Newbie needs some advice

A

AARP

Weaksauce
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
Messages
95
Hey guys,
I just built my new rig and I'm ready to start folding. I'm a complete newbie and need tons of advice on what to do, what to install, etc., etc.

Here is my rig:
Windows 7 Pro x64 OS
Intel i7 920
Diamond HD5850
OCZ DDR3 Gold 6GB 1600
Evga x58 SLI LE INT 1366
Seagate 1TB HDD
Antec Truepower New 750W PSU- $130

I tried setting up the GPU client on my own but it didn't work.
Looking forward to some folding,
AARP

Edit: Btw, I have an Athlon 64 X2 4200 CPU w/heatsink if anyone wants it for a folding rig. I don't know if it works or not because the Mobo that was in the rig died. If you pay the shipping I'll send it to whoever needs it for free.
 
Last edited:
I can't speak to the 5*** series GPU folding. I've heard there have been some bugs with that.

You should install a VM with a linux SMP client to getthat i7 producing. You should be able to get all 8 threads running on a single VM. The guide is in the stickies but I think it still says to install a VM per 2 cores. This is not correct, 1 VM will do.
 
You definitely want to run the notfreds VM and run a GPU2 client as well. Go to the guides stickied above for gpu folding and VM folding. If you have troubles with either come back and let us know what the problem is and we'll help you out.

FYI. ATI 5xxx series gpus require the -forcegpu ati_r700 switch to run properly.
 
+1 for the VM

Make sure you use the VM player 3.0 beta. It will let you use all the cores/threads that the i7 has for ya.

Welcome to the team!
 
K, I'm having some trouble setting up affinity input. What do I need to edit in these 3 lines for my Core i7 values?

##################################################
## Application Profile lines
##################################################
#
# An application profile is specified on a single line.
# An application profile includes the following information: an application
# name, a CPU mask, and optional attributes in the following format:
# C:\Path\To\Application := CPU0+CPU1 [attr1=val1,attr2=val2]
#

*\vmware-vmx.exe := PAIR0+PAIR1 [assign=2,priority=Idle]

*\FahCore_11.exe := PAIR0+PAIR1 [priority=High]

*\FahCore_14.exe := PAIR0+PAIR1 [priority=High]

# Check the documentation and the provided examples for more
# information about these fields.
 
I never messed with that.

I just added:

Code: 
priority.grabbed = "idle"

priority.ungrabbed = "idle"

at the bottom of the .vmx file and I don't even know the VM is running.

I can play games, watch Blu Ray ect. and the VM never gets in the way.
 
Last edited:
Kendrak said:
I never messed with that.

I just added:

Code: 
priority.grabbed = "idle"

priority.ungrabbed = "idle"

at the bottom of the VKM file and I don't even know the VM is running.

I can play games, watch Blu Ray ect. and the VM never gets in the way.
Click to expand...

So like this?


##################################################
## Application Profile lines
##################################################
#
# An application profile is specified on a single line.
# An application profile includes the following information: an application
# name, a CPU mask, and optional attributes in the following format:
# C:\Path\To\Application := CPU0+CPU1 [attr1=val1,attr2=val2]
#
# Check the documentation and the provided examples for more
# information about these fields.

priority.grabbed = "idle"

priority.ungrabbed = "idle"
Click to expand...
 
My folding.vmx file (for the notfreds VM) looks like this:
Code: 
#!/usr/bin/vmplayer
.encoding = "windows-1252"

# This is a Workstation 5 or 5.5 config file
# It can be used with Player
config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version = "4"

# Number of virtual CPUs. Your virtual machine will not
# work if this number is higher than the number of your physical CPUs
numvcpus = "4"

# Memory
memsize = "1024"

# Selected operating system for your virtual machine
guestOS = "other-64"

# displayName is your own name for the virtual machine
displayName = "Folding@Home"

# These fields are free text description fields
annotation = "Diskless Folding@Home"
guestinfo.vmware.product.long = "Diskless Folding by Nick Reilly"
guestinfo.vmware.product.url = "http://reilly.homeip.net"
guestinfo.vmware.product.class = "virtual machine"

