On Tue, 17 Apr 2001 20:25:04 -0700, Aaron Blosser wrote:
>> >From time to time, we also download new versions of the Juno software to
>> >bring your version up to date, and we expect to download new scientific
>> >software from time to time as part of the Juno Virtual Supercomputer
>Project.
>>
>> NO mention of security, NO mention of encryption, targeted to Windows
>> 9x users - truly impressive.
>
>This also begs an interesting question of what happens if the "scientific
>software" conflicts with something on your system.
>
>As much as I just love GIMPS, there is one interesting little bugaboo that I
>don't know if it's been mentioned: Anyone else out there use Netmeeting to
>do videoconferencing? If so, have you noticed that if NTPRIME (the NT
>service version) is running, your video will go REALLY REALLY slow? I don't
>know of Prime95 has the same effect or not, but I'd guess so.
I wouldn't know, not having a need to do videoconferencing. However,
many other projects (not GIMPS) have a need to write to disc at fairly
frequent intervals; this can require stopping those projects (and, in
my case, starting GIMPS - I run it 90% of the time, but not always)
when you need to defragment or run another utility that demands full
access to the disc.
>So again, what happens if Juno's software starts interfering with your other
>apps, even when your not connected?
That's a very good question. If nothing else, on a system with, say,
32 MB of memory, even the memory footprint of the Juno program might
become a problem.
It would be possible, I imagine, to engineer the Juno program in such
a way that any attempt to stop it with a task management utility hangs
the system; I believe some of the web-filtering programs now use that
trick.
>Is it even fair that your free internet connection would actually use your
>computer even when you're not using your free connection? Even the Juno
>banner ads only show up while you're actually online. Imagine if Juno said
>those ads would now show up all through the day whether you're dialed in or
>not.
To be fair, many consumer programs now remain running (albeit using
minimal CPU) by default. AIM, Realplayer and ICQ are only the first
examples to come to mind, and in some cases it took me half an hour to
figure out how to stop the automatic starting. I know many people who
just leave those things running out of ignorance.
>> >The only time your computer might initiate a connection is if a
>> >computational problem is downloaded to your computer when you establish
>one
>> >connection to Juno's central computers, then don't dial in again for a
>long
>> >time.
>>
>> Fourth mention of "downloading to" client computers. I doubt this is
>> just confusion - 'downloading' is usually something web users do
>> voluntarily.
>
>They should call it a "push install" or something, whereas you're right,
>downloading is more of a pull (user initiated). Besides various incidents
>in the past, I am in the biz of doing software installs on large networks,
>and that's the general terminology we'd use for a server based install being
>forced on clients: a push. If it's advertised to workstations but not
>mandatory, pull is appropriate.
I don't know the terminology usually used in the industry. That said,
most consumer programs that I know of don't automatically update
themselves. Many programs (AIM, Napster, Realplayer, Winamp and some
games in my personal experience) connect, and pop up a window
suggesting an upgrade, but don't force it on the user (never mind get
online specifically to carry out a scheduled upgrade!)
The one exception that I know of is AOL; some weeks ago, a friend of
mine and I were talking over IM when she suddenly stopped responding;
as it happened, she was home for the weekend and her AOL client
suddenly decided to lock up its main window, download an upgrade, get
offline, install said upgrade and then inform my friend that she
needed to reboot before getting back online. I don't know to what
extent the purpose of the upgrade was explained to my friend, and you
can imagine how she felt.
Now imagine how she would have felt if she was, say, typing a 3-page
email through ssh at the time the upgrade was shoved down her throat.
>And even then, we have to be careful. Some installs require a reboot. If
>they update your "scientific software" and it needs to reboot, that could be
>annoying. And then software compatibility issues... eech. At least the
>GIMPS software is simple enough to deal with those things, but not all
>programmers are as savvy as dear George.
Also, a lot of programs require far more registry support that GIMPS
does.
>Aaron
Nathan
_________________________________________________________________________
Unsubscribe & list info -- http://www.scruz.net/~luke/signup.htm
Mersenne Prime FAQ -- http://www.tasam.com/~lrwiman/FAQ-mers
