Weekend Warrior Mode - Asking for Smaller Work Units?

[NoGodForMe]

I have 2 main computers (see sig below).

The Abit stays on 24/7 and folds (main house computer), the FX53 (game machine) is turned on when I get home from work each night, and I usually leave it on all weekend.

Question. Is there a way to ask for smaller work units to work on over the weekend?

I start up the foldling client on the game machine, and it gets a 400 unit. That's a little too big and would take me a couple days to complete. I won't leave this machine on during the week.

Running two computers 24/7 would use up too much electric, and heat up the room. I already have an air duct going directly to the computers.

I've tried the "standard" setting, but it still gets a 400 unit. I'd like a setting that says "smaller units only" that way I can start up the folding client when I'm not playing CS:S because the game machine usually stays on all day on the weekends.

Let me know if there is a way to do this. Otherwise I'll send Stanford an e-mail and request this for the next release.

Thanks.

 

[gnewbury]

What you are looking for are the Timeless Tinkers. If you are willing to run TT's they are small and process rapidly.
These can be selected by requesting timeless units in the .cfg setup, under advanced options.

 

[NoGodForMe]

Where is this setting? I'm looking everywhere for it.

Tried to edit my .cfg file and it wouldn't let me. I'm running 5.03. In want "Smaller Units" in the box I've selected.

 

[chileman]

In the current release there is no "small unit" option, but the dealineless TT units usually go fast. I think that's your best bet.

 

[BobCoyote]

You've got the right box open now you just need to select Deadlineless. It's the only way to get the smaller WU's since everything else is randomly assigned.

Heh, I'm having the opposite problem. I've gotten seven of the 57 pointers in a row.

 

[NoGodForMe]

Thanks for the replies.

I've signed up on the Folding forums and posted a message copying the text and jpeg I posted here.

Hopefully, they'll see it and program a "smaller work units" option into the next release.

 

[gnewbury]

That's a long row to hoe -
Vj has been asked repeatedly for four years to allow users to select size of work units. It's always been no way.
I'd like small units on some machines, big on others, but lately some of my fastest have gotten 73's and smaller, and my slowest are working on 600 pointers (estimated 194 hours to complete!). When it's 2 hours per frame you watch any reboots!

 

[derrick1623]

in that pic, click where it says ignore deadlines locally.

 

[gnewbury]

in that pic, click where it says ignore deadlines locally.

Sorry, wrong answer.
That is used when your system clock may not be right.
For instance, I've a machine that needs a CMOS battery, when it reboots it goes back to 2003. If I download a WU on it in what the machine thinks is 2003, then later reset the sytsem clock, the WU says it expired after it runs thru the frames.
As mentioned - he wants "Deadlineless units" vs Standard or no preference.

 

[derrick1623]

i stand corrected, sorry... but, now i know

 

[Herulach]

You realise that you dont loose the work on a unit when you restart the system yes? ON a machine like that you want big units cos they are worth more points/time taken (high mem requirements) Although you wont update as often your average should be the same if not higher with the bigger work units.

 

[mwarps]

You realise that you dont loose the work on a unit when you restart the system yes? ON a machine like that you want big units cos they are worth more points/time taken (high mem requirements) Although you wont update as often your average should be the same if not higher with the bigger work units.

This is not necessarily true. WUs can be lost in normal shutdowns. It's rather annoying.

 

[gnewbury]

As far as "loosing" units.
There's a simple script file someone wrote which makes "backup copies" mentioned here

It is a simple DOS batch file. Easily edit it to fit your machine(s) and then you are set!

To make it backup on a scheduled time frame, use Window's Built-IN tast scheduler. Set it to run as often as you want! You have 48 restore points to work with (by default, easily increased to infinite restore points) so maybe set it to backup every hour and then you have 2 days of restore points!

The batch file is self-explanatory and easily configured for many machines! Configure before you use!

(tast=task)

 

[Herulach]

As far as "loosing" units.
There's a simple script file someone wrote which makes "backup copies" mentioned here

(tast=task)

EMIII also does that i belive, i assume thats what the make client image after each fram option on the same page as all the html bits does.

 

[NoGodForMe]

I've realized I can shut the machine down at night during the week and still get the WUs done in plenty of time. The people over on the folding forums made that suggestion since this is my FX53 game machine.

So I've put the icon in my start folder, it will start up automatically, fold before work, when I get home at night, and on the weekends.

It's just that I had this idea the units needed to be done in a couple days or something, or the machine needed to stay on all the time. Instead I find out I have about 40 days. I can easily get a unit done in a few days, even if I do shut the machine down during the day when I'm at work and at night when I go to bed.

Well, if they don't want to add the "shorter work units" to the program, then maybe someone can update the FAQ to tell people the Deadlineless mode is good for weekend warriors who shut down during the week.

 

[Herulach]

Well, if they don't want to add the "shorter work units" to the program, then maybe someone can update the FAQ to tell people the Deadlineless mode is good for weekend warriors who shut down during the week.

Not to be an ass but it really isnt. Unless you have like a 1GHZ p3 that you do it with or something, anything relatively modern will easily make deadlines even only being on for 8 hours a day or less, like you said, most wus have at least 40 days, if not more. And you also will notice a drop in ppd (not huge, but every little helps) by going timeless.

 

[gnewbury]

Not to be an ass but it really isnt. Unless you have like a 1GHZ p3 that you do it with or something, anything relatively modern will easily make deadlines even only being on for 8 hours a day or less, like you said, most wus have at least 40 days, if not more. And you also will notice a drop in ppd (not huge, but every little helps) by going timeless.

Looking at the psummary page, there are few WU with a "good for science" deadline of 40 days or less.

Remember there are really three deadlines:
A. The fastest you can possibly turn it around
B. The Preferred deadline
C. The Final deadline

To quote from an early thread at the folding forum :
link

There have always been two deadlines but only one was shown on psummary.

If you fail to meet the first deadline, the work will be reassigned to somebody else, so the work will probably be duplicated, hence the scientific value is practially zero.

If you fail to meet the second deadline, the work will be deleted and you will receive no credit.

So - if you are in it for the science go for deadline A or B.

And for a point, I've got a 933 cranking on a 600 pointer with an estimated time of 230 hours, or about 10 days 24/7, with a preferred deadline of 14 days. And remember the fastest processor on the market is only about 4 times as fast.