SETI Graphics

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Stephen W. Traver

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Message 420549 - Posted: 14 Sep 2006, 20:19:20 UTC

Hello all. I just noticed that my option to display graphics for a running work unit is no longer available. I checked my preferences to make sure I didn't have this option turned off, and it is not. Also the sceensaver will only show the text version.
Do I have something set incorrectly, or are the graphics no longer available. I'm running enhanced under Bionc 5.4.11. Thanks!
-Stephen
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Profile Jakob Creutzfeld
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Message 420562 - Posted: 14 Sep 2006, 20:30:18 UTC - in response to Message 420549.  

Hello all. I just noticed that my option to display graphics for a running work unit is no longer available. I checked my preferences to make sure I didn't have this option turned off, and it is not. Also the sceensaver will only show the text version.
Do I have something set incorrectly, or are the graphics no longer available. I'm running enhanced under Bionc 5.4.11. Thanks!
-Stephen


Hello Stephen,

as far as I can see you are running Chickens optimized Seti Client. These clients doesn't show graphics at all, as the graphics are consuming too much cpu cycles. That's why they are called optimized... optimized for speed. So, sorry no graphics... (but therefore faster crunching!)

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Andy
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Profile Robert J
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Message 420563 - Posted: 14 Sep 2006, 20:31:27 UTC - in response to Message 420549.  

Are you by any chance running one of the optimized applications? Like chicken's?

If so, there are no graphics.

Hello all. I just noticed that my option to display graphics for a running work unit is no longer available. I checked my preferences to make sure I didn't have this option turned off, and it is not. Also the sceensaver will only show the text version.
Do I have something set incorrectly, or are the graphics no longer available. I'm running enhanced under Bionc 5.4.11. Thanks!
-Stephen


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Profile KD [SETI.USA]
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Message 420622 - Posted: 14 Sep 2006, 22:09:33 UTC - in response to Message 420549.  
Last modified: 14 Sep 2006, 22:14:19 UTC

Hello all. I just noticed that my option to display graphics for a running work unit is no longer available. I checked my preferences to make sure I didn't have this option turned off, and it is not. Also the sceensaver will only show the text version.
Do I have something set incorrectly, or are the graphics no longer available. I'm running enhanced under Bionc 5.4.11. Thanks!
-Stephen


Hi,

As others have already said, graphics are disabled in Chicken of Angor's optimized KSM clients. Kinda goes hand-in-hand with the whole idea of being optimized. :-)

However, if you want to take advantage of SSE2/SSE3 -- but still have graphics (and willing to take a hit on CPU cycles), it is possible if you have MSVC 2003/.NET by changing "NBOINC_APP_GRAPHICS" to "BOINC_APP_GRAPHICS" in preprocessor definitions before doing a build.

You also need to download several libraries from Intel (C++, IPP, MKL) as well.

Look in the Windows HOW-To section at http://lunatics.at/ as its all described well there. I've sucessfully done a few builds, although I haven't tried doing any with graphics enabled though. (I wouldn't be able to use the graphics as I run Boinc as a service on all my computers anyway though.)


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Message 420630 - Posted: 14 Sep 2006, 22:28:33 UTC

To those here calling the Chickens program clients, Please stop. They are apps Not clients, Boinc is the Client.
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Message 420759 - Posted: 14 Sep 2006, 23:57:45 UTC - in response to Message 420622.  

Hello all. I just noticed that my option to display graphics for a running work unit is no longer available. ...

As others have already said, graphics are disabled in Chicken of Angor's optimized KSM clients. Kinda goes hand-in-hand with the whole idea of being optimized. :-)

It's more a case that the graphics code simply isn't there! It is optimised to be fast after all...

Happy crunchin',
Martin
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Josef W. Segur
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Message 420905 - Posted: 15 Sep 2006, 4:27:09 UTC - in response to Message 420759.  

Hello all. I just noticed that my option to display graphics for a running work unit is no longer available. ...

As others have already said, graphics are disabled in Chicken of Angor's optimized KSM clients. Kinda goes hand-in-hand with the whole idea of being optimized. :-)

It's more a case that the graphics code simply isn't there! It is optimised to be fast after all...

Happy crunchin',
Martin

Simon has said that when he has time he'll produce versions with the graphics. Some testing I did indicated that having the graphic capability in the build had less than a 1% impact on crunch time IF the graphics aren't turned on. Having them available but only using them for short periods should be a reasonable way to both be productive and have something to show off.

