Initial public release - SSE2 Linux optimized Seti@Home client (5.15)

[Simon]

Since I now have an SSE3 box to test on, I'm going to test some more on it, but have not found *any* performance difference between SSE2 and 3. So, for maximum compatibility, and since everything else is just not tested enough, I went with SSE2.

It'll take a bit more time, but SSE and SSE3 and MMX are definitely in the works.

HTH,
Simon.

[Simon]

Now if I can only figure out why my SSE builds only work on some Intel chips and not anywhere else...time to install the dev tools on yet another host.

If I remember right from the days I did my optimized seti (the old one) binary using ICC, there can be some older chips that don't take well binary compiled using too many -ax branches. They crashed miserably on my P3 Tualatin. The solution was to compile binary specifficaly for that using -xK ...

BR,
  Metod

Thanks Metod

All my build scripts use -xW -xK -xP etc. I've found that compiling with -axK etc. leads to around 1-3% slower times and does not really do that much for compatibility anyway. I'd rather build an extra specialized client than lose performance, but that's just me.

I could also use -xK -axK which actually does different things than just -axK, but I haven't tried that yet.

My newest SSE build runs fine on an AMD Duron 1.2GHz, so things are looking good in that regard. It's not as much faster than the default as my SSE2 builds, but I'll put that down to my Duron having only 64k cache (normal P3s have 256+64, AFAIK).

It is, however, faster than Crunch3r's SSE build on my Duron, so that's in line with my previous Linux builds

Regards,
Simon.

[Metod, S56RKO]

My newest SSE build runs fine on an AMD Duron 1.2GHz, so things are looking good in that regard. It's not as much faster than the default as my SSE2 builds, but I'll put that down to my Duron having only 64k cache (normal P3s have 256+64, AFAIK).

It is, however, faster than Crunch3r's SSE build on my Duron, so that's in line with my previous Linux builds

If you need a beta-tester ... I'd love to run your SSE-only binaries on my dual P3 Coppermine and P3 Tualatin.

[Simon]

Okay Metod - you've been bumped

You should see a new forum and downloads section now.

Regards,
Simon.

[Dirk Sadowski]

Hello Simon,

now I use a Boinc- client 64 Bit and your 32 Bit SSE2 for LINUX- 64 Bit...

Why you didnīt told me, that your LINUX SSE2 app is faster than Crunch3rs Windows SSE2 (On AMD K8) ?
Because I saw an other AMD K8 3200+, he use your app... and I looked to the performance on our PCs...

Thanks a lot again for your good work!


I have a small question:

...again...

Is there a command like in the Windows Version:

"report all finished WUs, get the current statistics, and get maybe new work"



So all finished WUs will be reported and I can shut down my PC...


Greetings!


BTW. Whatīs the different between your uncompressed and UPX- compressed apps?
You know, Iīm a very new LINUX user...
There are no different performance?
Only the installation is an other way, or?
Maybe like with uncompressed and WINZIP- compressed in Windows?


--------------------------------------------------
Update infos from your side:
Along with the automatic test and installer package, I've updated the downloads to Release 1.3 of the science applications. Windows.
This update is a cosmetic fix - it inserts information about the true CPU speed into the stderr section of each result.
--------------------------------------------------
 Can you insert this feature for the LINUX apps too?

BTW #2:
Because you told me, that I can start the Boinc- client in the console:
./boinc -return_results_immediately
But this doesnīt work...
The uploaded WUs will not be reported immediately...

[BenHer]

Hi Dirk,

Suggest you
1. go to  www.cpuid.com/cpuz
2. run a windoze on one of the partitions of your system (Im assumuing you've got one)
3. record your cpu setting information with cpuz
4. post the information (anonymously) to the web and post a link for your systems internal CPU and RAM info.
5. Change your signature(s) to include the link

Like this my Athlon 64 3800 X2

[Simon]

Well, I always thought it didn't work (-return_results_immediately), but it's still in the help message. Anyway

I'm working on new Linux apps, should be released this week-end (maybe a first 64-bit test build if I can manage to get it compiled). These will have the real CPU speed in MHz in the stderr output, too, of course.

On 64-bit Linux, Crunch3r's 64-bit app is quickest still - but not available - after that all other current optimized 32 bit apps.

The easiest way to do what you want to do from the console is to use boinc_curses by Jan Hornyak (Home page) - I have attached a compiled version for you to this post, since it's not that easy to get it compiled yourself.

Unpack boinc_man.tar.gz and run boinc_manager like so:

Code: [Select]

tar xfz boinc_man.tar.gz
./boinc_manager
You can press "h" and will get a help screen. It works very nicely.

