Has anyone any experience of using one of dual processors for manipulating fractals? I found this URL: http://www.harmony-central.com/articles/tips/dual_processing_system_tips/. I'm using an AMD Athlon 64 x 2 at 2.19 Ghz with 1 Gb of RAM and XP Media Centre Edition. I followed instructions to start up a second Mersenne Prime Search on the second processor, and all seems well... both of them are hacking away. The key to this setup was to run a second copy of the software with a "-A1" command line argument. Now I don't know if the "-A1" is part of the prime search software or part of the Command Line structure of XP Pro... so far I havn't been able to find this out. I don't want to screw up my setup by trying it with the DOS version of Fractint and the Fractint for Windows Beta poses me other problems. How can I use CMD to navigate through long file names, by abreviating with ~~~'s ? Anybody?
John W. wrote:
The key to this setup was to run a second copy of the software with a "-A1" command line argument. Now I don't know if the "-A1" is part of the prime search software or part of the Command Line structure of XP Pro... so far I havn't been able to find this out.
I would suspect that the "-A1" on the command line is used by the software as a value being passed to it to be acted upon.
How can I use CMD to navigate through long file names, by abreviating with ~~~'s ? Anybody?
To be able to use the abbreviated short form of long file names, you usually use the first six characters of that name followed by the tilde character and a single digit. (If there are any spaces/blanks in the first six characters, do not count or use them.) For example, to get to the directory path of: C:\Documents and Settings\ you would use this for the short form: C:\DOCUME~1\ The problem occurs if there are two or more folders/files beginning with the same six characters. Then you need to know whether to use a "2", "3", "4", etc. as the single digit. The folders/files are usually numbered by the order in which they were initially added to the drive. Sincerely, P.N.L. ------------------------------------------------- http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/PNL_Fractals.html http://www.Nahee.com/Fractals/
I think that you are right about that -A1 being used by the software... A0 is probably the first processor and A1 the second. But is this a switch which is common to all XP programs, or is it part of the prime search command structure? Ah, yes, I remember it now...the first SIX characters! I was trying eight. I was lost with "Stone Soup Group"! John W. Thanks. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul N. Lee" <Paul.N.Lee@Worldnet.att.net> To: <fractint@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 3:05 PM Subject: Re: [Fractint] Dual processors
John W. wrote:
The key to this setup was to run a second copy of the software with a "-A1" command line argument. Now I don't know if the "-A1" is part of the prime search software or part of the Command Line structure of XP Pro... so far I havn't been able to find this out.
I would suspect that the "-A1" on the command line is used by the software as a value being passed to it to be acted upon.
How can I use CMD to navigate through long file names, by abreviating with ~~~'s ? Anybody?
To be able to use the abbreviated short form of long file names, you usually use the first six characters of that name followed by the tilde character and a single digit. (If there are any spaces/blanks in the first six characters, do not count or use them.) For example, to get to the directory path of: C:\Documents and Settings\
you would use this for the short form:
C:\DOCUME~1\
The problem occurs if there are two or more folders/files beginning with the same six characters. Then you need to know whether to use a "2", "3", "4", etc. as the single digit. The folders/files are usually numbered by the order in which they were initially added to the drive.
Sincerely, P.N.L. ------------------------------------------------- http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/PNL_Fractals.html http://www.Nahee.com/Fractals/
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In article <001301c79d8c$35ceb530$ef77facd@your55e5f9e3d2>, "John W." <juanw@telus.net> writes:
I think that you are right about that -A1 being used by the software... A0 is probably the first processor and A1 the second. But is this a switch which is common to all XP programs, or is it part of the prime search command structure?
Its not part of all XP programs. In fact, there isn't anything that's part of all XP programs -- each program parses its own command-line arguments. For programs that don't support this from the command-line, try this: <http://www.beyondlogic.org/solutions/processutil/processutil.htm> Caveat: I haven't used that utility at all, so you're on your own... -- "The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available for download <http://www.xmission.com/~legalize/book/download/index.html> Legalize Adulthood! <http://blogs.xmission.com/legalize/>
In article <000601c79d83$61bf92d0$ef77facd@your55e5f9e3d2>, "John W." <juanw@telus.net> writes:
Now I = don't know if the "-A1" is part of the prime search software or part of = the Command Line structure of XP Pro...
