Should mprime work like this?

[Carlos]

One of my machines had a hard drive error (self inflected). Mprime was not able to read one of it's checkpoint files. So mprime copied the other checkpoint file into the bad file. Again mprime could not read the checkpoint file so again it copied the good checkpoint file into the bad checkpoint file. Again mprime could not read the bad checkpoint file so it gave up and started from the begining (wiping out the good file) with the factor in worktodo.ini file.

This cost me several weeks of run time! I would have much perfered if mprime had just stopped! This way I would have had a chance to repair the problem.

I am running mprime235 on this machine. The machine is a P-III.

Carlos

[Xyzzy]

Maybe this will help?

From undoc.txt

You can have the program generate save files every n iterations. The files will have a .XXX extension where XXX equals the current iteration divided by n. In prime.ini enter:

InterimFiles=n

[Carlos]

My Diety! I have read the undoc.txt file many times, but it never soaked in. Your suggestion seems to work. I tried it with 1000 iterations and mprime creates a file every 1 minute. I changed the number of iterations to 1000000.

Mprime also puts an entry in results.txt file containing the residue each time it creates a new IterimFile. I donot know what use to make of this information?

I will make a completly new directory for mprime and test restarting mprime from one of the IterimFile.

I will need to delete some of the IterimFile every few days!

Thanks for the very nice suggestion.

Carlos

[Xyzzy]

Originally Posted by Carlos

Mprime also puts an entry in results.txt file containing the residue each time it creates a new IterimFile. I donot know what use to make of this information?

When we run a verification test of a new prime it is nice to be able to compare residues every million iterations to make sure everything matches... If it were up to me I would make the residue behavior default, since it doesn't add that much to the log file...

[Carlos]

Originally Posted by Xyzzy

When we run a verification test of a new prime it is nice to be able to compare residues every million iterations to make sure everything matches... If it were up to me I would make the residue behavior default, since it doesn't add that much to the log file...

Sounds like a good idea. Does the results.txt file get sent to the server when a number is completed? If you were to post that request, probably most people would be willing to do it. I will turn mine on.

Carlos