Suggested projects now that ECC2K-108 is solved

The ECDL project finally solved the ECC2K-108 problem on April 4th 2000.

Everybody who was running the ECDL client can stop it now. If you installed a Linux RPM or the Windows service port, then don't forget to remove it so it won't restart when you reboot.

There are two projects looking for volunteers right now that ECDL participants might in interested in joining:

• One is the ECMNET project which aims to factor Cunningham numbers using the elliptic-curve factoring algorithm. Our colleague Paul Zimmerman has Web pages with source code and ready-to-run binaries..
• The other is the CABAL773 project organised by Arjen Lenstra and Bruce Dodson to factor 2^773+1 using the SNFS algorithm. Note: The CABAL773 project is now finished.

Note these projects have bigger memory requirements than ECDL: ECMNET uses about 25 Megs and CABAL773 needs two or three times that. As a result they can have a bigger effect on machines' responsiveness than ECDL did, so it may be best to avoid running them on low-end machines during working hours... but whatever you do, don't let all those cycles go to waste!

INRIA, Domaine de Voluceau - Rocquencourt, 78153 Le Chesnay, France.