# First serial port, physical COM1 is not available
serial0.present = "FALSE"

# Optional second serial port, physical COM2 is not available
serial1.present = "FALSE"

# First parallel port, physical LPT1 is not available
parallel0.present = "FALSE"

# Settings for physical floppy drive
floppy0.present = "FALSE"

# Logging
logging = "FALSE"

# These settings decides interaction between your
# computer and the virtual machine
isolation.tools.hgfs.disable = "FALSE"
isolation.tools.dnd.disable = "FALSE"
isolation.tools.copy.enable = "FALSE"
isolation.tools.paste.enabled = "FALSE"

# First network interface card
ethernet0.present = "TRUE"
ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000"
ethernet0.connectionType = "bridged"
ethernet0.addressType = "generated"
ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0"

ide0:0.present = "TRUE"
ide0:0.fileName = "folding.vmdk"

ide0:0.redo = ""

extendedConfigFile = "folding.vmxf"

virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"
tools.upgrade.policy = "manual"

ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:0c:29:06:e6:ee"
uuid.location = "56 4d ee 72 7e 31 4b 6a-15 91 0e ad d8 06 e6 ee"
uuid.bios = "56 4d ee 72 7e 31 4b 6a-15 91 0e ad d8 06 e6 ee"
debugStub.linuxOffsets = "0x0,0xffffffff,0x0,0x0,0x0,0x0,0x0,0x0,0x0,0x0,0x0,0x0,0x0,0x0"
vmotion.checkpointFBSize = "16777216"

checkpoint.vmState = ""
replay.supported = "FALSE"
replay.filename = ""
cleanShutdown = "FALSE"

priority.grabbed = "idle"

priority.ungrabbed = "idle"

now where mine says: numvcpus = "4"
You need to edit that to 8, then add the two lines of code and your done.

I don't use affinity at all. It's a big deal when you running 2 VMs. You have to make sure they are playing nice, but since now we are running just one VM, I don;t see the need for it..... other might. I try and keep things simple.
 
Last edited:
Kendrak said:
My folding.vkm file
Click to expand...
You mean .vmx. There is no .vkm.

For those interested in controlling affinity, this is what you add to the .vmx file:
Code: 
processor*.use = "**"
Where * is the number of the core (between 0 and the number of cores you have, so it would be from 0 to 7 for an 8-core system for example), and ** is TRUE or FALSE depending on whether or not you want to use that core (you technically don't have to use this at all for cores that you do want the VM to run on, since if the line isn't present VMWare will assume the parameter to be TRUE). Use one line per core that you want to control.
 
K, so I don't need WinAFC at all? I try to run the .vmdk file in vmplayer but this is what I get:

Error while opening the virtual machine: File "C:\Users\Sean\FAH\SMP\folding.vmdk" line 1: Syntax error.

Here's what my .vmx file currently looks like:

#!/usr/bin/vmplayer

# This is a Workstation 5 or 5.5 config file
# It can be used with Player
config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version = "4"

# Number of virtual CPUs. Your virtual machine will not
# work if this number is higher than the number of your physical CPUs
numvcpus = "4"

# Memory
memsize = "1024"

# Selected operating system for your virtual machine
guestOS = "other-64"

# displayName is your own name for the virtual machine
displayName = "Folding@Home"

# These fields are free text description fields
annotation = "Diskless Folding@Home"
guestinfo.vmware.product.long = "Diskless Folding by Nick Reilly"
guestinfo.vmware.product.url = "http://reilly.homeip.net"
guestinfo.vmware.product.class = "virtual machine"

# First serial port, physical COM1 is not available
serial0.present = "FALSE"

# Optional second serial port, physical COM2 is not available
serial1.present = "FALSE"

# First parallel port, physical LPT1 is not available
parallel0.present = "FALSE"

# Settings for physical floppy drive
floppy0.present = "FALSE"

# Logging
logging = "FALSE"

# These settings decides interaction between your
# computer and the virtual machine
isolation.tools.hgfs.disable = "FALSE"
isolation.tools.dnd.disable = "FALSE"
isolation.tools.copy.enable = "FALSE"
isolation.tools.paste.enabled = "FALSE"

