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World Community Grid Forums
Category: Support
Forum: Suggestions / Feedback
Thread: idea Submission - Pure Webpage Version of Program |
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Thread Status: Active Total posts in this thread: 11
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Dear all,
Firstly, my gratitude to the entire team and contributors for maintaining this inspiring platform. I wish I'd discovered this earlier! I'd like to submit an idea that's been on my mind for days since using the program. My apologies in advance for my lack of technicality, as I don't come from a STEM background. Description of the idea - Create a pure 'website' version of the WCG program that can launch through a webpage of (ideally) any browser. - 'Processing' power diminished proportionally compared to a full-scale program installed within the computer. - Instead of processing complete calculations, the webpage version will only process tiny sections of calculations - if browsers are too limited in capacity. Objective of the idea - To capture a market who do not feel compelled to download a program to install into their computer. E.g. inaccurate 'privacy' or virus concerns of installing software like WCG. - Some work computers won't allow 'external' non-work software to be installed, hence underutilising 'existing' resources. For example, even running 1% worth of standard computing power is better than nothing. - To appeal to 'lazy' users due to a simple 'open a new browser tab' process. What inspired this idea submission? - Friends who have inaccurate 'privacy' concerns of installing this type of software on their computer. Hence, purely to counter a psychological 'blindspot'. - During unprecedented times like COVID-19, the more help, the better! - I've used Vodafone's DreamLab mobile app, which is similar to WCG. Though, the 'compulsory charging' mode won't allow me always to keep it running in the background. Other variations - A browser extension in Chrome that automatically runs in the background, though I feel people will have 'privacy' concerns from that. Limitations - Conscious of security risks for this idea so curious to know if there are very particular components in this process that do not pose a threat to either WCG or the end-user. I live by the motto 'you only live once', so just throwing this out into the ether. Kindest, Angus |
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adriverhoef
Master Cruncher The Netherlands Joined: Apr 3, 2009 Post Count: 2070 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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- Some work computers won't allow 'external' non-work software to be installed What you're proposing is to let your browser run some external non-work software on your own or on your work computer. That is unsafe, because you are letting your browser run some software — emphasis: under your user-ID — and that is how viruses are imported and how your computer can and will be infected by malicious software.Now think of running BOINC software as a service, under a separate, unprivileged user-ID, in a sandbox, wouldn't that be safer? See this link: BOINC Security. One line reads: "Is BOINC safe? The short answer: in practice, yes. After 8 years, running on millions of PCs, there have been no security incidents due to BOINC." That was written in 2011, about nine years ago. (Comparison) It is still safe. "Account-based sandboxing is a technique in which BOINC applications run in an unprivileged user account, to limit the ability of project applications to access files outside of the BOINC directory or to cause other problems." I know I wouldn't feel safe letting my browser run some 'strange' external computer program. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
The only time BOINC got 'compromised' was when a script kiddy modified the installation script of a boinc, it's open source, compiled it and got people to download it instead of the 'trusted' original source, which is Berkeley. His modification made his account the person getting the computing credit, but that's all s/he succeeded. The science apps for WCG are closed source, and I'm glad of that and distributed by the projects directly, and checksummed frequently to ensure no one messed with the code although some are changing a compiler bit to make it run on XP. Well, run it on XP and you're on your own. Unsupported.
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jackielan2000
Advanced Cruncher China Joined: Dec 31, 2005 Post Count: 115 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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Lava is right. Security can be compromised very easily using web-based programming.
----------------------------------------Also, I'm wondering how many people really use their computers for web browsing nowadays. Most people use their phones. Since we have Android version Boinc already, I think it's more effective and efficient just develope an app for iPhone & iPad to cover ALL mobile devices. However, one aspect u addressed is important, making the app user freindly. Most people are not tech savvy, they like Stinger missile, fire and forget. But current Boinc, especially mobile app version, is not user friendly at all. You need to configure it so that it won't burn down your CPU. That's a typical problem with non-commercial programme developers, no consideration for HCI issue whatsoever.
AMD Athlon64X2 5400+ 2.8G | 2c
MT6735 1.4G | 4c Helio G85 1.8G |8c Allwinner H2 1G | 4c SnapDragon 810 2.1G | 8c SnapDragon 801 2.5G | 4c |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Thanks to all for the explanation - I definitely see where you guys are coming from now.
