Folding@Home for Newbie
Hello everyone,
I am brand new to your community, I got here for help concerning omegasearch and I got help almost instantly! Dexter suggested I read about Folding@Home and perhaps join team 93. Now the project looks great! But as a newbie and due to lack of computer knowledge on my side I have a few questions:
-The F@H client (that’s how its called I guess a client?) is a low priority process…meaning it will give up CPU power when I start for example MS flight sim, word, outlook, 3 IE windows?
-I have a very fast DSL connection (so I don’t pay hourly phone rates) that I could leave open all day long as I am in my office from dusk t’il dawn (unfortunately).
But: I do not feel comfortable leaving an open internet connection all day long when I am away (I still haven’t figured out how omega was installed, I always prompt for any ActiveX, Java applet ect and never ever let anything install that I am not sure).
For Firewall I use the free Zone Alarm and my connection comes straight from the wall to the dsl modem without physical firewall or router and my ISP firewalling capabilities are close to inexistent…
Will Zone Alarm protect me sufficiently against Trojan, hacking activities, omegasearch type things and all while I am away?
AVG is my antivirus
Are there any special settings I should set?
Will I make a difference to folding@home?
I am in Switzerland but I guess geographical location doesn’t change anything?
Syst: WinXP pro, Int4 2.3ghz, 1.5MB ram, geforce4
Thank you,
requin
I am brand new to your community, I got here for help concerning omegasearch and I got help almost instantly! Dexter suggested I read about Folding@Home and perhaps join team 93. Now the project looks great! But as a newbie and due to lack of computer knowledge on my side I have a few questions:
-The F@H client (that’s how its called I guess a client?) is a low priority process…meaning it will give up CPU power when I start for example MS flight sim, word, outlook, 3 IE windows?
-I have a very fast DSL connection (so I don’t pay hourly phone rates) that I could leave open all day long as I am in my office from dusk t’il dawn (unfortunately).
But: I do not feel comfortable leaving an open internet connection all day long when I am away (I still haven’t figured out how omega was installed, I always prompt for any ActiveX, Java applet ect and never ever let anything install that I am not sure).
For Firewall I use the free Zone Alarm and my connection comes straight from the wall to the dsl modem without physical firewall or router and my ISP firewalling capabilities are close to inexistent…
Will Zone Alarm protect me sufficiently against Trojan, hacking activities, omegasearch type things and all while I am away?
AVG is my antivirus
Are there any special settings I should set?
Will I make a difference to folding@home?
I am in Switzerland but I guess geographical location doesn’t change anything?
Syst: WinXP pro, Int4 2.3ghz, 1.5MB ram, geforce4
Thank you,
requin
0
Comments
Zone alarm is a good program. If you configure that correctly it will stop msot things.
You SURE WILL make a difference. Every member helps. Every member here at SM is appreciated at SM. Take a look at the Milestones Forum.
The easiest client to set up is the GUI. Enter your name and SM's Team number which is 93. I prefer the console version but I dont mind something in my taskbar all the time. The choice is up to you.
You came to the right place for computer knowledge. Before I started hanging out with guys like these a couple years ago I was a complete n00b.:)
Hope you join Team Short-Media.:)
requin
As for trojans, ActiveX, and omegasearch-type things while you're away, having your DSL connection on with ZoneAlarm running will protect you from intrusion attempts. The spyware problem is due more to visiting certain websites and opening certain spam emails. The paid version of ZoneAlarm has incoming and outgoing email protection, and using SpywareBlaster will prevent malicious ActiveX controls and cookies from installing on your system.
The bottom line is safe surfing will keep your system clean.
I'm still a bit of a noob myself when it comes to computers, but thanks to the folks at Short-Media, any problems are sorted in very quick time. I also found out about folding
Sally, my wife and i are in Perth Western Australia. Geographically it does not matter where you are, that is one good thing about the net.
We run a few computers on-line 24/7 on ADSL, through a firewall and never had a problem with hackers or viruses getting in. Leaving the puters to do their own thing in the back ground.
Thanks for joining Team #93
Don't be afraid to ask any questions regarding the folding as there a few things you can do to improve things once you get up and running. Got lots of good advise myself from here.
Jon
Sally, the wife, is folding/posting as Jonshandbrake, lol.
You might want to also know, that this team used to be a team based out of a virtual place called Icrontic. Many of the folks who folded for that team hang out here from time to time and also fold for this team. All contributions are VERY welcome, we want to be number 1, and if that takes a while, well we are committed fro the long haul, lots of us.
Note, I am not an admin, nor a mod, just a techy geek with lots of experience who has had family experience cancer and other things that folding is researching. Thus I am heavily committed to Folding. Tihs will show in my signature with stats. I started folding about the time Short-Media came into being, actually a bit before then. I fold as jdii1215 on folding's tracking servers, and you can email me or the others mentioned and they will know a lot of ways to make folding work for yuou, or just ask questions about things that are new and different for newer folders if you are not migrating from another team-- in any case, once again, many welcomes.
John D.-- who just so happened to break the 26K barrier and pass Fatcat6 last night as well as spaetb. About a year and two months of folding under my belt now-- note if my points for my own team were rolled into stats here, I would be over 30K (I have 3596 points for my one-person team also), but it does not work that way. That is ok.
My first question will be:
How can I have a signature like all of you that show my current Folding stats? I am sure there is a post about somewhere (if its in the faq or a sticky post on top of the forum just slap me
As for folding tweaks, I will get use to it for a while, catch up a little with the forums and ask my questions away.
Peace to all,
requin
http://www.teamshort-media.com/stats/generator/
You'll want to copy the code it gives you into your signature here. Easy enough
As soon as you have turned in a work unit, the generator should add you to the list. Only problem is... the system kinda broke a week or two ago and I'm not sure that part is working again yet. So, best idea is to see if your name is added a couple hours after your first work unit is turned in - if not, drop me a PM and I'll go haxx0r it in for you! :bigggrin:
Sounds good, requin!
requin: Bug this guy ^^ to get the stats fixed so your name will appear.;);)
Being a noob is no problem here. Feel free to ask your questions.
Thanks for Folding with us!!
Great to have you on Team 93!
If you ever have any questions, please post them here. And spread the word: Short-Media.com for all your tech needs, and Team 93 to Fold For A Cure!
Dexter...
Oh, Mmonnin's comment: That's true, no n00b is he now - just a moron.
J U S T K I D D I N G. Mmonnin is one of the most respected men about the forums we have.
Ok, you have what is called a Tinker WU, after it gets to 400\400 the folding thing will tell you in a log that it has turned in a WU. Then you will show up in Folding's stats. The sigs here are picked up in a special file from Stanford, from time to time, more than once a day, and the link you have creates code that reads them after you have chosen a signature.
Folding's stats server will have your stats once one WU is complete.
To get to the log, do this, you have two choices, does not matter which:
To get to that log from a graphical Folding client, one way is to RIGHT-CLICK on the folding icon (red cog) by the clock, click status in the little menu that will pop up, and then click log. The other way is to do a file search or find for FAHlog.txt and then double-click on the file name when it shows up in Window's file finder\searcher. Either way, expect Notepad to open, and scroll down to bottom for most recent entry, then scroll up and look at what log tells you.
John D.