I started using BOINC way back in '99 when it first launched with SETI@Home. I was active through university, but haven't used it since (2004... sorry!). I recently downloaded the latest version and signed up for a few projects individually, through the BOINC UI.

I then learned about Science United, created an account, and now am running BOINC signed into Science United. Since doing so, I've noticed some odd behavior and I'm trying to figure out whether the behavior is being caused by my local computing preferences (see screenshot) or, something else.

I'd love BOINC to run overnight, but am noticing in the event log that it seems to stall due to "no recent user activity". I've copied the event log that shows the overnight hours of use.

Could someone explain to me what is happening or point me in the direction of a resource that could?
I've highlighted areas of the event log for which I'd like feedback. Specifically the lines "already attached to a different account" and the large gap in no productivity between 1AM and 4AM.

Thanks!

Mon Aug 3 22:44:54 2020 | | Starting BOINC client version 7.16.6 for x86_64-apple-darwin
Mon Aug 3 22:44:54 2020 | | log flags: file_xfer, sched_ops, task
Mon Aug 3 22:44:54 2020 | | Libraries: libcurl/7.58.0 OpenSSL/1.1.0g zlib/1.2.11 c-ares/1.13.0
Mon Aug 3 22:44:54 2020 | | Data directory: /Library/Application Support/BOINC Data
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | OpenCL: NVIDIA GPU 0: GeForce GT 650M (driver version 12.0.24 355.11.10.50.10.103, device version OpenCL 1.2, 1024MB, 1024MB available, 156 GFLOPS peak)
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | OpenCL: Intel GPU 0: HD Graphics 4000 (driver version 1.2(Jul 2 2020 19:57:02), device version OpenCL 1.2, 1536MB, 1536MB available, 160 GFLOPS peak)
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | OpenCL CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3720QM CPU @ 2.60GHz (OpenCL driver vendor: Apple, driver version 1.1, device version OpenCL 1.2)
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Host name: Kyles-MBP
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Processor: 8 GenuineIntel Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3720QM CPU @ 2.60GHz [x86 Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9]
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Processor features: fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clfsh ds acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss htt tm pbe pni pclmulqdq dtes64 mon dscpl vmx smx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 tpr pdcm sse4_1 sse4_2 x2apic popcnt aes pcid xsave osxsave tsctmr avx rdrand f16c
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | OS: Mac OS X 10.14.6 (Darwin 18.7.0)
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Memory: 16.00 GB physical, 45.10 GB virtual
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Disk: 232.69 GB total, 43.48 GB free
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Local time is UTC -7 hours
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | VirtualBox version: 6.1.12r139181
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Config: don't compute while Capture One 12 is running
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Config: don't compute while Capture One 20 is running
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Config: don't compute while Google Chrome is running
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | General prefs: from https://scienceunited.org/ (last modified 02-Aug-2020 22:05:39)
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Host location: none
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | General prefs: using your defaults
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Reading preferences override file
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Preferences:
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | max memory usage when active: 5734.40 MB
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | max memory usage when idle: 14745.60 MB
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | max disk usage: 10.00 GB
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | max CPUs used: 6
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | don't compute while active
