Entropia's
Internet PrimeNet Server
Parallel Technology for the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search

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PrimeNet Frequently Asked Questions

Question Index

• About Setting up and Using the Software
  • What is the impact of the software on my computer?
  • How do I move the software to a different computer so I can continue work in progress?
    
    
• Most Recent FAQs
  • "Assignment does not belong to us"
  • I just upgraded but now I get error 2250
  • I just upgraded and am using Linux , but now I get error 2250
  • Exception 6baH in module RPCRT4.DLL at 015f:7fbd90c9
  • Program crashes immediately after starting, in RPCRT4.DLL
  • My GIMPS program changed its account ID to a S-series ID ("S12345"). How do I fix this?
  • Related error: Assignment does not belong to us errors (error 17)
  • After configuring my user information, I get an error 13
    
    
• Assignments, Testing and Test Results
  • I always get double-checking assignments, even though I select primality tests
  • "Bad factoring assignment" using a 486 or Cyrix CPU
  • "Server out of assignments"
  • I requested primality tests but got a factoring assignment
  • "Server returned bad exponent 0"
  • Factoring assignment 'locked up'
  • "Assignment does not belong to us"
  • I tested some PrimeNet exponents on a computer that has no Internet connection. Why didn't this work get credited to my account?
  • I just started using PrimeNet with Prime95. Why don't my earlier test results show in my account report?
  • Why is it that Prime95 finished a factoring assignment, but the exponent does not appear on the completed exponents list?
    
    
• Networking PrimeNet
  • Exception 6baH in module RPCRT4.DLL at 015f:7fbd90c9
  • PrimeNet error 4
  • PrimeNet error 19
  • PrimeNet error 29
  • PrimeNet error 37
  • PrimeNet error 87
  • PrimeNet error 2250
  • PrimeNet error 12007
  • PrimeNet error 12029
  • PrimeNet error 12152
  • "Unable to load RpcNet.DLL" or "Unable to load HttpNet.DLL" or "PrimeNet error 1"
  • Configuring proxy server HTTP connections
  • Configuring proxy server RPC connections
  • Configuring a computer as your own proxy, to network a second PC
    
    
• PrimeNet Accounts and Account Tracking
  • Making a team account from two or more accounts
  • Merging an old or second account into your main account
  • Changing your account ID
  • Resuming work following disk failures and lost test assignments
    
    
• PrimeNet Reports
  • How can I see the optional computer ID in my PrimeNet account report?
  • My account's recent work completed exponent count dropped dramatically - what happened?
  • What happened to all the tested exponents in the Cleared Exponents Report?
  • Why is factoring CPU time not ranked with equal weight as primality (Lucas-Lehmer) test CPU time?
    
    
• UNIX and MacIntosh Support
  • How do I setup MPrime on FreeBSD UNIX?
  • When will UNIX and Macintosh versions be available?
    
    

• I always get double-checking assignments, even though I select primality tests
  
  Click Help, About Prime95, or check your readme.txt file for the program version.   You are probably running the now obsolete version 17 software.  Please upgrade to version 18 to perform primality tests. In the future, v17 programs will be constrained to factoring only.
  
  

• Exception 6baH in module RPCRT4.DLL at 015f:7fbd90c9
  Program crashes immediately after starting
  
  Select HTTP protocol in the PrimeNet options, and restart the program.  This is an extremely rare problem caused by a DNS database mapping error with the RPC protocol.
  
  If the error happens immediately after you start the program, such that you don't have time to change the protocol, simply edit prime.ini and set UseHTTP=1 before you start the program.
  
  If you must use the RPC protocol, please download the v18 software after 12 April 1999 with an updated RpcNet.dll file.
  
  
• I just upgraded but now I get error 2250
  
  You are using RPC. Try selecting the HTTP protocol button in the PrimeNet settings.  HTTP is the prefered communication method. If the problem persists, and you can't use HTTP, please email us immediately.
  
  If you are upgrading from a version earlier than 16.4 and are using proxy configured primenet.ini file, reset your user password and set ProxyMask=0.
  
