Which project should you join?

Well, before you can join a project, you must have downloaded and installed the BOINC Manager - click here to get the latest version for your computer.

Which project you join will depend on:
- which Operating System your PC uses (as some projects do not make work available for certain types of OS)
- your own personal preference (e.g.: if you want to help find a cure for a disease, or to find alien life, or to help build a new piece of science hardware),
- the speed of your processor (expressed in GHz)
- how long you keep your computer switched on (whether it is on 24/7 or 9-5, 5 days a week or even less).

Some projects issue very short duration WU's which need to be returned quickly - usually with a "Report Deadline" of between 3 and 7 days.
Other projects issue longer WU's that take more processing power to complete and hence they have longer deadlines.

Obviously, the faster the PC, the more work can be done in any given time. But a fast PC that is only on for 8 hours a day, may not complete as much work as a slower PC left on 24/7. But please note: Most projects recommend that PC's are switched off when not in general use, in order to save energy and to help prevent the build-up of climate changing gases - as such BOINC does not recommend that you leave you computer on just so that you can generate results for the projects.

So, please choose which project you join carefully, dependant mainly on how quickly you can return the work supplied to you. It makes no sense to crunch work, if you don't return the result within the deadline (or fail to complete the work) - so please only download work if you know you can return the result within the time available.

Look here to see what the Unofficial BOINC wiki says !!

(Please note: BOINC Manager normally manages the work units very well - if it knows it is over committed, it will suspend downloads and will then prioritise your CPU power to only crunch the work units that need to be returned first. This can be over-ridden manually, but for the most part, it is best left to BOINC Manager to resolve so that work does get returned.

Note: Windows Operating System support.
It has come to our attention that some projects only support certain editions of Windows. It has long been known that there is a bug in the "timer" function of the Windows 9x and ME operating system. This first came to light on both SETI and Rosetta projects and it now seems to be relevant to the SIMAP project as well. As such, we recommend that if you are running Win 9x/ME, that you check first with the project you wish to join (via their "Application" page) to see if there is a specific OS that is required. If you have any queries, please check our Forum.

OS support is an ever-changing thing and as such, the following list can get out of date quite quickly, as hardware and OS changes with time....
Where an OS is listed, it is because we can tell from the specific stats site, that credit HAS been given for a particular OS. But that's not to say that WU's continue to be available for that OS - hence why the "Doesn't support" column is there, as some OS are now not given any WU's....!

Explanation of terms used in table
Y = Fully supported
N = No suitable application for this OS
Negligible credits issued = Unlikely to generate any credits using this OS, for the specific project
No credits issued = Historically, zero credits have been awarded to OS, for the specific project

Supports Windows

Supports

Supports

Supports

Project

BOINC stats Credits by OS

Applications

Vista

XP Pro x64

XP

2003

2000

NT

ME

98

95

Linux

Darwin

Others?

Might NOT support

Doesn't support

ABC

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

No credits issued

Y

ABC BETA

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

No credits issued

Y

Belgian Beer

Project stats

Project link

Y?

Y?

Y?

Y?

Y?

Y?

Y?

Y?

SunOS

BOINC Alpha

Project stats

Project link

Y?

Y?

Y?

Y?

Y?

Y?

Y?

BURP

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

No credits issued

Y

Chess960

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

No credits issued

Y

Y

No credits issued

Y

FreeBSD

CPDN

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Negligible credits issued

Negligible credits issued

No credits issued

Y

Y

Win 9x, ME, Mac

CPDN BBC CCE

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Negligible credits issued

Negligible credits issued

N

Y

Win 9x, ME, Mac

CPDN Seasonal Attribution

Project stats

Project link

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

Y

Win NT, 9x, ME, Mac

Project

BOINCstats Credits by OS

Applications

Vista

XP Pro x64

XP

2003

2000

NT

ME

98

95

Linux

Darwin

Others?

Might NOT support

Doesn't support

DepSpid

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

N

N

Linux,

Docking@home

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

N

N

Y

Y

Win 95, Mac

Einstein

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Negligible credits issued

Y

Y

Mac OS X, FreeBSD, SunOS, IRIX, Solaris

OpenBSD - Negligible credits issued,

HashClash

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Negligible credits issued

Y

FreeBSD

Leiden Classical

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Negligible credits issued

Y

Y

LHC

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Negligible credits issued

Y (2.2+)

LHC Alpha

Project stats

Project link

Y?

Y?

Y?

Y?

Y?

Y?

Y?

Project

BOINCstats Credits by OS

Applications

Vista

XP Pro x64

XP

2003

2000

NT

ME

98

95

Linux

Darwin

Others?

Might NOT support

Doesn't support

Malaria Control

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

FreeBSD

Nano-Hive@home

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Negligible credits issued

N

,

Pirates

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

Predictor

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

PrimeGrid

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

No credits issued

Negligible credits issued

Y

N

NO credits issued

,

Project Neuron

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Negligible credits issued

Proteins@home

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

No credits issued

Negligible credits issued

N

,

Project

BOINCstats Credits by OS

Applications

Vista

XP Pro x64

XP

2003

2000

NT

ME

98

95

Linux

Darwin

Others?

Might NOT support

Doesn't support

QMC@home

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

,

Rectilinear

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Negligible credits issued

Y

Negligible credits issued

Y

RenderFarm

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Negligible credits issued

Negligible credits issued

N

Negligible credits issued

RieselSieve

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

Rosetta

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

No credits issued

Y

Y

Max OS/X 10.3+, Mac OS X/Intel

RALPH (Rosetta Alpha)

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Negligible credits issued

Negligible credits issued

N

Y

Y

SETI@home

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Mac OS/X 10.3+, Mac OS X/Intel, SunOS, FreeBSD, HP-UX, OS/2, OpenBSD, NetBSD, SPARC, Solaris

AIX, IRIX, OSF1 - Negligible credits issued

Project

BOINCstats Credits by OS

Applications

Vista

XP Pro x64

XP

2003

2000

NT

ME

98

95

Linux

Darwin

Others?

Might NOT support

Doesn't support

SETI@home BETA

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

SunOS, FreeBSD, HP-UX

SIMAP

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Negligible credits issued

Y

Negligible credits issued

Y (/x86)

Y

Mac OS X/PPC, Mac OS X/Intel, HP-UX, FreeBSd, SunOS

Win 9x, ME

Spinhenge

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Negligible credits issued

Linux/Mac

Sztaki

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Negligible credits issued

Y

Y

SunOS

Tanpaku

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

TMRL DRTG

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

uFluids

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Win 95, Linux, Mac

Project

BOINCstats Credits by OS

Applications

Vista

XP Pro x64

XP

2003

2000

NT

ME

98

95

Linux

Darwin

Others?

Might NOT support

Doesn't support

VTU@home

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

Y

WEP-M+2

Project stats

Project link

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

Y

Y

Win 9x, ME, Mac

WCG

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

FreeBSD, Mac OS X 10.3 or higher

Win 95

XtremLab

Project stats

Project link

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

N

N

Y

Win 9x, ME, Mac

This images shows the typical types of Work Units available for each project:

(With thanks to "Honza" - see here)

Lastly, we are able to offer free support and guidance (via our team forum) to UBT members to help ensure that your PC is operating optimally - please feel free to join up (free of charge) and ask for help if you need to.

Copyright © 2004-2008 UK BOINC Team