(Vanity) FreeRepublic Folding@Home Project Update (We're in the Top 1,450)

Folding @ Home Stat Page ^ | 12/17/05 | me

[texas booster]

OK, new thread for the next week.

First, a big shout out to the SETI members who have added CPUs to the effort. Remember, its Team 36120, NOT Team 0.

Next, congrats to all for bumping our team up to 65 processors. ArgentCent is the latest to have joined our happy band of folders and jumps in at # 36 with his first completed WU. We now have 51 members in the team, and about 45 active participants.

Malsua, uriah and Ken in Texas are solidly in the top 10. One of these will probably be the new Numero Uno in a couple of weeks, barring newcomers borging dozens of unsuspecting systems (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

Daily Production Graph

On the global front, Free Republic Folders is now listed at # 1448. We are poised to overtake (today) Kami Sacred Folding Team, buzzez, Naptune, PCSilencieux and Team Razorsh*g.

The only competition coming up on us is still QHT HPC. They are out producing us by about 1,000 points per day. As we gain members from the 100,000 FReepers that visit JimRob's place I expect that we will prevail and keep our lead.

[MediaMole]

Just added one machine to the team.

[texas booster]

One of us will post a much better explanation than this quickie.

Protein folding is used by geneticists to pinpoint locations on molecules that can be used to produce better medicines, etc. The sheer number of proteins in the body, and the huge number of ways that a protein can fold overwhelm any single computer in existence. It happens that the best way to solve the repetitious problems is large numbers of processors splitting up a problem. Hence, distributed computing.

F@H started out as the Genome@Home project, which ended a few years ago. The granddaddy of all distributed applications is SETI, where thousands of computers spend their unused CPU cycles searching radio signals for signs of extraterrestial life. Most participants of F@H feel that helping research on protein folding has a more immediate return.

People (especially geeks) being what we are, soon Stanford had a group competing with Caltech for bragging rights (my Folder is bigger than your folder) and teams were born.

***************

As far as security, I know of no breach ever of any distributed project. Here is the official discussion on security from the FAQs on F@H:

What about security issues? We have worked very hard to maintain the best security possible with modern computer science methodology. Our software will upload and download data only from our data server here at Stanford. The Cores are also digitally signed (see below) to make sure that you're getting the true Stanford cores and nothing else.

How is this possible? We take extensive measures to check all of the data entering your computer and the results we send back to Stanford with 2048 bit digital signatures. If the signatures don't match (on either the input or the output) the client will throw away the data and start again. This ensures, using the best software security measures developed to date (digital signatures and PKI in version 3.0), that we are keeping the tightest possible security. Finally, the client/screen saver are available for download only from this web site, so that we can guarantee the integrity of the software. We do not support Folding@home software obtained elsewhere and prohibit others to distribute the software.

[texas booster]

Please give F@H a try. I have used incarnations going back to the Genome@Home project, and it seems very stable.

You are not the only BOINC user to despair. Eventually they will have their problems ironed out, but that day is not here yet.

[umbagi]

Thanks for the jumpstart, TB. I'd gradually withdrawn from SETI (with 25000+ units), but had been "fixin' to" get FAH going...

I've got two XP boxes on it now, and will have three more going soon if the Linux client will run under emulation on FreeBSD machine.

umbagi

[texas booster]

I have work machines set to 50% to 75% maximum cycles during the week. My personal owrk computer does mostly DB inquiries, and that one of set to max - 95% all the time.

No noticible problems at all, since F@H drops to 0% when I run other processes.

Dual processor systems usually score very well in F@H work units.

[texas booster]

I was not aware that the Linux client had to run under emulation? Can't it run directly?

[umbagi]

Won't it need Linux emulation to run on FreeBSD? I'll give it a shot later this afternoon...

Meanwhile, I've put a third 3.2ghz XP box up, subject to FAH getting out of my way on demand as well as the SETI client always did.

u

[Triggerhippie]

Will all of the workunits I've already gotten go to the team if and when I assimilate?