  
• I just upgraded and am using Linux, but now I get error 2250
  
  You are most likely running on an older distribution that uses either libc5 (generic) or glibc 2.0 (RedHat). If so, you will need to download v20. Next, create a file called primenet.ini in the folder where you placed the mprime.exe and enter the following text line:
  
  EntropiaIP=216.120.70.80
  
  If you still receive the error, please email us immediately.
  
  
  
• "Bad factoring assignment" while using a 486 or Cyrix CPU
  
  On 486 or Cyrix CPUs, there's a bug in the 16.3 version of Prime95 where factoring assignments already factored through 62 bits cause an error: "Bad factoring assignment". Download the Prime95.exe v20 update and replace the program.
  
  
  
• "Server out of assignments"
  
  If you recently upgraded to version 16.3 of Prime95 or NTPrime, but your computer is not getting new assignments, or it is getting factoring assignments when you expected primality tests, this indicates you did not upgrade your PrimeNet.dll and HttpNet.dll files with it.  If you renamed HttpNet.dll to use version 15, you must also rename HttpNet.dll to PrimeNet.dll again for version 16.  Low-tech install, we know, but good install software is bigger than the Mersenne test programs.
  
  If you use a primenet.ini file to configure a proxy server, and have a userid and password, you must re-enter the password and set ProxyMask=0 in the file.
  
  Lastly, it is possible the server really is out of assignments of a certain type, though this would mean we fell asleep for several weeks and is hardly likely. Check PrimeNet's status page, and if necessary please email primenet@mersenne.org.
  
  
• What does 'Server returned bad exponent 0' mean?
  I requested primality tests but got a factoring assignment.
  My computer is doing factoring work, but seems to have 'locked up' - what's wrong?
  
  There are two known reasons:
  
  

  Your network does not support the RPC protocol.   Select the HTTP protocol in the v18 PrimeNet options.  You may need to exit Prime96 and restart it to engage the new protocol correctly.  This problem may occur after you upgrade to the v18 software. If you use a primenet.ini file to configure a proxy server, and have a userid and password, you need to re-enter the password and set ProxyMask=0 in the file. You are using old software. If you are running Prime95 Beta 15.1, 15.2, 15.3 or Release 15.4, the current GIMPS project work requires more powerful programs, and make it necessary for you to upgrade Prime95 to the release 17 version. Before you upgrade: If you have a prime.spl file, connect to the Internet to allow any messages be sent, then upgrade your software.

• I tested some PrimeNet exponents on a computer that has no Internet connection. Why didn't this work get credited to my account?
  
  PrimeNet supports dial-up and permanent connection Internet clients. The computers do not need to maintain a live Internet connection, however any transactions they perform with PrimeNet when they do connect must be for that computer only.
  
  PrimeNet does not support or credit testing work performed by copying entries from the worktodo.ini file of a computer using PrimeNet, testing the exponents on a different computer, and then copying the results back to the PrimeNet client again. This defeats PrimeNet's test tracking system.
  
  PrimeNet knows when a test result was computed on a different computer. It will accept your results for the master database log, but it will not credit your account for the test work.
  
  To connect a second PC to a PC that has Internet access, you can setup a simple serial cable to network them using Win95 and WinNT's direct cable networking features, and configure a home PC proxy on the computer that has Internet access.
  
  
  
• What does PrimeNet error 4 indicate?
  
  You upgraded from an earlier version of Prime95 or NTPrime, and did not first connect to the Internet to send pending messages to the PrimeNet server.
  
  Before you upgrade: If you have a prime.spl file, connect to the Internet to allow any messages be sent, then upgrade your software.
  
  
• After configuring my user information, I get an error 13.
  
  When configuring Prime95, you may have used an illegal character in either the User ID, password or computer ID. Characters that are not allowed are '%'', '&', '+' or ' '(space).
  
  A fix for this is contained in the v20 version of Prime95 to correct this, it will replace these characters with an "_".
  
  

• What does PrimeNet error 19 indicate?
  
  Error 19 means PrimeNet can't authenticate the client program's digital signature on a data packet.
  
  If you are running v15 or v16 software, please upgrade to the release v20 program.   If you are running v18, most likely you upgraded from v15 software before sending outstanding transactions in the prime.spl file. Solution: rename prime.spl to save-prime.spl and send your results file to me at primenet@mersenne.org so I can still check in your work for CPU credit.
  
