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Introduction
Since this SMP2 BETA Client does not need the install.bat procedure of the previous client, setup is now very easy. Below is a step by step pictorial guide to install and configure the SMP2 BETA Client on Windows 7 (it can be adapted for Windows Vista too). A thread at the forum has been created by enthusiastic donors complimenting the easiness of installing the SMP2 BETA Client. There is also a discussion thread for discussing any possible issues that may arise.
Note 1: All screenshots were taken on Windows 7 using Internet Explorer 8. Users with Firefox/Opera/Chrome/Winrar/Winzip/Windows Vista may have to adapt some steps accordingly. Most of the settings used are configured for normal usage. If you don't understand a setting, refer to the detailed explanation in the Official Guide. If that doesn't help, feel free to ask in the Official Forum.
Note 2: The Steps are numbered in a continuous manner. The guide assumes that you are reading from the top and have been following previous instructions mentioned in the Guide.
Setup
Downloading The SMP2 BETA Client
- Step 1
Please visit the High Performance Windows Clients page and download the SMP2 Client (red rectangle) by clicking on the Windows Logo (black rectangle)
The SMP2 BETA Client is located near the bottom of the page.
Note: Remember to read the warning of using BETA Client which is mentioned on the top of the webpage.
- Step 2
You will then be prompted to save a file, Click Save (black rectangle)
Note: Users not using Internet Explorer should adapt this step.
- Step 3
Remember the download path (red rectangle) and click Save (black rectangle)
Note: Users not using Internet Explorer should adapt this step.
- Step 4
The file will automatically download to the location specified above.
Time taken to download will vary according to download speed.
Note: Users not using Internet Explorer may see a different dialog box.
Extracting the SMP2 BETA Client
- Step 5
Click Open Folder (black rectangle) to open the window where the file is saved.
A window appears stating that the download is over
Note 1: Users that have checked Close this dialog box when download completes will not see this message. Hence they have to navigate to the folder where they saved the Client.
Note 2: Users not using Internet Explorer may see a different dialog box.
- Step 6
The zipped file (black rectangle) can be viewed in the Windows Explorer
- Step 7
Right Click the file and select Extract All... (red rectangle)
Note: Users using any other file extraction software should adapt this step.
- Step 8
A window appears with some options. Remember to keep the folder in a simple location (black rectangle) and click Extract (red rectangle)
Note 1: Users using any other file extraction software should adapt this step.
Note 2: Users using Windows Vista or Windows 7 may want to avoid the Program Files as UAC (User Account Control) doesn't play nice with the SMP2 BETA Client.
- Step 9
A window will appear once the file is successfully unzipped
Note 1: If you haven't checked Show extracted files when complete, please navigate to the directory where you extracted the file.
Note 2: Users using any other file extraction software, please navigate to the directory where you extracted the file.
Before Running The SMP2 BETA Client
- Step 10
Right Click the file and select Create Shortcut (black rectangle)
- Step 11
Select the newly created Shortcut (black rectangle) and right click it and select Rename (red rectangle)
Note: You can also select the Shortcut and press F2 on the keyboard to rename it.
- Step 12
Enter a simple name like F@H SMP and press Enter key on the keyboard to change its name.
- Step 13
Right Click the shortcut F@H SMP and select Properties (red rectangle)
- Step 14
The properties window will appear. Add these flags -smp -configonly (red rectangle) at the end of the Target line. Then click OK (black rectangle)
Note 1: There is a space between the flags so copy them exactly as you see them in the screenshot above.
Note 2: Advanced users can also use this method to use these flags
Configuring The SMP2 BETA Client
Select the shortcut and run the application. Since this is the first time you are running the SMP2 BETA Client, you will have to configure the Client.
Note: If you are prompted to run the application, allow the application to run (it will vary on depending on the security setting of your system)
Entering Your Username
- Step 15
If you want, enter your username into the console window (Orange rectangle) and press the Enter key on the keyboard.. You can obtain a username by visiting the Standfords' site
If you just press Enter key on the keyboard, the default username will be used, which in this case is Anonymous.