Its not part of XP, its part of the software.
[...] I don't want to screw up my setup by trying it with the = DOS version of Fractint and the Fractint for Windows Beta poses me other = problems.
What problems are posed by the beta?
How can I use CMD to navigate through long file names, by abreviating = with ~~~'s ?
From a command prompt "dir /x" will show the short names. -- "The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available for download <http://www.xmission.com/~legalize/book/download/index.html>
Legalize Adulthood! <http://blogs.xmission.com/legalize/>
Richard wrote:
In article <000601c79d83$61bf92d0$ef77facd@your55e5f9e3d2>, "John W." <juanw@telus.net> writes:
[...] I don't want to screw up my setup by trying it with the = DOS version of Fractint and the Fractint for Windows Beta poses me other = problems.
What problems are posed by the beta?
I am wondering how the windows version of fractint is coming along. Do you have any idea when we will see the next version? I have been holding my breath in excited anticipation and I am starting to black out!!! So please let us know!! Seriously - I would like to see if I could help: but I would have to see the code before I would commit myself. Doug
In article <4654CA9A.7070307@sympatico.ca>, Doug Stewart <dastew@sympatico.ca> writes:
I am wondering how the windows version of fractint is coming along.
There are two goals I have for the release. The first goal has largely been achieved: have a working Windows native version. The second goal is in progress: transforming the code so that it is understandable by people who want to contribute in a casual manner. The heritage of the code has let to lots of problems in understanding, modifying and extending the code. It also has no unit tests. I'm modifying the code base to remedy both these problems, but its an ongoing and lengthy affair. Hey, you waited 8 years since the last major release, you can wait a little longer, right? ;-)
Do you have any idea when we will see the next version?
It gets closer every time I work on it, but there is no definite date in mind.
Seriously - I would like to see if I could help: but I would have to see the code before I would commit myself.
Anyone can browse the current Windows code by going to <http://www.fractint.net/fractsvn/branches/rt-refactor-device/fractint/> Please keep in mind that this is a "work in progress" and by no means constitutes any sort of source release. The "interesting" bits are in common/, headers/ and win32/. The unix/ folder is kept compiling and linking as changes are made, but it needs to have its existing code backfilled into the driver model that I introduced. -- "The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available for download <http://www.xmission.com/~legalize/book/download/index.html> Legalize Adulthood! <http://blogs.xmission.com/legalize/>
Doug Stewart wrote:
I am wondering how the windows version of fractint is coming along. Do you have any idea when we will see the next version?
Seriously - I would like to see if I could help: but I would have to see the code before I would commit myself.
Then you need to join this List: Fractdev mailing list --------------------- mailto:Fractdev@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fractdev This will let you know a good portion of what is going on and where you may be able to see the latest code changes, such as at: http://fractint.net/fractsvn/ Sincerely, P.N.L. ------------------------------------------------- http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/PNL_Fractals.html http://www.Nahee.com/Fractals/