  You can also get this error by compiling the test programs from source code, and then using it with PrimeNet. For safety reasons, only trusted program builds are permitted to access the server.
  
  Before you upgrade: If you have a prime.spl file, connect to the Internet to allow any messages be sent, then upgrade your software.
  
  
• What does PrimeNet error 87 indicate?
  What does PrimeNet error 29 indicate?
  
  There are four reasons for errors 87 and 29:
  
  

  If you have never used PrimeNet before, it is almost always caused by using the HTTP version on PrimeNet.dll behind a firewall that requires userid/password access.  The error generally means HttpNet.dll is getting an unreadable response from PrimeNet.   Please see the instructions for specifying a userid and password for a firewall/proxy. Error 87 only: If you recently upgraded Prime95 and have been using PrimeNet before without difficulty, it is likely you did not allow Prime95 to connect to PrimeNet and send outstanding transactions in prime.spl before you upgraded. Solution: rename prime.spl to save-prime.spl and send your results file to me at primenet@mersenne.org so I can check in your work for CPU credit. Error 29 only: If you use a proxy server with a userid/password and upgraded to v18, you will need to reset your proxy password and set ProxyMask=0 in primenet.ini. PrimeNet may be temporarily off line for maintenance.   In general, this web site will also be offline at the same time.

• What does PrimeNet error 37 indicate?
  
  It means literally, 'wrong PrimeNet DLL version'. You are probably using year-old v15 beta software, which became unsupported by the PrimeNet 4.0 server.
  
  Please upgrade to v18. If you can't connect to send pending results, copy the file folder to a safe location and then proceed with the upgrade.  If the results do not transmit correctly, email the prime.spl and prime.log files to me at primenet@mersenne.org so I can check in your work for CPU credit.
  
  
• What does error 2250 mean?
  
  You are using the RPC protocol, and the program can't connect to PrimeNet. This might indicate you have a firewall and must use the HTTP protocol, or even set up a proxy configuration. Start by trying the HTTP protocol.
  
  
• What does PrimeNet error 12007 mean?
  
  Can't find PrimeNet server. If you are using v15, v16 or v17 software, please upgrade to v20. If you have a proxy configuration file, primenet.ini, and you use a user ID and password to use it, you also need to edit the file, and reset the password and set ProxyPass=0.
  
  If you are already using v18 software, check your primenet.ini file, or verify that your network does not require a proxy configuration.
  
  
  
• What does PrimeNet error 12029 mean?
  
  Can't find PrimeNet server. If you are using PrimeNet for the first time through a proxy server or firewall, check your web browser settings for the proxy address and port number, and make sure the primenet.ini file settings match this.  Most often the 'http://' part of the ProxyHost URL is omitted, or the port # is wrong, or the wrong proxy server is named.
  
  If the error still happens, there may some other issue preventing your computer from connecting to PrimeNet.  E-mail us at primenet@mersenne.org about it.
  
  
  
• What does PrimeNet error 12152 mean, when using the HTTP version of PrimeNet.dll ?
  
  Wrong proxy password.  If you recently upgraded to v18 software, this is easy to fix: Edit your primenet.ini file, and reset the password value in plaintext, and make ProxyMask=0 again.
  
  This error could also indicate a userid/password is required to use the firewall port, but you did not configure this yet.  See Configuring a Firewall or Proxy.
  
  
  
• I just started using PrimeNet with Prime95.   Why don't my earlier test results show in my account report?
  
  When Prime95 switches to PrimeNet, any results to date from the text file are sent as-is, without further interaction, directly to the server's collection log. This log is periodically retrieved by George Woltman. George always credits all results, but the Internet PrimeNet Server only credits work completed after your account is started and Prime95 begins working with it.
  
  
  
• Why is it that Prime95 finished a factoring assignment, but the exponent does not appear on the completed exponents list?
  
  This indicates no factor was found. If a Mersenne number is factored, it is eliminated as a candidate prime and goes onto the cleared exponents list. If not, it must still be Lucas-Lehmer tested, or subject to further trial-factoring.
  
