My problem also solved - I tried the thing with gui_rpc_auth.cfg again. Noticed that in my case the file had NO return at the end of the string, so I just replaced the characters with a new password and saved. It worked. Thanks all.

---

I am running Windows XP, SP2.

I am having the same problem, after installing BOINC I get the following message:

"BOINC Manager is not able to connect to a BOINC client. Would you like to try again? y/n"


Looking in the Windows task manager I see that boincmgr.exe is running but boinc.exe is not.

I had this same problem previously and was able to solve it, as suggested in this thread, by going to gui_rpc_auth.cfg and changing the letter string there to a blank line. But when I looked at that file in this version of BOINC that I downloaded more recently, this line is already blank.

Any suggestions appreciated.

---

"BOINC Manager is not able to connect to a BOINC client. Would you like to try again? y/n"

I get that message now from 5.2.13, but hitting "y" works... we SHOULD have a 5.2.15 very shortly, with more fixes for this series of problems. The only thing I can say is if it was working before, you _might_ try stepping _down_ a version, to 5.2.12. If you want to try this, it's here.

From your other posting in the other thread, it could be a Windows firewall problem though, in which case a new version probably won't help.

---

Bill, I too have been in Version 5.2.13 Hell; so I took your advice and installed Version 5.2.12. However, I'm still unable to attach to Einstein@Home.

The attach-project wizard asserts the attempt failed, even though it first accepted the uniform resource locator and subsquently accepted my electronic-mail address and password. What's weird is that the master files for Einstein@Home downloaded just fine; then, presto, it all got deleted due to this mysterious "failure" to attach.

I'm happy to report SETI@Home, which ceased communicating with its servers when I went to Version 5.2.13, is now happily talking with servers and working away. Yay for that, anyway!

=^..^=

---

What's weird is that the master files for Einstein@Home downloaded just fine; then, presto, it all got deleted due to this mysterious "failure" to attach.

If this was the mysterious "500" error when it failed, I'm at the point of throwing up my hands on that one and just saying "wait for 5.2.15". My idea of networking is "this wire goes where?", and the threads from the networking gurus are all way over my head. The "reducing MTU from 1500 to 576 just long enough to attach" method works for _most_ but not all people. I get the general impression that they still don't know why it started happening, that nothing on the BOINC side did it, it's some ISP somewhere, possibly U.S. west coast, that's doing something wrong and some packets are never even getting _to_ the servers - but that they may have a way around the problem, and will put it in the next version. Or I've got it totally wrong and it's none of the above. Sigh.

---

Oh, here are two less-serious quirks (I'm running Version 5.2.12) which I thought I'd mention in passing:

1. The BOINC screensaver SETI background and logo images don't show up, even though they're there in the SETI project folder;

2. The Statistics-tab graphs don't appear.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." That ought to be the new motto at BOINC.

=^..^=

---

Oh, here are two less-serious quirks (I'm running Version 5.2.12) which I thought I'd mention in passing:

1. The BOINC screensaver SETI background and logo images don't show up, even though they're there in the SETI project folder;

2. The Statistics-tab graphs don't appear.

Since you "downgraded" from 5.2.13, you may need to run the 5.2.12 installer _again_, and select "repair install". This may solve #1.

On #2, did you have the graphs before? The graphs won't show up until you have 'connected' a certain number of times, over the course of at least three days. If it's a code-placement problem, the repair install may correct this as well.

---

Thanks for the suggestions, Bill. Well, alas, the "repair" changed neither the no-show screensaver-graphics situation nor the no-show statistics-graphs situation.

Yes, the graphs were there before this whole magilla began. The best thing to do, as you implied, is to wait until that new version hits the street and then see what happens.

=^..^=

---

I know everyone will be thrilled to learn my previously-recalcitrant BOINC manager, Version 5.2.12, is now functioning properly. Yay! The SETI@Home screensaver background and personal-logo graphics are at last appearing, the Statistics graphs have finally decided to show up and (insert drum roll) I've been able to re-attach Einstein@Home. Ta da!

Who or what is responsible for these manifestations of proper function is unknown to me; and frankly, I don't care. I just hope no more "fixes" will be forthcoming now that it's all working again. Let's pray the anticipated Version 5.2.15 doesn't reverse this mysterious yet welcomed progress.

=^..^=

---

Who or what is responsible for these manifestations of proper function is unknown to me; and frankly, I don't care. I just hope no more "fixes" will be forthcoming now that it's all working again. Let's pray the anticipated Version 5.2.15 doesn't reverse this mysterious yet welcomed progress.

