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World Community Grid Forums
Category: Support
Forum: BOINC Agent Support
Thread: Installing and Running BOINC on Linux |
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Thread Status: Active Total posts in this thread: 27
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Hi All
I've started this thread as I am attempting to convert the majority of my boxen to Linux. Reasons are plentiful but unnecessary here.  After many failed attempts to find a suitable OS I have settled on Fedora Core 5 as the most familiar to a not too clever Windows XP addict. What I'd like to do: Install BOINC GUI so that it runs as a service with the icon for the BOINC Manager in the system tray, just like it does on good ol' XP. My first attempt at this, reading the installation instructions supplied on the website was a dismal failure. Here's what I remember doing: Downloaded the client as /user/. Tried to move the file to a /root/ folder, had to log off and log back as 'root'. Moved required file, opened the conso;e and eventually got the darn thing installed. It worked!! Except that I was unable to access any part of it as 'user' and could not find BOINC Manager anywhere. I moved the original file back to whence it came but lost all permissions to access it as "user" even though it was in my 'user' directory. At this point I returned to Windoze for a while. Fedora seemed so messed up that I figured it was easier to start with a clean slate so the HDD was reformatted and a nice fresh copy of Fedora has now been installed. No changes have been made, so if somebody has the patience to really walk me through this it would be much appreciated. Please if you do help. Do not asume that I know anything at all and we'll get along famously. Also assume that I know even less jargon and that will be better still!!! At this point I haven't even downloaded the client as I am not certain where it should go.(Obvious responses thought of) I am new to Linux, BOINC and WCG so take it real slow. Cheers ozylynx |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Hi ozylynx,
I also have Fedora Core 5 (FC5) up and running with a BOINC installation that crunches reliably. I do not have it installed as a service because I found the available instructions a little confusing (I'm just a Linux newbie too). I start BOINC client and BOINC manager from the command line each time I boot Linux using a script that starts BOINC client in the background and then starts BOINC manager in the foreground. It writes log files and the BOINC icon appears in the tray when minimsed. My BOINC setup is not as convenient as instaling it as a service but I run the computer 24/7 so I restart very seldom, usually only when a software update requires it. You might find my installation a good way to get BOINC up and running for now. The beauty of it is that it won't mess up your Linux and it uninstalls completely just by deleting 1 folder, no need to edit other files back to their original state. My plan is to improve it soon by making BOINC start automatically when I log in. Eventually I may install it as a service. Perhaps we'll get some guidance and advice from experts along the way. I will be putting my method of installing BOINC on the WCGwiki website later this evening and will post a link here. For now, I offer you the following for your consideration. It's preparation you may have done already. If not then it's a good idea and will save a little confusion later if you attach a 2nd Linux box to WCG. If anybody notices any errors or omissions in this post please post a correction. Preparation for Installing BOINC on Linux If you have not yet declared a host and domain for your Linux installation then it is likely called localhost.localdomain. That's the default network name for Linux installations unless you specify otherwise. Most Linux systems display the host and domain names at the login prompt. If you attach to WCG with the default localhost.localdomain then on your Results Status page on the WCG website your computer will be named localhost.localdomain. If you attach another computer named localhost.localdomain you will see 2 computers with that name on the Results Status page which makes it difficult for you to distinguish between them. WCG will also assign a unique ID to your computer which it will use to keep track of your computer but that name will not be used on your Results Status page. Thus it's not absolutely necessary to assign a unique host and domain but it makes things much more convenient for you. The following steps will give your computer an original network name.
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Thanks Dagorath.
I'll give that a go tomorrow when the mind is all fresh, just like hot porridge instead of the usual cold porridge. I'll let you know how I get on. Cheers ozylynx |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
G'day Ozylynx
Sorry I can't help you with FC5, but I can point you to a HOWTO that will take you from windows to linux and get you crunching BOINC. I wrote it for use with Damn Small Linux which is a live cd so it's try before you buy (so to speak). You can get it here. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Thanks Trog Dog and Dagorath.
