I post this here since I do not find any other way to report a bug (at least I think it is one). If anybody knows a better way to document this, please let me know.

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I have set BOINC manager (version 7.0.31 (x86)) for Mac OS X not to use GPU if the computer is in use. I had assumed that this includes running a video, but this seems not to be the case:

When viewing a video in HD, it is not displayed smoothly and fans are going up after a short time. If I then pause GPU manually from the menu item, everything is fine again.

This reminds me of another thing: As far as I can see, there is no way to disallow use of the GPU entirely. Maybe this could be added to the preferences.

Regards
Jimbo

That's right, the response to the BOINC GPU pausing is user-input controlled. If your video program has a specific name, you can use the <exclusive_app> option in the cc_config.xml. Do not know the BOINC interface on Mac, but v7 does have an "exclusive applications" tab in computing preferences. If you enter the application mask there, and maybe restart BOINC, the program will pause long as your video program is loaded.

edit: disallowing GPU entirely is done via the Activity menu in BOINC Manager, or permanently via an option to be added to the cc_config.xml. Maybe there are other ways, but these sprung up from recollection.

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Coelum Non Animum Mutant, Qui Trans Mare Currunt

edit: disallowing GPU entirely is done via the Activity menu in BOINC Manager, or permanently via an option to be added to the cc_config.xml. Maybe there are other ways, but these sprung up from recollection.

Disallowing GPU activity in the Activity menu won't stop Boinc asking for GPU work, any work received would sit in Limbo and never get crunched, (and the project would have to resend it to other hosts)

To stop getting GPU work you can also set 'Use Nvidia GPU' or 'Use ATI/AMD GPU' to No at each of your projects, Boinc then would then never ask for GPU work from any of those projects again,

Claggy

Hi

I have the similar problem under Windows Seven : simple tasks (like file explorer) are slow down by the usage of the GPU (old ATI Radeon 5800 video card used with two screens).

In my projects list, only one (Einstein) use GPU for calculation.
When I suspend all activity or Einstein tasks are not running, every thing is normal on the machine (seems to).

I choose the "Suspend GPU activity" in the Activity menu, but GPU continue to be used.

In my BOINC files, I didn't find a "cc_config.xml" file to permanently disable this usage.

If you have some detailed information ...
Thanx

Jacques, Normandie, France.
Knowledge is the only material that increases when we share (Socrates)

I also have a similar issue under Win7. What I like to do is disable GPU use when the computer is in use the same way as it can be configured with the CPU. I am fine with Boinc using the GPU when I am not using the system, but it is rather cumbersome to always first disable GPU useage, use my system, and then enable it again.
How would I go about proposing this as an enhancement for future Boinc versions?

I can change the GPU preferences (whether or not to use GPU while the computer is in use, and after how many minutes of no use the GPU should kick in) in the Computing Preferences of my account in both CPDN which is still using quite an old version and Einstein which is probably using a much newer version. So I presume these options are available in our accounts on other projects too.

CPDN hasn't even got GPU tasks but still offers the GPU preferences in our accounts.

The only problem is that in these preferences in our accounts, 'not in use' means no use of the keyboard or mouse. So if you watch a video without using the mouse while it plays the GPU will crunch its tasks. So you may then want to suspend GPU in the BOINC Manager Activity menu.

Yes, it is one case, but you can use the "Exclusive applications" tab in the preferences to stop calculations during this video app is running.
Did you test it ?

But imagine that user don't have enough powered graphic card : There is no way to stop use of GPU because the Activity menu "Suspend GPU" is not efficient : Projects continue using it.

I think it is a bug.

lol : I've just remark a link at the bottom of the "Exclusive tasks" tab of preferences that explain use/creation of cc_config.xml file.
May be very interesting ...
http://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/Client_configuration

If you modify or create a cc_config.xml file, don't forget to reread the configuration files (Advance menu) and check result by having a look at the events log, in the same menu.