frm:HyperMandelbrot {; periodicity must be turned off a=(p1),b=(0,0): q=sqr(a)-sqr(b)+pixel, b=(p2+2)*a*b+p3, a=q, |a|+|b| <= 100 } OakLeaf2 { ; from fotd May 23 2007 ; Fractint Version 2099 Patchlevel 8 reset=2099 type=formula formulafile=doug.par formulaname=hypermandelbrot center-mag=-0.11972615077418065/-0.78659827582013508/1139321/1.0445/-12.\ 500003688541531/4.03889703193272e-006 params=0.33000000000000002/0.33000000000000002/1/0/0/5e-015 float=y maxiter=900 inside=0 logmap=40 periodicity=0 colors=000A00<4>O00Q00T00<3>c00<10>L00J00H00<3>A00000000UDG<4>h_9kc7nh6<\ 3>zz0<3>mm5jj6gg7dd8``9YYA<3>RMEQJGOGHMDIKAJMAKOAM<3>_LKbOJeQJ<3>qaHtdGw\ fGziF<4>jWEgUEdRD<3>TGDQEDNBCK8C413000<3>EFAIIDLLG<4>ccWgfZkja<3>zyn<9>e\ `UcZSaWQ<3>UMH00000000053M<4>5Dc5Ff5Hj<3>5Px<3>5hc5mZ5rU5wP<4>5Zm5Ur5Px<\ 3>5Ed5B`58W56R53M000000000b`c<4>lornru<9>YWPWUMVRI<3>OI5<3>YRD`TFbWH<3>k\ cPneRpgT<3>zpa<4>jdWgaVcZT<3>ROPOLOKJN<2>AAK000000A3M<5>O9dQAgSBj<3>`Fw<\ 3>J_cEdZAjU5oP<4>3SH2OF2JE<3>007000000000 }
Try color cycling!!! frm:HyperMandelbrot {; periodicity must be turned off a=(p1),b=(0,0): q=sqr(a)-sqr(b)+pixel, b=(p2+2)*a*b+p3, a=q, |a|+|b| <= 100 } beetles1 { ; from fotd May 23 2007 ; Fractint Version 2099 Patchlevel 8 reset=2099 type=formula formulafile=doug.par formulaname=hypermandelbrot center-mag=-0.12544933149714438/-0.71397051921891619/2406.232/1.0445/-12\ .50005692768084/5.605785342766012e-005 params=0.33000000000000002/0.33000000000000002/1/0/0/5e-015 float=y maxiter=900 inside=0 logmap=40 periodicity=0 colors=000000000A00<4>O00Q00T00<3>c00<10>L00J00H00<3>A00000000UDG<4>h_9k\ c7nh6<3>zz0<3>mm5jj6gg7dd8``9YYA<3>RMEQJGOGHMDIKAJMAKOAM<3>_LKbOJeQJ<3>q\ aHtdGwfGziF<4>jWEgUEdRD<3>TGDQEDNBCK8C413000<3>EFAIIDLLG<4>ccWgfZkja<3>z\ yn<9>e`UcZSaWQ<3>UMH00000000053M<4>5Dc5Ff5Hj<3>5Px<3>5hc5mZ5rU5wP<4>5Zm5\ Ur5Px<3>5Ed5B`58W56R53M000000000b`c<4>lornru<9>YWPWUMVRI<3>OI5<3>YRD`TFb\ WH<3>kcPneRpgT<3>zpa<4>jdWgaVcZT<3>ROPOLOKJN<2>AAK000000A3M<5>O9dQAgSBj<\ 3>`Fw<3>J_cEdZAjU5oP<4>3SH2OF2JE<3>007000 }
John W. wrote:
I followed instructions to start up a second Mersenne Prime Search on the second processor, and all seems well... both of them are hacking away.
Are you trying for the $100,000 award to the first person (or group) to discover a ten million digit prime number?? :-) Are you using the software from: http://www.mersenne.org/ Sincerely, P.N.L. ------------------------------------------------- http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/PNL_Fractals.html http://www.Nahee.com/Fractals/
Yes, I'm using the software from mersenne.org. Not primarily in the hope of winning the lottery... it just seemed a shame to have all this computing power and not use it to it's fullest. (I tried for years to find a LGM with SETI, but that was a bust). In any case I am curious about how these two processors are used, and if they are used at all unless I do something specific about them. I've discovered that they can indeed be coaxed into operation, and wondered if I could do this with Fractint. It would seem to be ideal for long deep zooms. Richard has suggested "a small command line utility to view, kill, suspend or set the priority and affinity of processes, perhaps from a batch file" I'll have to get that and see if I can manipulate the affinities of the processors and Fractint. Why do you ask, by the way? Expecting a tip if I win? :-) John W. Oh, by the way, there's a chance that I may abandon this line of enquiry. My machine has one of those variable speed fans. It's either stopped or very quiet when the machine is idle, and revs up when work is being done. Since I put another prime search on the second processor that fan went up to high revs and stayed there! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul N. Lee" <Paul.N.Lee@Worldnet.att.net> To: <fractint@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 4:07 PM Subject: Re: [Fractint] Dual processors
John W. wrote:
I followed instructions to start up a second Mersenne Prime Search on the second processor, and all seems well... both of them are hacking away.
