What exactly is folding?

[Bounty_Bam]

It probably says somewhere here, but I cant find it anywhere.

[directhex]

in general, it's experimenting with the way proteins fold. protein folding is a core element of several branches of science, especially biochemistry

folding@home is a volunteer computing project whereby regular user computers are used to help run scientific research on protein folding

[Zak33]

the software runs in the back ground of your PC and literally uses the cycles (power) of your CPU that you don't need. It vareis itself, quite cleverly, so it doesnt effect your PC use.

You can turn your PC off and on when you normally do...and while it's on, it'll run until one day, it finishes a work unit, and then it'll drop off the results to the website (automatically....you do nothing), grabs a new Work Unit (automatically again) and then starts over.

What it's doing, as Hex says, is workimh out a potential way that a protein might fold and rejoin in a different combination....and once millions of people around the world have done a few, another potential protein is looked at by the F@H team and they hope to crack dieases and illness for the future.

It works by costing them nothing, and using our PC's to do the work.

We are given points for finishing these Work Units and the team is scored on a large "Chart" internationally.

We here at TEAM HEXUS started out in May last year placed and are now proudly...

TOP 200 in the WORLD!

[Hicks12]

hmm, i always wanted to ask this question but never got around too it. Sounds like a good way to help out so i guess ill start .

Will look at the guide(is there one?XD).

[Bounty_Bam]

Cool, thats a really good idea. Go Hexus!

[Hicks12]

so once i set it up what do i do? just minimize the dos window? and is it really slow? mine says like "completed 0 out of 5000 steps <0percent>" any idea what that means?

edit: also i thought this was ment to use anything spare and so allow the computer to be used as normal. Mines running @ 100&#37; both cores because of this and cpu @ 42C

edit2: WTF??? all my bookmarks and saved things on firefox have been deleted, i rebooted and just opened firefox. Is this a known error with folding? so far my experience is pretty dire with this.....

[Zak33]

nope...doesnt change any firefox settings.

That sounds like you've set a new pasword and logged in as a different user.

it does use your spare cycles....so it uses them all!!

And that temp is fine...it also means it's doing good stuff. Work units can take a few weeks, so dont fret.

If you only want it to run on ONE core, just uninstall the SMP version and install the Graphic User interface...it runs, not in a DOS box, but in your task tray (bottom right) as a little cog. You can right click it and change settings.

[matty-hodgson]

if anyone has time, could they help me set up the SMP client on Vista?

MSN: matty-hodgson@live.co.uk add me if you have MSN, easier to guide me on there.

thanks in advance
and i'll be helping the Hexus team btw

[Zak33]

in Vista,,,?,.,,,hm....I'm to scared to even think about helping

sorry.

[matty-hodgson]

yeah, exactly.. i've tried before, but it just DIDN'T work..

edit:
would the normal client be worth running?
i can get that 1 to work, but most say it's useless.

[Max Tractor]

"What exactly is folding?"


Easy, simply put, it is ones quest for MORE Ghz

[TheAnimus]

SMP client is un-reliable, and very badly designed to leverage the windows platform, avoiding debates about kernel design ideas, it completely fails to fall into the design guidelines for the OS.

its very buggy as a result, frequently stops working, and isn't remotely helpful with how its layed out for administration.

upshot of which is only run it as a usermode app, when your logged on as a desktop session. If you see it stop contributing, just kick it (restart the fah software).

[matty-hodgson]

i think i'll install the normal 1 on wednesday when my Scythe Mine arrives and i've OC'd my Q6600 to 3GHz..