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | don't use GPU while active
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | (to change preferences, visit a project web site or select Preferences in the Manager)
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Setting up project and slot directories
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Checking active tasks
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | Rosetta@home | Task rb_07_31_33483_32987__t000__2_C1_SAVE_ALL_OUT_IGNORE_THE_REST_1004660_297_0 is 0.16 days overdue; you may not get credit for it. Consider aborting it.
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Using account manager Science United
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Account manager login: Globalksp
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | Asteroids@home | URL http://asteroidsathome.net/boinc/; Computer ID 691962; resource share 100
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | climateprediction.net | URL https://climateprediction.net/; Computer ID 1507404; resource share 100
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | Einstein@Home | URL http://einstein.phys.uwm.edu/; Computer ID 12843084; resource share 100
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | LHC@home | URL https://lhcathome.cern.ch/lhcathome/; Computer ID 10660634; resource share 100
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | Milkyway@Home | URL http://milkyway.cs.rpi.edu/milkyway/; Computer ID 860128; resource share 100
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | Rosetta@home | URL https://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta/; Computer ID 5019746; resource share 100
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Setting up GUI RPC socket
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Checking presence of 92 project files
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Suspending computation - computer is in use
Mon Aug 3 22:44:55 2020 | | Suspending network activity - computer is in use
Mon Aug 3 22:48:00 2020 | | Resuming network activity
Mon Aug 3 22:48:03 2020 | Einstein@Home | Sending scheduler request: To fetch work.
Mon Aug 3 22:48:03 2020 | Einstein@Home | Requesting new tasks for Intel GPU
Mon Aug 3 22:48:05 2020 | Einstein@Home | Scheduler request completed: got 0 new tasks
Mon Aug 3 22:48:05 2020 | Einstein@Home | No work sent
Mon Aug 3 22:48:05 2020 | Einstein@Home | Binary Radio Pulsar Search (Arecibo) is not available for your type of computer.
Mon Aug 3 22:48:05 2020 | Einstein@Home | see scheduler log messages on https://einsteinathome.org/host/12843084/log
Mon Aug 3 22:48:05 2020 | Einstein@Home | Project requested delay of 60 seconds
Mon Aug 3 22:56:02 2020 | | Suspending computation - no recent user activity
Mon Aug 3 22:59:05 2020 | | Some devices idle - requesting new projects from Science United
Mon Aug 3 22:59:05 2020 | | Contacting account manager at https://scienceunited.org/
Mon Aug 3 22:59:06 2020 | | Account manager contact succeeded
Mon Aug 3 22:59:06 2020 | climateprediction.net | Already attached to a different account
Mon Aug 3 22:59:06 2020 | Milkyway@Home | Already attached to a different account
Mon Aug 3 22:59:06 2020 | | General prefs: from https://scienceunited.org/ (last modified 02-Aug-2020 22:05:39)
Mon Aug 3 22:59:06 2020 | | Host location: none
Mon Aug 3 22:59:06 2020 | | General prefs: using your defaults
Mon Aug 3 22:59:06 2020 | | Reading preferences override file
Mon Aug 3 22:59:06 2020 | | Preferences:
Mon Aug 3 22:59:06 2020 | | max memory usage when active: 5734.40 MB
Mon Aug 3 22:59:06 2020 | | max memory usage when idle: 14745.60 MB
Mon Aug 3 22:59:06 2020 | | max disk usage: 10.00 GB
Mon Aug 3 22:59:06 2020 | | max CPUs used: 6
Mon Aug 3 22:59:06 2020 | | don't compute while active
Mon Aug 3 22:59:06 2020 | | don't use GPU while active
Mon Aug 3 22:59:06 2020 | | (to change preferences, visit a project web site or select Preferences in the Manager)
Mon Aug 3 23:10:41 2020 | LHC@home | Sending scheduler request: Requested by project.
Mon Aug 3 23:10:41 2020 | LHC@home | Not requesting tasks: don't need (CPU: not highest priority project; NVIDIA GPU: ; Intel GPU: )
Mon Aug 3 23:10:45 2020 | LHC@home | Scheduler request completed