Coincidentally, I have an iPhone and iPad so can't wait to see these versions get developed in the future! The moment it's out - I'll definitely download it ASAP. Just 2 newbie questions: a) Is there an approx. ETA for the launch of the iPhone/iPad app at this stage? b) Would a HarmonyOS version also be worth considering? |
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hwierzbicki
Advanced Cruncher Joined: May 1, 2016 Post Count: 55 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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AFAIK no ETA for iOS. You gotta consider the fact that mobile is really just a pet project for devs, there's barely any benefit in supporting anything beyond x86. Take Rosetta@Home , for example, where Android is only 0.15% of the total processing power.
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jackielan2000
Advanced Cruncher China Joined: Dec 31, 2005 Post Count: 115 Status: Offline Project Badges:
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Take Rosetta@Home , for example, where Android is only 0.15% of the total processing power. R@H is a bit rude to Android. Their Covid-19 project requires 2GB RAM, which means u need to have 4GB RAM in order to have that 2GB free. Also, I don't know what happened recently, but since a glitch a few days ago that I couldn't upload results, I deleted R@H. Now I try to add it again but impossible. No R@H for me any more.
AMD Athlon64X2 5400+ 2.8G | 2c
MT6735 1.4G | 4c Helio G85 1.8G |8c Allwinner H2 1G | 4c SnapDragon 810 2.1G | 8c SnapDragon 801 2.5G | 4c |
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deltavee
Ace Cruncher Texas Hill Country Joined: Nov 17, 2004 Post Count: 4842 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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I have an iPhone and iPad so can't wait to see these versions get developed in the future! The moment it's out - I'll definitely download it ASAP. Is there an approx. ETA for the launch of the iPhone/iPad app at this stage? “There is no iOS port of BOINC [legal issues, which are conceptually so difficult to resolve that no effort is put into fighting with the Jobs legacy. Berkeley is your place to discuss this, but put your armor on before you do and open the can again]”  |
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hchc
Veteran Cruncher USA Joined: Aug 15, 2006 Post Count: 746 Status: Offline Project Badges:
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introspection said:
----------------------------------------Thanks to all for the explanation - I definitely see where you guys are coming from now. Coincidentally, I have an iPhone and iPad so can't wait to see these versions get developed in the future! The moment it's out - I'll definitely download it ASAP. Just 2 newbie questions: a) Is there an approx. ETA for the launch of the iPhone/iPad app at this stage? b) Would a HarmonyOS version also be worth considering? I can't for the life of me find the conversation on the BOINC GitHub repo, but there was some talk that the Android version of BOINC needs to be updated, since with an upcoming SDK minimum level requirement, Google will disallow apps from downloading executable code (for example, BOINC would need to download the executables for OPN1, MCM1, etc once you attach World Community Grid). (The reason for this is that there is a security risk in allowing apps to do this, since it's similar to what trojans and other malware do.) There was talk about bundling ALL public BOINC projects (like WCG)'s binaries within the Android app, which would of course make that download massive. I can't find that discussion, but the upcoming Google requirement is the same as what Apple requires for iOS/iPadOS (et al); namely, that applications cannot (for security reasons) download executables. Anyways, it's worth monitoring the GitHub repo (and reporting bugs or even contributing) to keep the pulse on development. But I highly doubt there's an ETA for BOINC iOS/iPadOS at this point. I wish I could find that Issue or Pull Request where people were talking about the upcoming Google changes, though. Edited to Add: Found the two discussions. The architecture change in #2 below would apply to both Android and iOS. 1. Issue #3412: Transfer my BOINC iOS app to this repository 2. Issue #3561: [Android] Architecture revamp
[Edit 4 times, last edit by hchc at Jun 20, 2020 2:59:48 PM] |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
I have an iPhone and iPad so can't wait to see these versions get developed in the future! The moment it's out - I'll definitely download it ASAP. Is there an approx. ETA for the launch of the iPhone/iPad app at this stage? “There is no iOS port of BOINC [legal issues, which are conceptually so difficult to resolve that no effort is put into fighting with the Jobs legacy. Berkeley is your place to discuss this, but put your armor on before you do and open the can again]” Actually Google is about to enforce the same for Android... no apps downloading by another. Someone in development is working on a future solution (packaging all science apps, a nightmare), but if a workable solution is found, it would sort of solve the iOS stop too. |
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