tip for speeding up work units

I was checking out the FAQ section of the SETI site and found out that you can get a unit done a little quicker if you go into your SETI preferences and select the option that says data analysis always runs and then in your desktop properties set your screensaver to blank after 1 minute.
I found that this did actually help and I managed to do the last 2 units in about 3 hours and 50 minutes ish. previously they took just over 4 hours.
Of course this will only work if you just leave your pc to get on with it, silently crunching away.
Mind you that all went out of the window for me today. Because the site was down I ended up getting stuck into a game of dungeon siege , so my current work unit is only 84% done in nearly 8 hours, so that won't help my averages much.

Originally posted by pantha
Because the site was down I ended up getting stuck into a game of dungeon siege , so my current work unit is only 84% done in nearly 8 hours, so that won't help my averages much.

Hi pantha!!

Thanx for the tip: here, I *don't* use SETI@home as a screensaver but have the program to run at all times. In fact, through Control Panel, Display, Screensaver, I actually have "none" set but have the VDU power down after 10 minutes.

As for the site being down: if you mean SETI@home, rather than ATS, then run SETI Monitor to cache WU's for when you can't connect - I have both of my machines set to 20 WU's each, just in case, and connect when I can!!

Hope your game went well - Black & White fan here!!

Thanks for the tip about the cache in the seti monitor I can't believe I hadn't noticed it before. I'd heard you mentioning somthing about having work units in a cache before but didn't realise that it was through the monitor that it was done. I'd been searching for another program to do it.
I'm giving away the fact that I'm a total amature who likes to sound like I know what I'm doing
I was talking about ATS being down as the cause for my slow work unit. It's the reason that I ended up passing the time with a game which slowed it down.
I must have been lucky so far because I haven't come across a time that I haven't been able to connect to SETI.

Originally posted by pantha
I was talking about ATS being down as the cause for my slow work unit. It's the reason that I ended up passing the time with a game which slowed it down.
I must have been lucky so far because I haven't come across a time that I haven't been able to connect to SETI.

It's been a problem for me in the past pantha - ie when SETI@home server crashes: despite having cable modem, etc, if *their* end goes "pear-shaped" you're left with nothing to do!!

You can check the server status at SETI@home at setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu... of course and SETI Monitor is at www.zrlm.com...

for any readers who haven't seen this thread before.

Always a pleasure, pantha!!

I just installed seti monitor, hadnt heard of it before. This is a really cool program, thanks for posting it here. I set up the cache for 20 wu's as well. Thanks again!!!

I just added more computers on my personal network currently 3 and a 4th on the way I'm addicted to crunching numbers Moohaha Moohaha

[Edited on 28-1-2004 by KillerD]

This is really good. Now that I've got a load of work units cached I will leave my pc running when I'm at work etc. I didn't like to do it before when I was just doing one at a time before connecting, as it was only taking 4 hours and then I couldn't justify running my pc for the rest of the day for no reason till I got home from work.

Originally posted by pantha
This is really good. Now that I've got a load of work units cached I will leave my pc running when I'm at work etc. I didn't like to do it before when I was just doing one at a time before connecting, as it was only taking 4 hours and then I couldn't justify running my pc for the rest of the day for no reason till I got home from work.

Good job pantha Sounds like we all have a plan of attack

I'm sold on the command-line version of SETI@Home. It seems to be a bit faster than the graphical version. I just create a shortcut to it make it run in a minimized DOS window and put a copy of the shortcut into the Windows startup folder so it runs whenever the PC starts up.

Originally posted by Spectre
I'm sold on the command-line version of SETI@Home. It seems to be a bit faster than the graphical version. I just create a shortcut to it make it run in a minimized DOS window and put a copy of the shortcut into the Windows startup folder so it runs whenever the PC starts up.

I agree Spectre, on my XP machine I'm crunching WU's about every 2 1/2 hours using the command-line version.

All excellent stuff folks!!

Sorry I've "been away" but yesterdays hack attack on ATS board etc left me with few places to go...

Nice to be back "on board" - let's get them WU's cracked!!

Is the command line version really that much faster? I dont think I have ever gotten a unit done in 2 1/2 hours.

Originally posted by who
Is the command line version really that much faster? I dont think I have ever gotten a unit done in 2 1/2 hours.

Hi who!!

Have a look at this thread please:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I *don't* use the command line version myself but it *should* be faster in theory since it "merely" does number crunching without the graphic display ie screensaver elements, so there's nothing to "slow it down" as it were. If you have any particular questions about the command line client, feel free to go to the thread above and post them there.

Good luck - keep us posted!!

Originally posted by who
Is the command line version really that much faster? I dont think I have ever gotten a unit done in 2 1/2 hours.

Yes, on a 2.5ghz running XP I routinely crunch WU's in about 2 1/2 hours.

I wonder if Linux crunches numbers any faster? I have a dual 550 Xeon with 1 gig ram sitting at the shop loaded with Red Hat 8. (was using it as a shelf) I think I will go and find out later. I'll post results when I find out.

Skeptic overlord and myself looked for a red hat version of the seti command line.. but to no avail.. so if you find one post the link here.

Chris

Hi Chris/ nwscc!

I have *no* experience of using Linux at all - sorry

All I can suggest is looking at

setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu...

which seems to have some Linux links eg i686-pc-linux-gnu: , x86_64-pc-linux-gnu: etc.

Good luck with the searching!!

Thanks Genya. I'll check it out Wednesday and see if it works. Been slammed lately with not much time for goofing around with hardware. I did find out that the motherboard is fried so I have to put another one in.

Chris, I'm using the version Genya pointed you to (i686-pc-linux-gnu). Though, my current Linux machine isn't running Redhat, I have run that on RH in the past.

Originally posted by Bob88
Chris, I'm using the version Genya pointed you to (i686-pc-linux-gnu). Though, my current Linux machine isn't running Redhat, I have run that on RH in the past.

Thanx for the confirmation Bob!! Linux is a mystery to me...




I *love* the penguin, though!!