hi
i only want to run boinc when i´m not working and when the screensaver runs.
can i do that?

You can set BOINC to only run when the computer is not in use. This can be found under general preferences.
Personally though i leave BOINC running 24/7 because it scales back seamlessly when i need to use the computer.
Im yet to endure BOINC related slowdown as it just cuts back to 0 when you demand the most out of your processor.

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Unfortunately at the moment I think that cpdn preference changes refuse to take effect. You can try, Daniel, but if the change doesn\'t happen, you can either

*just suspend the model (right-click on the system-tray boinc icon, bottom right of screen, and select) while using the computer

*wait until the server in Oxford gets its new boinc upgrade, which should fix the problem

*attach to another boinc project and change your preferences through that. Changes should propagate to other projects. I think SETI are having the same problem as us re preference changes.


Daniel, I\'ve just looked at your computer details and see why you want to do this. Your computer only has 256Mb RAM whereas the minimum recommended for climate models is 512Mb. You could

-consider running another boinc project that needs less memory

-suspend the model while using the computer and take regular backups of the whole boinc folder in case the model crashes. Post #1 in the Crashes README here explains an easy method

http://www.climateprediction.net/board/viewforum.php?f=36&sid=427b9113295e7571a8b082c0679f0eb8

-add another 256Mb memory card to the spare slot. Not very expensive and you or a friend could probably do this at home.

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Cpdn news

Well, I don\'t want to discourage anyone here but BBC CPDN really sucked for me with 496 MB of memory (which is only very slightly below the recommendations) whereas I never encountered problems on my faster host... Adding more memory might really be the way to go here.

BBC CPDN really sucked for me with 496 MB of memory

This figure probably means that you don\'t have a separate graphics card, and when one or more programs are running that change the display memory requirement quickly and often, then the constant diversion of system memory for use as display memory can crash the model by pulling the \'memory carpet\' out from under it\'s sub_routines.

A good (but still reasonably priced), graphics card can do wonders for the stability of a computer when running these models.

Of course you guessed right Les ^^ crappy \"50% emulation\" shared memory onboard card- sharing 133MHz memory. So yes, it DOES suck. But unfortunately you can\'t very well upgrade a laptop, certainly not without risking your warranty and at that time I still had a few months left.
So of course that may be an explanation. The strange thing is, though, that for the exact reason that I of course knew my graphics card was a) slow and b) relying on the CPU to emulate stuff so slowing it down and c) taking away memory- I NEVER EVER even had a look at the graphics, let alone run the screensaver. So I have no idea what on earth was so demanding on the card.
Next question related to that: I have found a feature in the BIOS where you can force the graphics card to use a certain amount of memory. If I could make it use no more than the minimum 16 MB (which should be enough running Linux, at least if one is careful with the XServer settings, shouldn\'t it? not a gaming machine, just working and Internet) would that mean a good chance to get CPDN running on that machine? That would be extremely cool, because CPDN has a great advantage for use on laptops imo: You don\'t run out of work if you don\'t have Internet for a while, nor do you miss deadlines.
Of course, this is not a very fast machine, so would it make sense for the project to attach it? A model would take months or even a year. As my benchmarks are completely unreliable under Linux, don\'t bother to look ^^ but I seem to remember 1500 float and 2300 integer, roughly, under Win XP. Fast enough?

Back again after a nice sleep. :)

The problem with laptops, is that they are designed and built to be light weight, portable devices.
Using one for this project is a bit like using a shopping trolley to cart a few tons of soil around to landscape a garden. Everything about laptops is meant for short bursts of activity, not continuous use 24/7 for months. (Power supply, cooling, hard disk size/life.)

If you intend to use it for cpdn, make sure that the air path inside it isn\'t clogged with dust, and keep the base raised several inches above the support surface, to allow plenty of air to circulate.
There is a post somewhere about a climate modeller whose laptop cracked the wooden desktop on which it had been left.

Carl has been working on a big change deep in the code of the program, which will drastically cut down on the amount of hd usage. However this is still to be beta tested, so it won\'t appear \"in the outside world\" for some time yet.
And it will use more ram instead.

Well, I know about heat problems, but I know how to keep those in check. Before I got my desktop PC (last September) I used that laptop for doing literally everything, which in my case included gaming (yeah, the graphics were not that great, but it was better than nothing), converting .cda files to mp3s in large quantities, editing 40+ text documents at once or moderating an Internet radio show 4 times a week (and the streaming app WAS demanding, my goodness) for two hours in early afternoon during a hot July. Plus doing BOINC projects for about a year now, of course (the list includes SETI, Einstein, HashClash and Malaria Control on that box). I never had a hint at temperature problems, neither in the monitoring nor in terms of stability problems. My Windows sessions lasted for about 2.5 weeks on average ;-) after which I had to restart because everything got disgustingly laggy. So I don\'t think I\'ll put too much strain on my laptop if I\'m a bit careful and don\'t let it crunch full power on really hot days. What I\'m not sure about is if the model will be running stable and if it will interfere too much with normal operation. I think I\'ll wait for that new app to come out of beta in any case, because laptop HDs are both slow and maybe not so suitable for lots of rewriting, and also cause additional heat. Thanks for informing me about that new app. If it has been in use for a while I will be able to guess whether it takes up too much memory or not.