Need help using FireDamon to run df on winXP

[Mal495]

Im using FireDaemon-Light-1_5-BRC3.exe to run Distributed folding on win xp...I attached it to
a file named foldtrajlite.exe, which when i look in the services applet in
the control pannel, is running but isnt using any cpu? its supposed to use
100% when the system is idle and yeild enuogh cpu for anything else being
done at any paticular time. with out using firedaemon, clicking on
foldtrajlite.exe doesnt seem to do any thing anyway...the program only seems
to work right when i click on foldit.bat.....but firedaemon cannot connect to
a bat file....any suggestion...

Thanx,
Rob
I can also be emailed @ mal495@aol.com

[bwkaz]

If you look at the .bat file in an editor (Notepad works pretty well), you'll see that it executes foldtrajlite(.exe), but that it gives it some command-line arguments as well (-f protein -n native, plus some others depending on how you set it up when you ran it the 1st time).

I believe that if you specify these arguments, it will run instead of just exiting.

[Mal495]

what about if i just change the bat file to ane exe file and run it with firddaemon.
otherwise, could you give me a screen shot of what it would look like after i edited it?

[statsman]

DF can be installed as a service by itself. Once you have it configured, just run:

foldtrajlite /install

and it install itself as a service that will autorun when the system is booted?

[MAD-ness]

The Distributed Folding Windows NT(XP) service install works very well.

If you are installing it on a dual CPU system there are a few things to watch for, but it can be made to work on dual CPU computers without too much hassle.


Running as an NT/2000/XP service
--------------------------------
The Windows version of the client can be set up to run as a normal Windows NT
service, so that it will start automatically whenever your computer starts up
and run in the background until you shut down. Structures will be uploaded
every 5000 still, and buffered for later upload at shutdown (so your shutdown
procedure will not be delayed). It runs at low priority so other tasks will
push it out of the way and so it should not noticeably slow your machine
down. Be warned that it will only upload after making 5000 structures (a few
hours, depending on your machine speed) so make sure you are connected to the
internet when using the client as a service. Also, updates will automatically
be accepted (provided they are digitally signed) in this mode and a large
amount of data may be buffered if you do not connect to the network for a long
period of time. To check progress while running as a service, a file called
"progress.txt" will be written to the directory where the program is installed
so you can monitor its progress still.

To setup the program to work as a service:

1. Open a DOS prompt to the directory you installed the client.
2. If it is not already there, create a new file called "handle.txt" and in it
type your 8 character handle followed by Enter (or alternatively, run
foldit.bat first, enter your handle when asked for it, then quit)
3. Type: foldtrajlite /install (and hit Enter)
4. The next time you reboot your machine it will start automatically

To remove the service:

1. Go to Administrative Tools -> Services
2. Find and Stop the service called Distributed Folding Project
3. Open a DOS prompt to the directory you installed the client.
4. Type: foldtrajlite /remove (and hit Enter)
5. It will not be run on your machine automatically anymore

You may install a second instance of the service by changing step 3 above
from 'foldtrajlite /install' to 'foldtrajlite /install2'. Similarly, to
remove this second instance, change step 4 to 'foldtrajlite /remove2'.
Note that if you wish to run two instances, you must install two full
copies of the software in separate directories and install one using
/install and the other /install2. Not following this procedure correctly
will result in unpredictable behaviour.

Configuring the service
-----------------------
You should have a SERVICE.CFG file in your client directory after
following the above steps. If it is not there, remove and re-install
the service. The first line of this file must contain a number
identifying whether it is copy 1 or copy 2 of the service. Next, you
may include any of the following options in any order if you wish:

useram=1 makes use of extra RAM for improved speed (see -rt option
elsewhere in this readme); default is useram=0
priority=### where -20<=###<=20 sets the priority of the task just like
the -p option (20=passive, -20=aggressive); default is 20
progress=### where 0<=###<=100 sets the update interval for the
progress.txt file, like the -g option (0=disable)
default is 50
uploadfreq=### where 999<=###<=10000 controls the upload frequency like
the -s option; default=999=assigned from our server


That is cut from the readme1st.txt file distributed with the current version of Distributed Folding.

The following link leads to part of the TSF FAQ where I have included a quotation of someone who runs Distributed Folding on a large WindowsNT group of computers. If you are working with a multitude of machines, his description of how he installs and configures the client might help you out.

http://tsf.dbestern.net/faq.php#q22

[bwkaz]

Originally posted by Mal495
what about if i just change the bat file to ane exe file and run it with firddaemon.
otherwise, could you give me a screen shot of what it would look like after i edited it? Well, you can't actually do that. Among other things, .exe's are binary, while .bat's are text files.

Look into what was said about the foldtrajlite service, though.

[Mal495]

Some of those replies seem very complicated for now but the one
from statsman (foldtrajlite /install) is very easy and works very well....

Thanx guys!:D

Rob