v7 client -- yea, about that....

[starkreiten]

Ok, so I've had a couple days of confinement, and decided to play with the v7 beta.4 client -- for the first time. I can honestly say that I'm glad I skipped betas.1,2, and 3!

To summarize at the start, and save most of you a bunch time: keep waiting. (except for those wanting to fold with an AMD GPU) ;>

Most of my time was 'spent' trying to find an up to date guide on v7 -- and there really is only one. I suspect it is because they are doing everything and the kitchen sink with v7, and everybody that folds has been doing it piecewise forever. Oh, and it's a beta -- duh. So, I'm thinking that maybe a comprehensive 'working' type thread here might help somebody out.

Observations:
good - FAHcontrol remote works. Config and control for local/remote/vm/windows/linux clients.

good - Windows installation worked fine. FAHv7b4 asked for name/team/passkey and started folding SMP and both GPUs. PPD was not noticeably different from the console clients. Oh, and there is also a new core for AMD GPUs! (thanks wolfofone)

bad - FAHcontrol doesn't total points or track WUs. Maybe later? HFM.net?

ugly - Linux installer (maybe just Deb64?) has some major issues. From assigning GPU slots without Linux cores, to Hexallel SMP that is very bad for the TPF. I'll elaborate in another post (or 5), and hopefully alleviate some future frustration.

There are plenty of FAH v7 threads out there already for the trolls, and it would be nice if we could keep this one constructive. Just say'n.... ;/

Dana

 

[wolfofone]

I've talked about it on my blog and have written a guide on getting the AMD GPU Core_16 WUs running on the v7 client, I've pimped it enough though but you can find a link to it by searching on google, it's on the first page

In general, I like it but I never got too invested in the third party tracking programs so while that issue is really annoying for some people (understandably), I was okay without it . The only real issue that I've had with it so far (been using it since I believe version x.33?) is that sometimes the FAH Control program does not want to close and I have to kill it in task manager. Other times it closes normally when I tell it to so I'm not sure if that issue is just me or not

 

[jebo_4jc]

wolf I think posting your blog link here would be appropriate

I'm running v7 on my laptop, just to try it out. It's not bad, actually, but the lack of a global monitoring functionality is killer for me. HFM.net's auto-generating website is my best friend

 

[starkreiten]

Thanks wolfofone!

I'd completely forgotten about Core_16 (since I don't have any of that hardware), and have updated my original post.

The FAHControl has locked-up on me numerous times in windows, usually when saving a config change that shouldn't have bothered anything.
What's interesting is that the remoted FAHControl keeps working through my laptop, so I can pause the client before killing FAHControl with task manager. Which has (so far) kept the WUs alive.

Dana

 

[Vaulter98c]

this seems interesting.... seems I've missed a few things over the past 15 months... where can one get this client and play around with it?

 

[jfb9301]

Vaulter,

It's a steaming pile of poo.......

Especially for those of us who have Hex and higher hardware.... give it a miss, and stick to Linux v6. Maybe someday (about the time for beta v8) they might actually get around to fixing all the problems in v7.

 

[starkreiten]

... where can one get this client and play around with it?

The main v7 beta page is here:
https://fah-web.stanford.edu/projects/FAHClient/wik

One suggestion I have is to use a different 'port' for each client installed (see the FAHControl screenshot in the first post). Technically you don't have to do that with separate machines, but it makes it a whole bunch easier to track what is going on -- Especially if 'playing' and not wanting to lose WUs.

There is now a link to v7 beta hiding in the main post as well. Thanks Vaulter98c!

Dana

 

[Vaulter98c]

Well the post I'm on for processing seems to be blocking the ports of the WU server, even on the older clients, looks like I'll screw with it once I get released from this tour

 

[Grandpa_01]

Vaulter,

It's a steaming pile of poo.......

Especially for those of us who have Hex and higher hardware.... give it a miss, and stick to Linux v6. Maybe someday (about the time for beta v8) they might actually get around to fixing all the problems in v7.

I am not quite sure why you say this. What problem have you had with it that qualify it as a steaming pile of poo....... ?, I have v7 installed on 5 Gulftowns on both Windows 7 64bit and Ubuntu 10.10 64bit. While I only run it 24 / 7 on 3 of my 7 rigs I really see no major problems with it. It is pretty much a install it and forget it program. In windows it install both -smp and gpu folding by default, in both Windows and Ubuntu it starts as a service, if your computer crashes you do not have to worry about it when it reboots v7 starts back up and continues folding you do not loose hours of folding because you were not there. There is a pretty in depth guide over at the FF but yes it is old but it still is pretty good for setting it up, it is in the first post by the devoliper at this link http://foldingforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=67&t=19795 And there is a parsing app for it made by MtM you can get it here http://foldingforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=19105&sid=014fceea2ba53d66a134f53150406de3 the parser is a beta and under development so not every version works.

 

[rhavern]

I'm with Grandpa_01 on this one, within constraints, v7 (latest beta) is pretty good. Not perfect mind you, but pretty good. I'm running it on a couple low end CPU-only boxes, so I can't comment on how well it copes with complex configurations. I would say if you have an existing, working complex configuration, this beta is not for you. Yet.