For our next lesson we talk about "if it is not broken ..."

In general, I get a version working and then, unless there is a compelling reason to change; I stick with it. I did 4.45 till 4.72 seemed to be stable and fixed some of the issues I was having with 4.45. THen, I waited until 5.2.13 before I changed again.

Now, this version seems to be doing all I need, so, here we stay for awhile.

I suggest you consider the same at least till you get comfortable with BOINC ...

---

Depuis que je suis avec BOINC, c'est probl�me, probl�me, probl�me....
Lorsque je red�marre mon ordinateur, BOINC me donne toujours le message que la connection a �chou�e ???

Tant que j'�tais avec SETI, je n'ai jamais eu ce probl�me.

En plus, on ne m'a pas cr�dit� le travail fait depuis juillet 2000 par mon ordi...

J'ai le go�t d'abandonner le projet car j'ai l'impression de perdre mon temps.

Plusieur amis exp�rimente le m�me prob�me, et de plus personne ne nous r�pond...

J'esp�re que le probl�me sera r�gl� ou du moins que vous nous expliquiez ce qui ne va pas et comment vous allez r�gler le probl�me...

Un petit courriel nous encourageraient � poursuivre...

PierrePaquet@videotron.ca

514-354-7764

P.S.:J'attend un petit accus� de r�ception ou un petit courriel explicatif.

---

BOINC-FR (Help in French).

---

just wanted to report that my connection problems (primarily boincmgr.exe not communicating with boinc.exe) have cleared up completely ever since I removed the Google Web Accelerator that I had been running.

Once I discarded Google Web Accelerator, BOINC has run fine "out of the box," loads at start up and connects with no problems. So if anyone else is running Google Web Accelerator that is a possible conflict to keep in mind.

running Windows XP, SP2.

---

For me it seems to work one day the next day stops working and another day works again. It's not because of the moon, the cycles don't match at all :D . I've left it running as a service waiting for a new version that permanently fixes this.

---

The lot of you should be ashamed at how opaque your sites and menus are to a nonscientific user. NOWHERE is there a Help button. NOWHERE is there a contact us button. NOWHERE is there a phone number. Now, I had been running SETI at Home for 2 or 3 years. I got these Notices from "BOINC" about a need to "change over." And I have had trouble ever since. Now the idiot program is claiming it cannot connect to its local host sitting six inches from my right shoulder!! This just after a computer restart! I follow the directions on the menu, and I am caught in a machine idiot loop, and I have to come here hoping for some help from people I am sure will not EVER bother to pick up a phone and call. Shame on the lot of you. You could have so many, many thousands if not millions more participants. I installed the new BOINC program, I'd installed the "old" BOINC program. It ran fine for a few days. I had to disconnect from the Einstein project because the program suddenly informed me there was a "graphics" incompatibility with the NEW program. Well, if the OLD one worked, WHY did you idiots "fix" it. Right now, BOINC is just oink. Will someone please help me? I do not want to put my email address here because Spammer Bots will harvest it. But I will share phone numbers with someone who will help. And I will recruit others to this Project if you can EVER convince me it is worth the frustration of all the silliness I've waded through.
Jon Pinkus
Washington DC

---

Jon

I know you just wanted to let off steam, but you know the trouble with these megacorporations like BOINC. David Anderson and his bloated staff of overpaid minions are too busy at festive parties, or planning their next exotic trip, to bother and just leave it to the ordinary guys like me and the others on this board to make their excuses for them.

Seriously, though, you will have understood that there are very few people actually paid to develop BOINC or the individual and autonomous projects which use it. They have enough trouble scraping together the money for the servers and development time they need, and cannot possibly give individual help to the many thousands taking part in running the BOINC projects. The guidance is still a little lacking, but that is because like much else it is entirely a volunteer effort.

1. The problem you are having with the message 'cannot connect to localhost' is frustrating. You seem to have looked at this and other posts and I won't try to repeat the advice, but the complication is that it might be because two programs are not talking to each other, or possibly that for some reason one of them isn't running. But the good news is that shutting down BOINC completely using File/Exit and restarting, and failing that removing BOINC from the boot sequence and rebooting, then starting BOINC manually, generally fixes things. If not, or you need step by step help, then somebody will probably take pity on you, but remember they are giving of their free time to do so and it best to ask single questions and be as specific as you can with your query.

2. As for your questions about Einstein, SETI or other individual projects, I'm afraid you'll have to take them to the board for that project. I expect you will find that they have been asked and answered many times.

---

Jon,

In part I want to echo what Andrew said.

