For a change I started BOINC by clicking on c:\program files\boinc\boinc.exe. It's running just fine. At the bottom the cursor is blinking. The problem is that it doesn't accept keyboard input. I opened boincmgr.exe, so I can get a visual on elapsed time, time remaining, etc. I know I could shut the process down by right clicking on the BOINC icon in the notification area and clicking on end. Is there anything else I should know about running BOINC from the command line? Is there any advantage to running it this way?

Thanks

Steve

The problem is that it doesn't accept keyboard input.

No, it's not supposed to. It's not a command line interface or shell.

I know I could shut the process down by right clicking on the BOINC icon in the notification area and clicking on end.

Then it would stop processing. You can also stop it by pressing Ctrl-C.

If you just want to get rid of the command line window, stop it with Ctrl-C and run it again as boinc.exe --detach. It will stay running in the background without using the command prompt window.

Is there any advantage to running it this way?

No, not on Windows; why are you doing it? :P

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I'm doing it to gain experience using the command prompt and to eliminate the (admittedly small) overhead of running Boinc Manager all the time. It has to decrement Elapsed Time every second of real time, and calculate Progress and time To Completion. I used to use DOS, but this is somewhat different.

One thing I learned the hard way, for anyone who's interested: Never, ever terminate a science project in task manager. It will be returned to the server as compute error. If you want to stop BOINC running in the command prompt window, terminate boinc.exe. After 5-10 seconds the projects will quit gracefully.

Another thing I learned: Even if you exit Boinc Manager and click to end the science projects using the mouse, boincmgr.exe remains resident in memory. You have to terminate it in Task Manager.

One more thing I learned, which you already know: It's not necessary to use the mouse to launch boinc.exe. One can open the command prompt, change directory using cd c:\program files\boinc [Enter], then type boinc.exe [Enter}.

I still have a lot to learn about using the command prompt. Any suggestions? As one user states at the end of his posts: Real men don't click. :)

Cheers,

Steve

I'm doing it to gain experience using the command prompt and to eliminate the (admittedly small) overhead of running Boinc Manager all the time. It has to decrement Elapsed Time every second of real time, and calculate Progress and time To Completion.

That's done by the client (boinc.exe). All BOINC Manager does in that respect is show the output.

But you can do much of the same when running the BOINC Command Tool (boinccmd.exe) in a separate command line window started in the BOINC directory. See this page for possible commands and options.

If you want to stop BOINC running in the command prompt window, terminate boinc.exe. After 5-10 seconds the projects will quit gracefully.

Unless you have BOINC installed as a service, for then you'll find boinc.exe starting right back up.

Another thing I learned: Even if you exit Boinc Manager and click to end the science projects using the mouse, boincmgr.exe remains resident in memory. You have to terminate it in Task Manager.

Perhaps that you started BOINC Manager twice, as else exit will exit it. The one thing it won't exit, however, is boinctray.exe.

This little utility checks mouse and keyboard activity, for if you set your preferences to only crunch when the computer is idle. It will not restart when you start either BOINC Manager or the client. You will have to start it manually. (It's started from the registry at boot time).

Try typing boinc.exe /? to see a list of commands that you can use on the client itself. The list will have a small explanation on what does what.

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Try typing boinc.exe /? to see a list of commands that you can use on the client itself. The list will have a small explanation on what does what.

This trick will not work with boinccmd.exe: there you have to type boinccmd --help
[edit]I suppose real men do use the help option and read the manual :-)[/edit]

Gruß,
Gundolf

I really have a hard time wrapping my head around why people would want to use command line. I liken it to wanting to return to the stone age. Next you will want your computer to be programmed with toggle switches.

I've been there, done that.... I've been waiting 35 years to be able to say 'Good morning HAL' It's no wander that voice UI doesn't yet exist when people keep returning to prehistory.

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Boinc V 7.4.36
Win7 i5 3.33G 4GB NVidia 470

I really have a hard time wrapping my head around why people would want to use command line. I liken it to wanting to return to the stone age. Next you will want your computer to be programmed with toggle switches.

I've been there, done that.... I've been waiting 35 years to be able to say 'Good morning HAL' It's no wander that voice UI doesn't yet exist when people keep returning to prehistory.

No offence intended, but I presume that you are no "REAL PROGRAMMER"

Real programmers do speak in capital letters (among other things :-)

Gruß,
Gundolf
[edit]And if you look at my profile, you can tell from my age to which language I refer. ;-)[/edit]

[edit]And if you look at my profile, you can tell from my age to which language I refer. ;-)[/edit]

10 to 12?

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[edit]And if you look at my profile, you can tell from my age to which language I refer. ;-)[/edit]

10 to 12?

You can be happy that you are ageless :-)