Just an Idea.

Gary Roberts
Gary Roberts
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@Tom I notice you are running

@Tom
I notice you are running BOINC 4.45 on a P4 2.66. Here are some notes to make the installation on the Win9x machines as smooth as possible. I'm presuming these machines are part of an office LAN and have access to a server. I'm also presuming you can get files from your existing P4 on to the office server (eg via a pen drive if necessary). I'll also assume the install directory to be C:\BOINC.

One possible source of problems will be the "condition" of the current Win98 installation. There is an unofficial Win 98 SE service pack around that does an amazing job of fixing and modernising an existing installation. I've used it myself and can thoroughly recommend it. It makes standard Win98 SE bullet proof. Do a google search for 98sesp (stands for 98 second edition service pack). If you don't fix Win98, you will need to upgrade the windows installer anyway (free from Microsoft - automatic with the service pack). Once your Win98 is ready, here are the instructions for the install:-

1. Copy to the server, the "account_*.xml" file from the P4
2. Copy to the server, the "einstein.phys.uwm.edu" folder (and its contents) which is in "projects".
3. Delete any large data files starting "w1_" or "l1_" etc (eg mine is "w1_0950.0") as you will need new data. All the rest stay (saves downloading).
4. Create the install directory (eg C:\BOINC) on each target machine.
5. Create the "projects" subdirectory (eg C:\BOINC\projects) on each target machine.
5. Copy "account_*.xml" to C:\BOINC on each target machine.
6. Copy "einstein.phys.uwm.edu" folder to C:\BOINC\projects on each target machine.

Now when you do the install, BOINC will find your account details in the .xml file and will automatically attach the new box to EAH using your credentials. Because all the configuration files are in the "einstein.phys.uwm.edu" folder, only a new data file will need to be downloaded and EAH will be immediately crunching using all your existing preferences which look quite appropriate. Apart from the data download time, the rest of the procedure probably only takes a minute or two so it's very easy to get a bunch of boxes cranking once you do the initial preparation on the server.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Gary.

Tom Awtry
Tom Awtry
Joined: 18 Jul 05
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Gary – What can I say!! You

Message 14503 in response to message 14502

Gary – What can I say!! You have went through a very good explanation of the best possible way of connecting all the processors that we have around here together in a very easy fashion, which saves me a considerable amount of time. Also, you have outlined the cleanest of approaches to present our account with Accounts@Home.

It’s quitting time here (early evening Thailand time), so I’ll commence in 12 hours with our other machines in the morning.

Gary, again, thanks for the helping hand and actuate step-by-step procedure.

Regards,
Tom

j2satx
j2satx
Joined: 22 Jan 05
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RE: PLEASE PARDON MY

Message 14504 in response to message 14501

Quote:

PLEASE PARDON MY IGNORANCE BUT I AM NEW TO "BOINC". what can we do with the credit we earn? it is enough for me to know that my donation of system resources helps to facilitate worthy research but if credits are issued, to what end?

thank you...
Berashith Niemand

Just a way to keep score.

John McLeod VII
John McLeod VII
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RE: I have several old

Message 14505 in response to message 14498

Quote:

I have several old Windows “98” machines, which we use here in the office for training and emergency over scheduled clerical work. My question is; has anyone ever attempt to implement an E@H application using this old of OS?

Understandability, computation time will be comparable to performing E@H calculations with a slide rule, but I would like to having these machines doing something in their idle time.

Thanks,
Tom


The main problem you are going to face is that most projects require more than 64MB of RAM (nominally 64MB, but Windows subtracts some before reporting so Windows machines with exactlyu 64MB installed will not run anything but BOINC Alpha (closed alpha testing of the BOINC client) and SZTAKI (Mathematics work in Hungarian).

Tom Awtry
Tom Awtry
Joined: 18 Jul 05
Posts: 100
Credit: 520861
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RE: The main problem you

Message 14506 in response to message 14505

Quote:
The main problem you are going to face is that most projects require more than 64MB of RAM (nominally 64MB, but Windows subtracts some before reporting so Windows machines with exactlyu 64MB installed will not run anything but BOINC Alpha (closed alpha testing of the BOINC client) and SZTAKI (Mathematics work in Hungarian).

John – Understand your valid point that you have brought up, fortunately by the skin of our teeth, each of our old 98’s have 82 Megabytes of RAM.

So far, we’ve been able to download two, S@H – WUs, and one of them is currently running, extremely slow, but nevertheless progressing. Our next acid test will be to see if the S@H finished unit uploads without problems, if we are successful, than we are going to attempt an E@H – WU, if we are successful with an E@H unit we’re going to put the rest of our other four 98s to work on E@H.

