BOINC: Windows to Linux

[crashtech]

It's been little problem for me in the past, when re-installing Windows (new platform, etc,), to copy BOINC and BOINCn (multiple client) folders from /ProgramData from the old install to the fresh install once BOINC is on the fresh install. This nicely preserves all the client instances and all the trusted client statuses. Not knowing if there is a way to migrate to Linux while performing a similar operation is one reason that keeps me on Windows. I'm guessing there is not a way to perform a similar operation, cross-OS, as the ProgramData/BOINC/projects directory is chock-full of Windows specific files.

If so, I'll still migrate, but there will no doubt be an impact on my points output even as migrating due to the increased efficiency of Linux increases it, due to administrative overhead, client-server trust issues, and the ever-present learning curve.

 

[Markfw]

Sorry, I just install linux on a new box, and add the apps, and go from there. Not worth the time trying to move anything.

 

[crashtech]

Mint 19 here I come!

 

[emoga]

It doesn't take long to make a new linux boinc box once you get the hang of it and mass adding projects via BoincTasks is easy (since it saves your info.)

 

[crashtech]

Maybe that's the problem. I've never been able to get Boinctasks to work for me.

 

[emoga]

I meant BoincTasks on your main windows system, then control every zombie box with it...

Spoiler: Something Like this

You don't already do this? Or do you mean you can't get it installed on linux on your headless computers? (which requires Wine)

Last time I tried Mint 19, I couldn't get a good Wine install to work. The latest I use is 18.3. I'm sure they fixed that by now though

 

[Modular]

You're gonna love Mint. I've got a 1070gtx cranking out 700k ppd in F@H (only did 550k or so on Windows) and an rx580 smashing Milkyway WUs 20 seconds faster than W10.

 

[crashtech]

I am going to admit right now that I have tried a couple of times to use BioncTasks and it never worked for me. Maybe it's the old school interface, or the fact that I have machines in multiple locations. But maybe I ought to tske another serious stab at it if it's that important. I have put Mint 19 on one machine now, but despite reading up on and executing a few tutorials, BOINC does not recognize the HD7970. Maybe that was not a good way to start, haha. I may try again with Nvidia hardware.

 

[biodoc]

I have put Mint 19 on one machine now, but despite reading up on and executing a few tutorials, BOINC does not recognize the HD7970. Maybe that was not a good way to start, haha. I may try again with Nvidia hardware.

I think starting with your systems with Nvidia cards is a good idea. As far as I can tell the AMDGPU opensource driver provided with the recent versions of ubuntu/mint does not support older cards such as the HD7970 with OpenCL compute capabilities. I think your only option would be Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and the AMDGPU Pro driver that has experimental support for the HD 7970.

 

[StefanR5R]

[...] copy BOINC and BOINCn (multiple client) folders from /ProgramData from the old install to the fresh install once BOINC is on the fresh install. This nicely preserves all the client instances and all the trusted client statuses. Not knowing if there is a way to migrate to Linux while performing a similar operation is one reason that keeps me on Windows. I'm guessing there is not a way to perform a similar operation, cross-OS, as the ProgramData/BOINC/projects directory is chock-full of Windows specific files.

Perhaps it even works, as long as you don't have "app_info.xml"s. Once the client starts one of the projects, it should realize that none of the present application binaries match the current architecture (if this is the right term), and go ask the server for proper application versions. Though I neither tried this myself, nor attempted to look up the responsible client source code sections.

But even if this works, it doesn't necessarily mean that you retain all aspects of client state, like the trust status. After all, client and server need to determine things like FLOPS per application version again. Hence, *if* trust is tied to application versions (I don't know if it is), then your client needs to regain trust anyway.

Mass-adding clients to projects can alternatively be done by copying the account_*.xml files (then restart, or re-read config), or by running respective boinccmd commands for each client.

 

[phoenicis]

Adding a new Linux box to boinctasks on your main windows pc can be quite straightforward provided it's on the same network. Because I don't use fixed IP addresses, I just enter the MAC address in boinctasks and leave the IP blank. It normally picks it up right away and, as the MAC address is a constant, it also picks it up when switching between Windows/Linux on dual boot machines. When working away, which I am most of the time, I use Anydesk to access a master PC on the network and control things from there.