Are you trying for the $100,000 award to the first person (or group) to discover a ten million digit prime number?? :-)
Are you using the software from: http://www.mersenne.org/
Sincerely, P.N.L.
In article <001701c79da0$1fb7dce0$ef77facd@your55e5f9e3d2>, "John W." <juanw@telus.net> writes:
with SETI, but that was a bust). In any case I am curious about how these two processors are used, and if they are used at all unless I do something specific about them. I've discovered that they can indeed be coaxed into operation, and wondered if I could do this with Fractint. It would seem to be ideal for long deep zooms.
You should be able to set the processor affinity for FractInt for Windows using that utility. A command-line option can be added to do this without the utility if there is consensus that this is valuable. I have no idea what the DOS code will do; it probably never is split among processors. -- "The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available for download <http://www.xmission.com/~legalize/book/download/index.html> Legalize Adulthood! <http://blogs.xmission.com/legalize/>
Richard wrote:
You should be able to set the processor affinity for FractInt for Windows using that utility. A command-line option can be added to do this without the utility if there is consensus that this is valuable.
I would think that any program written these days, or any that are being re-written, should take full advantage of multi-processors/multi-cores. Sincerely, P.N.L. ------------------------------------------------- http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/PNL_Fractals.html http://www.Nahee.com/Fractals/
In article <4654FACE.8070602@Worldnet.att.net>, "Paul N. Lee" <Paul.N.Lee@Worldnet.att.net> writes:
Richard wrote:
You should be able to set the processor affinity for FractInt for Windows using that utility. A command-line option can be added to do this without the utility if there is consensus that this is valuable.
I would think that any program written these days, or any that are being re-written, should take full advantage of multi-processors/multi-cores.
Processor affinity and taking advantage of multi-processors/multi-cores are two different things. Processor affinity is a Windows concept that associates your process with a particular core. See <http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms686223.aspx> It actually *restricts* the use of multiple cores, not enhances it. When you set the processor affinity on a process you are saying it won't run on the other processors, even if they are idle. If FractInt were *only* a program that ran on Windows, it would be easier to add threading to it (assuming of course, that the UI and calculation code are separated, which they currently are not). Since FractInt also compiles on linux, you have to use a threading approach that is portable between linux and Windows if you want to add threading to the code. This is not as easy as it sounds. If I were to add this now, I would probably use Boost threads. See <http://www.boost.org> -- "The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available for download <http://www.xmission.com/~legalize/book/download/index.html> Legalize Adulthood! <http://blogs.xmission.com/legalize/>
Richard wrote:
Paul N. Lee writes:
I would think that any program written these days, or any that are being re-written, should take full advantage of multi-processors/multi-cores.
Processor affinity and taking advantage of multi-processors/multi-cores are two different things.
Yes, I know they are two separate issues. I was only expressing what I would like to see FractInt be able to do, if a lot of time is going to be spent in re-writing the code. And yes, the development would need to consider porting issues between platforms. But I think this should be part of the long-term plan for FractInt. Not only bringing it up past the old DOS executable, but being able to use multi-processors/cores. This is the way hardware and software is going these days. Sincerely, P.N.L. ------------------------------------------------- http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/PNL_Fractals.html http://www.Nahee.com/Fractals/
In article <4655278B.9000100@Worldnet.att.net>, "Paul N. Lee" <Paul.N.Lee@Worldnet.att.net> writes:
But I think [multi-processing] should be part of the long-term plan for FractInt.
Oh, it is, no worries there. Unfortunately there is a large backlog of work necessary before that sort of thing can be easily added. -- "The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available for download <http://www.xmission.com/~legalize/book/download/index.html> Legalize Adulthood! <http://blogs.xmission.com/legalize/>
participants (4)
-
Doug Stewart -
John W. -
Paul N. Lee -
Richard