  In any case, the CPU time spent trial-factoring has been credited to your account.
  
  
  
• Why is factoring CPU time not ranked with equal weight as primality (Lucas-Lehmer) test CPU time?
  
  Primality test time is purposefully biased. Here is the rationale behind the the ranking system used on the Top Producer Awards page:
  
  We all know GIMPS finds Mersenne primes by systematic elimination of non-prime Mersenne numbers.  A LL test returns a not-prime/prime result, but factoring can only at best produce a not-prime result. One might then say finding a factor eliminates a Mersenne candidate, so its CPU time should be weighted the same as a not-prime LL test's CPU time.
  
  Yet in practice, the amount of CPU time attributed to having found factors is a small fraction of the total factoring effort. (I think this is because by the time exponents get into the PrimeNet database, all the easy factors have been found.) It is such a small fraction I just lump it together with the trial-factoring CPU time, which does not result in a not-prime/prime result.
  
  Even if people choose factoring or primality test work, the ranking encourages a pattern of applied CPU time that is like a air-fuel combustion mixture, about a 10:1 ratio of LL CPU time to factoring CPU time.
  
  I needed a way to balance the zoom-ahead factoring so those machines don't run out of things to do, which is easy to do until stronger factoring programs are available. The best way to do that is not to reward the time spent on it as much as the necessary but slow LL tests.
  
  I think most people who start out factoring zoom ahead for a while, notice they only get partway up the list, then switch many of their machines to LL tests. It seems to work out as planned, but it's too soon to know how well it will continue. At the moment, I do not plan to change the ranking system from favoring primality tests.
  
  
  
• My account's recent work completed exponent count dropped dramatically - what happened?
  
  This is normal. Your PrimeNet account testing credit totals never drop, and always reflect the total actual work your machines have contributed.  You are looking at the recent work completed since last master database synchronization, which will vary periodically.
  
  PrimeNet maintains a database that is a 'window' into the master database of Mersenne exponents maintained for GIMPS. Periodically the PrimeNet database is synchronized with the master database - kind of like sliding the 'window' around.
  
  During the synchronization of the PrimeNet database, completed exponents that have been successfully exported to the master database are removed from PrimeNet, causing the recent work completed counts to drop.
  
  
  
• What happened to all the tested exponents in the Cleared Exponents Report?
  
  This is normal, and is directly related to the same routine database merge described in the question immediately above.
  
  
  
• How do I use Prime95 through a proxy server or Internet firewall?
  (there are two ways - also see below next)
  
  You can use the built-in proxy or firewall HTTP protocol support, which is easiest and described below, or setup a PrimeNet Proxy Service for Windows NT, which you configured to reach PrimeNet the same way.
  
  The easiest method uses the built-in HTTP protocol. First simply try using the program to connect to PrimeNet using the HTTP protocol, in the PrimeNet settings, and then select Help, About PrimeNet server.  If this fails with an error (other than 23: server busy), refer to your web browser's proxy settings, and create a file called PrimeNet.INI in the same folder as Prime95.exe, and enter the following text lines. The bracketed line, "[PrimeNet Proxy]" is required:
  
  [PrimeNet Proxy]
  ProxyHost=http://proxy_server_domain:proxy_port#
  
  where you substitute the protocol, proxy server domain name and port number exactly as they appear in your web browser.  You might need to remove the 'http://' prefix to get the connection to work.
  
  Example:
  ProxyHost=http://proxy.supermegacorp.com:8080
  
  - or, if your system does not work with this URL (remove 'http://'):
  ProxyHost=proxy.supermegacorp.com:8080
  
  If a security userid and password are required, add the following lines:
  
  ProxyUser=proxy_userid
  ProxyPass=proxy_password
  ProxyMask=0
  
  After the first secure connection, the ProxyPass value will be encoded and ProxyMask gets set to 1. To later change the password, simply replace the encoded value of ProxyPass with the new password, and set ProxyMask=0.
  
