username. All of the stats that have been accumulated under a particular username, either with or without a passkey will remain listed under that username and there is no indication that any changes will be made to that system.

At some time in the future, we expect that it will also be possible to list the points by passkey as well as by username. For example, if more than one person is using the same username, we expect that you will be able to separate (new) points based on the individual passkeys of each person using that username.

ryan · Post by **ryan** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:39 pm

Ah, I am running v5 which explains why there's no mention of passkey during the config. Thanks for clearing that up bruce!

Dialer · Post by **Dialer** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:03 am

I run v. 5, as well, and have a User ID, so what's the difference between that and a passkey?

codysluder · Post by **codysluder** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 2:43 am

Dialer wrote:I run v. 5, as well, and have a User ID, so what's the difference between that and a passkey?

The link given by 7im has as much information as anybody really knows. Did you read it?
http://folding.stanford.edu/English/FAQ-passkey

Dialer · Post by **Dialer** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 2:59 am

Yes, I did read it yesterday, and it didn't offer any further insight. Oh well, I won't worry about it unless and until it becomes a problem.

Thanks for your reply, codsluder.

7im · Post by **7im** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:15 am

The difference is that anyone can fold with the user name Dialer, and if 10 people all used that name, there would be no way for you to tell whicher were your points, and which belonged to the other 9 Dialers.

Passkeys are unique identifiers. Think of it as a personal user name composed of all numbers, like a social security number, or a drivers license number. Only you have that number, so any points you submit with that number will only ever be credited to you.

Also, what if one of those other 9 people using the Dialer sends out a trojan version of the fah client, and then the project has to zero the points from that user account, and close the account. Are you protected from getting your points zeroed out? No, not unless you also use a passkey.

And the new bonus system Vijay has posted about can only be used with a passkey. So eventually, everyone will want to use a passkey, even if only just for the bonus points.

Another reason to use a passkey... Your brother was swell enough to fold in your name and passkey. Let's say the fah client on your brother's computer goes bad (your brother installed some software that messed with the fah client) and now the client is downloaded and erroring on every WU, trashing 100s of WUs and hour.

If you just has a user name, there would be no way for Stanford to send you and email to let you know one of your clients was trashing WUs and not getting any points. However, when you register for a passkey, you submit an email address. Now Stanford could send you an email to let you know you're not earning any points and trashing WUs.

Obviously that last option is just guesswork, and if it becomes reality, would be a ways off yet. And you would have to Opt-In for that kind of email, but it demonstrates again how using a unique identifier like a passkey can be a benefit.

Dialer · Post by **Dialer** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:31 am

Aw 7im, I didn't mean for you to have to go into that long explanation, but it was very kind of you. Thanks!

Also, what if one of those other 9 people using the Dialer sends out a trojan version of the fah client, and then the project has to zero the points from that user account, and close the account. Are you protected from getting your points zeroed out? No, not unless you also use a passkey.

Except that my consoles both have the same User ID on them. Wouldn't the trojan Dialer have to know that User ID to mess up my account? Also, when I registered, I recall that F@H confirmed that no one else was using the name.

That's why I haven't understood the difference between the passkey and User ID.

7im · Post by **7im** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:59 am

The difference is that I could start using the name Dialer, and your team number posted in your signature, and start sending in points. You wouldn't know which points are yours, and which are not. And there is no way for you to seperate out those points.

You may only have 2 clients now, that are easily tracked. But if you had 10, would you notice a few extra?

Using the your passkey, which only you have, will be a way to distinguish your Dialer points from the Dialer points that I send in.

Sure, Dialer may be a unique name now, but it might not stay that way.

And what about the people who want to fold with the name John? No way to tell the points apart from the other 200 Johns folding today.

7up1n3 · Post by **7up1n3** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:58 am

Distributing the key around to a bunch of existing clients is somewhat painful. Hopefully a future implementation of the passkey will include a call function or similar where you can drop the key into a .txt file or equal and have the client.cfg call the file. The easier something is, the more people will use it.

Dialer · Post by **Dialer** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:43 pm

7im wrote:The difference is that I could start using the name Dialer, and your team number posted in your signature, and start sending in points. You wouldn't know which points are yours, and which are not. And there is no way for you to seperate out those points.

Ok, I get it now. Sorry for being so dense!

Many thanks.

7im · Post by **7im** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:46 pm

7up1n3 wrote:Distributing the key around to a bunch of existing clients is somewhat painful. Hopefully a future implementation of the passkey will include a call function or similar where you can drop the key into a .txt file or equal and have the client.cfg call the file. The easier something is, the more people will use it.

Yes, and so is updating the beta clients every three months. Just wait for the next time you need to update the clients, and then add the passkey as well. No additional work needed.

7up1n3 · Post by **7up1n3** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 5:24 pm

7im wrote:
7up1n3 wrote:Distributing the key around to a bunch of existing clients is somewhat painful. Hopefully a future implementation of the passkey will include a call function or similar where you can drop the key into a .txt file or equal and have the client.cfg call the file. The easier something is, the more people will use it.
Yes, and so is updating the beta clients every three months. Just wait for the next time you need to update the clients, and then add the passkey as well. No additional work needed.

I can push updated clients out already. Hrm, perhaps there is a way. Just build a new client.cfg on one box and then copy it to a network share.

pwnchu · Post by **pwnchu** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 6:24 am

Let me see if i understand:

Say i make a passkey using username "passkey1" at pk@somesite.com
And i input this key into "Anonymous" at Team 0 for the first half of my clients
and also input this key into "myname" at Team X for the other half

then Anonymous and myname will get their respective points under the original point charts
and passkey1/pk@somesite.com will log all the points under the passkey based point charts

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