Entering Your Team Number
- Step 16
If you want to join a folding team, enter the team number and press the Enter key on the keyboard. Team number can be found by visiting the teams' homepage.
If you just press Enter key on the keyboard, the default team number will be used, which in this case is zero (0).
Entering Your Passkey
- Step 17
You have to enter the passkey to take advantage of the bonus point system. Passkey can be obtained from Standfords' site
If you press the Enter key on the keyboard, the Client will be configured without a passkey so you will not make use of the bonus point system but can still fold and obtain base points.
Copy the passkey and right click on the Consoles' Title bar and select Edit (red rectangle) and a menu will appear, select Paste (black rectangle)
Your passkey (orange rectangle) has been entered in the Client.
Note: Your passkey should be kept in a secured way. Do not share it with anyone.
- Step 18
Press the Enter key on the keyboard so the F@H SMP2 Client can connect to the Server whenever it has to.
- Step 19
Press the Enter key on the keyboard so the F@H SMP2 Client will not use a proxy to connect to the internet.
- Step 20
Type big into the Console window and press the Enter key on the keyboard.
The SMP2 BETA Client v6.30 is hardcoded to accept big.
Configuring Advanced Settings
- Step 21
Type yes and press the Enter key on the keyboard.
If you just press Enter key on the keyboard, the default answer of No will be accepted and the Client will exit.
Note: If you have to change the Machine ID, you need to change the Advanced Settings.
- Step 22
Press the Enter key on the keyboard so the SMP2 Client will have the idle priority.
Note: If you have the F@H GPU Client installed, then make their priority low/slightly high and leave the SMP2 BETA Client at idle.
- Step 23
Press the Enter key on the keyboard so the SMP2 Client will use 100% of the free CPU Cycles.
Changing this setting in SMP2 BETA Client does not reduce CPU usage.
Note: Users that want to limit the CPU Usage of the SMP2 Client, please refer to Tip 2 under Expert User.
- Step 24
Press the Enter key on the keyboard so the SMP2 Client will use advanced assembly code present on the CPU.
The SMP2 BETA Client is hardcoded to use advanced assembly code present on the CPU.
- Step 25
Press the Enter key on the keyboard so the SMP2 Client will not pause if the laptop is running on battery.
- Step 26
Press the Enter key on the keyboard so the SMP2 Client will automatically save the work every 15 minutes.
- Step 27
Press the Enter key on the keyboard so the SMP2 Client will tell the Server how much RAM it has so it can be assigned an appropriate Work Unit.
This setting will not limit the amount of RAM used by the SMP2 BETA Client. Instead it will effect the kind of WU that is assigned to you.
- Step 28
Press the Enter key on the keyboard so the SMP2 Client will not ask for WUs in the late BETA Stage. Instead they will be assigned WU's which have undergone all the necessary validation processes and are very stable on a majority of systems. More information about -advmethods flag.
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- Step 29
Press the Enter key on the keyboard so the SMP2 Client will use the systems' clock to keep track of the deadlines.
Changing The Machine ID
- Step 30
Press the Enter key on the keyboard so the SMP2 Client will have the Machine ID as 1.
Note: Each F@H Client installed on the system should have a unique Machine ID.
- Step 31
Press the Enter key on the keyboard so the SMP2 Client will not be launched as a service.
Note: Users that want to configure the SMP2 BETA Client as a Service, please read Tip 1 under Expert Users before advancing to step 32.
- Step 32
Press the Enter key on the keyboard so the SMP2 Client will not lock to specific CPUs
Configuring Additional Flags
- Step 33
Type -verbosity 9 and press the Enter key on the keyboard so the SMP2 Client will use this flag.
- Step 34
Press the Enter key on the keyboard so the field will be blank.
Before Starting The SMP2 BETA Client
- Step 35
Right Click the shortcut and select Properties (red rectangle)
- Step 36
The properties window will appear. Remove the -configonly flag only so that there will only be the -smp flag (red rectangle) and Click OK (black rectangle)
Note: If you run the Client without the -smp flag, it will download a Classic Clients' WU which will use only 1 CPU regardless of how many you have.
