Help to build an Autofold Knoppix

[Webster]

I wish to use configure knoppix so that it automatically boots into folding ( http://folding.stanford.edu ). I also want to manage the computer remotely. I currently use realVNC on windoze based PC's. Could I set up the computer so I can telnet into it?

I figured that this is not too hard but my Linux knowledge is v-basic.

I guess I need to pass the 'cheatcodes' 2, Floppy config, noeject and noprompt as knoppix starts up. What do I need to edit to do this?

Then use a bootscript on a floppy to knoppix so I can telnet into it (anyone shed some light how I go about doing this?), wget the folding work folder for that PC from an FTP, chmod neccesary files and start folding.

Do I just append my script to the end of the knoppix.sh script? What is the difference in syntax between a boot script and just typing the commands in at the prompt?

Bonus question, is there something I can add to my script so my work folder is automatically backed up to my ftp every couple of hours?

[arkaine23]

It would be better to ssh to your knoppix box. There are ssh clients for windows such as putty and teraterm.

What version of knoppix are you remastering? Setting default cheatcodes is not too tough in the 3.4 version of Knoppix.... You don't need to set any really, but I would choose the codes-

desktop=icewm screen=whatever_resolution_you_prefer

This way you can use VNC to access you knoppix box graphically from a windows box, and you're using a lightweight windows-like GUI, so ram will be conserved.

You'd add a startup script for a vncserver (not hard) and set a vnc password and configuration while remastering.

If the remote computer you want to serve the folding directory from has a network share, you can write your folding init script to sambamount the server's share and then run folding entirely on the server's hard drive. Or you could get it from there originally and fold in the ram drive and then set a crontab to automatically save the foding directory to the server every so often.


Here's an example init script that will access a windows share drive and launch a linux folding client from there:

#!/bin/sh
mkdir /home/knoppix/Desktop/fold
smbmount //hostname/sharename /home/knoppix/Desktop/fold -o username=username_to_access_sharedrive password=password_to_access_sharedrive
cd /home/knoppix/Desktop/fold/FAH_dir_on_server
echo "Accessing server and launching folding@home as a background process...."
./FAH4Console-Linux.exe -advmethods -forcesse > /dev/null &



I built a remaster called Overclockix (http://overclockix.octeams.com) which has a lot of folding specific stuff. You may want to try it out and look at the scripts I have in /usr/local/bin for folding and vnc.

I also worked with my mentor to make a specialized version called Overclockix LTSP which uses terminal services to have one box act as a server for diskless clients to boot from via the network. (Once box boots from CD-rom and uses a persistent home or is HDD installed and the client boxes get their OS from the network and fold into their own directories on the server's HDD or persistent home.)

In all versions of Overclockix, folding@home starts automatically and can be easily configured for your own username/team by a single command or can even be permanently configured prior to burning the iso.


Here's a pic of my laptop running Overclockix's KDE 3.2 environment with a couple of karamba themes (monitoring folding progress and system information).

http://overclockix.octeams.com/snapshot21.jpg


I kind of have a hard time getting online just now since I'm in the process of moving and finding a job, but I do tend to check things here and on the overclockix forum just about every weekday morning. I'd be happy to help you out.