Linux SETI on a flash drive, which distro?

Message boards : Number crunching : Linux SETI on a flash drive, which distro?
Message board moderation

To post messages, you must log in.

AuthorMessage
Al Crowdfunding Project Donor*Special Project $75 donorSpecial Project $250 donor
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 3 Apr 99
Posts: 1682
Credit: 477,343,364
RAC: 482
United States
Message 1860656 - Posted: 10 Apr 2017, 0:03:35 UTC

Well, after canoodling with folks who have used Petri's 'special sauce' and the amazing results it provides, I figured I would, yet again, dip my feet into the Linux ocean, and try to avoid drowning, yet again. My previous multiple experiences over the years with it have all eventually (and sometimes very quickly) ended with me abandoning it in frustration. I believe I already know the answer, but is there any Linux distro, even going top of the line like Red Hat, or SUSE, that can even sort of approximate the Windoze experience? Things like updating it (or drivers) without having to hit the command line, and where downloads (and installations) aren't a nightmare?

My biggest frustration that I can recall seems to always involve video drivers, they were Never easy to install properly, but I am sure that there were other frustrations as well. So, in everyone's esteemed opinions, which distro should I download to try to get BOINC running off a USB stick, and running Petri's special sauce? Also, is getting that configured going to be a command line gymnastics session? I know that going in this direction isn't anywhere close to it being a set and forget, but I'd like to make it as easy as possible and avoid as much frustration as I can.

Thanks guys!

ID: 1860656 · Report as offensive
Profile Brent Norman Crowdfunding Project Donor*Special Project $75 donorSpecial Project $250 donor
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 1 Dec 99
Posts: 2786
Credit: 685,657,289
RAC: 835
Canada
Message 1860660 - Posted: 10 Apr 2017, 1:46:06 UTC - in response to Message 1860656.  
Last modified: 10 Apr 2017, 1:53:24 UTC

Either Ubuntu or Mint (keep away from v16) will both easily fit on a 16GB USB with enough WUs for 4 cards. They are both pretty user friendly, and you don't have to touch the command line much at all.

I had a post of Ubuntu install in the 'sauce' thread, the only thing I would change is to use the BOINC installer rather than the Ubuntu one, just easier with file rights later on.

Google ubuntu-14.04.5-desktop-amd64.iso and burn to a dvd, to install from. Just pull the plug on your drive and install from DVD to USB "safely" without touching your windows drive.. The great thing about Linux is it doesn't care about AMD/Intel processors - one USB and you can move it between machines easily.

The only thing you HAVE to do right off the start is to get the right NVIDIA drivers, its easy as pie, and only about 3 commands. To run stock apps is really easy, just like windows. The sauce requires a little file customizing, but not too hard at all.

EDIT: Here's what I posted before https://setiathome.berkeley.edu/forum_thread.php?id=80636&postid=1843562#1843562 But I would get the installer from BOINC instead.

It really is that easy.

PS Install with auto login :D
ID: 1860660 · Report as offensive
Al Crowdfunding Project Donor*Special Project $75 donorSpecial Project $250 donor
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 3 Apr 99
Posts: 1682
Credit: 477,343,364
RAC: 482
United States
Message 1861560 - Posted: 15 Apr 2017, 3:20:57 UTC - in response to Message 1860660.  

Ok, thanks Brent, I'll give your thread a read thru, and hopefully in the next week or so get it together. I'll post questions if I come into any difficulties. Oh, one question, I really didn't like the Unity interface, and just read on Wiki that last week Canonical said that with release 18.04 they are dumping it, so is one version you mentioned have a less unity looking interface than the other? I know some distros really try to give the Windoze interface experience, Zorin is one that comes to mind if you've possibly heard of it. Well, now to find a little time to put it together and give it a test.

ID: 1861560 · Report as offensive
Profile Brent Norman Crowdfunding Project Donor*Special Project $75 donorSpecial Project $250 donor
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 1 Dec 99
Posts: 2786
Credit: 685,657,289
RAC: 835
Canada
Message 1861575 - Posted: 15 Apr 2017, 4:10:53 UTC - in response to Message 1861560.  

The one I mentioned is LTS (Long Term Support) so it's probably on the better end for compatibility.
Pretty much any of the newer versions on Linux that I've seen for Desktop use remind me of Mac OSX for look and functionality.

