You can use KNOPPIX ( knoppix.org ) to run the BOINC agent on as I have tested the agent on version 4.02. This is option for you. The main problem with this solution is that the next time the machine is restarted or shutdown, all the current work units that the machine was working on are lost. So if you use this type of install, then please set the machine to connect every 0.01 days so that the machine has a minimal stash of workunits.

Hope this helps

If you set your network connection to every 0.01 days, then the machine will generally have zero workunits staged on your local machine and has to download another workunit once one is finished.

Since you are wanting to stash a few workunits on the machines that you own, you can set the BOINC profile to connect every 2 days, and your machine will have an estimated 2 days worth of workunits staged on your machines.

If you queue up a lot of work then more disk space is used (becuase data can't be moved off until the results are back and validated) and people will be waiting for points until the result is returned.

But a good rule to go off, is if your machine is connected to the internet at all times, then you should set this to around 0.1 or 0.25. If your machine has a set internet schedule, then set this time difference to that length of time to this interval.