# First network interface card
ethernet0.present = "TRUE"
ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000"
ethernet0.connectionType = "bridged"
ethernet0.addressType = "generated"
ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0"

ide0:0.present = "TRUE"
ide0:0.fileName = "folding.vmdk"

ide0:0.redo = ""

# Clock is in UTC
rtc.diffFromUTC = 0
Click to expand...

Edit: Ok I got the vmplayer to run but when I open "folding" I get this error:
You have configured this virtual machine to use a 64-bit guest operating system. However, 64-bit operation is not possible. This host is VT-capable, but VT is disabled.
This is usually because VT has been disabled in the BIOS/firmware settings or the host has not been power-cycled since changing this setting. Please:
(1) Verify that the BIOS/firmware settings enable VT and disable 'trusted execution.'
(2) Power-cycle the host, if either of these BIOS/firmware settings have been changed.
(3) Power-cycle the host, if you have not done so since installing VMware Player.
(4) Update the host's BIOS/firmware to the latest version.
For more detailed information, see http://vmware.com/info?id=152.

Continue without 64-bit support?
 
Last edited:
You need 64 bit to run.

Is you OS 64 bit?

Sorry can't help myself.....

syntax.jpg
 
Kendrak said:
You need 64 bit to run.

Is you OS 64 bit?

Sorry can't help myself.....

syntax.jpg
Click to expand...

My OS is Windows 7 Pro 64-bit. The location of the file is in C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Player\vmplayer.exe .
 
AARP said:
Edit: Ok I got the vmplayer to run but when I open "folding" I get this error:
You have configured this virtual machine to use a 64-bit guest operating system. However, 64-bit operation is not possible. This host is VT-capable, but VT is disabled.
This is usually because VT has been disabled in the BIOS/firmware settings or the host has not been power-cycled since changing this setting. Please:
(1) Verify that the BIOS/firmware settings enable VT and disable 'trusted execution.'
(2) Power-cycle the host, if either of these BIOS/firmware settings have been changed.
(3) Power-cycle the host, if you have not done so since installing VMware Player.
(4) Update the host's BIOS/firmware to the latest version.
For more detailed information, see http://vmware.com/info?id=152.

Continue without 64-bit support?
Click to expand...
You need to enable hardware virtualization in the BIOS. Just go into the BIOS and it will be called something like virtualization technology, VT, or Vanderpool technology. Make sure it's enabled and you should be able to fold using the 64-bit option.
Kendrak said:
Is you OS 64 bit?
Click to expand...
Host OS doesn't need to be 64-bit.
 
I can't find how to enable vt anywhere on my phoenix bios. Anyone have any ideas?
 
Try looking in the manual for your motherboard and see if it will tell you where to find the option. I can't really help you with the specifics since I'm not familiar with that motherboard.
 
Alright, I found and enabled VT with the help of the trusty manual. Now I fire up the F@H virtual machine but it says to double check my gateway and DNS info. Did I miss a step?
 
Yeah, that problem crops up sometimes. Unfortunately, I don't know how to fix it.
 
Zero82z said:
Yeah, that problem crops up sometimes. Unfortunately, I don't know how to fix it.
Click to expand...

Going by the guide, it says to take note of the following:

IP Address that is assigned to the VM

Host Name


But I can't seem to find either of them.
 
AARP said:
Going by the guide, it says to take note of the following:

IP Address that is assigned to the VM

Host Name


But I can't seem to find either of them.
Click to expand...

Does your router have a DHCP lease table that you can get the ip from?
 
In your network connectionsor devices you might be able to find a LAN bridge and get the IP address from that. Not sure exactly how Windows 7 looks in the network setting and I don't have access to a vista machine right now.
 
I haven't found it in either of those.