----------------------------------------Trog Dog: There are a few things, already obvious to me, that I can see I would have trouble with inyour excellent page. It does seem very OS specific and I know without trying that simple substitutions for entries including the "DSL' address would have me tearing my hair out in no time. Dagorath: I don't know where to find the DNS addresses etc required. My XP network is all set to automatic DNS. Also it is important to me that the Linux box become part of my Windows Network. This network does not have a domain name only a workgroup name. I can probably gleen the information from Trog Dog's page on changing the name of the box, but what is the significance of the way that it is named? i.e. is it Boxname.workgroup or boxname.domain or workgroup.domain.....?? I was playing with this stuff in my earlier attempts and eventually got my Linux box to access all of my network EXCEPT my internet gateway computer. I could access the Linux box from the Gateway but got 'access denied' no authorisation etc., going the other way. In its default setup I could also access the internet, via the computer in the gateway of course, but as soon as I made it part of the Windows network had no connection to the internet. Doh  So I guess first things first. Can we get it joined up to the Windows workgroup with privleges and internet access and a suitable name?? [edit] I don't use passwords on my network... I am the only person who can access my boxen so passwords are redundant. However I did put a password on my user account while setting up linux, 'cause I thought I had to, how do I remove it? Sorry to be such a pain. Cheers ozylynx [Edit 1 times, last edit by Former Member at Aug 25, 2006 1:32:21 AM] |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
ozylynx,
----------------------------------------Here's a link to my article on installing BOINC on Linux. It's very Fedora Core 5 specific. I use a router rather than a gateway computer so I'm afraid I don't have any experience with your setup. I have Linux as well as Windows computers on my LAN and none have problems with Internet. My Linux machines can transfer files to/from my Windows machines (via SAMBA) but not vice versa. I am not sure how to mix Windows and Linux using a gateway computer running XP. My guess is that it depends mostly on getting the IP addresses correct because those are what the gateway will use to route traffic to/from the hosts. It seems to me the names are somewhat irrelevant and that they exist more for our convenience in identifying our machines (because humans remember names easier than long numbers like IP addresses). I think you can assign any host and domain names you want to the Linux box, eg. box2.somewhere or maybe just box2, forget about the domain part. I don't think your Linux box needs to use the Windows workgroup name at all but I could be dead wrong. Also, if your gateway is configured to assign dynamic addresses then don't worry about it for now because it may never change anyway. EDIT ADDED: On second thought, your Windows gateway may very well want the Linux box domain to be the Windows workgroup name but I really don't know. Have you tried looking for forums dedicated more to networking than this forum? Lacking any expert advice your only option is to experiment. Or pickup a router? [Edit 1 times, last edit by Former Member at Aug 25, 2006 6:02:07 AM] |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Thanks Trog Dog and Dagorath. Trog Dog: There are a few things, already obvious to me, that I can see I would have trouble with inyour excellent page. It does seem very OS specific and I know without trying that simple substitutions for entries including the "DSL' address would have me tearing my hair out in no time. Cheers ozylynx G'day Ozylynx It is only written for DSL, and I wouldn't recommend trying to convert the instructions for use with FC5. You may gleen 1 or 2 pointers, but it isn't intended for that. I only suggested it as a way to get you up and running quickly on a linux distro . |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Nice one Dagorath, mind if I post a link from the BOINC@Australia team wiki pointing to your article as a way to set up FC5? If I can also add one thing it isn't necessary to issue the run_client command before the run_manager - the manager will start the client and the benefit of this is that File/Exit will also halt the client. The instructions that come with BOINC don't make this clear at all, and I used to use both commands, but had no idea how to stop the client from running other than rebooting the box One problem with the above method though, and it only appears to affect Einstein, is that the stderr.txt file is blank unless you start the client first. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
OK it's up and running, in a fashion.
----------------------------------------All went well till the end session gedit/etc/profile it doesn't seem to exist. I tried a number of "tricks" to find it but no go.  So I double clicked the Boinc manager icon in thr BOINC file and away it went. This is a dedicated 24/7 machine so that shouldn't pose a problem. I really would love to get something working the way it should in linux though, just for a change you understand.... I almost got my network going right too. Except the access to files on the gateway, It now asks for a password and just wont believe that there isn't one. Access to all other files on all other boxes is unrestricted, including the file server thankfully. I'll have a look at the internet gateway and see if something hasn't been changed in the file permissions some time soon. It's OK to live with for now. Cheer ozylynx [Edit 1 times, last edit by Former Member at Aug 25, 2006 10:45:11 AM] |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
There's a space there.... gedit /etc/profile
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