Quick Linux question

[[XC] 4X4N]

Just got the latest Ubuntu release installed. It's been a while since I ran Linux and I'm looking for a guide for setting up a dual smp. I need someone to give me a link. I know someone posted a link, but I can't seem to find it. Thanks.

Anyhow, have only been up about an hour with this install and it seems to be much better than Gutsy. So far everythng has gone without a hitch. Perfect for noobs like me. :p:

[The_Barnacle]

I am also curious about this. If Linux is more stable and/or produces more ppd than XP I would like to move my dedicated crunchers over.

edit: Also, I was looking on the Ubuntu site and I didn't see the GA-G31-S2L on their supported hardware list, or any G31 based motherboards, is that an issue or will it probably still work?

[The_Barnacle]

4x4N, are you running Ubuntu on your Q6600? If so did you install the 32 or 64 bit version?

[SparkyJJO]

I wish I could help, but I know zippo about linux :shrug:

[[XC] 4X4N]

Yes, 64 bit with the set-up in my sig. I know how to install 1 client, just not sure about getting 2 to work. I'm pretty sure that someone posted up a guide before, but searching for it is not helping my find it. Maybe I should try the google on the internets! :rofl:

[MikeB12]

here, I saved a copy of it last time I did it to make it easier next time..

open a terminal and copy/paste what you see in the link...
this works for 64bit ubuntu 7.10 and 8.04
don't forget the very first line, ubuntu needs the shared ia32-libs libraries...
http://scootplace.net/fah/linuxsmp.txt



edit: when you run it you can switch the tasksets around, it's up to you on which sets you want to run each client.. that's just how I did mine..
reference http://foldingforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=124

[The_Barnacle]

Sweet Mike, thanks :up: That looks very straight forward.

I downloaded the ISO of Ubuntu 8.04, so now to try installing it on one of my machines. I'm a total Linux n00b so this should be fun...:shocked:

[SparkyJJO]

Hm I have a 700MHz P3 HP omnibook 6000 laptop with 128MB RAM, maybe I should but ubuntu on there to play with... or do I need something faster?

[Shadowtester]

I never really had much luck with taskset with Kubuntu 7.10 I tried it for several week with my quad and did not see any ppd increase over just running 2 smp clients without taskset. However I did get a nice ppd upgrade setting up two VMware Ubuntu 7.10 server clients with two cores assigned to each then no taskset was needed and my ppd increased by almost 1k.

Additional Info

With my Q6600 over clocked at 3ghz running 64 bit Kubuntu 7.10 doing some email and light web surfing running two VMware Ubuntu 7.10 server client each with 2 cores and 1.5gb of ram running 6.02 smp I usually get 2605 wu's with an occasional 2653 wu. With that setup I average just over 2.2k ppd each client and has been a very stable setup with almost no lost wu's.

[MikeB12]

with taskset and 2 smp's on a q6600 you're basically running 2 e6600's in theory... each client uses 2 cores... at least thats how it was explained to me..
some said it wasn't needed and others said it was. I always just used it because I liked the segregation of work threads theory better.

when I ran it, I ran it on ubuntu 7.10 and RC 8.04....
but went back to xp, because at the time xp was picking up 2653's and ubuntu was only picking up 30xx's..
all that's changed now, and I've wanted to get around to reinstalling 8.04 since the official came out a couple weeks ago. but haven't got around to it yet....

anyway, thats why I uploaded that old txt file above.... so I could just open firefox after ubuntu install and goto scootplace.net/fah and copy/paste. wouldn't have to go looking for it my docs on my other comp. ease of setup...

[Shadowtester]

When I was trying taskset I was also getting a lot of 30xx wu's as well I think the reason was due to the client identifying the cpu as a Quad and the 30xx's are the wu's that are being assigned to the smp linux quad's now the dual core linux clients are getting almost all 2605's with an occasional 2653 and using VMware all the client can see is 2 cores since thats what the OS is reporting so the client thinks its only a dual core and so you get wu's being assigned to linux dual core smp. Any ways thats my theory to explain what I was seeing and getting while I was using the taskset linux setup and now the VMware setup.

Additional Info

I tried using taskset to assign 2 cores to each of 2 smp linux clients for almost 2 weeks and then another 2 weeks running the smp linux clients without taskset. During that time I was getting the same wu's with and without taskset and the average ppd for both setup's was almost exactly the same. That is why I did not think that taskset did any good especially when compared to the ppd I was getting with the VMware setup prior to that test and the VMware setup I am using now.

[MikeB12]

makes sense... my x2 4600 on mepis pulls all 2605's...

[[XC] 4X4N]

Thanks Mike! I thought that was they way to do it, just wanted to make sure with someone else. The taskset is new to me though. Here it is up and running with 2 smp's. Is it still better to run 2 instead of 1?

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/3820/screenshotur8.png

[MikeB12]

I'm pretty sure 2 will net more ppd..

you can test it i you want..
once you're comfortable you have a good baseline with 2 running for a ppd value...

just close them.
and restart one with...
./fah6 -forceasm -smp

and see what ppd it nets...

I've never had a problem in linux with lost wu's from restarts, so don't worry about it too much (the client restarts). windows has trained most of us to be wary with client restarts and wu loss, it's not an issue from what I've run across in linux.