Hey Everyone--I have a related, but opposite, issue: I'm wondering if my GPU is underused.

I'm running v7.0.28 on a 64-bit quad-core Win machine with a GTX650Ti Nvidia card. It's only every now and then that I get a task from SETI that runs on the GPU, and then I see "0.xx cores and 1 Nvidia GPU".

Does that message mean that the task is only using 1 CUDA core? That would be a pity, since I have 768 available. (I know this might be a little Seti-centric, but as I'm a newcomer I can't post in that forum...)

Also, I keep reading about newer Boinc versions (like 7.0.39, -52 ..etc.)--are these for other OSs or is there a newer version for x64 Win7 too?

Thanks in advance!

Hey Everyone--I have a related, but opposite, issue: I'm wondering if my GPU is underused.

I'm running v7.0.28 on a 64-bit quad-core Win machine with a GTX650Ti Nvidia card. It's only every now and then that I get a task from SETI that runs on the GPU, and then I see "0.xx cores and 1 Nvidia GPU".

Does that message mean that the task is only using 1 CUDA core? That would be a pity, since I have 768 available. (I know this might be a little Seti-centric, but as I'm a newcomer I can't post in that forum...)

Also, I keep reading about newer Boinc versions (like 7.0.39, -52 ..etc.)--are these for other OSs or is there a newer version for x64 Win7 too?

Thanks in advance!

No, the SETI application will be using a lot more than 1/768th of your new GPU.

With that combination, please make sure that you read my thread NVidia driver problems which cause computation errors - once you set the environment variable described (and illustrated) there, you should quickly earn enough credit to achieve posting rights.

I also have a similar issue under Win7. What I like to do is disable GPU use when the computer is in use the same way as it can be configured with the CPU. I am fine with Boinc using the GPU when I am not using the system, but it is rather cumbersome to always first disable GPU useage, use my system, and then enable it again.
How would I go about proposing this as an enhancement for future Boinc versions?

By default, when you install BOINC for the very first time, without ever having it installed on your system, its preferences state that it should only run on the CPU and GPU when the system is idle (no mouse and keyboard input for so many minutes).

If this behaviour has ever changed, then you, or someone with access to BOINC on your computer, has changed this yourself.

BOINC comes with global preferences that you can set at any of the projects that you added. Seeing how everyone around here seems to have Seti added, let's go to http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/home.php, which is Your Account at Seti. You need to be logged in to see the page.

When you get there, you'll find "When and how BOINC uses your computer Computing preferences". Click that and the second top most two preferences are:
Suspend work while computer is in use? and Suspend GPU work while computer is in use?

Check that both are set to Yes, or that CPU is set to No and GPU Yes. Whatever you wish. You only have to change these at one project, they will propagate automatically to other projects.

If these both are set to e.g. Yes and No and it still doesn't do this, then you're using the local preferences. These preferences override all of the same online set preferences. In that case go in BOINC Manager->Tools->Computing preferences->Processor Usage, and make sure that at least "Use GPU when computer is in use" is not checked.
Alternatively, if you want to force BOINC to use the web preferences, click the Clear button. This will clear the use of the local preferences (but not the exclusions).

If you feel you have more questions about BOINC, or think you found something everyone overlooked in the 14 years that BOINC is now dabbling about, don't hesitate to ask or make a point of it. Although you may want to check http://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/Main_Page first, that's the User Manual wiki. It won't have all and everything ever written about BOINC in it, but it sure does pack some.

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Yes, it is one case, but you can use the "Exclusive applications" tab in the preferences to stop calculations during this video app is running.
Did you test it ?

I did and it does work on my system.