Any and all suggestions, comments or concerns are deeply appreciated.

Thanks,
Tom

Tom Awtry
Tom Awtry
Joined: 18 Jul 05
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Sorry, accidentally “double

Message 14507 in response to message 14505

Sorry, accidentally “double clicked” – The fingers haven’t woke-up as of yet!

hih_tv-Greg
hih_tv-Greg
Joined: 11 Feb 05
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Hi everyone, Just wanted to

Hi everyone,
Just wanted to add my 2 cents worth. I have been running BOINC on two different P-III's both of witch run Windows 98. All of the credits where earned this way.

I started out with a P-III/3Gighertz, then shifted to a P-III/550 Megahurtz for most of the credits,both machines have 256 Megs of ram.

It goes without saying that the P-III/550 is slow, both have been very dependable and have not had any problems with setup and installation.

Greg

John McLeod VII
John McLeod VII
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RE: RE: The main problem

Message 14509 in response to message 14506

Quote:
Quote:
The main problem you are going to face is that most projects require more than 64MB of RAM (nominally 64MB, but Windows subtracts some before reporting so Windows machines with exactlyu 64MB installed will not run anything but BOINC Alpha (closed alpha testing of the BOINC client) and SZTAKI (Mathematics work in Hungarian).

John – Understand your valid point that you have brought up, fortunately by the skin of our teeth, each of our old 98’s have 82 Megabytes of RAM.

So far, we’ve been able to download two, S@H – WUs, and one of them is currently running, extremely slow, but nevertheless progressing. Our next acid test will be to see if the S@H finished unit uploads without problems, if we are successful, than we are going to attempt an E@H – WU, if we are successful with an E@H unit we’re going to put the rest of our other four 98s to work on E@H.

Any and all suggestions, comments or concerns are deeply appreciated.

Thanks,
Tom


OK, BURP is still out (they require several hundred MB RAM to do the work), but everything else is at least plausible. Use 4.45 or later for the CPU scheduler improvements (you are going to need them if you attach to several projects on each machine). Watch the first few WUs from each project to see if they go over time. Einstein may be a problem here, and CPDN is almost certainly too much as they require 800MHz or better to complete on time.

Good Luck.

Tom Awtry
Tom Awtry
Joined: 18 Jul 05
Posts: 100
Credit: 520861
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RE: The main problem you

Message 14510 in response to message 14509

Quote:
The main problem you are going to face is that most projects require more than 64MB of RAM (nominally 64MB, but Windows subtracts some before reporting so Windows machines with exactlyu 64MB installed will not run anything but BOINC Alpha (closed alpha testing of the BOINC client) and SZTAKI (Mathematics work in Hungarian).

OK guys – The jury is starting to come in on this endeavor! After observing the S@H progress for the past 24 hours and with ½ of a WU completed its going to take three-plus days per each S@H work unit.

Knowing and accepting this is unfortunate for us, since we now come to agree with John (prior posts) that an E@H unit could never possibly complete within E@H’s prescribed timeframe.

Basically, for us, we are harware bound by three non up-gradable conditions:

1). 200 MHz CPU
2). 82 Mbytes RAM
3). Windows 98 OS

What we have learned from this exercise is; Windows 98, on a 10 year old machine implements and operates without any apparent problems for BOINC applicational software for projects with small or less complicated computable work units. In essence what John implied in his posting and which is quoted in the heading of this posting.

Our conclusion will curtail us to use the 1 traditionalized machine (machine used for this experiment) for S@H and return to storage the remaining four additional systems we had hoped to facilitate on E@H to our storage locker. Throughout this thread, concerning this topic, there has been some very time saving and informative information exchanged by contributing individuals.

We sincerely thank each of them,
Tom

j2satx
j2satx
Joined: 22 Jan 05
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RE: RE: Basically, for

Message 14511 in response to message 14510

Quote:
Quote:

Basically, for us, we are harware bound by three non up-gradable conditions:

1). 200 MHz CPU
2). 82 Mbytes RAM
3). Windows 98 OS

Our conclusion will curtail us to use the 1 traditionalized machine (machine used for this experiment) for S@H and return to storage the remaining four additional systems we had hoped to facilitate on E@H to our storage locker. Throughout this thread, concerning this topic, there has been some very time saving and informative information exchanged by contributing individuals.

What combination of RAM gives 82Mb?

You could upgrade to W2K, it will run slow but be more reliable.

You could run Predictor.

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