However, as previously mentioned, if you run AMD GPUs, it is a must-have today to get access to core 16 WUs. Keep an eye out for further beta releases, bugs are still being quashed.

 

[7im]

What's wrong with this V7 Guide?

 

[starkreiten]

What's wrong with this V7 Guide?

Hi 7im! - Your guide looks good! (and I'll update my original post)

V7 update: For the past 10 days or so, I've had V7 running straight in Win7-64 with SMP6 and 2xGPUs(gtx450s), and have picked up an extra 8-10k ppd, which seems to be maintaining. That's about a 30% increase from the 3 console clients that I had been running with the old client.

I've been a bit busy for xmas, but am still going to try V7 as a 'console client' and see how it goes. If it works out, a guide to ease the transition for the die [H]ard console folders may follow.

[H]appy [H]olidays!
Dana

 

[Pocatello]

I am using v7 on one machine, a 2600K. For me v7 was a godsend because I could not get any CPU folding to work in Windows 7 until v7. For the person using this 2600K, my son, v7 allows him to pause and un-pause very simply and quickly.

One downside is that HFM.net does not work with v7. If it does, can you explain how? I like having a summary of the machines in one place (on my boxen).

I do not believe v7 to be a steaming pile of poo. It works when the other clients did not. For me that is success.

 

[brycejones]

So is this basically supposed to be like the bonic client? Install it and it automatically figures out what to setup?

 

[wolfofone]

wolf I think posting your blog link here would be appropriate

I'm running v7 on my laptop, just to try it out. It's not bad, actually, but the lack of a global monitoring functionality is killer for me. HFM.net's auto-generating website is my best friend

Sorry for my absence, but better late then never I suppose To get set up for GPU Core_16 folding and put your AMD GPU to work: http://verrytechnical.com/amd-cards...cieving-new-fh-client-and-core-16-opencl-wus/ Same steps as on the latest beta, I've tried it but I don't remember if I updated the guide to not that

 

[wolfofone]

So is this basically supposed to be like the bonic client? Install it and it automatically figures out what to setup?

It at least tries to prod you in the right direction of gettting everything going. I think that's the idea, yes, to make it easy for people to jump right in with a decent configuration and little setup while allowing enthusiasts to go to the advanced views to see more info and tweak more settings Not quite sure it's there yet, but def. easier than setting up a v6 client where you had to set up the folders yourself for a newcomer to folding.

 

[sirmonkey1985]

So is this basically supposed to be like the bonic client? Install it and it automatically figures out what to setup?

kind of.. its basically designed to make F@H more noob friendly. i don't think its meant to be a direct replacement(if it is then they have a long ways to go) of the older v6 client for the more experienced people.

 

[Lorne45]

Maybe I am just to used to the console but for me v7 seems oversimplified and kind of jumps on the "windows" wagon in trying to think for the user. I realize this was done to make it easier for new users and this is just my 2 cents. I don't see myself going v7 unless I have to.

 

[Paragon]

So what is the best to use? I was on v6 in linux VM and found about the v7 but i don't know if it is just the 7903 (~3:40 tpf) that is crunching or what but the ppd is significantly lower - I have a 2600k at 4.7, was getting 30-35k with v6/linux and v7 seems to be around 20k . Also I take it there is no support for AMD GPU in Linux? cannot get a 6870 that I am testing for the week to be recognized in v7.
Is Linux still better to fold than windows with v7 or are win v7 times on par with linux?

 

[sirmonkey1985]

cpu side linux will always be better than windows. but i think its still preferred to run the v6 client when doing bigadv. personally the only reason i'd run v7 is specifically for openCL support on AMD/ATI cards.

 

[Grandpa_01]

So what is the best to use? I was on v6 in linux VM and found about the v7 but i don't know if it is just the 7903 (~3:40 tpf) that is crunching or what but the ppd is significantly lower - I have a 2600k at 4.7, was getting 30-35k with v6/linux and v7 seems to be around 20k . Also I take it there is no support for AMD GPU in Linux? cannot get a 6870 that I am testing for the week to be recognized in v7.
Is Linux still better to fold than windows with v7 or are win v7 times on par with linux?

It is the WU 7903 are among the lowest PPD smp WU's as far as folding on Linux vs Windows Linux will make more PPD and PPW than windows when folding smp. There is no difference in the performance of v6 and v7 they are identical in performance. I run both v6 and v7 on Linux and Windows running smp, gpu and bigadv. I pref ere v7 over v6 due to the ease of setup and the no hassle operation of it. Just install it add you flags and forget about it. If your computer crashes who cares since it install as a service by default when the computer restarts so does v7 minimal loss of points due to down time. It has been my experience that most people that do not like v7 have not used it or used it in the early beta stage, most are just repeating what they have heard about it.

The only real downfall to it is the ability to track it with 3rd party tools but they are being developed at this time. MtM has a really nice one in beta production over at the FF that gives more info than any of the current 3rd party v6 tracking tools, but it is still in a fairly early beta stage but does work for me.