Release Notes for BOINC 7.0
From BOINC
Version 7.0.64/.65 of BOINC was released for general public use on 23 April 2013. Download it here.
Summary of new features
- Localized and accessible Simple View
- Support for GPU applications written in OpenCL
- Improved Virtual Machine Support
- Enforce resource shares across all processor types
- Intel GPU Support
- Improved client scheduler and work-fetch policies
- Application configuration: Run multiple tasks on a single GPU simultaneously
Note that BOINC 7 is incompatible with Domain Controllers on Windows (see below).
Scheduler changes
The new scheduler observes the resource share setting better than the old scheduler.
Another change is the client will no longer attempt to get work right after completing a job. Instead it will wait until it drops below a threshold and then start asking around for work. You can change both the lower threshold and upper threshold by changing these preference settings:
- 'Maintain enough tasks to keep busy for at least' (lower threshold)
- '... and up to an additional' (upper threshold)
Installing BOINC
Windows
You can set install options by clicking the "Advanced" button on the configuration screen. The options are:
- Program directory - where BOINC's program files will be stored.
- Data directory - where BOINC's data files will be stored.
- Use BOINC screensaver - Use the BOINC screensaver for the current user.
- Protected application execution - Run project applications under an unprivileged account. This provides increased protection against faulty applications, but it may cause graphics to not work with older applications. Do not install BOINC in protected application execution mode on Windows Vista and Windows 7 if you plan to use a GPU for doing calculations. These OSes run the drivers and user accounts in different sessions, so BOINC will not be able to detect your GPU. This is a security measure by Microsoft, it isn't something BOINC can fix.
- Allow all users on this computer to control BOINC - If selected (public mode), all users can control BOINC (attach/detach projects, etc.). If not selected (private mode), the only users who can control BOINC are: the installing user, members of the Administrator group, and members of the 'boinc_users' group. When other users run the BOINC Manager, they'll be shown a dialog saying to contact the administrator to add them to the 'boinc_users' group.
To run BOINC invisibly, choose the "Protected application execution" option, then in BOINC Manager -> Options, uncheck "Run Manager at login?". You can still run the BOINC Manager by going through Start->All Programs->BOINC and (double)clicking BOINC Manager.
Linux
Mac OSX
Uninstalling BOINC
Known Issues
The following issues are already known to the developers:
All platforms
Incompatibility warning for return to BOINC 6
Due to changes to BOINC on how client_state.xml is written to, once you have gone over to 7.0, you cannot return to 6 without getting problems. We strongly suggest making a backup copy of the data directory before upgrading to the new build just in case something happens and you need to roll-back to an earlier build of BOINC.
To clarify, when you upgrade to BOINC 7.0 or later, everything should work as normal; work in progress will continue to run. When you downgrade from 7.0 or later to an earlier 6.x version, work in progress will disappear. You'll still be attached to all your projects. The client will fetch work from them, only if the project has 'resend lost work' on, will it be reissuing the previous lost work, which will start from the beginning.
Else you set No New Tasks under BOINC 7.0 and run all work in cache to its end, then upload & report it.
Next uninstall 7.0, then delete client_state.xml and client_state_prev.xml from your BOINC Data directory.
Next reinstall BOINC 6.x, then set Allow new tasks.
Known Issues on Linux
BOINC 7 incompatible with Fedora 14 & 15
Due to a problem with incompatible wxWidget build options BOINC 7.0 will not work on Fedora 14 & 15.
This cannot be fixed, due to a difference in how wxWidgets is compiled between Fedora Core and Ubuntu. Ubuntu is the platform BOINC is built on.
Known Issues on Windows
Protected Application Execution (Service) Installation, GPU detection and Windows XP
Due to problems with up-to-date GPU drivers causing BOINC to crash or hang, it was decided that for all versions of Windows the GPU detection will no longer work when BOINC is installed as a service, or protected application execution. This may change in a future version, but only after the GPU manufacturers have adjusted their driver code. So even in Windows 2000 and XP you can now no longer install BOINC as a service yet still have it detect your GPU(s) and run work on it. This change is present from 6.12.38 onwards.
BOINC 7 incompatible with Domain Controllers
The present range of BOINC 7 is incompatible with Domain Controllers, meaning that you cannot install it on your system if it is a DC. This is because the developers used the Local Account API's instead of the Global Account API's.
Install BOINC 5.10.45 instead, even though this doesn't support GPUs or multi-threading applications.
BOINC 5.10.45 32bit version
BOINC 5.10.45 64bit version
Known issues with BOINC 7.0.64/.65 and Seti when updating from BOINC 7.0.28 or before and getting 197 (0xc5) EXIT_TIME_LIMIT_EXCEEDED errors on anonymous platform GPU
When you've updated to BOINC 7.0.64/.65, coming from BOINC 7.0.28 or before, AND when crunching work on an anonymous platform GPU application (such as the ones from Lunatics), you have a good chance that all your work errs with a 197 (0xc5) EXIT_TIME_LIMIT_EXCEEDED error.
This is because of an addition to the code in BOINC 7.0.33, where when you run the anonymous platform and you have not supplied a flops value in your app_info.xml file, that the flops value used for GPU tasks is increased by a factor of 10.
It will only affect old work still in cache from before the upgrade. Any newer work your BOINC downloads, will not be affected.
Two ways to work around this:
1. Before you upgrade, set No New Tasks and run your cache empty. Report all. Then upgrade to the new version and set Allow New Tasks.
2. Done the upgrade with a full cache? Reset the project. This will throw away all present work in cache, but since the project has resend lost work available, your tasks will be resent to you and seen as new work.
Error 1069: Service cannot be started because of a faulty login
This happens after something has removed the "Logon as a Service" from the "boinc_master" user account that was created during setup.
Known reasons for why this might happen:
- The administrator for your network has specified which accounts are allowed to "Logon as a Service" via Group Policy. Any account not on that list is stripped of that user right.
