linux - What should I make my computer do while I'm away from keyboard?

07
2014-07
  • Vittorio Romeo

    This question already has an answer here:

    • Answers
  • terdon

    Yes, there is. There are quite a few projects that use idle computers for scientific research, the most famous (at least the ones I know) are:

    • SETI@home:

      SETI@home is a scientific experiment that uses Internet-connected computers in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). You can participate by running a free program that downloads and analyzes radio telescope data.

    • Folding@home:

      Help Stanford University scientists studying Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's, and many cancers by simply running a piece of software on your computer.

      The problems we are trying to solve require so many calculations, we ask people to donate their unused computer power to crunch some of the numbers.

    If you're only interested in administrative tasks, you could lso consider running things like updatedb to refresh locate's database.

  • ForeverWintr

    Wikipedia has a list of distributed computing projects that you could contribute to.

    You could also "mine" bitcoin, although I'm not sure how much money you'd net after paying for electricity.

  • Jacob Rabinsun

    I personally think this is a beautiful question.

    I myself run Folding@home some nights on my machine, although I have a very old PC. If you have a good set of hardware equipments, you might want to try it too. It is basically a distributed computing project, trying to find cures for some kinds of cancers.

    I found them one night, when I was thinking about: "Would we be able to build the strongest supercomputer in the world, by uniting all the seemingly small PCs and smartphones, and then let the users use this power on a shared basis. Like when you want to do some processing and need a powerful CPU, well, you can use this huge network of CPUs." Then I googled for "Shared computing", and I was directed to this Wikipedia article. In there you can find a huge list of such projects that you could and might possibly want to devote your computing power to.


    • Related Question

    cleaning - How often should I dust the inside of my computer?
  • Axxmasterr

    I would like to avoid frying my computer. I understand dust collects inside on the boards and the CPU cooling unit. How often should I open up the chassis and what process should I use to safely remove the dust?


    • Related Answers
  • The How-To Geek

    This depends greatly on how dusty your house is. I open mine up every few months, and use some pressurized air to blow out all the vents, etc.

    You'll want to pay special attention to the areas that usually get hot - for instance, the CPU. Make sure there's proper air flow through the system, and if you turn your computer off a lot, you'll notice a build-up on the fans as well.

    If you live in a dusty area, or are a smoker, you'll want to do this on a very regular basis.

  • NoCarrier

    Its a good idea to run temp monitoring software in your systray (like motherboard monitor) to watch the ambient/Cpu temps - this should allay your concerns with frying your machine. Typically if your CPU cooling / case ventilation fans are installed properly, you SHOULDN'T have cooling problems.

    Most modern cases have filters on the fans that draw air into the case as well.

    That said, compressed air is your best bet. Unless your house is super dusty or you're a smoker, chances are you can get by blowing it out with an air duster a few times a year.

    Your main cleaning areas should be

    • CPU heatsink/fan assembly
    • motherboard chipset fan assembly
    • powersupply if accessible
    • case fans
    • hard drives.
  • Ciaran

    Don't dust.

    Air in a can instead.

    If your fans seem to be speeding up sooner than before, its time for a clean. Thats the rule I go by.

    Best practice is to keep the area clean though!

  • fretje

    I think most users should never dust the inside of their computer.

    I won't say that I haven't done that with my pc ever, but I do know that I can count the times I have done that on one hand. But then I'm not like 'most users'.

  • Andrew Arnott

    If you keep your computer area clean and dust free as much as possible around the outside of your computer, most computers should last a few years without inside dusting. But I personally open mine every 6-12 months just to give it a good compressed air blast.

  • Isxek

    Personally, I clean my PC at least once a month just to reduce the build-up inside. Disconnect the cables, take the motherboard out, clean the casing and the fans, and put them back in.

    It's rather dusty where I live, and since we don't have airconditioning, that's what we usually do.

  • JohnFx

    Don't bother. By the time there is enough dust to cause a problem, the computer is probably obsolete. =)