DISTRIBUTED-NET(1)

🌸 dnetc — distributed.net distributed computing client for Linux 🌸

okay bestie, sit down, hydrate, because we're about to talk about dnetc — the distributed computing client from distributed.net, living its best life on Linux. this is the DNETC(1) page, aka the distributed-net manpage, and it's genuinely iconic. let's go 💅

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

dnetc [-config] [-flush] [-fetch] [-update] [-benchmark [prj]]
      [-benchmark2 [prj]] [-bench [prj [cn]]] [-test [prj [cn]]]
      [-stress [prj [cn]]] [-cpuinfo] [-restart] [-shutdown] [-pause]
      [-unpause] [-install [...]] [-uninstall] [-import <filename>]
      [-forceunlock <fn>] [-help] [-version] [-ini <filename>] [-e
      <address>] [-nodisk] [-n <count>] [-runbuffers] [-frequent]
      [-inbase <fname>] [-outbase <fname>] [-ckpoint <fname>] [-bin
      <prj> <n>] [-btime [prj] <n>] [-runoffline] [-runonline]
      [-nettimeout <secs>] [-a <address>] [-p <port>] [-nofallback] [-u
      <method>] [-ha <address>] [-hp <port>] [-lurk] [-lurkonly]
      [-interfaces <list>] [-c [prj] <n>] [-numcpu <n>] [-devicenum <n>]
      [-priority <0-9>] [-l <filename>] [-smtplen <len>] [-smtpsrvr
      <host>] [-smtpport <port>] [-smtpfrom <id>] [-smtpdest <id>] [-h
      <hours[:min]>] [-until <HH:MM>] [-noexitfilecheck] [-pausefile
      <fn>] [-exitfile <fn>] [-multiok[=|:][0|1]] [-percentoff]
      [-quiet/-hide] [-noquiet]

like, look at that. a whole buffet of flags. we love a client with range 💖

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

dnetc is a distributed computing client that coordinates with servers operated by distributed.net so that it can team up with other network-connected computers and grind on a common task together. it talks over public networks and processes work that the distributed.net keyservers hand out. it's built to run in idle time, so it does not impact the normal operation of your computer. it's giving polite houseguest. it's giving "i'll just use the leftovers of your CPU, no biggie." 👑

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🎀 INSTALLATION 🎀

since you're already reading this, the author assumes you know how to unpack an archive into a directory of your choice. :) and honestly? yeah. you got this.

now, simply fire up the client...

if you've never run the client before, it will kick off the menu-driven configuration. save and quit when you're done, and the configuration file gets saved in the same directory as the client. then just restart the client. from that point on it uses the saved config. set it and forget it, queen. ✨

the configuration options are fairly self-explanatory and can be run at any time by starting the client with the -config option. a list of command line options is listed below. (spoiler: it's a lot. and we're covering every single one. no skips.) 🫶

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💅 OPTIONS 💅

in addition to the conventional command line passed to the client from a shell, options may also be passed to the client using either or both of the following methods:

• using the dnetc_opt= environment variable. if set, this is parsed before the normal command line.
• using the //etc/distributed-net.conf command files. if found, these are parsed after the normal command line.

okay important!! "Mode commands" (see below) cannot be executed using these methods, and there is no run-time display of modified settings — unless the settings are also modified using the conventional command line, in which case the last effective change is displayed. so like, don't @ me when your mode command silently does nothing through the config file. it's not a bug, it's a boundary. 💀

⭐ Mode commands: (the client will execute the option and then exit)

• -config — start the configuration menu
• -flush — flush all output buffers
• -fetch — fill all input buffers
• -update — fetch + flush
• -benchmark [prj] — 16-20 sec speed check [optional: only project prj]
• -benchmark2 [prj] — half (8-10 sec) and slightly inaccurate -benchmark
• -bench [prj [cn] — -benchmark all cores [optional: only project prj] [optional: only core cn, must be used with prj]
• -test [prj [cn] — tests for core errors [optional: only project prj] [optional: only core cn, must be used with prj]
• -stress [prj [cn]] — more thorough and longer running variant of -test
• -cpuinfo — print information about the detected cpu(s)
• -restart — restart all active clients
• -shutdown — gracefully shut down all active clients
• -pause — pause all active clients
• -unpause — unpause all active clients
• -install [...] — install the client in /etc[/rc.d]/init.d/. all [...options...] that follow -install serve as parameters for the installed client.
• -uninstall — remove the client from /etc[/rc.d]/init.d/
• -import <filename> — import packets from file <filename> into client buffers
• -forceunlock <fn> — unlock buffer file <fn>
• -help — display this text
• -version — print version information