[MediaMole]

FreeBSD instructions from the FAH site.


http://folding.stanford.edu/faq.html#run.FreeBSD

[Texas_Jarhead]

I be one of those that you describe.

[umbagi]

FreeBSD instructions from the FAH site.

Thanks!

[dagar]

Anybody know if Windows Server 2003 will work with the client? Didn't see it listed on the folding site....

[dangermouse]

I added my Athlon 64 3500+ to the team; however, I don't keep the computer on much when I'm not around so I probably won't be that big of a help.

[jwh_Denver]

Thanks for the information.

[systematic]

For those new to FR's folding team, read up on previous Folding threads (most questions have already been answered)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1541538/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1537549/posts

[systematic]

Free Republic Folders

Date of last work unit	2005-12-18 11:21:26
Active CPUs within 50 days	65
Team Id	36120
Grand Score	134049 (certificate)
Work Unit Count	988 (certificate)
Team Ranking (incl. aggregate)	1453 of 41741
Home Page	http://www.freerepublic.com
Fast Teampage URL	http://fah-web.stanford.edu/teamstats/team36120.html

[systematic]

Team members

Rank (within team)	User	Score	WU
1	Compaq_Owner	19975	138
2	Dads_AMD3000	18445	64
3	Texas_Booster	18345	144
4	Compaq_Owner3	12397	104
5	T_Admin	6796	53
6	bubba_sales	6356	51
7	Jim	5173	40
8	Malsua	5055	30
9	Uriah	4532	37
10	Ken_in_Texas	4500	18
11	Tony1	3176	23
12	Weasel	2426	21
13	Steve_Wilson_1	2307	21
14	ENDUSER_Michael	2298	16
15	dfwddr	1848	26
16	kenth	1715	18
17	Vern_1	1705	14
18	Brian_Admin	1649	12
19	Chesterbelloc	1583	13
20	Compaq_Owner_David	1476	13
21	BoT	1160	41
22	susan	1141	10
23	Hawkeyes_Girl	1064	6
24	Kevin_Inspiron	952	6
25	Trax_Admin	848	7
26	David_G_1	808	7
27	Tactical	804	5
28	Big_Bobs_FTW_1	549	3
29	Kingu	500	4
30	David_Griffith	453	4
31	A.Hun	422	3
32	cgk	334	3
33	FourtySeven	300	2
34	Vladimir_F	287	10
35	xeniast	287	2
36	ArgentCent	241	1
37	sshultz460	206	1
38	Drachenfels	206	1
39	ShakeNJake	206	1
40	CPQ_1700	197	2
41	Michael_K	182	1
42	sales_don	182	1
43	Tami	182	1
44	HangThemHigh	182	1
45	Heil_Dad	171	3
46	vidi	166	1
47	VICI	106	1
48	Veni	48	1
49	ChadGore	48	1
50	Becky1	41	1
51	jarod_1	19	1

[systematic]

Team member stats: http://fahstats.com/t.php?t=36120

Team production: http://fahstats.com/tp.php?t=36120

Teams we'll conquer next: http://fahstats.com/tr.php?t=36120

[Paladin2]

Dual processor systems can run two foldings simultaneously using "console" FAH versions.

[systematic]

Folding@Home is a distributed computing project. People from throughout the world download and run a small piece of software to band together and form one of the largest supercomputers in the world. The software runs in the background, using "spare" CPU cycles and not interfering with or slowing down any of your regular programs. It basically puts your computer's "extra" power to good use!

Many human diseases, including many neurodegenerative diseases, are thought to be caused by improper protein folding, or protein misfolding. ALS, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's are just a few of the diseases that could be positively impacted by this project.

Folding@Home is a very worthy cause.

Download the software and sign up on the Folding@Home website: http://folding.stanford.edu

FreeRepublic's team number is 36120