Interesting stuff about copying across boinc folders and mass adding clients. I've been putting off rebuilding some dual boot machines onto larger SSDs for fear of having to reapply so many optimised apps, config files etc. Continuing to live and learn.

 

[StefanR5R]

With multiple clients per host, I found two features of BoincTasks convenient:

• organizing hosts into groups
• adding or modifying host names etc. by editing BoincTasks' computers.xml directly

While BoincTasks works for me with Wine+Linux, it is rather sluggish there, and fully occupies a CPU core much of the time. Therefore I run it on a Windows PC when I have one available, as it needs less CPU and is more responsive there.

 

[Markfw]

Speaking of boinctasks, now I have TWO computers that say password, even though I know its correct, and rebooted/restarted.

The Odd thing is that something about the linux ditro is different on these 2 boxes, notepad/text editor is not the default to edit the files like all the boxes that work. Maybe they are an older mint ? If nobody has any ideas, I may reinstall from scratch./

They are my oldtest linux boxes.

 

[StefanR5R]

Can you access these hosts remotely with boincmgr? (File -> Select computer...)

If yes, then there is something wrong in BoincTasks' config.
If no, then we need to look further at the boinc configuration of these two hosts.

 

[Markfw]

Can I access them ? well see here:

And I configutred them the same way as the others, but I get a password error.

 

[StefanR5R]

No, I mean access them with boincmgr, not boinctasks.
Or alternatively, with boinccmd. For example,

boinccmd --host 192.168.1.184 --passwd YourPWgoesHere --client_version​

should return something like "Client version: 7.9.3", whereas if you try that without password when Boinc on that host is properly configured to require a password, i.e. you call

boinccmd --host 192.168.1.184 --client_version​

it should return nonsense like "Client version: 0.0.0". Further, if you deliberately give a wrong password, i.e.

boinccmd --host 192.168.1.184 --passwd incorrectPassword --client_version​

it should return "Authorization failure: -155".

 

[Markfw]

well, I get this

mark@mark-tr4-linux:/var/lib/boinc-client$ boinccmd --host 192.168.1.184 --passwd mypassword -- client_version

Authorization failure: -102

...etc

Also, I did a sudo chmod 777 * on the /var/lib/boinc-client dir, otherwise I could not even edit the password file. And for this last test, I edited again, and rebooted, so thats not it.

WTF ??????

edit: yes mypassword is not the actual value, but it matches the content of that file.

 

[StefanR5R]

OK. Then we need to examine the config files on these two hosts.

• Are the filenames correct? (I don't think the Mint filemanager hides extensions like *.txt like Windows Explorer tends to do, does it?)
• Are ownership and permissions correct? I don't know if the Mint file manager can show these easily; I don't have any Mint computer running right now. The files should be owned by the pseudo-user "boinc" and should of course be readable by the owner.
• "cc_config.xml" should have this within the <options> section:
  <allow_remote_gui_rpc>1</allow_remote_gui_rpc>
  (This is perhaps not strictly necessary if the client is started with --allow_remote_gui_rpc in its command line. But whether or not this parameter is supplied is buried in a service config file somewhere. I would need to boot a Mint computer to find out.)
• Alternatively to --allow_remote_gui_rpc or to <allow_remote_gui_rpc>, it is possible to use a "remote_hosts.cfg" file in the BOINC directory instead. If so, this file needs to specify which computers are allowed to access boinc via boinccmd, boincmgr, or boinctasks.
  I have not created "remote_hosts.cfg" files on any of my computers; I use <allow_remote_gui_rpc> instead.
• Double-check that the right password is given in the "gui_rpc_auth.cfg" file.

Edit:
If <allow_remote_gui_rpc>1</allow_remote_gui_rpc> is present in the options section in cc_config.xml, then the event log of boinc should show "Config: GUI RPC allowed from any host" during the startup procedure of the client.

 

[Howdy]

This is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy out there BUT when I remote in to my Linux machine and it requires my password. I have to open notepad on the machine I am logging in with and type in my password and copy and paste in to the password "box" on the Linux machine. Basically I can not manually type in the password and get in. If I do not do this I will always get "incorrect password" It is a Mint 19 something or other version.