One thing you can do before you ever install Linux, is to download the individual CPU/GPU apps for MB/AP (that match your CPU AVX/SSE3) from the Lunatics site and build your app_info from the documentation included with them. You will see it's not that hard to do, and then you are well prepared to apply the 'sauce' when your up and running. The file format is the same as windows which you can use for reference. Then just copy it to the Linux install later - remembering to set the execute bits for the apps :)
ID: 1861575 · Report as offensive
qbit
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 19 Sep 04
Posts: 630
Credit: 6,868,528
RAC: 0
Austria
Message 1861683 - Posted: 15 Apr 2017, 17:46:31 UTC - in response to Message 1861560.  

Ok, thanks Brent, I'll give your thread a read thru, and hopefully in the next week or so get it together. I'll post questions if I come into any difficulties. Oh, one question, I really didn't like the Unity interface, and just read on Wiki that last week Canonical said that with release 18.04 they are dumping it, so is one version you mentioned have a less unity looking interface than the other? I know some distros really try to give the Windoze interface experience, Zorin is one that comes to mind if you've possibly heard of it. Well, now to find a little time to put it together and give it a test.

Just use Mint instead of Ubuntu. Mint has the Cinnamon desktop which is more "Windows style".
ID: 1861683 · Report as offensive
Profile HAL9000
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 11 Sep 99
Posts: 6534
Credit: 196,805,888
RAC: 57
United States
Message 1861756 - Posted: 16 Apr 2017, 0:14:14 UTC - in response to Message 1861683.  

Ok, thanks Brent, I'll give your thread a read thru, and hopefully in the next week or so get it together. I'll post questions if I come into any difficulties. Oh, one question, I really didn't like the Unity interface, and just read on Wiki that last week Canonical said that with release 18.04 they are dumping it, so is one version you mentioned have a less unity looking interface than the other? I know some distros really try to give the Windoze interface experience, Zorin is one that comes to mind if you've possibly heard of it. Well, now to find a little time to put it together and give it a test.

Just use Mint instead of Ubuntu. Mint has the Cinnamon desktop which is more "Windows style".

I am just going to assume that is what what whole "cinnamon challenge" thing is all about. :P

At my last workplace we were using Red Hat and then Fedora as our Linux flavor.
I seem to recall Fedora being very windows like with some kind of updater and driver packages having some kind of GUI interface.
However I believe they were on Release 17 when I last used it.
SETI@home classic workunits: 93,865 CPU time: 863,447 hours
Join the [url=http://tinyurl.com/8y46zvu]BP6/VP6 User Group[
ID: 1861756 · Report as offensive
Profile Brent Norman Crowdfunding Project Donor*Special Project $75 donorSpecial Project $250 donor
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 1 Dec 99
Posts: 2786
Credit: 685,657,289
RAC: 835
Canada
Message 1862425 - Posted: 19 Apr 2017, 23:38:23 UTC - in response to Message 1861683.  
Last modified: 19 Apr 2017, 23:42:13 UTC

Just use Mint instead of Ubuntu. Mint has the Cinnamon desktop which is more "Windows style".

I installed Mint to get a taste of it, and it certainly does have more of a Windows feel to it. While Ubuntu reminds me of Mac OSX.

I'm sure functionally they are both the same. Mint gives me the feel of a Computer Room install, and Ubuntu more of a general Desktop user.

I just thought I would add my views on them.

EDIT: I do love Mint's "Open as Root" file/folder option. It makes the file privilege obstacle easier to manage.
ID: 1862425 · Report as offensive
Stephen "Heretic" Crowdfunding Project Donor*Special Project $75 donorSpecial Project $250 donor
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 20 Sep 12
Posts: 5557
Credit: 192,787,363
RAC: 628
Australia
Message 1863100 - Posted: 23 Apr 2017, 1:02:54 UTC - in response to Message 1862425.  
Last modified: 23 Apr 2017, 1:03:42 UTC

Just use Mint instead of Ubuntu. Mint has the Cinnamon desktop which is more "Windows style".

I installed Mint to get a taste of it, and it certainly does have more of a Windows feel to it. While Ubuntu reminds me of Mac OSX.

I'm sure functionally they are both the same. Mint gives me the feel of a Computer Room install, and Ubuntu more of a general Desktop user.

I just thought I would add my views on them.

EDIT: I do love Mint's "Open as Root" file/folder option. It makes the file privilege obstacle easier to manage.


. . Hi Brent,

. . That makes me wish I had gone with mint, that does sound very useful.