Please don't pick at Simon about this. He's already donated a huge amount of time and effort. There's much more to do on many fronts, he deserves the right to proritize what time he has.
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Message 420953 - Posted: 15 Sep 2006, 6:31:23 UTC - in response to Message 420905.  



Please don't pick at Simon about this. He's already donated a huge amount of time and effort. There's much more to do on many fronts, he deserves the right to proritize what time he has.
                                                          Joe


I totally agree. Simon has been doing a great job with releasing the optimized apps and spearheading the efforts of others contributing their thoughts and coding skills to the cause of optimized crunching. I would much rather see the next generation of optimized apps for my c2d crunchers than have Simon spend his time trying to make things pretty. I am fairly sure that the majority of those interested in the optimized apps would feel the same way. If and when it is felt that further speed optimizations are not possible, then play with the eye candy.
"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

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Message 421044 - Posted: 15 Sep 2006, 11:48:22 UTC - in response to Message 420905.  
Last modified: 15 Sep 2006, 11:49:11 UTC

...It's more a case that the graphics code simply isn't there! It is optimised to be fast after all...

Happy crunchin',
Martin

Simon has said that when he has time he'll produce versions with the graphics. Some testing I did indicated that having the graphic capability in the build had less than a 1% impact on crunch time IF the graphics aren't turned on. Having them available but only using them for short periods should be a reasonable way to both be productive and have something to show off.

Please don't pick at Simon about this. He's already donated a huge amount of time and effort. There's much more to do on many fronts, he deserves the right to proritize what time he has.[/quote]
Erk! I'm very definitely not picking on Simon. Sorry if the comment was too terse. It was just stating that the compile directives excluded the graphics code. Simon has much positive kudos and his efforts are very much appreciated!

I don't use the graphics myself although they are good to show-off/showcase s@h or whichever project. I guess also good for keeping newbie interest.


I think it very reasonable to forgo the graphics so that the optimisers can concentrate on optimising the WU throughput and science returns.

Instead, perhaps have a "screensaver movie demo" to showcase s@h that can be quickly downloaded?...


Aside: On a practical note, I've stumbled across an interesting report that the (Linux) gcc compiler option "-Os" can give very good results due to making better use of the cache for Pentiums: Space optimisation pdf. Possible for about a 5% improvement, depending. Use different compile options depending on function?

I can see that trick being significant on P4s and such as Celerons. I would guess that the speedup would be less for better balanced architectures or CPUs with larger cache sizes.


Keep up the good work,

Regards,
Martin
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Message 421598 - Posted: 16 Sep 2006, 5:10:40 UTC - in response to Message 421044.  

Aside: On a practical note, I've stumbled across an interesting report that the (Linux) gcc compiler option "-Os" can give very good results due to making better use of the cache for Pentiums: Space optimisation pdf. Possible for about a 5% improvement, depending. Use different compile options depending on function?

Very interesting. I've seen in the GCC docs a note that -Os was sometimes more effective than -O3, it's good to see some actual figures. OTOH, a browser seldom has to deal with large data arrays like S@H is continuously manipulating. Still, reducing code size would leave more cache available for that data. I do have DevC++/MinGW/GCC 3.4.2 set up so I can compile Windows builds (Eric Korpela has been using that combination for the stock releases). I may do some experiments, though I don't have a very good profiling application so won't be able to make precise measurements.
                                                           Joe
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Message 421780 - Posted: 16 Sep 2006, 13:41:37 UTC - in response to Message 420630.  

To those here calling the Chickens program clients, Please stop. They are apps Not clients, Boinc is the Client.


LOL, I hear ya!!!! :-)

But don't be expecting any change anytime soon. ;-)

Alinator
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Profile Clyde C. Phillips, III

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Message 421950 - Posted: 16 Sep 2006, 19:09:24 UTC

It's much more important to me to see Simon's cruncher crunch almost twice as fast with the same machines and allow Boinc to show its star with progress readout jump around the screen every two seconds than to have the slow default cruncher show that pretty graph tray. Einstein shows the constellations in a moving hollow globe. I wish it would show the Boinc star and crunch faster for me, too.
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Message boards : Number crunching : SETI Graphics


 
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