Business free use

maverick74 · 2017-03-29, 15:23

I have a question for which i don't seem to have an answer to anywhere:

Can Prime95 be used for free in a business/enterprise?

For what i see in the EULA it seems so... but i would like to be sure.

Thank you!

firejuggler · 2017-03-29, 16:00

AFAIK, yes, provided you ask your IT department.

NBtarheel_33 · 2017-03-29, 22:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by firejuggler

AFAIK, yes, provided you ask your IT department.

And lest you feel compelled to skip this little inconvenience, Madpoo can fill you in on just how quickly a little old hunt for big numbers can become big trouble. At the minimum it could cost you your present job; at the worst, you could easily become subject to rather unpleasant - as in a chat with the Federales - legal ramifications.

chalsall · 2017-03-29, 23:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by NBtarheel_33

Madpoo can fill you in on just how quickly a little old hunt for big numbers can become big trouble.

LOL...

Madpoo... Care to enlighten those who might not understand the potential downsides?

Uncwilly · 2017-03-30, 00:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by chalsall

Care to enlighten those who might not understand the potential downsides?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=aaron+blosser+%22us+west%22

chalsall · 2017-03-30, 00:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by chalsall

Madpoo... Care to enlighten those who might not understand the potential downsides?

I'm truly sorry if that was embarrassing for you. But, at the same time, you are now the primary sys-admin for PrimeNet.

Sometimes pushing the envelope is a good thing!

maverick74 · 2017-03-30, 15:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by firejuggler

AFAIK, yes, provided you ask your IT department.

In my case, IT department is not a problem for sure! :)

Just wanted to clarify the legal aspects of prime95's license, from their Owner's POV :)

Uncwilly · 2017-03-30, 18:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverick74

Just wanted to clarify the legal aspects of prime95's license, from their Owner's POV :)

If you have legal rights to access the machine and install & run software on it, then you are ok. There is a University that is running Prime95 on 1000's of machines. Also, there are other users here on this forum that are running it on their work machines. One even uses it on machines to help monitor their health. (It can catch machines that are off, disconnected from the net, or beginning to fail.)

NBtarheel_33 · 2017-03-31, 03:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverick74

In my case, IT department is not a problem for sure! :)

Just wanted to clarify the legal aspects of prime95's license, from their Owner's POV :)

So how many machines will you be bringing aboard, and what are the specs of a typical unit? Do you have any GPUs at your disposal?

chalsall · 2017-03-31, 20:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncwilly

One even uses it on machines to help monitor their health. (It can catch machines that are off, disconnected from the net, or beginning to fail.)

I think many of us use it for this purpose. While compute on modern hardware is not free (because of power consumption and (usually) the need to then remove the generated heat), the upside of monitoring the health of the machines can make business sense.

Personally I can't really estimate just how much money and stress GIMPS has saved me over the years by indicating new machines are bad (RMA on the supplier's dime), or that older (sometimes mission critical) machines are going bad.

I even had one case where a client was able to recover a stolen machine because the thief was too stupid to reinstall the OS -- the machine kept checking in every day. IP -> Lat/Long is trivial when the police are involved....

Siegmund · 2017-05-10, 22:45

Yes, the problem will most likely be legal, not IT.

And yes, certain companies will get their knickers into a very tight twist over it, as it one of my previous employers. (But that says something about the company culture right there, and might be a warning about whether you will enjoy working there in other ways.)
Actually it ran quietly for about five years on three consecutive machines I used, until one day a "weekly" security scan turned up a "security threat" from prime95 calling home. Did they have a safer or more stable program they would prefer that I use to notify me whether a remote machine was still turned on or not? No, they didn't. But that didn't matter, to a government-contractor bureaucrat.

Many colleges, including my current employer, are very supportive.

2017-03-29, 15:23	#1
maverick74 Mar 2017 2 Posts	Business free use I have a question for which i don't seem to have an answer to anywhere: Can Prime95 be used for free in a business/enterprise? For what i see in the EULA it seems so... but i would like to be sure. Thank you!

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2017-03-29, 16:00	#2
firejuggler Apr 2010 Over the rainbow 2606₁₀ Posts	AFAIK, yes, provided you ask your IT department.

2017-05-10, 22:45	#11
Siegmund Mar 2014 2×5² Posts	Yes, the problem will most likely be legal, not IT. And yes, certain companies will get their knickers into a very tight twist over it, as it one of my previous employers. (But that says something about the company culture right there, and might be a warning about whether you will enjoy working there in other ways.) Actually it ran quietly for about five years on three consecutive machines I used, until one day a "weekly" security scan turned up a "security threat" from prime95 calling home. Did they have a safer or more stable program they would prefer that I use to notify me whether a remote machine was still turned on or not? No, they didn't. But that didn't matter, to a government-contractor bureaucrat. Many colleges, including my current employer, are very supportive.