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<?php
require_once("../inc/db.inc");
require_once("../inc/util.inc");
page_head("Getting started");
echo "
It's easy to participate in ".PROJECT."
<ul>
<li> <b>Create an account.</b>
Go to the <a href=create_account_form.php>Create account</a> page
and fill out the form.
You will receive an email containing
your <b>account ID</b> (a long random string).
Save this email.
<li> <b>Download and install BOINC.</b>
Go to the <a href=http://boinc.berkeley.edu/download.php>download page</a>,
download the BOINC software for your type of computer,
install it, and run it.
You will be asked to enter the project URL
(".MASTER_URL.") and your account ID.
</ul>
That's it!
<table cellpadding=8 ><tr><td bgcolor=ffffcc>
<h2>How it works</h2>
When you run BOINC on your PC,
it works as follows (see below):
<br>
<center>
<img hspace=10 vspace=8 src=http://boinc.berkeley.edu/comm_simple.png>
</center>
<br>
<ol>
<li> Your PC gets a list of instructions from the project's
<b>scheduling server</b>.
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 <b>applications</b>,
and the server may send you work from any of them.
<li> Your PC downloads executable and input files
from the project's <b>data server</b>.
If the project releases new versions of its applications,
the executable files are downloaded automatically to your PC.
<li> Your PC runs the application programs, producing output files.
<li> Your PC uploads the output files to the data server.
<li> Your PC reports the completed results to the scheduling server,
and gets instructions for more work.
This cycle is repeated indefinitely.
</ol>
BOINC does this all automatically;
you don't have to do anything.
</td></tr></table>
<h2>Credit</h2>
The project's server keeps track of how much work
each participant has contributed;
this is called <b>credit</b>.
The following system is used
to ensure that credit is granted fairly:
<ul>
<li> Each work unit is sent to at least two computers.
<li> When a computer reports a result,
it claims a certain amount of credit,
based on how much CPU time was used.
<li> 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.
</ul>
<br>
<center>
<img src=http://boinc.berkeley.edu/credit.png>
</center>
<br>
There may be a delay of several days between
when your computer reports a result
and when it is granted credit for the result.
Your <a href=home.php>User page</a> shows you how much credit is 'pending'
(claimed but not granted).
<br><br>
<table cellpadding=8 width=100%><tr><td bgcolor=ffffcc>
<h2>More information</h2>
More detailed information about participating in BOINC projects
is <a href=http://boinc.berkeley.edu/participate.php>here</a>.
</td></tr></table>
";
page_tail();
?>
|