Mon Aug 3 23:10:45 2020 | LHC@home | Project requested delay of 6 seconds
Mon Aug 3 23:19:12 2020 | | Some devices idle - requesting new projects from Science United
Mon Aug 3 23:19:12 2020 | | Contacting account manager at https://scienceunited.org/
Mon Aug 3 23:19:14 2020 | | Account manager contact succeeded
Mon Aug 3 23:19:14 2020 | climateprediction.net | Already attached to a different account
Mon Aug 3 23:19:14 2020 | Milkyway@Home | Already attached to a different account
Mon Aug 3 23:19:14 2020 | | General prefs: from https://scienceunited.org/ (last modified 02-Aug-2020 22:05:39)
Mon Aug 3 23:19:14 2020 | | Host location: none
Mon Aug 3 23:19:14 2020 | | General prefs: using your defaults
Mon Aug 3 23:19:14 2020 | | Reading preferences override file
Mon Aug 3 23:19:14 2020 | | Preferences:
Mon Aug 3 23:19:14 2020 | | max memory usage when active: 5734.40 MB
Mon Aug 3 23:19:14 2020 | | max memory usage when idle: 14745.60 MB
Mon Aug 3 23:19:14 2020 | | max disk usage: 10.00 GB
Mon Aug 3 23:19:14 2020 | | max CPUs used: 6
Mon Aug 3 23:19:14 2020 | | don't compute while active
Mon Aug 3 23:19:14 2020 | | don't use GPU while active
Mon Aug 3 23:19:14 2020 | | (to change preferences, visit a project web site or select Preferences in the Manager)
Mon Aug 3 23:59:34 2020 | | Some devices idle - requesting new projects from Science United
Mon Aug 3 23:59:34 2020 | | Contacting account manager at https://scienceunited.org/
Mon Aug 3 23:59:36 2020 | | Account manager contact succeeded
Mon Aug 3 23:59:36 2020 | climateprediction.net | Already attached to a different account
Mon Aug 3 23:59:36 2020 | Milkyway@Home | Already attached to a different account
Mon Aug 3 23:59:36 2020 | | General prefs: from https://scienceunited.org/ (last modified 02-Aug-2020 22:05:39)
Mon Aug 3 23:59:36 2020 | | Host location: none
Mon Aug 3 23:59:36 2020 | | General prefs: using your defaults
Mon Aug 3 23:59:36 2020 | | Reading preferences override file
Mon Aug 3 23:59:36 2020 | | Preferences:
Mon Aug 3 23:59:36 2020 | | max memory usage when active: 5734.40 MB
Mon Aug 3 23:59:36 2020 | | max memory usage when idle: 14745.60 MB
Mon Aug 3 23:59:36 2020 | | max disk usage: 10.00 GB
Mon Aug 3 23:59:36 2020 | | max CPUs used: 6
Mon Aug 3 23:59:36 2020 | | don't compute while active
Mon Aug 3 23:59:36 2020 | | don't use GPU while active
Mon Aug 3 23:59:36 2020 | | (to change preferences, visit a project web site or select Preferences in the Manager)
Tue Aug 4 01:20:19 2020 | | Some devices idle - requesting new projects from Science United
Tue Aug 4 01:20:19 2020 | | Contacting account manager at https://scienceunited.org/
Tue Aug 4 01:20:21 2020 | | Account manager contact succeeded
Tue Aug 4 01:20:21 2020 | climateprediction.net | Already attached to a different account
Tue Aug 4 01:20:21 2020 | Milkyway@Home | Already attached to a different account
Tue Aug 4 01:20:21 2020 | | General prefs: from https://scienceunited.org/ (last modified 02-Aug-2020 22:05:39)
Tue Aug 4 01:20:21 2020 | | Host location: none
Tue Aug 4 01:20:21 2020 | | General prefs: using your defaults
Tue Aug 4 01:20:21 2020 | | Reading preferences override file
Tue Aug 4 01:20:21 2020 | | Preferences:
Tue Aug 4 01:20:21 2020 | | max memory usage when active: 5734.40 MB
Tue Aug 4 01:20:21 2020 | | max memory usage when idle: 14745.60 MB
Tue Aug 4 01:20:21 2020 | | max disk usage: 10.00 GB
Tue Aug 4 01:20:21 2020 | | max CPUs used: 6
Tue Aug 4 01:20:21 2020 | | don't compute while active
Tue Aug 4 01:20:21 2020 | | don't use GPU while active
Tue Aug 4 01:20:21 2020 | | (to change preferences, visit a project web site or select Preferences in the Manager)
Tue Aug 4 04:00:47 2020 | | Some devices idle - requesting new projects from Science United
Tue Aug 4 04:00:47 2020 | | Contacting account manager at https://scienceunited.org/
Tue Aug 4 04:00:49 2020 | | Account manager contact succeeded
Tue Aug 4 04:00:49 2020 | climateprediction.net | Already attached to a different account
Tue Aug 4 04:00:49 2020 | Milkyway@Home | Already attached to a different account
Tue Aug 4 04:00:49 2020 | | General prefs: from https://scienceunited.org/ (last modified 02-Aug-2020 22:05:39)
Tue Aug 4 04:00:49 2020 | | Host location: none
Tue Aug 4 04:00:49 2020 | | General prefs: using your defaults
