08-Mar-2016 16:57:26 [---] [http_debug] HTTP_OP::init_get(): https://BDD7.https.cdn.softlayer.net/80BDD7/g...slideshow/fahb_00_v01.png
08-Mar-2016 16:57:26 [World Community Grid] Started download of fahb_00_v01.png
08-Mar-2016 16:57:26 [---] [file_xfer_debug] URL: https://BDD7.https.cdn.softlayer.net/80BDD7/g...slideshow/fahb_00_v01.png
08-Mar-2016 16:57:27 [---] [http_debug] [ID#0] info: About to connect() to BDD7.https.cdn.softlayer.net port 443 (#0)
08-Mar-2016 16:57:27 [---] [http_debug] [ID#0] info: Trying 68.232.45.109...
08-Mar-2016 16:57:27 [---] [http_debug] [ID#0] info: Connected to BDD7.https.cdn.softlayer.net (68.232.45.109) port 443 (#0)
08-Mar-2016 16:57:27 [---] [http_debug] [ID#0] info: successfully set certificate verify locations:
08-Mar-2016 16:57:27 [---] [http_debug] [ID#0] info: CAfile: ca-bundle.crt
CApath: /etc/ssl/certs
08-Mar-2016 16:57:27 [---] [http_debug] [ID#0] info: SSLv3, TLS Unknown, Unknown (22):
08-Mar-2016 16:57:27 [---] [http_debug] [ID#0] info: SSLv3, TLS handshake, Client hello (1):
08-Mar-2016 16:57:27 [---] [http_debug] [ID#0] info: SSLv2, Unknown (22):
08-Mar-2016 16:57:27 [---] [http_debug] [ID#0] info: SSLv3, TLS handshake, Server hello (2):
08-Mar-2016 16:57:27 [---] [http_debug] [ID#0] info: SSLv2, Unknown (22):
08-Mar-2016 16:57:27 [---] [http_debug] [ID#0] info: SSLv3, TLS handshake, CERT (11):
08-Mar-2016 16:57:27 [---] [http_debug] [ID#0] info: SSLv2, Unknown (21):
08-Mar-2016 16:57:27 [---] [http_debug] [ID#0] info: SSLv3, TLS alert, Server hello (2):
08-Mar-2016 16:57:27 [---] [http_debug] [ID#0] info: SSL certificate problem, verify that the CA cert is OK. Details:
error:14090086:SSL routines:ssl3_get_server_certificate:certificate verify failed
08-Mar-2016 16:57:27 [---] [http_debug] [ID#0] info: Connection #0 to host BDD7.https.cdn.softlayer.net left intact
08-Mar-2016 16:57:27 [---] [http_debug] HTTP error: Peer certificate cannot be authenticated with known CA certificates
08-Mar-2016 16:57:28 [---] Project communication failed: attempting access to reference site
08-Mar-2016 16:57:28 [---] [http_debug] HTTP_OP::init_get(): http://www.google.com
08-Mar-2016 16:57:29 [---] [http_debug] [ID#1] info: About to connect() to www.google.com port 80 (#1)
08-Mar-2016 16:57:29 [---] [http_debug] [ID#1] info: Trying 150.101.60.246...
08-Mar-2016 16:57:29 [---] [file_xfer_debug] FILE_XFER_SET::poll(): http op done; retval -184
08-Mar-2016 16:57:29 [---] [file_xfer_debug] file transfer status -184
08-Mar-2016 16:57:29 [World Community Grid] Temporarily failed download of fahb_00_v01.png: HTTP error
08-Mar-2016 16:57:29 [World Community Grid] Backing off 2 hr 43 min 34 sec on download of fahb_00_v01.png
08-Mar-2016 16:57:30 [---] [http_debug] [ID#1] info: Connected to www.google.com (150.101.60.246) port 80 (#1)
08-Mar-2016 16:57:30 [---] [http_debug] [ID#1] Sent header to server: GET / HTTP/1.1

That was a single file transfer attempt. It then goes and chats to www.google.com and then www.google.com.au. Do you want that too?

WCG definitely has a consistency issue, at the very least. The same machine downloaded all the MCM files and has uploaded 2 completed jobs so far.

(And machines of mine with exactly the same setup have participated in all the recent betas.)

Not to mention that these machines are headless. These pointless images are taking bandwidth from both my client machine and WCG's softlayer server when they will never been seen anyhow.

There are a number of ways this could be made better for everyone, which would happen to fix the problem altogether, including:
1) Have an option to never download any image files.
2) Use http instead of https, as using SSL for fixed image files is blatantly worthless.

As I can't implement those myself, I've gone with:
3)
# sed 's/BDD7.https.cdn.softlayer.net.80BDD7.//g' < client_state.xml > new
# mv new client_state.xml

Getting the old transient http errors on the hst*.png files.

@Col323: There's a thread on stuck downloads of hst1*.png files in the HST forum:
Temporarily failed download of hst1_02_v01.png: HTTP error

I've had problems with these files, too, under Windows.
I just upgraded a BOINC-client from version 7.2.28 to 7.6.22 (current recommended version), and the files download OK now.

But an even earlier version of the client, v7.0.27 is standard with Debian Linux 7.8 and it works OK.

So tell us what's going on ????
---
PS: If you apply the "fix" suggested by the post at the head of this thread to the hst1 files, you may get rid of the stuck downloads, but you may also find that they're back again next time BOINC is (re)started.