🌈 Project and buffer related options:

• -ini <filename> — override default name of INI file
• -e <address> — the email id by which you are known to distributed.net
• -nodisk — don't use disk buffer files
• -n <count> — packets to complete. -1 forces exit when buffer is empty.
• -runbuffers — set -n == -1 (exit when buffers are empty)
• -frequent — frequently check if buffers need topping-up
• -inbase <fname> — input buffer basename (ie without 'extension'/suffix)
• -outbase <fname> — output buffer basename (ie without 'extension'/suffix)
• -ckpoint <fname> — set the name of the checkpoint file
• -bin <prj> <n> — set fetch buffer threshold to <n> work units
• -btime [prj <n>] — set fetch time threshold to <n> hours. if not specified, project name <prj> defaults to RC5

🦄 Network update related options:

• -runoffline — disable network access
• -runonline — enable network access
• -nettimeout <secs> — set the network timeout. use -1 to force blocking mode
• -a <address> — keyserver name or IP address
• -p <port> — keyserver port number
• -nofallback — don't fallback to a distributed.net keyserver
• -u <method> — use this UUE/HTTP encoding method (see -config)
• -ha <address> — http/socks proxy name or IP address
• -hp <port> — http/socks proxy port
• -lurk — automatically detect modem connections
• -lurkonly — perform buffer updates only when a connection is detected
• -interfaces <list> — limit the interfaces to monitor for online/offline status

🔥 Performance related options:

• -c [prj <n>] — core number (run -config for a list of valid core numbers). project name 'prj' defaults to RC5
• -numcpu <n> — run <n> threads/run on <n> cpus. 0 forces single-threading.
• -devicenum <n> — run on device <n> only.
• -priority <0-9> — scheduling priority from 0 (lowest/idle) to 9 (normal/user)

🍓 Logging options:

• -l <filename> — name of the log file
• -smtplen <len> — max size (in bytes) of a mail message (0 means no mail)
• -smtpsrvr <host> — name or IP address of mail (SMTP) server
• -smtpport <port> — mail (SMTP) server port number
• -smtpfrom <id> — who the client should say is sending the message
• -smtpdest <id> — who the client should send mail to

🧚 Miscellaneous runtime options:

• -h <hours[:min]> — time limit in hours
• -until <HH:MM> — quit at HH:MM (eg 07:30)
• -noexitfilecheck — override .ini exit flagfile setting
• -pausefile <fn> — name of file that causes the client to pause
• -exitfile <fn> — name of file that causes the client to exit
• -multiok[=|:][0|1] — allow/disallow multiple instances of the client to run. the default is 'allow' for all platforms but Windows.
• -percentoff — don't display work completion as a running percentage
• -quiet/-hide — suppress screen output (== detach for some clients)
• -noquiet — don't suppress screen output (override ini quiet setting)

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🙈 BUGS 🙈

distributed.net maintains a database to assist with the tracking and resolution of bugs in dnetc and related software.

if you believe you have found a bug, please submit it to the distributed.net bug tracking database at http://bugs.distributed.net/

bestie, pls pls pls — when you do that, provide the entire version descriptor as displayed on client start. for example, the client version this manpage was generated for was "dnetc v2.9112-521-CFR-16020313 for Linux". they need it. it's the receipts. 🧾

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🌸 ENVIRONMENT 🌸

• dnetc_opt (or the upper-case version thereof) — additional source of command line options (parsed first)

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💜 FILES 💜

• /etc/distributed-net.conf — additional sources of command line options (parsed last)

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

Client documentation: dnetc.txt and http://faq.distributed.net/

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⭐ AUTHOR ⭐

distributed.net http://www.distributed.net/

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aaaand that's the whole page, no cap. this version of the manpage dropped Wed Feb 3 16:09:14 2016 and it's filed under DNETC(1) from the distributed.net crew. go forth and crunch some work units, you gorgeous little CPU whisperer 🫶💖✨