  Proxy Server Locating Tip: If your proxy settings match your web browser, yet the program still can't connect, use the PING command in the MS-DOS command prompt window to test and resolve the proxy server's true address. For example:
  
  c:\windows> PING proxy.supermegacorp.com
  
  Pinging proxy13.supermegacorp.com [207.104.25.155] with 32 bytes of data:
  
  Reply from 216.120.70.80: bytes=32 time=123ms TTL=127
  Reply from 216.120.70.80: bytes=32 time=120ms TTL=127
  Reply from 216.120.70.80: bytes=32 time=121ms TTL=127
  Reply from 216.120.70.80: bytes=32 time=121ms TTL=127
  
  Ping statistics for 216.120.70.801:
  Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
  Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
  Minimum = 120ms, Maximum = 123ms, Average = 121ms
  
  If the ping command echos back from a different proxy server name, use that name instead in the primenet.ini file. In the example above, we pinged proxy.supermegacorp.com, yet proxy13.supermegacorp.com replied, so you would use the latter.
  
  
• Is there a way to use the RPC protocol with a proxy server?
  
  Yes, provided your proxy supports SOCKS. There is a free software package you can use to reroute packets from RpcNet.DLL through your proxy server, called SocksCap, from NEC-USA. SocksCap can be used with Wingate (see next question) to route PrimeNet RPC calls through your own dial-up PC.
  
  You can download SocksCap from  http://www.socks.nec.com/sockscap.html.  For setup help, please contact Luke Welsh.
  
  
  
• How can I set up a PC networked to a peer that has Internet access?
  How do I route PrimeNet from a second PC through my first, dial-up connection PC?
  
  If you know a little about setting up networking, you can try our NT PrimeNet Proxy Service 4.0.  It also runs on Win98/95 as a console application in a DOS window.  It comes with instructions for setup, new RpcNet.dll to support TCP/IP, IPX, Pipes, Windows and UDP network protocols between your computers and the proxy service.  The computer running the proxy service must have HTTP or RPC Internet access.  Prime95/NTPrime clients only.
  
  Alternatively, there is a software package for under US$40 you can use to make your own proxy server to act as a gateway host to other computers on PrimeNet, called WinGate, from Deer Field.  WinGate can be used with SocksCap (see previous question) to route PrimeNet RPC calls through your own dial-up PC. Download WinGate from http://www.deerfield.com/wingate/. For setup help, please contact Earl Malmrose or Luke Welsh
  
  
  
• I just upgraded my software, but my computer says "Unable to load HttpNet.DLL" or "Unable to load RpcNet.DLL" or Prime95 says "PrimeNet error 1".  What should I do?
  
  It's possible the DLL is corrupt in some way.   Try unzipping a fresh copy of the file from the distribution zip file.
  
  For Error 1:  IE 4.0, IE 5.0, Win95 SR2, Win98 or WinNT libraries are required for most machines to properly use the HTTP protocol for PrimeNet.  Some people have reported success with IE 3.0 equipped computers, but I have not tested this.
  
  This allows 3 options:
  
  
  • (recommended) try the RPC protocol.
    
    
  • download and install MS Internet Explorer 5.0 (you don't need to use most of it, or not even the browser - if you prefer),
    
    
  • try downloading and installing the redistributable Internet software components packaged and licensed to us by Microsoft. The downloaded self-installing executables install the WinINET software layer and its supporting libraries, and make required registry settings.  These components are included in later versions of Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, as well as Internet Explorer 3.0, and FrontPage 98.
    
    Warning: When installing these components, never replace a file on your computer with an older file!
    
    Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, download and run WinTdist.exe (U.S. English version)
    [contains WININET.DLL, INLOADER.DLL, SCHANNEL.DLL]
    
    Windows NT 3.51, download and run WinT351.exe (U.S. English version)
    [contains WININET.DLL, INLOADER.DLL]
    
    
    
• What should I do if my computer's disk failed and I lost that machine's test assignments?
  
  Only the work on the partially-tested exponent and unsent results in the prime.spl file are lost.  If you have a recent backup of Prime95's files Prime95.exe, PrimeNet.dll, prime.ini, local.ini, prime.spl, worktodo.ini, pNNNNNNN and/or qNNNNNNN, restoring these files is the easiest option.
  
