GPU LL Testing FAQ

[garo]

Q. Can I use my GPU for LL testing?
A. Yes, with the program called CUDALucas, with NVidia supported GPUs.

Q. Where can I get the software?
A. See the attached PDF guide.

Q. How do I get work for CUDALucas?
A. You will need to get manually get work from PrimeNet like mfaktc, however CUDALucas currently doesn't use a worktodo file. You test an exponent by using a command line argument; or, to test multiple exponents, use a batch file.

Q. Where are the results stored?
A. mersarch.txt

PDF Guide:
GIMPS GPU Computing Cheat Sheet (pdf)

[bcp19]

Q: DO you have examples of command line entries to run Cudalucas?

I know I can type cudalucas 5412xxx and it'll start running, but how do I get information like mfaktc has, IE: Time spent, time left as well as this checkpoint file it says it cannot find when I start it

[kladner]

The brief batch file example is actually in Best 4XX series GPU .

But I'll reprise here. Spaces between lines added for readability.

First, create a new text file with whatever name you like, but change the extension from .txt to .bat. Windows will warn about changing extensions. Click Yes or OK, or whatever the affirmative answer is. Once you name the file with .bat, you must right click on it and choose Edit from the menu. If you double click it will try to run the batch.

EXAMPLE:
CUDALucas.bat (cudalucas referred to as "CL" hereafter.)

Then type the following lines into the opened (R-click>Edit) file:

e: (if you need to be on a different drive from where the prompt starts. E: happens to be where my CL is. Not needed if you're on already the right drive.)

cd \CUDA\CUDALucas.1.2b (changes to CL directory.)

CUDALucas_cuda3-2_sm_13_WIN64.exe -c10000 5318xxxx

pause

The third line has [program name] (a space followed by)

-c[#######] (which sets the number of iterations between screen outputs. I used 10000 because it was in the sample command line in Brain's FAQ.) (a space followed by)

[put exponent here] >The third line may be repeated as many times as you desire, just with different exponents. This will keep feeding CL non-stop for long runs. Don't put any of the square brackets in, just the numbers or names. There are quite a few other command line switches for CL which can be added to the third line after the program name, but I'm not entirely sure what many of them do. They are always preceded by a "-" (dash).

The last line "pause" is optional. It should hold the prompt window open so you can see the final output when the program runs out of work and stops. I have yet to get there with CL (no completed runs) so I don't know what that final screen would look like. It will end with "Press any key to continue...." When you do, the prompt will close. Note that the prompt window will have the name of the batch file in the title bar.


Similar batch files can be used for mfaktc.

[kladner]

Originally Posted by bcp19

Q: DO you have examples of command line entries to run Cudalucas?

I know I can type cudalucas 5412xxx and it'll start running, but how do I get information like mfaktc has, IE: Time spent, time left as well as this checkpoint file it says it cannot find when I start it

See the previous post on batch files. But to address your questions:
1) I don't know how to get the kind of info that mfaktc puts out. Sorry.
2) The checkpoint file message only occurs on the first time you start the program with an exponent. If it does not find a checkpoint file, it starts the exponent from the beginning. After that, it will have created one in the program folder so it can pick up processing from where it left off.

[Dubslow]

Originally Posted by bcp19

Q: DO you have examples of command line entries to run Cudalucas?

I know I can type cudalucas 5412xxx and it'll start running, but how do I get information like mfaktc has, IE: Time spent, time left as well as this checkpoint file it says it cannot find when I start it

cudalucas.exe -c10000 54123893

That will run cudalucas to output the time between each 10000 iterations, as well as what fft size it's using, and current progress. (It doesn't give an eta, but that's easy to calculate given the time per x iterations.)

[bcp19]

Originally Posted by Dubslow

cudalucas.exe -c10000 54123893

That will run cudalucas to output the time between each 10000 iterations, as well as what fft size it's using, and current progress. (It doesn't give an eta, but that's easy to calculate given the time per x iterations.)

You running the 32 or 64 bit version? I'm running the 32 bit and all I see every 10k iterations is:

Iteration 10000 M< xxxxx >C, 0x90e3daf558958134, n = 4194304, CUDALucas v1.2

Unless I sit and time how long from one iteration to the next (I'm not that interested), I have no time reference to use.

[ATH]

You need to add the -t:
CUDALucas.cuda3.2.sm_13.WIN64.exe -t -c10000 54123893

then you get output like this:
Iteration 10000 M( xxxxxxxx )C, 0x1aa69a25e1ccb38b, n = 4194304, CUDALucas v1.2b (7:36 real, 18.2564 ms/iter, ETA 201:42:26)

[ET_]

Originally Posted by ATH

You need to add the -t:
CUDALucas.cuda3.2.sm_13.WIN64.exe -t -c10000 54123893

then you get output like this:
Iteration 10000 M( xxxxxxxx )C, 0x1aa69a25e1ccb38b, n = 4194304, CUDALucas v1.2b (7:36 real, 18.2564 ms/iter, ETA 201:42:26)

That's a bit of useful information!

Luigi

[kladner]

Originally Posted by ATH

You need to add the -t:
CUDALucas.cuda3.2.sm_13.WIN64.exe -t -c10000 54123893

Thanks for that, ATH!

[bcp19]

Originally Posted by ATH

You need to add the -t:
CUDALucas.cuda3.2.sm_13.WIN64.exe -t -c10000 54123893

then you get output like this:
Iteration 10000 M( xxxxxxxx )C, 0x1aa69a25e1ccb38b, n = 4194304, CUDALucas v1.2b (7:36 real, 18.2564 ms/iter, ETA 201:42:26)

Thanks! Just what I was looking for.

[bcp19]

Sorry for the double post, won't let me edit my last. It must be somethign in the 32 bit version, even using the -t parameter I am not getting any timing indications. :(