OK; i'm looking to use some of the optimised seti@home clients but i'm not really that computer literate.

I am hoping people can recommend specific clients for the following computers:

1. A mac G3 Laptop (800mghz) with 640meg of memory and 512k cache running panther

2. A G5 laptop (i think) with 512meg of memory and 512k cache running tiger

Any pointers of good seti@home clients that can take advantage of each of these computers capabilities would be much appreciated.

Cheers

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I am hoping people can recommend specific clients for the following computers:

1. A mac G3 Laptop (800mghz) with 640meg of memory and 512k cache running panther

Sorry, I don’t think there’s anything better than the ‘stock’ application that will run on a G3. I believe all the custom PPC optimizations rely on “AltiVec” circuitry, which first appeared in G4s. But you could try looking/searching/asking in the Team MacNN forum.

2. A G5 laptop (i think) with 512meg of memory and 512k cache running tiger

You’ll want to be sure of the processor type; since your computers are hidden I can’t check from here. Choose “About This Mac” from your Apple menu. In the Number Crunching forum there’s a sticky thread for optimized apps; here’s a message from Alex Kan containing links to download the most recent G4- and G5-specific versions.

Remember that once you’ve installed a custom app, BOINC will no longer automatically download new versions. It will be up to you to keep it current.

A terminological point: note that the client is BOINC (the GUI Manager and the core client or “daemon”), while S@h Enhanced (stock or custom) is the science applicaton—or app for short.

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Can you point me in the right direction for the optimised version for my G4/400 AGP

Alan

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Can you point me in the right direction for the optimised version for my G4/400 AGP

See the link to Alex Kan’s posting in my previous message. For the best performance you want the link called “ppc-v7.1-g4-nographics”. I‘m running that app on a few similar G4s (through BOINC v5.4.9, under “Panther” v10.3.9) with no problems. An older (slightly slower) version is available, ppc-v6-g4, that includes screensaver graphics; I haven’t used it myself.

Please post back if you need installation instructions; the Zip file doesn’t include any.

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Can you point me in the right direction for the optimised version for my G4/400 AGP

See the link to Alex Kan’s posting in my previous message. For the best performance you want the link called “ppc-v7.1-g4-nographics”. I‘m running that app on a few similar G4s (through BOINC v5.4.9, under “Panther” v10.3.9) with no problems. An older (slightly slower) version is available, ppc-v6-g4, that includes screensaver graphics; I haven’t used it myself.

Please post back if you need installation instructions; the Zip file doesn’t include any.

Do I replace all files (apart from wu's) in my SETI@Home folder with the ones I have unZIPed. Also do I have to wait until current WU has finished.

Alan

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Do I replace all files (apart from wu's) in my SETI@Home folder with the ones I have unZIPed. Also do I have to wait until current WU has finished.

The essential files are the app itself and the corresponding app_info.xml file. The others are just the documentation required by the open-source licence; IIRC all but “AUTHORS” are exactly the same as the stock version’s anyway. I don’t think it’ll hurt to make the switch while a WU is in progress, as long as it isn’t actually running at the time, and as long as you don’t delete the app that started crunching it—but it’s probably safest to clear the cache first.

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To install:

1) Quit BOINC

2) Download the application

3) Extract the files from the download, and copy them into

/Library/Application Support/BOINC Data/projects/setiathome.berkeley.edu

Answer "yes" if it asks if you want to replace.

4) Restart BOINC

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Dublin, California
Team: SETI.USA

Duplicate post. Ignore.

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Dublin, California
Team: SETI.USA

OK, so I have downloaded the optimized client for my MacIntel Mac Pro and have copied the files to the directory as indicated.

Now what? How do I get the BOINC manager to use this new client? I assume there's some parameter or preference that must be set???

Currently I can crunch 4 WU's in parallel (one on each core) with each one taking 2 hours to complete, I'm very keen to see what improvement I can get on that.

Did anyone try a client in Bootcamp/Parallels yet to see if it was better or worse?

Cheers
Dave

OK, so I have downloaded the optimized client for my MacIntel Mac Pro and have copied the files to the directory as indicated.
Now what? How do I get the BOINC manager to use this new client? I assume there's some parameter or preference that must be set???

You shouldn’t have to do anything else. The ‘switch’ is the app_info.xml file; its presence invokes BOINC’s anonymous-platform mechanism, and the content of the file tells BOINC what app to use. You can verify that it ‘took’ from the initialization log at the top of the Messages window, just before the summary of the host’s hardware: for example, mine says

Wed 16 May 18:53:20 2007|SETI@home|Found app_info.xml; using anonymous platform

(We had a power failure the other day.)

I believe that the new app will only crunch tasks that were downloaded after it was installed. Once you’ve returned some results, you can check for the builder’s ‘signature’ in the output text on the Result page: for example one of my recent results (from an iMac at my place of employment) says

OS X optimized S@H Enhanced application by Alex Kan
Version info: OS X SSSE3 (Intel, Core 2-optimized v7.2-nographics) V5.13 by Alex Kan

Currently I can crunch 4 WU's in parallel (one on each core) with each one taking 2 hours to complete, I'm very keen to see what improvement I can get on that.

So am I, if a little green as well … let us know how it goes!

Thanks Odysseus - I notice now in the messages that BOINC Manager sees the apps_info XML file and initialises the alternative client. I wouldn't call myself a complete technical idiot but a few simple instructions in a README file for these apps would be a good idea. All the great work done to optimize them and then no though given on instructing Joe Public how to install.

Anyway, need some WU's now and SETI's not playing ball right now... Once I get some I'll let you know the performance gain (if any), in the meantime Einstein is invited over to dinner...

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So am I, if a little green as well … let us know how it goes!

Green, with a RAC of 1000+, I don't believe it :-)

Anyway, by using the download workaround (rename app_info.xml, restart, download, rename etc.) I have been able to provide my machine with a well-deserved three course meal of nourishing work-units complete with fine wines and fair young maiden sitting opposite at the table.

So the optimised Xeon app is completing a WU in 1 hour 20 minutes on each core - that's one every 20 inute I suppose, hmmm, I was hoping to break the 15 minute barrier :-(

Is that quick?? It's only a standard 2.66 Mac Pro with some extra memory...

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