Tue Aug 4 04:00:49 2020 | | Reading preferences override file
Tue Aug 4 04:00:49 2020 | | Preferences:
Tue Aug 4 04:00:49 2020 | | max memory usage when active: 5734.40 MB
Tue Aug 4 04:00:49 2020 | | max memory usage when idle: 14745.60 MB
Tue Aug 4 04:00:49 2020 | | max disk usage: 10.00 GB
Tue Aug 4 04:00:49 2020 | | max CPUs used: 6
Tue Aug 4 04:00:49 2020 | | don't compute while active
Tue Aug 4 04:00:49 2020 | | don't use GPU while active
Tue Aug 4 04:00:49 2020 | | (to change preferences, visit a project web site or select Preferences in the Manager)
Tue Aug 4 04:10:49 2020 | LHC@home | Sending scheduler request: Requested by project.
Tue Aug 4 04:10:49 2020 | LHC@home | Not requesting tasks: don't need (CPU: not highest priority project; NVIDIA GPU: ; Intel GPU: )
Tue Aug 4 04:10:53 2020 | LHC@home | Scheduler request completed
Tue Aug 4 04:10:53 2020 | LHC@home | Project requested delay of 6 seconds
Tue Aug 4 07:20:18 2020 | | Suspending network activity - computer is in use
Tue Aug 4 07:22:18 2020 | | Resuming computation
Tue Aug 4 07:22:18 2020 | | Resuming network activity
Tue Aug 4 07:22:18 2020 | Einstein@Home | Sending scheduler request: To fetch work.
Tue Aug 4 07:22:18 2020 | Einstein@Home | Requesting new tasks for Intel GPU
Tue Aug 4 07:22:20 2020 | Einstein@Home | Scheduler request completed: got 0 new tasks
Tue Aug 4 07:22:20 2020 | Einstein@Home | No work sent
Tue Aug 4 07:22:20 2020 | Einstein@Home | see scheduler log messages on https://einsteinathome.org/host/12843084/log
Tue Aug 4 07:22:20 2020 | Einstein@Home | Binary Radio Pulsar Search (Arecibo) is not available for your type of computer.
Tue Aug 4 07:22:20 2020 | Einstein@Home | Project requested delay of 60 seconds
Tue Aug 4 07:30:19 2020 | | Suspending computation - no recent user activity
Tue Aug 4 07:30:20 2020 | | Suspending network activity - computer is in use
Tue Aug 4 07:33:32 2020 | Milkyway@Home | update requested by user
Tue Aug 4 07:33:32 2020 | Milkyway@Home | Sending scheduler request: Requested by user.
Tue Aug 4 07:33:32 2020 | Milkyway@Home | Not requesting tasks: don't need (CPU: not highest priority project; NVIDIA GPU: job cache full; Intel GPU: )
Tue Aug 4 07:33:33 2020 | Milkyway@Home | Scheduler request completed
Tue Aug 4 07:33:33 2020 | Milkyway@Home | Project requested delay of 91 seconds
Tue Aug 4 07:34:31 2020 | | Fetching configuration file from https://scienceunited.org/get_project_config.php
Tue Aug 4 07:34:34 2020 | | Contacting account manager at https://scienceunited.org/
Tue Aug 4 07:34:34 2020 | | Account manager contact succeeded
Tue Aug 4 07:34:34 2020 | climateprediction.net | Already attached to a different account
Tue Aug 4 07:34:34 2020 | Milkyway@Home | Already attached to a different account
Tue Aug 4 07:34:34 2020 | | General prefs: from https://scienceunited.org/ (last modified 02-Aug-2020 22:05:39)
Tue Aug 4 07:34:34 2020 | | Host location: none
Tue Aug 4 07:34:34 2020 | | General prefs: using your defaults
Tue Aug 4 07:34:34 2020 | | Reading preferences override file
Tue Aug 4 07:34:34 2020 | | Preferences:
Tue Aug 4 07:34:34 2020 | | max memory usage when active: 5734.40 MB
Tue Aug 4 07:34:34 2020 | | max memory usage when idle: 14745.60 MB
Tue Aug 4 07:34:34 2020 | | max disk usage: 10.00 GB
Tue Aug 4 07:34:34 2020 | | max CPUs used: 6
Tue Aug 4 07:34:34 2020 | | don't compute while active
Tue Aug 4 07:34:34 2020 | | don't use GPU while active
Tue Aug 4 07:34:34 2020 | | (to change preferences, visit a project web site or select Preferences in the Manager)
Tue Aug 4 07:35:34 2020 | | Resuming file transfers
Tue Aug 4 07:38:54 2020 | | Resuming computation
Tue Aug 4 07:41:12 2020 | Einstein@Home | Sending scheduler request: To fetch work.
Tue Aug 4 07:41:12 2020 | Einstein@Home | Requesting new tasks for Intel GPU
Tue Aug 4 07:41:15 2020 | Einstein@Home | Scheduler request completed: got 0 new tasks
Tue Aug 4 07:41:15 2020 | Einstein@Home | No work sent
Tue Aug 4 07:41:15 2020 | Einstein@Home | Binary Radio Pulsar Search (Arecibo) is not available for your type of computer.
Tue Aug 4 07:41:15 2020 | Einstein@Home | see scheduler log messages on https://einsteinathome.org/host/12843084/log
Tue Aug 4 07:41:15 2020 | Einstein@Home | Project requested delay of 60 seconds
Tue Aug 4 07:46:55 2020 | | Suspending computation - no recent user activity

