HOWTO: Running FAH in Linux

isowia · § #1 06-09-2003, 02:48 PM

This is intended as a simple HOWTO guide to get Folding@Home(FAH) running in a Linux Environment. This is intended for first time Linux users on up.

Note: Do not run any of the following as root, unless told otherwise, as it is bad practice.

1. Downloading the client:

If you're not already at a command prompt, then open a terminal window (xterm, Eterm, etc). Decide on a folder that you would like to install FAH into. The easiest method is to just use a subdirectory of your home directory. Execute the following:

Code:

cd /home/<insert username>
mkdir folding

<insert username> should be replaced with the regular user you use everyday. Now that the directory is created, open up a web browser and go download the client here.
Important: Most people with a newly installed Linux system, should pick up the one labelled for newer systems, "Linux - Console B". If you're not sure, read this.
Save the file in the directory you created above.

2. Running for the first time:
First we need to make the file executable. Make sure you're at a command prompt in the directory you downloaded the client into and run:

Code:

chmod +x FAH3Console-Linux.exe

If that's not the name of the file you downloaded, substitute appropriately. Now to run FAH execute:

Code:

./FAH3Console-Linux.exe

or whatever it was saved as. The "./" makes sure the file you run is running from the current directory. Most Linux distributions should require this. Now Folding@Home should take you through the Config process. Answer the questions as you see fit. Remember team number equals 734 though.

To ensure that everything is running properly, use:

Code:

top

to show running processes and their CPU usage. After the client downloads and intializes some work, FahCore_xx.exe, where xx is the core type, should rise to the top of the list.

3. Problems and Notes:

Running the client from other directories:

Don't do this. Always change to the folding directory, then execute it. If you try and run it while in another directory, then problems will probably arise. This applies to scripts too, they should change to the directory, then execute the program.

File Write Problems:

If you run into a situation where FAH complains that it can't write a file, this most likely means that you don't have write permission for the directroy FAH is in. To check permissions on the directory that FAH is in, use:

Code:

ls -ld /home/isowia/folding

The example above would be where I installed FAH. This will output the owner of the directory and the current permissions like so:

Code:

drwxr-xr-x    4 isowia     users         640 Jun  9 00:11 folding

Assuming you are the owner of the directory, which you should be, you can execute the following to make sure you have write permissions on the directory:

Code:

chmod u+w /home/isowia/folding

Running FAH in the background:

To run FAH in the background (so you can close the terminal window say), execute it with an "&" on the end of the line:

Code:

./FAH3Console-Linux.exe &

Execute the following to shut it down:

Code:

killall -15 FAH3Console-Linux.exe

This is not terribly graceful, and may even cause a rare problem or two, so using a service script is recommended, whether it starts up automatically, like in the next section, or is run manually.

Running in another virtual terminal:

This option should be available to most people. When in your GUI, hit <CTRL> + <ALT> + F2, where F2 can be anything between F2 and F6. Then run the program normally. To get back to the GUI, hit <CTRL> + <ALT> + F7. This way you can use <CTRL> + C to end it which is preferred.

Running FAH as a service:

See the additional links at the bottom for now. Here's a script that OldFrog posted at one point. I haven't used it in some time, but it should probably still work. It has some instructions at the top to make it a service as well. Linux distributions tend to implement startup scripts differently, so once you have a script, either reference your distributions documentation or the additional links or the web on how to make it start automatically.

Command line arguments:

These can be found here.

Gromacs and SSE on Athlons:

Read this. If you use a new distribution of Linux, you may have to wait for an official release, so that there will be a "B" client of v3.25. You can try it and if it doesn't work, then you'll have to run the 3.24B client until an official release.

Additional Links:

Good referrence for Scripts and getting started

Edit: changed "chown" to "chmod"

second_infinity · § #2 06-10-2003, 12:02 AM

If I may add something that I found useful?

For all you command line users out there:

I have a server that's console only, and had the problem of me running the program, then closing the telnet/ssh window - and the program would stop as well. This is remedied by running it like this (if you are already in the folder wiht the file) : ./FAH3Console-LinuxB.exe&

Putting the & after the name will cause it to run in the background, meaning that you can close the terminal window without it killing the process. I looked for a while before I found this one.

