Folding@home Update

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I just wanted to follow up on some comments from my earlier Folding@home post and provide some quick statistical updates.

Some people wanted to know what this “folding” is all about and why it makes sense on the PS3. To learn more about the project, you should visit the Stanford Folding@home site and have a look at the PS3 FAQ. But why PS3? First of all, there is no obligation to run the program, you can always ignore it if you prefer. The PS3 has two valuable things to offer researchers at Stanford: its powerful Cell Processor plus a large, dedicated PS3 community that is willing to help. These two things combined result in a significant contribution to the work that is done at Stanford to fight diseases.

There have been a lot of feature proposals. The F@h client on PS3 will be updated from time to time, and I am sure that we are picking up some of the suggestions. Stay tuned for details…

Many folks posted their WU scores – good work everyone! You probably know that there are statistics pages at Stanford where you can lookup your scores. But did you know that there are also other sites that take those scores and come up with a much more in-depth analysis? Take a look at Kakaostats or ExtremeOverclocking, just to name a few. You can figure out when you would reach a certain milestone, which rank your team would have a month from now, or review your contribution history. Some PS3-related highlights are below:

The PS3 dominated team 2CH@PS3 is currently rankd 47th since the PS3 F@h client release, which is simply amazing. But they need to fold a little more, otherwise they will be taken over later this week by the rocket-like DL.TV team (these guys are serious).

Another PS3 power team is PS3Forums.com, already ranked 67th.

Also check out the rise of the Official-ish PS3Fanboy Folding Team (soon to break into the top 200) and IGN-PS3 – also, quickly approaching the top 200 milestone.

And of course, there is PlayStation 3 (SCEA), in two weeks they’ll be closing in on the 200 position rank and they just passed the SCEA PDIT team. I can imagine these guys scrambling in the aisles now to recruit more team members…

Thank you to all the contributors, and look for more Folding@home updates here in the near future.

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71 Comments

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  • i have SETI@HOME running as a screensaver on my PC and F@H when i’m sitting at my PC, maybe add SETI to the ps3. but i would really like to see the whole multitasking thing happen or at least play my music while playing games or “browsing” the PS Store or the internet. Just a thought

  • Unfortunately, I can’t do this while I’m at home… My PS3 won’t connect to my DSL modem. I need to go somewhere with wireless to do it, which is also where i download updates and demos and videos…

    Also, color me skeptical, but please no SETI@home… Good PR = PS3 helps cure cancer. Bad PR = PS3 users try to make contact with aliens… There are so many logical problems with the SETI program in the first place. I don’t believe we’re alone, but I’m nearly certain we won’t find any life out there with radios or TVs…

  • Klaus, the lack of support for the home team is disheartening, where’s the love for the official PlayStation.com Forums team? Move over everyone else, we’re ranked 79, suck it down.

    http://fah-web.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/main.py?qtype=teampage&teamnum=55265

  • +1 Deltan and the PlayStation.com Forums Team!

  • I’m on dailup, uploading take to long. So I don’t do it, but I did try it.

    Fox

  • Thanks Gavi. The bill is not that much worse but it is hard to tell in these summer months. I will know for sure in the winter.

    @ Deltan and Patriot
    Check out comment #39
    He says it is an oversight.

    Go Playstation.com Forums Team, Kick some Protein.

  • How do you assign yourself to a team? I have been folding but I do not know how to check on my team stats. All I know is that I have completed 17 work units. I think that it would be great that the people that think enough about humanity should be given priority for the Home premiere.

  • Thanks for the statistic sites. Hey I’m going to be top 2000 in a fortnight! Still it is getting harder to climb the ladder now. So please relax all you other PS3 teams :P

    My 3 PS3’s are running 24/7 except for the gameplay and surfing, and apart from the noisy european model, no problems. Why the europe model with no emotion (engine) makes more noise is beyond me?

    I have wondered about buying some windpower shares to offset the electricity usage. War on disease vs. CO2 is a hard one to argue.

