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Category: Support
Forum: Website Support
Thread: Need to rebuilt my machine |
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Thread Status: Active Total posts in this thread: 10
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BobbyB
Veteran Cruncher Canada Joined: Apr 25, 2020 Post Count: 638 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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I need to rebuild a Xubuntu 20.x LTS machine with only a disk drive change. I originally built it using a 3TB drive. This was an error. I had smaller ones. I want to swap this out for a smaller one so I can use the 3TB as storage on another PC (non WCG). I'm going to use the same name.
Will WCG see it as the same machine as now and accumulate points correctly or will this be a new install in its eyes. I see a unique host-id in the file client-state.xml. Is this how it is ID'ed? The Berkley site says: WCG uses a different method to recognize existing devices to prevent duplicate registrations an list them. https://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/Host_identification_and_merging |
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Sgt.Joe
Ace Cruncher USA Joined: Jul 4, 2006 Post Count: 7846 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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I need to rebuild a Xubuntu 20.x LTS machine with only a disk drive change. I originally built it using a 3TB drive. This was an error. I had smaller ones. I want to swap this out for a smaller one so I can use the 3TB as storage on another PC (non WCG). I'm going to use the same name. Will WCG see it as the same machine as now and accumulate points correctly or will this be a new install in its eyes. I see a unique host-id in the file client-state.xml. Is this how it is ID'ed? The Berkley site says: WCG uses a different method to recognize existing devices to prevent duplicate registrations an list them. https://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/Host_identification_and_merging I have suggestion which might work. I would suspend the getting of new tasks, let the queue run out, exit BOINC, and shut down the machine. Then I would clone the drive to another smaller hard drive. I have not tried this, but it may work. Most of my machines just run off of a live version of Linux on a flash drive. If the flash drive fails, I just reload the same version of Linux on another flash drive and WCG believes it is the same machine. Good luck. Cheers
Sgt. Joe
*Minnesota Crunchers* |
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BobbyB
Veteran Cruncher Canada Joined: Apr 25, 2020 Post Count: 638 Status: Offline Project Badges:
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I've already started to let the queue run out. The Xubuntu does just WCG.
----------------------------------------So if you you just reload the same version of Linux and it's OK then if I do the same with just a new disk it smells the same as your flash drive "trick". If it does not "see" the new flash drive it should not "see" the new disk drive. I presume you name the system using the same name which shows in your WCG stats. We shall see. [Edit 1 times, last edit by BobbyB at Dec 5, 2020 3:53:22 PM] |
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PMH_UK
Veteran Cruncher UK Joined: Apr 26, 2007 Post Count: 786 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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To be sure with a re-install, copy the BOINC folder first.
----------------------------------------Reduce queues, I use 0.01 + 0.01 days. When ready, stop BOINC, copy BOINC folder to pendrive/wherever. Install o/s, install BOINC, stop it then retore BOINC folder from penderive/wherever. You may not get same id otherwise. A good utility may enable clone from large drive to small, or at least backup/restore to smaller. Paul.
Paul.
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BobbyB
Veteran Cruncher Canada Joined: Apr 25, 2020 Post Count: 638 Status: Offline Project Badges:
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Good idea to copy the Boinc folder. I still have a number of hours before the queue runs out. Maybe read up on disk cloners. Must have one of those around somewhere.
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BobbyB
Veteran Cruncher Canada Joined: Apr 25, 2020 Post Count: 638 Status: Offline Project Badges:
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I tried some of these clone apps but they all seem geared to increase not reduce. Tried Gparted and tried to shrink the partition but no go.
----------------------------------------I just did a ubuntu install and I am back using the same name. No need for anything from the boinc directory. Same trick like above with the new flash drive. The unique host-id in the file client-state.xml is the same as the old one I saved so it must be a hash of some kind for the machine. Now I can use that 3TB drive.  [Edit 1 times, last edit by BobbyB at Dec 6, 2020 10:07:49 PM] |
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jay_Orlando
Senior Cruncher USA Joined: Jan 4, 2006 Post Count: 189 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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hello Bobby,
----------------------------------------suggestions to share for the next time... I would let all wu complete on the current boinc do a backup of /home. shutdown the machine and change any disk hardware. Boot gparted from a live USB, CD or DVD and set up partitions for: / /var (for boinc) /home and swap reboot and install your favorite ubuntu distribution when you get to disk utilization, select manual and put in the partitions you just made. Boot the new system and install a fresh boinc I have been doing this for years. It is long but the only problem I've had is when new OCL drivers come out for GPU projects. I have to flounder to find the names of the new drivers. With a separate /var partition, you can set the % usage to say 50% of /var and not effect /home or /. Hope this makes sense. Jay PS having a separate /home lets you install a new / with a format - without effecting home. the new ,conf files should overwrite old ones with damaging other stuff in /home. If you previously had a /home combined into / . you can use rsync. or cp -a to restore form your backup to the new home be carefule with the 'dot' directories. I let the ones installed with the new OS install alone. and don't restore those from backup. Have fun!  |
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Bryn Mawr
Senior Cruncher Joined: Dec 26, 2018 Post Count: 385 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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I've already started to let the queue run out. The Xubuntu does just WCG. So if you you just reload the same version of Linux and it's OK then if I do the same with just a new disk it smells the same as your flash drive "trick". If it does not "see" the new flash drive it should not "see" the new disk drive. I presume you name the system using the same name which shows in your WCG stats. We shall see. You need to make quite a large change for Boinc to recognise it as a new machine - of the order of a change of OS (not just version but Ubuntu to Windows etc) or a change from AMD to Intel. A change of machine name will not do it and neither will reinstalling the same OS onto a different drive. As an example, I’ve just rebuilt one machine changing the motherboard and the CPU - admittedly keeping the same drive but changing the machine name during the process, and Boinc didn’t blink. |
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BobbyB
Veteran Cruncher Canada Joined: Apr 25, 2020 Post Count: 638 Status: Offline Project Badges:
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All this is fixed now. I learnt about changing motherboard and CPU and even AMD to Intel without a Boinc blink. Just kept the same disk.
https://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/forums/wcg/viewpostinthread?post=649084 Never tried Windows to Ubuntu or vice versa. |
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katoda
Senior Cruncher Poland Joined: Apr 28, 2007 Post Count: 172 Status: Offline Project Badges:
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If you just move your BOINC data folder, you will have 99,999% chance that everything will go smoothly and without any issues.
----------------------------------------I did it several times and it worked all the time. Always with empty queues. Heck, I did it from Windows to Linux once and it worked too :)  [Edit 1 times, last edit by katoda at Feb 1, 2021 9:19:44 AM] |
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