Subj : Re: The BOINC Project
To   : boraxman
From : Gamgee
Date : Sun Jul 17 2022 21:17:00

-=> boraxman wrote to Gamgee <=-

 Ga> Hello all, just wondering if anybody does anything with "distributed
 Ga> computing" projects.  Specifically the "BOINC" project.  It's designed
 Ga> to let you contribute your computer's "wasted" CPU cycles for something
 Ga> beneficial.  If you have any computers that are always on but not really
 Ga> doing all that much, they might be a good candidate for something like
 Ga> this.  I've been doing the projects known as "Einstein" and "Universe"
 Ga> for a couple of years now, and maybe they've gotten some benefit from
 Ga> it.  In my case I have an Raspberry Pi 4 running for some random tasks
 Ga> like periodic dynamic DNS updates, idling in some IRC channels, sending
 Ga> me some automated reminder emails from cron jobs, and working on the
 Ga> BOINC projects.  Most of these tasks run in TMUX windows/panes, so I can
 Ga> detach from them and they continue running until I re-attach and
 Ga> check/use them again.  Very handy to just SSH back into the RPi and
 Ga> resume where I left off.

 bo> I did run seti@home a while back, as well as I think protein
 bo> folding.

Cool!

 bo> IT's not quite true that it uses "wasted cycles" as it does max
 bo> out your CPU and GPU, leaving your computer running warm and
 bo> sucking juice.  Being backgrounded tasks they won't interfere,
 bo> and for a raspberry pi it probably won't make much of a
 bo> difference in terms of use.

It is very configurable as to how much you want it to "max out your CPU 
and GPU".  It is generally a bad idea to max anything out.  Mine run the 
CPU at 50%, and the RPi doesn't have a suitable GPU for any processing.  
It does make it run somewhat warmer, but that's what the CPU fan is for.

 bo> I'm questioning how much a single board computer could really
 bo> contribute, but I suppose it something.

It is indeed a small amount, but if there are 100,000 doing a small 
amount, you now have a pretty decent amount.  Some folks run seriously 
powerful computers that are dedicated just for these tasks.  I'm talking 
major high-end stuff.

 Ga> Anyway, if you have, or are, also participating with BOINC, I'd like to
 Ga> hear about it.  It's one of those things that can make you feel like
 Ga> maybe you've done a little bit of good in advancing some scientific
 Ga> research.  Kind of satisfying stuff.
 Ga>

 bo> It is good to contribute, but in the end I didn't like leaving my
 bo> computer on, especially in summer when BOINC would keep it
 bo> running warm. (This was a desktop PC).

I have several computers running 24x7x365 here.  Do you not have air 
conditioning in your house?  The computers do not affect the temperature 
of the house at all, which is always somewhere around 72-75 degrees F.


.... Gone crazy, be back later, please leave message.
=== MultiMail/Linux v0.52
--- SBBSecho 3.15-Linux
 * Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (21:2/138)

.