  Short of this, if you want to continue testing the original exponents you will need to get the account report for your account.  If you can't remember your account information or password, e-mail primenet@mersenne.org.  For each exponent in the report assigned to this machine, add an entry to worktodo.ini for each assigned exponent: for example, "Test=1234567,60", or "Factor=1234567,55", etc., where you substitute the values of the exponents and the no-factors-thru-bits (omit the quotes, too).   After this, start Prime95 and in the User Information enter your account settings.  Lastly, under PrimeNet, mark the checkbox "Send new completion dates to PrimeNet server", and allow Prime95 to update PrimeNet with the new expected completion dates for your assignments.
  
  As a last resort, you can e-mail and indicate which exponents from your account report were on the failed disk, and I can manually check them back into the PrimeNet exponent database. A very very, last resort: do nothing and wait for the assignment timeout to automatically check them in again.  This is the least attractive option because it 'locks up' the untested exponents for a long time.
  
  
  
• How can I see the optional computer ID in my PrimeNet account report?
  
  Set the computer ID field in the PrimeNet dialog window (requires version 16 or later).
  
  
  
• Can several of my friends and myself pool our effort to form a team?
  Can I merge my two PrimeNet accounts?
  Can I change my current PrimeNet account ID?
  
  Note: Changing your account ID in Prime95 transfers all assignments and test credit to the new account ID.
  
  Yes. You can do this by simply changing your PrimeNet user account ID in Prime95 (do not edit the prime.ini file!) to the desired account name.  The desired account name can be an existing account under your control, or a new account.
  
  If you are the team leader, you should 'lock' the account by adding LockUserInfo=1 to the prime.ini file. When this update is sent to PrimeNet, nobody will be able to transfer the account or change the email address and contact person info, unless you email primenet@mersenne.org and request it.
  
  If you somehow created a new account but want to merge it back into your old account, stop Prime95, edit prime.ini and set your old account ID and password.  Start Prime95 and in the User Information put your new account back in again.  Prime95 will automatically tell PrimeNet to merge your old account into the new account.
  
  If this is inconvenient you can always e-mail primenet@mersenne.org with your request.
  
  
  
• What does "Assignment does not belong to us" mean?
  
  PrimeNet has a different account ID associated with that exponent. In most cases, you should ignore this message because PrimeNet will accept the test result from your computer and credit your account the work anyway.

  There are five possible reasons. First check if the test program has acquired a new PrimeNet account ID for you in the User Information settings.   The next thing to check is if the exponent was originally from your manual test range, or assigned by PrimeNet. PrimeNet accepts manual test range exponents already being tested by Prime95 when you start using the server, and begins tracking them for you.

  If your account ID has changed:
  
  

  • Simply use the User Information settings to change the account User ID and password back to their original values. These are case-sensitive, and spaces are changed to underscore characters, so check spelling carefully. Do not edit the prime.ini file to change this! Allow the program to update the PrimeNet server, then check your account.
    
    Changing account IDs when there is problem with your account is an automatic failsafe feature that guarantees your results will always get to the server, where they can then be safely merged back into your primary account. If you have any difficulty with the procedure above, please email us at primenet@mersenne.org.

  
  If the exponent is from your manual test range:
  
  

  • The exponent may have already been tested. PrimeNet will reject updates on tested exponents, and indicate it is not (and should not be) assigned to you. If you believe this is incorrect, contact George Woltman, but otherwise you should discontinue work on it it and delete it from your worktodo.ini file.
    
    

  If the exponent was assigned by PrimeNet:
  

  • A manual action on Prime95's configuration files has not been performed correctly. The prime.ini file, which contains your account information, was not copied with the pNNNNNNN, qNNNNNNN and worktodo.ini files, or the account ID was changed (perhaps upper/lower case was changed) for the exponent being tested, by manually editing prime.ini.
    
    Solution: If you want to continue testing the original exponents you will need to get the account report for the old account.  For each exponent in the report assigned to this machine, add an entry to worktodo.ini for each assigned exponent: for example, "Test=1234567,60", or "Factor=1234567,55", etc., where you subtitute the values of the exponents and the no-factors-thru-bits (omit the quotes, too).   After this, edit prime.ini and set your old account ID and password.  Start Prime95 and in the User Information put your new account back in again.  Prime95 will automatically tell PrimeNet to merge your old account into the new account.
    
