mikyopii

If you have spare computing power, consider donating some of that to a distributed computing project

https://programming.dev/post/1042285

If you have spare computing power, consider donating some of that to a distributed computing project - programming.dev

Berkeley has this really cool program called BOINC that you can download and donate your computer’s resources to processing scientific data. There are a bunch of projects to pick, from working on climate change, to cancer, to the Large Hadron Collider. The good folks at linuxserver.io [http://linuxserver.io] even have a ready to go Docker container for easy setup: https://hub.docker.com/r/linuxserver/boinc [https://hub.docker.com/r/linuxserver/boinc] Another possibility is running the Archive Team’s Warrior, which downloads data from at risk web sites and uploads them to the Internet Archive: https://wiki.archiveteam.org/index.php/ArchiveTeam_Warrior [https://wiki.archiveteam.org/index.php/ArchiveTeam_Warrior] Does anyone else have examples of projects like this? My dream is for the Fediverse to have this sort of feature eventually.

Jul 29, 2023 at 4:16pmWeb
Show threadrahJul 29, 2023
What do you mean by “spare”? Modern CPUs scale their electricity usage according to utilisation.
Show threaderosJul 29, 2023
One would assume they mean sitting around, doing nothing. Some would rather use some electricity to support a good cause than have the computing power sit there idle.
Show threadHauiJul 29, 2023
That makes sense. Thank you.
Show threadrahJul 30, 2023

would rather use some electricity to support a good cause than have the computing power sit there idle.

That’s not “spare” though. That’s my point.

Show threaderosAug 4, 2023

I mean yeah, but no. It is spare capacity, so it’s spare in one way.

I have hundreds of gigaflops of computing power sitting idle 80% of the time, I just don’t think the taxpayers would appreciate the power bill if I put it all to use like that. But at home I can spare a few cycles on my solar power sipping Proxmox cluster.

Show threadrahAug 4, 2023

I have a spare room in my house sat idle 80% of the time. I could easily install a few racks of servers in there and have some gigaflops of computing power to contribute.

But actually, being “idle” isn’t the same thing as “spare” because it would cost a lot of money to install racks of servers, just as it costs money to run computations on an otherwise idle computer.

So I mean no, but no. It’s only spare capacity in a stupid, convoluted way that’s disconnected from common sense.

But you managed to brag about having hundreds of gigaflops of taxpayer-funded computing at your fingertips so good for you, you go for that validation from strangers on the Internet.

Show threadFermatsLastAccountJul 29, 2023
I use a VPS. They don't charge based on CPU utilization so I run Folding@Home on it.
Show threadtetraJul 29, 2023
Please only do this on plans with a dedicated vCPU that isn’t shared with other users.
Show threadrahJul 30, 2023
For now, until economics catches up with you :-) Enjoy it while it lasts I suppose.
Show threadrahJul 30, 2023
For now, until economics catches up with you :-) Enjoy it while it lasts I suppose.
Show threaddownpunxxJul 29, 2023
Now I know this is being done with encryption, but an open tunnel direct to your non dmz-ed system, is just begging to be hacked, and it will be, without a shadow of doubt.
Show threadBiptaJul 29, 2023

In what sense is this "opening a direct tunnel?"

I don't think you really understand what's going on here; or otherwise, I don't.

I've used BOINC without issue for over a decade.

Show threadfloofloofJul 29, 2023
As far as I know, the BOINC client just pulls down new data for processing when each batch of work is done. There’s no pushing and no open tunnel or port. The only risk would be malicious code in a particular project (e.g. if it said it was folding proteins but actually mined bitcoins). I hope there’s some vetting of project code.
Show threaddoctorspikeJul 29, 2023

I have spare compute power yea. But not spare money for a larger electrical bill.

“Spare” cpu cycles are not free

Show threadthe_thirdJul 29, 2023
Eh, in summer my solar panels are shitting out so much energy that most things beneath 8kW power are basically free during the day. And I can only drive the car so much and use the A/C before I’m forced to almost donate it to the electricity company for 0.07€/kWh. Might as well turn it into cycles.
Show threadelectrogamermanJul 29, 2023
May I ask, how much it costed the solar panels installation?
Show threadthe_thirdJul 29, 2023
About 1500€/kWp. If I calculate that everything explodes right after the extended warranty has run out, it’ll be about 0.13€ per kWh generated. I don’t think this will happen if course, but at 0.37€ per kWh from the grid it was a no-brainer with that as an upper limit for the energy price.
Show threadSzwendaczJul 29, 2023
Yeah, currently it is bad time for computing power donations.
Show threadCaptObviousJul 29, 2023

I’ve participated in their SETI and cancer research projects in the past. It’s a good cause, and I don’t mind making a donation.

I did think the BOINC project was shut down, though. Good to know it’s still going.

Show threadchiisanaJul 29, 2023
My very cursory understanding is that SETI was shutting down, but BOINC (so folding etc) should still be going.
Show threadCaptObviousJul 29, 2023
That’s really good to know. Thanks!