  • As someone was folding long before the PS3, I was intensely interested in the cell before it came out. I was thrilled when I saw that Stanford had the same idea as I did, and even more thrilled when I saw that Sony was onboard. The F@H support was a major factor for me when buying a next-gen console system.

    You can actually see the day I got my PS3 in my production logs:
    http://folding.extremeoverclocking.com/user_summary.php?s=&u=112850

  • To assign yourself to a team,

    1. Open F@H
    2. Press Triangle
    3. Go to Identity
    4. Select Join an Existing Team
    5. Enter Team Code, for example: 56711

  • I was doing cluster work way before seit@home went with new user interface. 12 hours per work unit, on 366 celeron.. Crazy…

    Fox

  • i was curious if anyone has installed YellowDog unto there PS3? If so let me know if it’s worth it to install.

    Dr. Jello

  • It depends what you’re planning on using it for. I like using Linux to run any command I want, basically to explore the inner core of the PS3. Also, it comes with a Word Processer, so you can type your documents on the PS3, which loads much faster than any Computer I’ve used, and print them at another location. I think it’s very worth it…. if you use this free download. You have to buy it other wise

    Here’s the URL for installation. This is the first version, I believe a new version was just released. That version has Wi-Fi Support, and USB printer support. This first version doesn’t. So, if you want to pay the 70+ bucks for that version, be my guest, but here’s the free version. Go to Terra Soft Solutions to get more information.

    http://www.qj.net/index.php?pg=49&aid=77583

  • It would be nice if the PS3 could play music while browsing your photos, let alone while running Folding@home. Unfortunately, the music app quits playback as soon as you go back to the XMB.

  • @Klaus Hofrichter
    I just noticed the other day that if you press the home button on the controller wile loading the F@H program the system will freeze . Will this issue be addressed the update? thank you :)
    BTW I got 230 WU

  • @ HappySpaceInvdr

    If you set your MP3’s playing, press the Home button and browse to your photos, you can set a slide show going whilst the music plays!

    OR

    Start a slide show, then press Home and start the music!!

    OR

    Start the music, press Home and then go on the internet!

    The PS3 is a lot more flexible than people give it credit for!

  • #16 said that background downloads don’t work while folding, this has apparently been fixed in one of the updates. It now does. (I actually found that out here, it was never mentioned in the update itself). This should probably be made more well known, since downloading large demos often requires the PS3 to be left on overnight anyway.

  • Just wanted to comment that folding is great. I can leave my PS3 on for a good cause.

  • Is there a way to use folding to also earn money for charity. People out there give us gamers a bad rap for not contributing positively to society. Folding@home is the right step towards contibuting but how about for every PS3 online somehow we are able to contribute to some how earning money for the hungry people for eg.people in Darfur.

    I use an online system where i get paid for watching ads. The money goes directly to an account which then helps to subsidise my gamefly monthly account.
    Just thinking waya to help those out there while we enjoy our expensive systems.

  • Above, I didn’t know that QJ.net doesn’t have the Other OS Installer. Here it is.

    http://dl.qj.net/PLAYSTATION-3-OtherOS-Installer-PlayStation-3/pg/12/fid/11328/catid/514

  • Here are Directions for Yellow Dog Linux. Everything, for Standard and HDTV’s are included here.

    remember to Burn the ISO to a DVD. On the USB Flash Drive, or other Storage Media, create a Folder named “ps3″(without the ” “. Inside of that folder, create another folder named “otheros”(without the ” “. Extract the otheros.self to that folder. The otheros.self is in the Other OS Installer I just gave to you in the URL. Next, QJ.Net should have the Other OS.bld, put that in the “otheros” folder too. Now, put the USB device, or whatever you put the files on, in the Playstation 3. Next, go to System Settings, then to Install Other OS. Back up all the Data you don’t want lost, and partition the Hard Drive. Allot as much memory you want to the Other OS. Now, go to Install Other OS, and it will search for the files on the Storage Device. If it’s in the correct folders, the Playstation 3 will recognize it and start the installer. Complete it, then restart the System with the Other OS. Plug in your USB Keyboard now!!! Next, put in the DVD with the ISO Image!!!! ALL OF THIS IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!! The screen should look black, with white letters on it. Wait until it gets to the words, “kboot”. You only have a couple of seconds to use the tab key to cycle to the words, “installtext”. Press enter when you see “installtext”. It will then go to the YDL installer. Choose a password. REMEMBER IT!!! YOU CAN’T LOG ON WITHOUT IT!!!! Next, remember that the Username is always “root”. Go through the Installer, which should take, about 45 minutes to install. When it’s done, restart the Playstation 3, now, when it gets to the words, “kboot”, follow these directions. If you have an HDTV, select, “ydl1080i”. If you have a Standard Definition TV, select “ydl480i” If you have an HDTV, then it should be easy, when it asks you, just enter your password, and when it asks for your Username, say, “root”. If you have a Standard Definition TV, then it gets really hard.

