this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2023
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Berkeley has this really cool program called BOINC that you can download and donate your computer's resources to processing scientific data. There are a bunch of projects to pick, from working on climate change, to cancer, to the Large Hadron Collider.

The good folks at linuxserver.io even have a ready to go Docker container for easy setup: https://hub.docker.com/r/linuxserver/boinc

Another possibility is running the Archive Team's Warrior, which downloads data from at risk web sites and uploads them to the Internet Archive: https://wiki.archiveteam.org/index.php/ArchiveTeam_Warrior

Does anyone else have examples of projects like this? My dream is for the Fediverse to have this sort of feature eventually.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

What do you mean by "spare"? Modern CPUs scale their electricity usage according to utilisation.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

One would assume they mean sitting around, doing nothing. Some would rather use some electricity to support a good cause than have the computing power sit there idle.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

That makes sense. Thank you.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I use a VPS. They don't charge based on CPU utilization so I run Folding@Home on it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Please only do this on plans with a dedicated vCPU that isn't shared with other users.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’ve participated in their SETI and cancer research projects in the past. It’s a good cause, and I don’t mind making a donation.

I did think the BOINC project was shut down, though. Good to know it’s still going.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My very cursory understanding is that SETI was shutting down, but BOINC (so folding etc) should still be going.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

That’s really good to know. Thanks!

[–] [email protected] -3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Now I know this is being done with encryption, but an open tunnel direct to your non dmz-ed system, is just begging to be hacked, and it will be, without a shadow of doubt.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

In what sense is this "opening a direct tunnel?"

I don't think you really understand what's going on here; or otherwise, I don't.

I've used BOINC without issue for over a decade.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

As far as I know, the BOINC client just pulls down new data for processing when each batch of work is done. There's no pushing and no open tunnel or port. The software risk would be malicious code in a particular project (e.g. if it said it was folding proteins but actually mined bitcoins). I hope there's some vetting of project code.

The other risk is hardware (especially CPU and RAM) running its lifetime down more quickly because of the continual heavier usage.