    
  • You've changed your password in Prime95.  Prime95 ver. 16 is not equipped to remotely change your password once your account is created, however you can e-mail primenet@mersenne.org and have it changed for you.  Once it has been changed, edit your prime.ini file to set the new password before restarting Prime95.
    
    
  • The exponent has expired and is now assigned to another account. No action is required, however to know for sure it has expired you should also check the account report for your account.
    
    
• What is the impact of the software on my computer?
  
  Somewhere between little and not at all, in almost every case.  Most people never 'feel' or notice the programs are even running!
  
  CPU Time & System Performance - In almost all cases, zero impact. Because your computer can't really stop running between actions, it performs useless CPU busywork called the 'Idle' process - where it literally wastes the CPU cycles, waiting - until a program wants something done again.   This busywork is normally over 90% of the time your computer is running.  The software has been specifically designed to use only these wasted CPU cycles.
  
  Memory Requirements - The Windows versions of the research software uses about 4MB of RAM, which is very reasonable if not small for most computer users. If you have less than 24MB of memory installed, when running many programs while using our software your computer may 'thrash'.  Thrash is when your computer 'pages' virtual memory onto and off of your hard disk and behaves slowly. When this happens, closing almost any application program will release memory and reduce or stop the thrashing.
  
  Disk Space Requirements - The research software uses about 3MB of disk space during normal operation.
  
  
• How do I move the software to a different computer so I can continue work in progress?
  
  Use the following simple steps:

  1. stop the program on the old computer
  2. copy the *entire* file folder to the new computer
  3. on the new computer, add any startup shortcuts you want
  4. start the program, set the CPU info in the Options settings
  5. let the program contact the PrimeNet server to send an update
  
  

• When will UNIX and MacIntosh versions be available?
  Will Windows 3.1 / Win32S versions be available?
  
  Plans have started for support of UNIX clients for Will Edgington's test program!  Use of a different algorithm than that used in George Woltman's programs is important as a check to verify test results.
  
  A Macintosh version is now underway, and will be ported in part from the UNIX client.
  
  
• How do I setup MPrime on FreeBSD 2.0?
  
  The following steps to install and run mprime under FreeBSD 2.0 are courtesy of Paul Missman, missmanp@adelphia.net. For FreeBSD 3.0 software, please use MPrime for FreeBSD 3.0.
  
  To setup MPrime for use with PrimeNet:
  
  
  1. Make a subdirectory under your user directory to hold the mprime program.
  2. Move the tarred and gziped mprime file to that directory. Then "ungzip" and "tar -xvf" the file.
  3. Next, "su" to root, and in the /etc/rc.conf file, change linux_enable="NO" to linux_enable="YES". This enables the Linux emulation daemon.
  4. Reboot the system.
  5. After reboot, su to root again.
  6. Either "mount /cdrom" with the FreeBSD disk #2, or make sure you are connected to the Internet.
  7. Go to /usr/ports/emulators/linux_lib. Do a "make", followed by a "make  install". This will  install the Linux emulation library into the system from either the cdrom or from the ftp site.
  8. After a successful install of the Linux emulation library, reboot the system.
  9. Go to the subdirectory where you placed mprime and type "./mprime -d".  This will start mprime running. It will ask for your user ID and other information, and then terminate if not on the Internet. If it is connected to the Internet, it should grab an assignment from PrimeNet and start running.

  If manual testing, not on the Internet:
  
  

  1. Using the PrimeNet website's manual pages, get a number or numbers to L-L test or factor.
  2. Place the "Test=xxxxxx,yy" or "Factor=xxxxxx,yy" line or lines into the worktodo.ini file in the mprime subdirectory.
  3. Type "./mprime -d" to start mprime running with the usual progress messages to the terminal, or "./mprime" without options to start the program running without any messages.
  4. When mprime is done it will send the results to PrimeNet, or, if the machine is not a networked machine, you will need to take the results.txt file and send it to PrimeNet via the manual web pages.

Web support, contact primenet@mersenne.org.
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