 

[Markfw]

OK. Then we need to examine the config files on these two hosts.

• Are the filenames correct? (I don't think the Mint filemanager hides extensions like *.txt like Windows Explorer tends to do, does it?)
• Are ownership and permissions correct? I don't know if the Mint file manager can show these easily; I don't have any Mint computer running right now. The files should be owned by the pseudo-user "boinc" and should of course be readable by the owner.
• "cc_config.xml" should have this within the <options> section:
  <allow_remote_gui_rpc>1</allow_remote_gui_rpc>
  (This is perhaps not strictly necessary if the client is started with --allow_remote_gui_rpc in its command line. But whether or not this parameter is supplied is buried in a service config file somewhere. I would need to boot a Mint computer to find out.)
• Alternatively to --allow_remote_gui_rpc or to <allow_remote_gui_rpc>, it is possible to use a "remote_hosts.cfg" file in the BOINC directory instead. If so, this file needs to specify which computers are allowed to access boinc via boinccmd, boincmgr, or boinctasks.
  I have not created "remote_hosts.cfg" files on any of my computers; I use <allow_remote_gui_rpc> instead.
• Double-check that the right password is given in the "gui_rpc_auth.cfg" file.

Edit:
If <allow_remote_gui_rpc>1</allow_remote_gui_rpc> is present in the options section in cc_config.xml, then the event log of boinc should show "Config: GUI RPC allowed from any host" during the startup procedure of the client.

cc_config did not have that line, I added it and rebooted, same 102 error. The remotehosts.cfg is also updated the same as all the other computers on my network.

Still the same error.

 

[StefanR5R]

when I remote in to my Linux machine and it requires my password. I have to open notepad on the machine I am logging in with and type in my password and copy and paste in to the password "box" on the Linux machine. Basically I can not manually type in the password and get in. If I do not do this I will always get "incorrect password" It is a Mint 19 something or other version.

Perhaps trouble with NumLock on the keyboard?
Or locale setting at the login screen.

cc_config did not have that line, I added it and rebooted, same 102 error. The remotehosts.cfg is also updated the same as all the other computers on my network.

Still the same error.

Does the client say "Config: GUI RPC allowed from any host" in its log, near the top of the log after it started?

 

[Markfw]

Wed 22 May 2019 06:36:26 PM PDT | | Unrecognized tag in cc_config.xml: <allow_remote_gui_rpc>

Also at the end of the log, this:
Wed 22 May 2019 07:06:11 PM PDT | | Can't resolve hostname in remote_hosts.cfg: # This file contains a list of hostnames or IP addresses (one per line)

But here is the file:
# This file contains a list of hostnames or IP addresses (one per line)
# of remote hosts, that are allowed to connect and to control the local
# BOINC core client via GUI RPCs.
# Lines beginning with a # or a ; are treated like comments and will be
# ignored.
#
#host.example.com
#192.168.0.180
192.168.1.166

 

[StefanR5R]

Wed 22 May 2019 06:36:26 PM PDT | | Unrecognized tag in cc_config.xml: <allow_remote_gui_rpc>

Perhaps it is not in the <options> section. There should be a structure like so:

<cc_config>
    <log_flags>
        <!-- optional tags concerning the logging -->
    </log_flags>
    <options>
        <!-- various tags... -->
        <allow_remote_gui_rpc>1</allow_remote_gui_rpc>
        <!-- ...and maybe more tags -->
    </options>
</cc_config>

But the error with remote_hosts.cfg makes me wonder. The file says #-prepended lines are ignored (and the documentation says the same), yet the client says they aren't... Perhaps the example file was copied from a newer client version.

 

[Markfw]

After fixing the cc_config, I now get error 155, Now what ?

 

[StefanR5R]

Error 155 also happened in my experiment where I gave a wrong password. Check the contents of "gui_rpc_auth.cfg" once more to be sure.

If it turns out that you need to change "gui_rpc_auth.cfg", shut down and restart the client afterwards. Merely re-reading config files is not sufficient to apply this change, if I remember correctly.