As for UPX-compression, I will not do that for future releases - it's really just a cosmetic thing. If you don't have 7 megs available on your disk, then you don't, but most people do, so making it 2.5 megs instead is just not sensible since it creates problems on some Linux distributions. UPX works on Windows, too - all it does is compress an executable so it takes less space on disk and transparently uncompress it into memory only when it gets executed. Since the performance penalty for startup (under 1 sec, definitely) is negligible for the total run time of a WU in S@H's case, it is effectively just as quick as the non-UPX version.

HTH,
Simon.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Dirk Sadowski]

Hello Simon,

many thanks for your support!

When I would like to run "boinc_manager" I can/ must do this in KDE or I can do it in console- mode too?
Because the picture at the homepage "http://www.oook.cz/bsd/boinc_curses" is like a window in KDE...

I will test it later or tomorrow.


Greetings!


...when can I download the LINUX- 64 Bit SSE2 app?

[Simon]

He just ran it in an X-Windows console

It is a program meant to be run in text mode (i.e. no KDE). the ncurses library enables all sorts of menu-driven text-mode apps, YaST too

Regards,
Simon.

[Dirk Sadowski]

Hi Dirk,
Suggest you
1. go to  www.cpuid.com/cpuz
2. run a windoze on one of the partitions of your system (Im assumuing you've got one)
3. record your cpu setting information with cpuz
4. post the information (anonymously) to the web and post a link for your systems internal CPU and RAM info.
5. Change your signature(s) to include the link
Like this my Athlon 64 3800 X2

Hello!

Thanks for suggestion! 

Maybe I will do it! 

Greetings!

[Simon]

Rom Walton is working on better CPU detection for Linux and Windows, AFAIK.

Not sure how far he got in doing it, in any case, I found a small asm library that does it all nicely (and is easily extensible and GPL'd). I may release (no promises) a BOINC client as well (however, not optimized for benchmarks!) that has some extra features from trux' sources (CPU affinity etc.) as well as better CPU detection.

It ain't rocket science Still, until those code changes make it into the stock BOINC client, it will be a manual fix to get your CPU info to look like BenHer's.

Regards,
Simon.

[Dirk Sadowski]

He just ran it in an X-Windows console

It is a program meant to be run in text mode (i.e. no KDE). the ncurses library enables all sorts of menu-driven text-mode apps, YaST too

Regards,
Simon.

...O.K., then I will test it! 

Thanks a lot!

...and of course, I will tell  you my experiences...

[Dirk Sadowski]

Rom Walton is working on better CPU detection for Linux and Windows, AFAIK.

Not sure how far he got in doing it, in any case, I found a small asm library that does it all nicely (and is easily extensible and GPL'd). I may release (no promises) a BOINC client as well (however, not optimized for benchmarks!) that has some extra features from trux' sources (CPU affinity etc.) as well as better CPU detection.

It ain't rocket science Still, until those code changes make it into the stock BOINC client, it will be a manual fix to get your CPU info to look like BenHer's.

Regards,
Simon.

This will be nice...
...you will make it like this, that the results will be reportet immediately (return_results_immediately), like in Trux Boinc V5.3.12.x36...?

[Simon]

Like I said, no promises.

It is a feature that is often requested (even though it really just makes the load on the main servers higher, which is why it was disabled in the first place). I count it among the less useful ones, but who knows

Regards,
Simon.

[Dirk Sadowski]

Hello Simon!

Thanks a lot for your time and support!

O.K., now I have few problems, again...

When I start BOINC:
./run_client

Then I have following messages, too:

2006-08-20 13:52:54 [---] get_local_network_info(): gethostbyname failed

So the problem is, maybe I had not wrote any hostname in/after the installation from LINUX.
(...when you install Windows, you must give/write a hostname...)
So I must do this now in LINUX too?

Because when I would like to start the new program, with:
./boinc_manager

I get this messages:
gethostbyname: Success
ERROR: can't connect to boinc-client (can't resolve hostname)


Why I cannot start the new program?


Greetings!


BTW.
Iīm little bit confused too...
Because under LINUX you can not let run BOINC like under Windows?
You donīt have the same Window with the options?
Or you can let run it under Xwindows under LINUX, then you have the same screen like under Windows?

BTW #2.
I wanted to download the program (boinc_manager) the first time without "login" and then at the login- screen I quit the work...
And then I started from home/ login to start the downlod...
I say this, because to inform you, that I was it who downloaded it 2 times...
...because at the link to download, there is (downloaded: 2 times (now))