Detailed setup instructions

Here is a step-by-step guide to getting started.

  1. If you don’t already have the DigitalOcean Marketplace page open (or if you do, but don’t see the $100 credit message on the page), use this link to get there: http://t7.io/cfc. Once you are there, click the blue button Create Computing for COVID Droplet. Step 1
  2. You might encounter a screen asking you to prove that you are human. You are human, right? Complete the DigitalOcean Captcha Page. Step 2
  3. On the Create your account screen, pick which method to use to create your account. We’re going to show the email here. Step 3
  4. Enter your email and password information. Click Sign Up. Step 4
  5. Switch to your email application and find the email DigitalOcean just sent you. Click on the link to verify your email address. Step 5
  6. After clicking to verify your email address, you should land on the Set Up Billing page. Enter your credit card and billing address information and click Save Card. You can also use Paypal. It will take you over to Paypal where you can set up your information, and then it will bring you back. Step 6
  7. You will land on the Welcome page. Don’t worry about filling in anything here, it’s just DigitalOcean marketing stuff. Click on the DigitalOcean logo in the upper left corner. Step 7
  8. You’re now logged in and on the DigitalOcean dashboard. Click the button Get Started with a Droplet in the middle of your screen: a droplet is DigitalOcean’s name for a cloud computer. Step 8
  9. Under Choose an image, click the Marketplace tab. Now, use the search box to search for Computing for COVID: typing covid should bring it up. Select it when it comes up, it will look like this: Step 9
  10. Under Choose a plan, select Basic (it might already be selected). Select the middle $15/mo 2GB plan. You may have to move the carousel of plans to the left so you can see the right plan. Your plan should say 2 GB / 2 CPUs Step 10
  11. Skip Add block storage, choose a datacenter region you like and skip VPC network. Step 11
  12. Scroll down to Authentication. If you have SSH keys and know what you’re doing, use that option to enter an SSH key. Otherwise, select Password and enter a password in Create root password. Step 12
  13. Scroll down to Finalize and create. Under How many Droplets?, set how many droplets you’d like to create. One droplet = $15/month for 2CPUs of computing power. The screenshot shows 3 droplets being created, therefore 6CPUs of computing power. The cost would be $15 x 3 = $45 a month. If you’re using the $100 credit (good for 60 days), your first two months with this configuration would be free! Under Choose a hostname, leave the default names. Skip Add tags, Select Project and Add backups. Click Create Droplet. Step 13

You’re done! After installation, the droplet(s) connect to the Rosetta@home project and start downloading data to crunch. Here’s what your droplets look like as they start up for the first time: First time start up

After a while you can check to see that your new cloud computer is working by clicking on one of the droplet names and then Graphs on the left side of the following window. It’s very high-level information and just shows how much of each CPU is being used: CPU graphs