16-Feb-2013 20:29:42 [---] [task] Suspending computation - an exclusive app is running
16-Feb-2013 20:29:42 [SETI@home] [cpu_sched] Preempting 29dc12ad.3365.204937.5.10.103.vlar_1 (left in memory)
16-Feb-2013 20:29:42 [SETI@home] [task] task_state=SUSPENDED for 29dc12ad.3365.204937.5.10.103.vlar_1 from suspend
16-Feb-2013 20:29:42 [SETI@home] [cpu_sched] Preempting 29dc12ad.3365.204937.5.10.233.vlar_0 (left in memory)
16-Feb-2013 20:29:42 [SETI@home] [task] task_state=SUSPENDED for 29dc12ad.3365.204937.5.10.233.vlar_0 from suspend
16-Feb-2013 20:29:42 [SETI@home] [cpu_sched] Preempting 28dc12ag.21767.18881.11.10.246.vlar_1 (left in memory)
16-Feb-2013 20:29:42 [SETI@home] [task] task_state=SUSPENDED for 28dc12ag.21767.18881.11.10.246.vlar_1 from suspend
16-Feb-2013 20:29:42 [Einstein@Home] [cpu_sched] Preempting p2030.20120506.G43.58-01.84.N.b4s0g0.00000_3208_0 (removed from memory)
16-Feb-2013 20:29:42 [Einstein@Home] [task] task_state=QUIT_PENDING for p2030.20120506.G43.58-01.84.N.b4s0g0.00000_3208_0 from request_exit()
16-Feb-2013 20:29:42 [---] Suspending network activity - an exclusive app is running

But imagine that user don't have enough powered graphic card : There is no way to stop use of GPU because the Activity menu "Suspend GPU" is not efficient : Projects continue using it.

I think it is a bug.

Then tell the project to stop the use of your GPU. On the project's preferences page, e.g. on Seti, you'll see "Preferences for this project SETI@home preferences", click that and you'll find all these options.

If you only want to use the CPU on such a project, set these three like this:
Use CPU
Enforced by version 6.10+ yes
Use ATI GPU
Enforced by version 6.10+ no
Use NVIDIA GPU
Enforced by version 6.10+ no

Make sure you also change "If no work for selected applications is available, accept work from other applications?" to no (unchecked).

Since this is a project specific preference, you will have to set this per project. It isn't a global preference. Not all projects use GPU applications yet.

There's one other option, and that's through the cc_config.xml file. And since you already found the documentation on the client configuration file, thumb through it looking for <no_gpus>

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Thanks for the pointer. Only after looking at the preference settings again I finally understand (sorry, sometimes I'm a bit slow). I didn't have a graphics card with a suitable GPU until a few days ago. I assumed wrongly that the "...after idle for x minutes" only applies to the CPU. I am quite sure my issue was between keyboard and chair. I think I'm all set now.

With that combination, please make sure that you read my thread NVidia driver problems which cause computation errors - once you set the environment variable described (and illustrated) there, you should quickly earn enough credit to achieve posting rights.

Yeah I did set the variable. I'll set my task preference to Astropulse only--or do the other applications use the GPU too? (as of yet, only Astropulse called on the GPU...)

With that combination, please make sure that you read my thread NVidia driver problems which cause computation errors - once you set the environment variable described (and illustrated) there, you should quickly earn enough credit to achieve posting rights.

Yeah I did set the variable. I'll set my task preference to Astropulse only--or do the other applications use the GPU too? (as of yet, only Astropulse called on the GPU...)

That's curious, because I was looking for your account at SETI, and you appear to be the owner of computer 6922055.

That computer has tried to run over 60 "SETI@home Enhanced v6.10 (cuda_fermi)" jobs on the GPU, but has failed with an error every time so far. It looks to me like the error you get without that environment variable: the card and driver look OK, so I can't think of any other obvious reason for the failures.

I hope you used copy and paste to take the variable name from my post: people have come to grief, even when they were sure they'd re-keyed it correctly.

Ok, just as a check I copy-pasted the variable name and restarted. I'll keep an eye out for the (cuda_fermi) tasks and their success rate.

I also checked my preferences and saw I had asked for 10+10 days of work--which seemed a little excessive, so I dialed that down a bit :)

Thanks for being patient with all of the beginners' questions!