Folding@home for IOS device?

Moderators: Site Moderators, FAHC Science Team

Post Reply
Junhano
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Mar 12, 2020 9:29 pm

Folding@home for IOS device?

Post by Junhano »

I know people have said that FAH has tried, but Apple doesn't want background running app so FAH didn't implement on the IOS system. But there is one distributing computing project currently running on the IOS device, it's called DreamLab. I run that occasionally on my iPhone. Does anyone know how they implement the software on the IOS device? Why can't FAH use the same method so in the future we can run FAH on our IOS device as well?
muziqaz
Posts: 901
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2007 6:22 pm
Hardware configuration: 7950x3D, 5950x, 5800x3D, 3900x
7900xtx, Radeon 7, 5700xt, 6900xt, RX 550 640SP
Location: London
Contact:

Re: Folding@home for IOS device?

Post by muziqaz »

Junhano wrote:I know people have said that FAH has tried, but Apple doesn't want background running app so FAH didn't implement on the IOS system. But there is one distributing computing project currently running on the IOS device, it's called DreamLab. I run that occasionally on my iPhone. Does anyone know how they implement the software on the IOS device? Why can't FAH use the same method so in the future we can run FAH on our IOS device as well?
It all bogs down to manpower and resources to develop the software for iOS devices. Priorities must be set, to develop for platforms which will bring the most science back. Unless you have companies like Sony/Apple or MS dedicating some of the manpower to develop something for their platforms, there is no chance F@H developers and coder could create something for them.
FAH Beta tester
bruce
Posts: 20910
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:13 pm
Location: So. Cal.

Re: Folding@home for IOS device?

Post by bruce »

Actually, half of it boils down to manpower and resources. the other half boils down to the suitability of the hardware to continuously process (mostly) FP32 operations.

1. Circuitry doing heavy computation generates a lot of heat and keeping it from overheating is a serious limitation.
2. Battery power is unsuitable unless you've got an automobile to carry the batteries around in.

(no, I'm not advertising for a company that builds electric cars.

FAH doesn't rest, it just keeps draining the batteries and turning it into heat without waiting for you to tell it to keep running.
AL0126
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2020 12:38 pm

Re: Folding@home for IOS device?

Post by AL0126 »

Junhano wrote:Apple doesn't want background running app so FAH didn't implement on the IOS system. But there is one distributing computing project currently running on the IOS device, it's called DreamLab. I run that occasionally on my iPhone. Does anyone know how they implement the software on the IOS device?
DreamLab is designed to run exclusively in the foreground and is incapable of running in the background for the reasons you mentioned (Apple won't let apps run in the background). When you start a DreamLab session, it will only continue if you don't lock the device/turn off the screen, otherwise it goes to the background and gets suspended. When you leave the screen on, DreamLab darkens the screen but doesn't allow it to switch off so that it can keep on working - you end up with a black screen with a tiny silhouetted DreamLab logo in the center (and I don't run it on my iPhone for this reason - the logo never moves, so even though it's extremely dim, it will contribute to OLED screen burn-in eventually).
Also, testing on both my iPhone and iPad, they both just get a little warm running the DreamLab app and don't get hot at all. I don't think the app's developers are taking full advantage of Apple's hardware, as they should get quite hot if they were.

Anyway, FAH could technically do the same thing on iOS if the developers were happy to let it run with the same restrictions in place, although they'd also need to support Apple's Metal API to take advantage of the graphics compute in Apple's hardware, and that wouldn't be trivial at all...
ChristianVirtual
Posts: 1596
Joined: Tue May 28, 2013 12:14 pm
Location: Tokyo

Re: Folding@home for IOS device?

Post by ChristianVirtual »

AL0126 wrote:
Junhano wrote:Apple doesn't want background running app so FAH didn't implement on the IOS system. But there is one distributing computing project currently running on the IOS device, it's called DreamLab. I run that occasionally on my iPhone. Does anyone know how they implement the software on the IOS device?
Anyway, FAH could technically do the same thing on iOS if the developers were happy to let it run with the same restrictions in place, although they'd also need to support Apple's Metal API to take advantage of the graphics compute in Apple's hardware, and that wouldn't be trivial at all...
With the upcoming Apple Silicon might be good to try ... but it would be different code base compared to what is in place today so I guess I know the answer: limited resources.
ImageImage
Please contribute your logs to http://ppd.fahmm.net
TempleO'Doom
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2022 4:34 am

Re: Folding@home for IOS device?

Post by TempleO'Doom »

I see this thread went dormant for a while, has any progress been made toward an iOS app, or Android? Would love to contribute as much processors as I can.
Joe_H
Site Admin
Posts: 7856
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:41 pm
Hardware configuration: Mac Pro 2.8 quad 12 GB smp4
MacBook Pro 2.9 i7 8 GB smp2
Location: W. MA

Re: Folding@home for IOS device?

Post by Joe_H »

No change, and unlikely to change in that direction. There are a few third party monitoring apps for F@h available on iOS or Android.
Image

iMac 2.8 i7 12 GB smp8, Mac Pro 2.8 quad 12 GB smp6
MacBook Pro 2.9 i7 8 GB smp3
TempleO'Doom
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2022 4:34 am

Re: Folding@home for IOS device?

Post by TempleO'Doom »

If that ever changes, I'll download in a heartbeat!
Post Reply