Getting Started

This is an alpha test project with the goal to improve the Rosetta@home production project. We will be testing application updates, new work units, and other improvements on this project before applying them to Rosetta@home. Please consider the following before deciding to join:

• Since this project is a testing environment, applications and work units may be unstable at times.
• Credits and other competitive statistics do not mean anything in this test project. Credits may be lost due to instabilities and may be reset at any time for testing.
• There will not be a continual flow of work units. Work units will be issued only when necessary for testing.
• We urge participants to not abort work units to help with testing.
• Please set the resource share low for this project compared to other production projects in your RALPH@home preferences.

1. Read the following pages first:
   • License agreement
   • Rules and policies
   • System requirements

2. Download, install, and run the BOINC software used by RALPH@home.

   Go to the download page, download the BOINC software for your type of computer, install it, and run it.

   You will be asked to enter the project URL:

   http://ralph.bakerlab.org/

   and to set up your account.

Returning participants

• Upgrade your BOINC software to the latest version.
• See the server status.
• Check out BOINC add-on software developed by other participants.
• View the latest available application versions.

How it works When you run BOINC on your PC, it works as follows (see below): Your PC gets a list of instructions from the project's scheduling server. The instructions depend on your PC: for example, the server won't give it work that requires more RAM than you have. The instructions may include many separate pieces of work. Projects can support several applications, and the server may send you work from any of them. Your PC downloads executable and input files from the project's data server. If the project releases new versions of its applications, the executable files are downloaded automatically to your PC. Your PC runs the application programs, producing output files. Your PC uploads the output files to the data server. Your PC reports the completed results to the scheduling server, and gets instructions for more work. This cycle is repeated indefinitely. BOINC does this all automatically; you don't have to do anything.

Credit

• Each work unit is sent to at least two computers.
• When a computer reports a result, it claims a certain amount of credit, based on how much CPU time was used.
• When at least two results have been returned, the server compares them. If the results agree, then users are granted the smaller of the claimed credits.