Prime95 30.8 (big P-1 changes, see post #551)

[M0CZY]

First of all verify in TaskManager that the progam is not running windowless.
Then open a command prompt window, navigate to the Prime95 folder, then launch Prime95. Maybe you will see a message...
If none of this gives any clue, you could try to look in the EventViewer...

After you double-click prime95.exe, it really isn't running in the Task Manager.
I already tried this. If you try to execute it in the Command Prompt, nothing happens.
I have no idea how to check the Event Viewer, or where to look for the correct entries.
Sorry I can't be of more help.

Just as an afterthought, I don't use this laptop much nowadays, as it is too slow to do much meaningful work, so it is not cost effective, and I imagine most 32-bit computers now fall into this category.
As the numbers get bigger and bigger, maybe it is almost time to abandon 32-bit prime95/mprime applications completely, like most other projects, like Folding at Home have already done.
I haven't checked, but I doubt that there are many 32-bit computers still active on GIMPS now. Just a thought.

[Zhangrc]

Originally Posted by M0CZY

I haven't checked, but I doubt that there are many 32-bit computers still active on GIMPS now. Just a thought.

Usually they run older versions.
32-bit computers can't have much memory (32-bit means 4GB, but usually they have less than 2GB of available RAM for Prime95), making v30.8's better P-1 performance worthless. 30.3 to 30.7 is enough.

[JuanTutors]

Are there any plans on having P95 be able to go back to previously completed P-1 factoring on active assignments so that it can get to a more optimized bound? I have a few computers running but all of my PRP gets done on my faster computer with 32GB ram. All of my assignments are between 1% and 65% done with PRP testing. I usually do all my P-1 on my faster computer.

[masser]

Originally Posted by JuanTutors

Are there any plans on having P95 be able to go back to previously completed P-1 factoring on active assignments so that it can get to a more optimized bound? I have a few computers running but all of my PRP gets done on my faster computer with 32GB ram. All of my assignments are between 1% and 65% done with PRP testing. I usually do all my P-1 on my faster computer.

Even with the improvements to recent versions of P95/mprime, it is rarely profitable to re-run a P-1, especially near the active assignments range. Maybe if B1=B2=very small value, a second run might make sense, but those cases are somewhat rare, I think.

[James Heinrich]

Originally Posted by JuanTutors

Are there any plans on having P95 be able to go back to previously completed P-1 factoring

It's only possible (and then with limitations) to "extend" P-1 to better bounds if you planned ahead and kept a copy of the P-1 save files. In most cases redoing P-1 to better bounds means redoing it entirely. There is a small group of users who do look for badly done P-1 and redo it to better bounds, but this is currently mostly in the range of P-1 that was done 10-20 years ago, in the <30M ranges. There used to be good reason to re-run badly-done P-1 between the first and second LL tests (in hopes to avoid the DC) but since PRP is more-or-less a single test now that before-DC window no longer exists.

[JuanTutors]

Originally Posted by M0CZY

As the numbers get bigger and bigger, maybe it is almost time to abandon 32-bit prime95/mprime applications completely, like most other projects, like Folding at Home have already done.

Unlike most distributed computing projects, the size of the Prime95 problem is only bounded by reasonableness over time, which is practically infinite. As long as that remains true, there is no benefit to reducing contributions from any specific machines.

[kriesel]

Once upon a time a 486 was reasonable hardware to use in GIMPS. It is now several orders of magnitude less energy efficient per unit of computation accomplished than current production hardware. And a few orders of magnitude smaller addressable memory. And some orders of magnitude slower. There comes a point when it makes more sense to unplug ancient hardware and allocate what would have been spent on its electricity toward newer more capable hardware.

[James Heinrich]

Even if no new versions of Prime95 software were released for Win32, any 32-bit computers could still contribute with existing software. Stopping development and stopping participation are very different things.

[LOBES]

Originally Posted by Kaboom

I, too, haven't got any CERT work since upgrading to 30.8b15.

Mine doesn't even request them, even though I think I've got it configured correctly, with brand new installs on both Windows and Linux.

Is anyone getting cert assignments with 30.8 build 15?

[Prime95]

There are lots of reasons one might not get CERT work.

P-1, P+1, ECM disables CERTs (expensive to interrupt stage 2 because of stage 2 init time)
CPU hours per day set below 12
Using PauseWhileRunning
Exceeding daily download limit
Exceeding daily CPU time for CERTs
Explicitly choosing no CERT work

[Kaboom]

Originally Posted by Prime95

There are lots of reasons one might not get CERT work.

Even though previous versions used to get it?

Originally Posted by Prime95

P-1, P+1, ECM disables CERTs (expensive to interrupt stage 2 because of stage 2 init time)

But cores dedicated to "Whatever makes sense" are supposed to get CERTs, right? Version 30.7 got them.

Originally Posted by Prime95

Using PauseWhileRunning

Do you mean just having the option set, even though no listed programs are running?

I think the "problem", here, is that, with the same configuration, 30.7 used to get CERT work, while 30.8 does not.

Thanks for all your work, anyway.