Stephen

:)
ID: 1863100 · Report as offensive
Profile petri33
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 6 Jun 02
Posts: 1668
Credit: 623,086,772
RAC: 156
Finland
Message 1863162 - Posted: 23 Apr 2017, 8:09:55 UTC

Hi,

You can choose which desktop manager you use. You can have multiple of them in one machine.
http://www.wiredmahir.com/install-various-desktop-environment-ubuntu/
To overcome Heisenbergs:
"You can't always get what you want / but if you try sometimes you just might find / you get what you need." -- Rolling Stones
ID: 1863162 · Report as offensive
Profile Mike Special Project $75 donor
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 17 Feb 01
Posts: 34253
Credit: 79,922,639
RAC: 80
Germany
Message 1864783 - Posted: 30 Apr 2017, 15:19:28 UTC
Last modified: 30 Apr 2017, 15:20:40 UTC

A question to the Linux pros.
Is it possible to upgrade Mint 17 which is based on kernel 3.19 (ubuntu 14.04) to kernel 4.10 ?


With each crime and every kindness we birth our future.
ID: 1864783 · Report as offensive
rob smith Crowdfunding Project Donor*Special Project $75 donorSpecial Project $250 donor
Volunteer moderator
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 7 Mar 03
Posts: 22158
Credit: 416,307,556
RAC: 380
United Kingdom
Message 1864827 - Posted: 30 Apr 2017, 17:04:27 UTC

Two part answer
It is "fairly simple" to upgrade the kernel to which ever version you want.
Updating the rest of the distribution to another version is not impossible, but not for the faint hearted to do on a bit-by-bit basis. Some distros, and I think Mint is one of them, offers an update path as part of the installation process.which makes that a simple task.
Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?
ID: 1864827 · Report as offensive
Profile ML1
Volunteer moderator
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 25 Nov 01
Posts: 20140
Credit: 7,508,002
RAC: 20
United Kingdom
Message 1865340 - Posted: 3 May 2017, 12:07:00 UTC - in response to Message 1864827.  
Last modified: 3 May 2017, 12:09:51 UTC

Two part answer
It is "fairly simple" to upgrade the kernel to which ever version you want.
Updating the rest of the distribution to another version is not impossible, but not for the faint hearted to do on a bit-by-bit basis. Some distros, and I think Mint is one of them, offers an update path as part of the installation process.which makes that a simple task.

Good answer there.

To add...

There are different arrangements to how the Linux distros are put together...

There are the mainstream distros that release a specific version where a kernel version and a collection of applications are all bundled together. The application versions and (Gnu) OS structure are matched to the kernel. (Hence the description is sometimes used of Gnu/Linux.) (eg Ubuntu family, Magia, CentOS...)

And then there are "rolling release" distros where you install one version and then everything can be incrementally updated bit-by-bit, week-by-week to be always up-to-the-moment current. (eg Sabayon and other Gentoo spins)

And then there is the full custom options whereby you can select any combination you want! (eg Gentoo, Arch, Linux-from-Scratch...)

A good place to see recent activity is on DistroWatch.

(Aside: Linux systems normally use separate partitions for the OS and your user data so that you can install a new distro over the top of your existing distro and your own data/documents are still there. All very good but always make a backup FIRST! ;-) )


Don't worry about the choice. Go for whichever you like the look of or have been recommended!

Happy crunchin',
Martin
See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)
ID: 1865340 · Report as offensive
rob smith Crowdfunding Project Donor*Special Project $75 donorSpecial Project $250 donor
Volunteer moderator
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 7 Mar 03
Posts: 22158
Credit: 416,307,556
RAC: 380
United Kingdom
Message 1865354 - Posted: 3 May 2017, 13:38:54 UTC

Don't worry about the choice. Go for whichever you like the look of or have been recommended!


Or google "linux distro" and pick the firs tone that comes up - which is how I ended up using Mint!
Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?
ID: 1865354 · Report as offensive
Profile tullio
Volunteer tester

Send message
Joined: 9 Apr 04
Posts: 8797
Credit: 2,930,782
RAC: 1
Italy
Message 1865367 - Posted: 3 May 2017, 14:24:45 UTC

I just had a kernel update on my SuSE Leap 42.2. I checked if VirtualBox works on the new kernel and it does. Once I had to recompile the kernel modules, now it looks that the installer does this using Python.
Tullio
ID: 1865367 · Report as offensive

Message boards : Number crunching : Linux SETI on a flash drive, which distro?


 
©2024 University of California
 
SETI@home and Astropulse are funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and donations from SETI@home volunteers. AstroPulse is funded in part by the NSF through grant AST-0307956.