Main changes between cado-nfs-2.2.0 and cado-nfs-2.3.0:

• When tasks.threads is not given, it is set to the number of logical cores (including hyperthreading if any) instead of the number of physical cores.
• The estimated time of arrival (ETA) is now printed during the linear algebra phase too.
• Speedup in the linear algebra phase (mksol) when m > n
• DLP support: got rid of the Magma dependency
• Fixed compiler warnings with new versions of compilers.
• Several bug fixes.
• The output files have been shortened. Previously, we had filenames of the form cxxx.TASKNAME.PROGRAMNAME.foo, where TASKNAME was actually an implementation detail. In cado-nfs-2.3.0, TASKNAME goes away.
• In parallel to the change above, the parameter hierarchy no longer includes the TASKNAME, which is an implementation detail. Previously, the finest grain to which one could specify parameters was tasks.PATH_PREFIX.TASKNAME.PROGRAMNAME.foo where PATH_PREFIX is set in scripts/cadofactor/cadotask.py (among polyselect, sieve, filter, linalg, reconstructlog, descent -- some toplevel relevant parameters have no PATH_PREFIX). Now the TASKNAME goes away. This means that as before, setting tasks.sieve.threads works for setting a parameter which is obeyed by las (and actually makefb too), but changes happen when one specifies parameters on a finer grain. While tasks.sieve.sieving.las.threads or tasks.sieve.factorbase.makefb.threads used to work, now these become simply tasks.sieve.las.threads or tasks.sieve.makefb.threads.
• The --verboseparam option to cado-nfs.py now also prints an automatically generated, and by default comprehensive list of parameters that cado-nfs recognizes (among other things which this option still does as it always has). Note that the lists for factoring and DLP differ slightly.
• The database which stores the computation state can now also be backed by a mysql server. This is optional, and requires the python3-mysql.connector package (on Debian linux -- actual package name depends on your OS distribution). To activate this feature, pass the database URI as an extra parameter to cado-nfs.py, e.g. "database=db:mysql://USER:PASS@host:port/foobar", where port, PASS, and USER are optional. The same syntax may be used to have an sqlite3 database as usual, but stored in a different location (which can be handy to work around some filesystem deficiencies). For that, use "database=db:sqlite3:///tmp/foo.db", where obviously "/tmp/foo.db" must be adapted to your preferred database path (you do need the triple /).

Main changes between cado-nfs-2.1.1 and cado-nfs-2.2.0:

• The toplevel scripts (factor.sh, cadofactor.py, wuclient2.py) have changed. Now there are only two main scripts to be used by most users:
  • cado-nfs.py This combines the roles of the previous factor.sh and cadofactor.py. The most basic use is ./cado-nfs.py , and it will factor N on the local host. It can also become a server in a multi-host computation. See README for more details.
  • cado-nfs-client.py This is mostly a renaming of wuclient2.py. This starts a client that can contribute to a running computation, possibly on another machine. By default, factorizations running on the localhost will use all available cores.
• Main algorithmic improvements:
  • polynomial selection: algorithm of Bai, Bouvier, Kruppa, Zimmermann (Better polynomials for GNFS, 2015) has been implemented.
  • relation collection: multi-level buckets for better handling of medium-sized primes; cofactorization strategies à la Kleinjung. Both features are experimental, and not activated by default.
  • linear algebra: support for non-binary base field (for dlp), including the removal of the overhead due to SMs.
• Main speedups:
  • the creation of the factor base is now multithread.
  • linear algebra speedup taking into account machine topology thanks to HWLOC (http://www.open-mpi.org/projects/hwloc/).
  • the square root step is now multithread.
  • default parameters files were optimized for sieving with OPAL/nomad.
• DLP support: now fully functional over prime fields, including the descent step. Still requires Magma for a small number-theoretic computation at the beginning (dependency will be removed sooner or later). See README.dlp for further details.
• In local.sh, the customization of the build_tree using the $up_path variable used to be phrased as: build_tree="${up_path}some/sub/path". Now it should be build_tree="${up_path}/some/sub/path", as $up_path no longer embodies a trailing /
• The polynomial file now supports another format. For giving a polynomial, a line like poly0=17,42,34,55 can be written, to set the polynomial 17+42x+34x^2+55*x^3 on side 0. The old format with X, c, Y,... is still supported, with c and X for side 1 and Y for side 0.
• References to rational or algebraic sides have been reduced (at least internally). This means that several parameters have now aliases corresponding to sizes. For instance, the parameter -lpb1 for las is an alias of -lpba. The common convention is that the rational side (if any) is on side 0, but everything will work if a polynomial file is imported with the rational side on side 1.
• Various changes in the parameter list for the linear algebra task, in particular, the linalg.bwc.mn=... parameter is replaced by 2 separate parameters for m and n. Also the rhs=... parameter allows non-homogeneous system solving (useful for handling SMs with no overhead in DLP mode).
• An estimated time of arrival (ETA) is now printed during the polynomial selection and sieving steps. It corresponds to the estimate finish time of each of those steps (not the full factorization).

Main changes between cado-nfs-1.0 and cado-nfs-1.1:

• the polynomial selection uses the new algorithm presented by Kleinjung at the 2008 CADO workshop (supports multithreading)
• the polynomial selection uses a faster root sieve (rootsieve5)
• the lattice siever (las) supports a larger sieving region (I=16). This is useful for integers greater than 200 digits
• minor bug fixes, small speedup in sieving (las) and filtering (purge)
• reorganization of the binaries in the linear algebra step and speedup when using many machines with MPI
• new experimental scripts to execute the sieve on a cluster. These scripts rely on the OAR job scheduler being used, and exploit its "besteffort" mode. Some even more experimental scripts for linear algebra are in the development version.
• addition of new parameter files and a few new parameters (cf params.c91)
• the linear algebra step now makes use of dynamically loaded shared libraries. This might result in configuration issues, which we hope the scripts get it right. See the README file.