Here is what I am getting (the last few lines) when I run folding@home:

Freeing unused kernel memory: 444k freed
udhcpc (v.1.13.2) started
e1000: eth0 NIC Link is Up 1000 Mbps Full Duplex,Flow Control: None
Sending discover...
Sending discover...
Sending discover...
No lease, forking to background
No hostname from DHCP, setting hostname to fold-7D3F


Waiting 10 seconds for any USB drives to start
wget: bad adress 'www.standord.edu'


Failed to download the client from Stanford's website.
Please double check your Gateway and DNS information
and reboot afterwards.
Gateway:
awk: /etc/resolv.conf: No such file or directory
DNS servers:
_
 
Is there a network bridge in your network connections? If so it does not appear to be working. The client is not able to access the stanford servers so it can't start. Is this computer connected directly to your DSL or cable modem or through a router?
 
flogge said:
Is there a network bridge in your network connections? If so it does not appear to be working. The client is not able to access the stanford servers so it can't start. Is this computer connected directly to your DSL or cable modem or through a router?
Click to expand...
It is connected through a router.
 
It appears that the VM is not getting any response when it tries to get an IP through DHCP. It has no information in the IP and DNS information. I'm assuming you have tried shutting down the Vm and restarting. you might even have to restart the whole comp. The Vm should be able to see the router through the network bridge in your network settings. Once that happens it should be able to request an IP from the router through DHCP and then everything is wonderful.
 
flogge said:
It appears that the VM is not getting any response when it tries to get an IP through DHCP. It has no information in the IP and DNS information. I'm assuming you have tried shutting down the Vm and restarting. you might even have to restart the whole comp. The Vm should be able to see the router through the network bridge in your network settings. Once that happens it should be able to request an IP from the router through DHCP and then everything is wonderful.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I attempted to trouble shoot the network but it still says:

Unidentified network/ Access type: No internet access
Public Network/ Connections: VMware NetworkAdapter
------------------------------------------------VMnet1_ VMware Network Adapter VMnet8


Also, in VMware player on the second to last group it now says:

Failed to download the client from Stanford's website:
http://www.stanford.edu/group/pandergroup/folding/release/FAH6.02-Linux.tgz



Which is different from before. What does that mean?
 
Aha. A restart did the trick finally. I wonder why my previous restarts hadn't worked.
 
K, everything's working good except for that I'm only getting 2100 PPD. I think this could be because it is using 4 cores and I don't have my GPU set up. How do I do this?
 
K, everything's working good except for that I'm only getting 2100 PPD. I think this could be because it is using 4 cores and I don't have my GPU set up. How do I do this?
Click to expand...
Open the folding.vmx file with wordpad. There's a line for "numvcpus", change that to 8. Save and exit. In the IP address for your Notfred machine, change it to an instance per 8 CPUs. And go into task manager and see if the VM is actually assigned to all the cores.
 
Mr. Pedantic said:
Open the folding.vmx file with wordpad. There's a line for "numvcpus", change that to 8. Save and exit. In the IP address for your Notfred machine, change it to an instance per 8 CPUs. And go into task manager and see if the VM is actually assigned to all the cores.
Click to expand...

When I change it to 8 cores in the .vmx, it says in virtual machine settings that "The virtual machine may perform poorly or fail to power on because the total number of processor cores exceeds the maximum supported value of 4."

Also how do I change the instance in the Ip adress?
 
Yes. While only a maximum of 4 cores is officially supported by VMware Player, neither I nor anyone else here has had problems with using 8-core VMs.

When NotFred is up and running, it should have a screen with all this information on it: Processor type, number, User, team, client settings, etc. Under all of that will be a Hostname, fold-XXXX, and an IP address. Type the IP into the address bar in your browser, and it will come up with the settings for the VM. There should be a hyperlink for "Reconfigure this client" or something along those lines, and inside there should be an option to change the number of cores per SMP client instance.
 
K, now it's working perfectly. Time to set up my GPU. Should I use system tray or console?
 
I prefer the systray version since I can easily pause the client or view the log file by right-clicking on the tray icon and picking options from the menu. The clients are functionally identical so you may as well stick with the tray version.
 
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