Also don't forget to put it in the rc.local (probably the easiest way) to get it to load upon bootup.

Don't forget the command line tool "top" to list the processes and CPU utilization to verify that it's working!

THAWA · § #3 08-23-2003, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by isowia

2. Running for the first time:
First we need to make the file executable. Make sure you're at a command prompt in the directory you downloaded the client into and run:

Code:

chown +x FAH3Console-Linux.exe

If that's not the name of the file you downloaded, substitute appropriately.

I know this thread is old, and sorry if noone wants to see this again but, using redhat 9.0 chown will do nothing for you. You have to use

Code:

chmod +x "name of console"

this is posted on the install info on stanfords site

clawhammer · § #4 08-23-2003, 08:12 PM

so THATS how you make it work when you close the window. Thanks!

nelamvr6 · § #5 08-24-2003, 02:48 AM

I am curious, I have my Linux box folding (SuSe 8.1 Personal) . But if I open up the KDE System Guard and look at the process table it shows 3 iterations of the FAH core and 5 iterations of the console. Each iteration has a different PID. Only 1 of the core iterations shows any processor usage (84% ).

Is this normal?

Thanks in advance.

Phillychuck · § #6 08-24-2003, 03:51 AM

Now we just need a script that will:

Check for FAH in the ps list, and start according as a certain user

Maybe make it a cronjob in case of a segfault.

I'm not too good at scripting, but I'll give it a shot if no one whips this up for me (hint, hint).

-Chuck

AMD_is_logical · § #7 08-24-2003, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nelamvr6
I am curious, I have my Linux box folding (SuSe 8.1 Personal) . But if I open up the KDE System Guard and look at the process table it shows 3 iterations of the FAH core and 5 iterations of the console. Each iteration has a different PID. Only 1 of the core iterations shows any processor usage (84% ).

Is this normal?

Yes, it's showing each thread as a seperate process.

nelamvr6 · § #8 08-24-2003, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AMD_is_logical
Yes, it's showing each thread as a seperate process.

OK, I guess I don't understand exactly what a "thread" is.

I used to be good at computers, then I took up Linux!

AMD_is_logical · § #9 08-25-2003, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nelamvr6
OK, I guess I don't understand exactly what a "thread" is.

Well, think of a process as having a set of instructions in its code space, and a CPU following those instructions (which tell it to change things in the data space, etc.). Now suppose a second CPU was following instructions from that same code space and doing things in that same data space. That would be another "thread". (Of course, most systems usually have only one CPU, which pretends to be as many CPUs as is needed for all threads of all processes.)

With f@h, one thread of the core seems to do all the work. Another may sleep most of the time, but wake up every now and then to check and make sure the main thread isn't stuck. I don't know what the other threads do.

nelamvr6 · § #10 08-25-2003, 08:06 AM

Thanks! That was very informative.

Slowly but surely this Linux business is begining to sink into my thick old skull.

isowia · § #11 08-26-2003, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by THAWA
I know this thread is old, and sorry if noone wants to see this again but, using redhat 9.0 chown will do nothing for you. You have to use

Code:

chmod +x "name of console"

this is posted on the install info on stanfords site

Holy cow, I can't believe I had that there for so long! Thanks, and I'll change this right away.

coolrunr · § #12 09-20-2003, 02:36 PM

Anyone interested in some scripts to install the client then install it as a service? I'm wanting to expend my scripting abilites and think is a good project to do that with.
List of things in the script.
- Auto download the console
- Make directoires, set permissions
- Set it to run @ startup
- Set it as service (if anyone is interested)

Any more to add?

Woody1&2 · § #13 09-20-2003, 05:20 PM

Hey, I am definately interested in this! That would make it even faster to install!

Woody1&2 · § #14 09-20-2003, 05:23 PM

Samba permissions???

coolrunr · § #15 09-20-2003, 06:23 PM

that can be done too.