    Standard Definition Directions:

    From selecting, “ydl480i”.

    Start by waiting through more text until it gets to something that says,

    Localhostlogin:

    Next, type, “root” so it looks like this:

    Localhostlogin:root

    Press enter, and it should ask for your password, so type it in and press enter.

    Next, you need to type these words in EXACTLY AS THEY’RE WRITTEN!!!! REMEMBER, WHERE IT SAYS “.COM”, IT MEANS, “.COM” THERE IS NO SPACE THERE. This is case sensitive, and space secsitive!!! When you’ve typed it in, press enter.

    wget http://www.terrasoftsolutions.co m/support/solutions/ydl_5.0/Xautoconfig-0.23-2.ydl.2.ppc.rpm

    There IS a space after the words, “wget”

    Now, wait for about 10 minutes. Next type again, the EXACT words you see here:

    rpm -ivh Xautoconfig-0.23-2.ydl.2.ppc.rpm

    Again, there is a space after the words, “rpm”. Press enter

    Wait for a while, then type these words EXACTLY:

    editdiff /etc/inittab

    There is a space after “editdiff”. Press enter.

    Now pay close attention, once you press enter after you type that command. A lot of text will show up. Look carefully and hard for this line, using your ARROW KEYS!!!

    id:3:initdefault:

    When you’ve found it, press i on the keyboard. Don’t capitalize it. This will let you edit that line. So now, use the ARROW KEYS, going left and right, and edit it to make it:

    id:5:initdefault:

    As you can see, the only thing you need to change, is the 3, to a 5.

    Once you’re done editing it. Press ESC on the Keyboard then type EXACTLY

    :exit

    It doesn’t matter where you are on the screen, as soon as you type, then press enter, it will bring you back to where you were before you started the editing program.

    Now, type EXACTLY these words:

    editdiff /etc/kboot.conf

    There is a space after “editdiff”. Press enter.

    Now, find the line with your ARROW KEYS, that says:

    default=ydl

    Press i on the Keyboard, and change it to:

    default=ydl480i

    Press ESC, then type:

    :exit

    After you have typed that, and pressed enter, type:

    reboot

    The system reboots, and wait until it gets to the “kboot” line again. Once it gets there, you don’t have to do anything!! So just wait, through the lines of text afterward, and then it will come to a colored screen, that asks for your Password, and Usernam. Type your Password, then type “root” for your Username. You will then have Yellow Dog Linux on your Playstation 3!! WARNING!! YOU NEED A USB MOUSE TO NAVIGATE!!! AND AN ETHERNET CABLE NEEDS TO BE PLUGGED IN BEFORE YOU BOOT UP THE PLAYSTATION 3 FOR INTERNET!!!! To go back to the Game OS, go to the command prompt and type:

    boot-game-os

    I really hoped this helped!! Now enjoy a full working Computer on a larger screen than your monitor!!!

  • yeah this is off the subject but when r u guys gonna give us a killzone2 dev interview i mean seriously these games that ur showing are amazing especially HS AND UNCHADTED but everyone is still thinking about KILLZONE2. I have been told u guys are gonna show it privately but that is a bad idea b/c everyone is looking forward to seeing it even non sony fans so please show it to us in the press conference and show alot of it. If it looks amazing like u guys say it will, then u shouldn’t worry about anything.

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