Folding@Hak5
From Hak5
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Folding@Home is a project started by a group of Stanford scientists which uses are unused computer processor cycles to fold proteins. Hak.5 now has an open group that participates in this project.
Hak.5 Folding Group Information
Hak.5 Group Number: 51258
IRC Channel : irc://irc.hak5.org/Folding@Hak5
General Folding@Home Information
What is Folding?
Folding is the process of folding proteins to see why, and how they fold in order to cure diseases. When these proteins fold, they sometimes do not fold correctly, causing diseases such as Alzheimer's. One of the outcomes of this project is to hopefully create synthetic polymmers to cary out the same processes as the proteins, but do them with nano-technology instead of using the diseased protein.
Basically, proteins are folded, then observed, and then artificially recreated.
Why should I fold?
The first reason you should fold is because it helps with the advancement of medical research. You may have a family member or friend with a disease that can be cured by folding. You can also help the population in general by stopping these diseases from existing in future generations.
The second reason you should fold is because it doesn't interfere with your regular procesing. When you use your computer, you don't necssarily use up all of the processor. Folding@Home uses the unused cycles of your processor and doesn't interfere with your daily work. It just leeches on your unused processing power. This is a very good idea if your computer is left on over night without anything to do.
I'm interested. Where can I download the Folding@Home application?
You can download the client here for Windows, Linux, and OSX.
Here is the Folding@Home page
Here is the Folding@Home FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
I want to run F@H on all my PCs. Are there minimum specs?
No, there are generally no minimum specifications other than the fact that your PC can function fully using one of the operating systems the client supports. You will obviously fold slower on more out of date systems.
Can I use a machine not connected to the internet?
Yes, it is a bit complicated though. Download and install the client into a separate directory on the internet machine, configure it and download a work unit. Then, stop the client and cut & paste the entire directory (Folder) to the other machine & restart the client. When the work unit is complete reverse the order to upload the completed work and download the next unit.
Can I run two clients at once?
Yes! If you have more than one CPU or have a dual core processor, you can run one instance of the FAH client for each CPU or core. If you run more than one client with a single CPU however, it can get very glitchy if you use the graphical mode. However, multiple clients may be ideal if you are using dialup and don't want to connect to download work units very often. You should only use the text client for this, however to avoid the bugs in running graphical clients simultainiously. Simply install F@H in two separate directories.
Can my little machine really help?
Of course! Every bit of processing power helps go towards the goal. Even picking up a horrible machine at from the curb and outfitting it with the client can make a difference.
Should I fold on all my machines?
If you fold on one, you should fold on all of them. Any processing power helps, no matter how small. The more computers you have, the more units you can fold. That, and I'm sure you have plenty of spare cycles on machines that you can't use because of the whole "Computers are scattered everywhere and I can't be at all of them at once" truth.
Should I fold on my HTTP Server / FTP Server / Asterisk Box / BBS / etc.?
Of Course! The way that Folding@Home is set up allows for it to die down when the activity on the computer picks up. So even though you might get a decent amount of traffic with these particular computers, Folding@Home won't affect their preformance.
Can I use the same username on different machines?
Yes. It hasn't always been that way, but you can now use the same username on all of your computers. You could even use it on your friends computers too if you wanted.
OMG! The date for finishing is a year away!
It may appear that the workload you are folding will take a very long time to complete. However, usually the date is inaccurate. Most likely due to your current CPU usage and the fact that the workload hasn't been fully started yet. Thus gives a very generous rough estimate.
My computer has been working for days, but I'm not listed on the Hak.5 team page yet. Why is that?
Depending on the Speed of the processor, it may take a while for you to finish a unit. I, personally have a Pentium 1 computer that has been running for months with no progress, and a Pentium III that hasn't made much progress as well. I also have an old Celeron that has managed to finish near 5 units. It all depends on the size of the unit, and processor speed. Also, you will appear on the team statistics page after you finish your first unit.
I have another question. What should I do?
If you have another question. Feel free to post it here in this FAQ, and I'll answer it shortly.
Install Guide
For the detail install guide, click here