Starting The SMP2 BETA Client
- Step 37
Run the SMP2 Client from the shortcut F@H SMP and the console window will appear.
Note: If you start the SMP2 BETA Client from Folding@home-Win32-x86.exe, it will download a Classic Client WU as the -smp flag is configured in the shortcut, not the Client. Please use the shortcut F@H SMP to start the Client
Files Present In The Folder
The files present in the folder may vary from one Client Version to another and on the Operating System.
I have moved the F@H SMP shortcut on the desktop for easy access hence it isn't present in the screenshot
Work Folder - This is were the WU is downloaded and kept.
Client.cfg - This file holds the configuration data of the Client.
FahCore_a3 - The FahCore that is required to fold the downloaded WU.
FAHlog - The F@H Client creates a text file where it records all of its activities with a time-stamp. Please note that the time-stamp will be in GMT/UTC and not your Local Time and you can't change it. This file is useful when troubleshooting any F@H Client. If you are experiencing problems when trying to run the F@H Client, you may post your FAHlog in the Official Forum to get help.
FAHlog-Prev - After a certain time, the Client will make a new FAHlog file so the old FAHlog will be renamed to FAHlog-Prev while the new one will still be called FAHlog.
Folding@home-Win-x86 - The SMP2 BETA Client that you downloaded from Standford
MyFolding - A webpage link to your account at Standfords' Site.
queue.dat - This is the file that holds information on the last 10 WUs that your Client has processed.
unitinfo - A text file that contains some information on the current WU that the Client has.
Cosmetic "Error" Messages
This sections covers "error" messages that are cosmetic in nature. Meaning that they can be safely ignored without any negative consequences on the folding of the WU or on the system.
Message 1
The message (orange rectangle) is only visible in the Console Window. It isn't recorded in the FAHlog file.
This message only appears in v6.30 not v6.29 of the SMP2 BETA Client.
Message 2
This message (orange rectangle) appears in the FAHlog/Console Window and is visible when you restart the SMP2 BETA Client and it resumes folding the WU
The SMP2 BETA Client is hardcoded to use advanced assembly code present on the CPU.
Message 3
This message (orange rectangles) appears in the FAHlog/Console Window when you have terminated the SMP2 Client.
Note: To a layman, using Ctrl + C OR X Button to exit the Client may appear to be the same but there is a technical difference between them. Using Ctrl + C informs the console application to send a wm_close message to all child threads, while pressing the X Button on the console triggers the onclose function of the console application and if this doesn't handle closing all child threads, you may get into trouble (not necessarily, but the possibility does exist). Thus we prefer to use Ctrl + C to minimize the possibility of any error.
Message 4
This message appears on some systems in the Console Window only.
'mpiexec' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
SMP2 BETA Client v6.30 still has the "hooks" in it to support MPICH (required by the SMP2 BETA Client v6.29) if available.
Note: SMP2 BETA Client v6.30 does not install MPICH and it does not use it.
Expert Users
This section is for expert users who know their way around the SMP2 BETA Client. Below are some tips that they may find useful while setting up their SMP2 BETA Client. Please note that detailed instructions will not be provided as it assumes that the user has sufficient knowledge to make the required changes.
Running As A Service
If you run the Client as a service, make sure that you have entered the -smp flag when configuring the Client's additional flags. If you leave it in the shortcut, it won't be used.
Note 1: The Command Prompt used to setup the FAH client as a service must be opened with Run As Administrator privileges.
Note 2: If you have started the Client as a Service and want to reconfigure it, please stop the Service, reconfigure the Client and then restart the service.
Startup Folder
If you don't want to configure the Client as a Service but still want it to Startup with Windows, you can place the appropriate shortcut in the Startup folder.
Reduce CPU Temperature/Usage
If you want to reduce the CPU Usage of the SMP2 BETA Client, you can use the -smp x flag. This can also be used to lower the CPU temperature which will lower the noise generated by the CPUs' fan.