Most support comes from the participants that volunteer their time. Bill and Tony primarily. I try to document (health permitting - which it hasn't recently) and explain in non-technical terms the design of the system, Ingleside corrects me when I err and gives very detailed information about the inner workings (which I steal as often as possible and add to the Wiki - and read carefully), others do other things.

There are only about 6 people at UCB doing all BOINC development, SETI@Home, AstroPulse, and other projects. So, it is not like they have a lot of time for the 500,000 people individually.

That being said, I have called people on my dime long distance to help them with problems. Sometimes I can get it done, sometimes not. I have also carried on e-mail trouble shooting through what seems like 100s of messages. Again, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. But I would never consider doing so after being "scolded" as you did.

Yes there are bugs, problems, interactions with firewalls, and other things that we are still learning about. But, help is available. This is a fairly well known issue and Bill and Tony I am sure can help you (I am not the worlds best troubleshooter of BOINC problems, I am a better tech writer). But, is asking nicely too much to ask?

None of this is life or death. It is a hobby, a passtime. Smile ...

With regard to the graphics issues, well, the BOINC System uses a modular concept. There is the BOINC Client Software which consists of the BOINC Manager and the BOINC Daemon (there is also the screen saver interface, which mostly is ignored as a separate component). Using this software, a BOINC Powered Project writes a Science Application and possibly a screen saver, which uses the aforementioned API. Problems with specific Science Applications, including the screen saver are project specific, and as such are best handled on the project web sites.

Most problems can be worked around. Most are fixed in a reasonable amount of time. And BOINC is improved on almost a daily basis. Anyway, I hope you can give us some time to help you get going ...

---

Paul and Andrew:

Thank you both for your very thoughtful replies last week (Dec. 23). I apologize to you 2 for the tone of my post, but I was EXASPERATED after having uninstalled and reinstalled the software -- over and over -- after it inexplicably quit working, then followed the directions only to have the BOINC Manager, I believe, claim -- over and over -- it cannot connect with the BOINC client! When it's sitting right there on my computer? Nor could I reattach it to the SETI website. So I then SCOURED the website looking for direct lines of help. Instead any Help, I felt like I was being led around in mazes and circles by a writing from a certain type of tech guy who knows, say, the 5-15 intermediate steps in a certain process but only mentions 2 or 3 of those steps. So I FELT like I was left high, dry, and lost. That, on top of being told to switch, in the first place, from a SETI AT HOME program protocol that had run seamlessly on my computer for around 2-3 years ... well, I thought, "Here we go again with people putting out Beta Versions BEFORE they're adequately tested and debugged." And thus my resulting way over the top nastygram. Yeah, I thought to myself as I wrote it that the nasty tone might mean I'd probably be spurned, but I thought it better to sacrifice myself if it meant the sites got more user-friendly so people wouldn't just give up and turn away when a working program just up and quits inexplicably after flawless operation for several weeks, and then fails repeatedly to reinstall properly. I did not want to bug you guys. I wanted to fix it myself. So A CLEAR STATEMENT at strategic spots ON THE WEBSITE OF WHERE HELP IS AVAILABLE would have brought me to this posting center -- and elicited a very friendly email from me because I had a feeling that a certain degree of this overall network of sites was maintained by "volunteers" if you will. My tone was out of line, but the site needs to get more user friendly, too. I will treat you guys to a brew or a lunch next time I'm out your way in the Bay Area. I have given up for now and restarted my Lance Armstrong screen saver instead.

---

Jon,

Well, we *DO* understand. It is just that there is little that we can do about it except help as best as we can. So...

There is no doubt that this is a serious weakness in BOINC, and to be honest, I don't know of any good cure that works for everyone. All I can say is that there is no good time for a project shutdown and migration. If it was not this set of problems it would have been another.

All I can say is that in general once you get it up and running it is not a big problem. And, there are times when it does seem harder than it needs to be. But, in all honesty, BOINC is getting better. So, when you are ready we will be here.

If you will take the time to explain the problem I am sure "we" can help ... most likely it will be Bill or Tony helping ... so the royal "we" ...

---

just wanted to report that my connection problems (primarily boincmgr.exe not communicating with boinc.exe) have cleared up completely ever since I removed the Google Web Accelerator that I had been running.

Once I discarded Google Web Accelerator, BOINC has run fine "out of the box," loads at start up and connects with no problems. So if anyone else is running Google Web Accelerator that is a possible conflict to keep in mind.

running Windows XP, SP2.

For various other reasons I have 127.0.0.1 marked as "don't accelerate" in the Google WA settings ....

---

Random Thoughts