[Shadowtester]

Yes running 2 SMP clients vs 1 SMP client on a Quad will get you more points since the utilization of the SMP client on the Quad only loads the cores to between 60 to 70% so there is quite a bit of unused processor power going to waist. using 2 clients gets you close to 100% utilization on a Quad only real issue is trying to isolate what cores are used for what client taskset is the closest thing we have in Linux to the affinity switcher that is used in Windows. If you want to maximum ppd I think you will do better with VMware running 2 Linux clients which limits each smp client to only 2 cores max so no affinity switcher is needed and the smp client will report to the assignment server that it a dual core which gets you wu's that are better for dual core processors. Thats my theory and my observations so far has seemed to be held true since I have never got a single 30xx wu yet on the VMware clients.

[MikeB12]

do you have a link or basic instructions on the vmware setup Shadow... I'd be interested in giving that a try on my dedicated quad. I've never looked into it before..

[[XC] 4X4N]

I'm way too much of a linux noob to try the vmware. I'm just going to let this run for a while and see how it goes.

[Shadowtester]

I run 64 bit Kubuntu 7.10 but I think any version of 64 bit linux would work. I myself use VMware workstation ver 6.02 but you can use this website http://www.easyvmx.com/ to create your virtual machine. Assign 2 cores which is the maximum to each machine along with as much memory you can my system has 4 gigs ram so I set each machine 1.75gig which left .5gig for the resident OS. You can then use the free VMware player to finish the setup and run the machine. You will then install the os and client just like any normal Linux OS and client install.
Here is the exact machine settings I used
Hardware
Memory 1700 mb
Processors 2
Hard Disk 4.0gb pre-allocated
CD-Rom Auto detect
Floppy Auto detect
Ethernet Bridged
USB Controller Present
Sound Adapter Auto Detect
Display 1 monitor

Options
General Server 64-bit
Share Folders Disabled
Snapshot/Replay Just power off
Tools Global upgrade preference
Remote Display Disabled
Appliance View Disabled

For the client OS I used Ubuntu 7.10 server edition 64 bit since I did not really need a GUI desktop to run FAH

Then install the FAH SMP client like you would normally and set it up.

To monitor the client you could setup either samba or nfs shares and mount them on your main machine so you can use FAH to monitor the clients.

If your not comfortable with command line Linux you could install a Linux with a GUI I have done that in the past.

If you get hung up I will try to help but there really is not any guide per say I learned by experimentation trial and error.

Additional info
For the OS install you do not need to burn a CD you can install the OS from the iso file you would use to create the OS install cd which makes it a little easier.

[SparkyJJO]

Yes running 2 SMP clients vs 1 SMP client on a Quad will get you more points since the utilization of the SMP client on the Quad only loads the cores to between 60 to 70% so there is quite a bit of unused processor power going to waist.

Really? I see 100% in task manager :confused:

[Shadowtester]

On the Linux smp clients that is not the case on the Q6600 and other intel quads its been reported several times by multiple people over on the Stanford folding forum and the FAH developers are aware of the problem they said they are working on the problem and hope to have better utilization for the Linux smp client with the newer projects and gromac core.

[SparkyJJO]

Oh ok, linux SMP. Gotcha.

:hitself:

[Shadowtester]

Oh ok, linux SMP. Gotcha.

:hitself:

We are in the Quick Linux question thread :poke::confused2

If you do a search for core usage or cpu usage in the Linux SMP forum over at http://foldingforum.org/viewforum.php?f=12 you will see its been a on going problem and heated issue.

[SparkyJJO]

We are in the Quick Linux question thread :poke::confused2

If you do a search for core usage or cpu usage in the Linux SMP forum over at http://foldingforum.org/viewforum.php?f=12 you will see its been a on going problem and heated issue.

:lol2: yeah I know... hence the :hitself: as it struck me where I was :doh:

[Shadowtester]

Well as I said earlier in the thread if I can help with the VMware client setup I am more than willing just ask away and I will try to help. Its not as hard as it sounds if a relative Linux newbie like me only been using Linux for about 1 year full time. If I can figure it out I am sure I can help point others in the right direction.

I spent a lot of time reading different sites I found on google they helped me fumble my way though the setup. The hardest part for me was getting the nfs shares setup to allow the remote monitoring. I am still trying to figure out a good way to monitor the clients remotely over the internet. The 3rd party stat sites are ok but being able to monitor the clients like I can from my home network using FahMon would really be much better.

[sc00p]

Nothing too tricky with vm-wares... if you're even thinking of linux ;)
Jimwah, Sparky and I have links in our sigs to the setup-guides, which contains Jimwah's very good guide to vm-wares. It could be a winner after all ?
Actually Jimwah was a little disappointed that these guides did never make it to the stickies :(

[MikeB12]

Thanks for the vmware explanation and links... bookmarked..

[Stijndp]

Hold on with that long long way of running F@H with a virtual machine. Just use the diskless folding .iso and load that into VMWare or any other VM software.........

http://reilly.homeip.net/folding/cd.html

[Shadowtester]

The only real disadvantage I can see using the diskless folding setup is if you have a power failure or any other computer problem you end up loosing the entire wu where doing a normal install in the VMware machine you should be able to pick up the wu from the last completed step. So I guess its up to you if you want an easier more risky setup or a harder safer setup I myself went for the safer route but either would work.

[Stijndp]

For the cd you can setup a network drive to write backups. But I guess you can also use the USBstorage files so it will utilises the disk space of the VM.

A gui and other things don't use that much power. But if the system is headless I don't see why it would hurt. You can still make it use 2cpu's/wu to guide the wu's you get allthough I find that a practice too far in the book of doubtfull ppd gathering.