Hi, I hope I'm posting this in the right place... I'm on a MacBook Pro 2.4GHz, NVIDIA 8600M GT 256MB. I've already installed CUDA and I'd like to put its power towards SETI@home, but I'm unsure it's running properly. A newly-opened BOINC Manager window has these messages:

Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		Starting BOINC client version 6.6.36 for x86_64-apple-darwin
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		log flags: task, file_xfer, sched_ops
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		Libraries: libcurl/7.19.4 OpenSSL/0.9.7l zlib/1.2.3 c-ares/1.6.0
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		Data directory: /Library/Application Support/BOINC Data
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		Processor: 2 GenuineIntel Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T7700 @ 2.40GHz [x86 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 10]
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		Processor features: FPU VME DE PSE TSC MSR PAE MCE CX8 APIC SEP MTRR PGE MCA CMOV PAT PSE36 CLFSH DS ACPI MMX FXSR SSE SSE2 SS HTT TM SSE3 MON DSCPL VMX EST TM2 SSSE3 CX16 TPR PDCM
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		OS: Darwin: 9.7.0
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		Memory: 2.00 GB physical, 22.11 GB virtual
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		Disk: 87.88 GB total, 21.86 GB free
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		Local time is UTC -7 hours
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		Can't load library libcudart
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		No coprocessors
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		Not using a proxy
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009	SETI@home	URL: http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/; Computer ID: 5019066; location: (none); project prefs: default
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		No general preferences found - using BOINC defaults
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		Reading preferences override file
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		Preferences limit memory usage when active to 1024.00MB
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		Preferences limit memory usage when idle to 1843.20MB
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009		Preferences limit disk usage to 10.00GB
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009	SETI@home	Restarting task 22dc08ac.30154.4980.5.8.239_2 using setiathome_enhanced version 603
Mon Jul  6 21:56:25 2009	SETI@home	Restarting task 13se08aa.29420.8661.3.8.106_1 using setiathome_enhanced version 603

I see no mention of a CUDA device, even though the 'deviceQuery' CUDA script shows my GPU properly. Any advice? Thanks!

Seti doesn't have native CUDA support for MacOSX and Linux yet, only for Windows. In the case of MacOSX, the waiting is for the correct drivers from Nvidia.

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Oh.

Bummer.

How could it be a firmware problem where we need to wait for new drivers, though? CUDA is already enabled on my GPU. My video card is properly recognized and I can run CUDA demos included in the SDK. That sounds like a good driver to me! Isn't it just a matter of the SETI@home project writing some code in 'C For CUDA' in order to take advantage of the hardware?

Isn't it just a matter of the SETI@home project writing some code in 'C For CUDA' in order to take advantage of the hardware?

LOL, I wouldn't call it "Just write some code in C for CUDA", but port over an existing application to work with CUDA. Look, for Windows Nvidia did that for Seti. They left it there, though.

As I understand from the BOINC developer for the Macintosh, BOINC for the Mac has had CUDA support since BOINC 6.4, it's just that there weren't any drivers at the time to use on all OSX versions, or if not all, the main stream ones. Off late there have been (beta and test) drivers for Leopard, but even with those installed, there is no Seti application for CUDA for the Mac.

And it isn't easy to port over the existing application to other platforms, one needs people with time for that, something the Seti crew (3 persons) lack seriously.

Now, you could try your hand at making your own CUDA app for your Mac. Seti's code is open source, you can download it, port it and compile it yourself.

Or wait for the Lunatics, Seti's in-house gang of modifiers and optimizers, to come up with a viable solution. They're testing it as well.

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Wow, so Nvidia came to SETI and said, "Here, we'll port over the Windows version of your application to C For CUDA for you"? That's so unlike the company! I guess it's all for publicity...

I guess I just had trouble wrapping my head around how BOINC is not the "application", it's SETI@home that's the application, and BOINC is just a way to tap into it over the Internet.

Wow, so Nvidia came to SETI and said, "Here, we'll port over the Windows version of your application to C For CUDA for you"? That's so unlike the company! I guess it's all for publicity...

Yes, nVidia created the code for SETI@Home to utilize the CUDA capable processor's power. Most definitely for the publicity, and it seems to have worked.

I guess I just had trouble wrapping my head around how BOINC is not the "application", it's SETI@home that's the application, and BOINC is just a way to tap into it over the Internet.

Many people don't realize that BOINC is just a project management application used for internet communications. Each project has their own science app and are responsible for any coding updates and compatibility with Operating Systems out there.

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Given the personnel limitations and technical challenges involved, is there anything like a time estimate for when the Macs will be able to use their GPUs for S@H? Also, will it make a difference if we upgrade to Snow Leopard in September? Ostensibly, Snow Leopard will allow seamless general computing access to the GPU, just as if it is another processor, like those in the dual core of the Intel CPU. Will this make it easier for the guys who are working on the solution?

Just wondering, as my GPU is not exactly overtaxed now. I am, however, wondering if the additional use of the GPU on the MacBook Pro will make it heat up even more, as just running Boinc on it now makes it suitable for use as a hotplate.

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