Getting Started

To run simulation projects on Folding@home, you will need a Google email address and an account on Slack.

Request Access

To gain access the Folding@home Assignment Server (AS) and project description editor send an email to projectmanager@foldingathome.org with the following information:

  • Your affiliation.

  • Your Google email address.

For example:

Hi,

I am working with the __________ lab and I am getting started using FAH.
Please grant me access to the Assignment Server and project description
editor.  My google account email is ____________.

Thanks,

Your Name

Slack

Slack is a tool for communicating with Folding@home users, testers, developers and project managers. You can create your own account on http://foldingahome.slack.com/ here: http://fah-slackbot.herokuapp.com/.

GitHub

If you need access to source code or to file a bug report, you will need a GitHub account. Normally, you will not need special access on the FoldingAtHome GitHub account but if you are developing a core or other wise require access to source code you can request access by emailing projectmanager@foldingathome.org.

Bugs (aka issues) are tracked on GitHub in various project repositories. The fah-issues repository tracks bug reports for the non-Open-Source parts of Folding@home.

foldingforum.org

https://foldingforum.org is a bulletin board-style online forum where participants post questions, comments, and bug reports. The forum is administrated by several long-time Folding@home volunteers who are truly amazing in their wizard-like knowledge of Folding@home and their online omnipresence. Also reachable via the forum are an inner sanctum of beta testers who have volunteered to run Folding@home clients on many different kinds of platforms and test new projects. Message bruce for access to the hidden beta tester forums.

Forum Gurus include head guru bruce (Bruce Borden, borden.b@gmail.com), Joe_H (Joe Heimann, heimann@library.umass.edu) and totow (Thomas Forecade).

Work Server Access

If you are using FAH for the first time, you are likely working in a lab with several existing work servers, or are in-training on another lab’s servers. Your PI should give you access according to your local institution’s steps.

If you plan to routinely log in to your WS it may be worthwhile to enable key based login so you don’t have to type in your password every time. On Linux or macOS do the following:

  1. Generate an ssh key, if you do not already have one:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519

You will be prompted to enter a file name and password. Modifying the file name is not recommended. You can supply a password or leave it blank for no password:

  1. Copy your key to the WS:

ssh-copy-id username@workserver

Where username@workserver is your login information for the work server. You will be asked to provide your password to transfer the key to the server.

Now you should be able to ssh in without a password.