A couple of quick points, to help you re-orient yourself to the new environment.

First, you didn't use BOINC to run SETI@Home in 1999. SETI did indeed start then, but as a single, integrated, volunteer project. BOINC evolved out of the original SETI@Home, and came on the scene five or six years later. That changed things a lot.

Second, there are two basic ways of running BOINC. Either you manage everything yourself, or you hand over the management tasks to a third-party utility called an 'Account Manager'. Science United is one of those account managers.

Both approaches draw on the same pool of scientific projects, so there's nothing to be gained by trying to run both techniques at once. You should either leave everything to Science United (and detach from the projects you joined manually) - or manage BOINC yourself (and detach from Science United). Pick one, and leave the other alone.

Thanks for the clarification on the evolution of BOINC, Richard.

I've detached from Science United and will be managing projects on my own.

However, I am still curious about the following entry into the event log that coincides with the ceasing of processing. I'm confused because it seems the whole goal of BOINC is to allow CPUs & GPUs to work while they're not being used "in person". However, work always ceases after I've walked away from the machine. From the log:
Wed Aug 5 07:11:19 2020 | | Resuming GPU computation
Wed Aug 5 07:17:22 2020 | Einstein@Home | Sending scheduler request: To fetch work.
Wed Aug 5 07:17:22 2020 | Einstein@Home | Requesting new tasks for Intel GPU
Wed Aug 5 07:17:26 2020 | Einstein@Home | Scheduler request completed: got 0 new tasks
Wed Aug 5 07:17:26 2020 | Einstein@Home | No work sent
Wed Aug 5 07:17:26 2020 | Einstein@Home | see scheduler log messages on https://einsteinathome.org/host/12843084/log
Wed Aug 5 07:17:26 2020 | Einstein@Home | Binary Radio Pulsar Search (Arecibo) is not available for your type of computer.
Wed Aug 5 07:17:26 2020 | Einstein@Home | Project requested delay of 60 seconds
Wed Aug 5 07:23:30 2020 | | Suspending computation - no recent user activity
Wed Aug 5 07:51:43 2020 | | Resuming computation

"Suspending computation - no recent user activity" occurs on a regular basis and results in BOINC not computing for long stretches of time. Here, I assuming "user" refers to local computer user / my physical self using the machine and not my BOINC user.

Could some light be shed on why this is happening and how to resolve it?

Thanks again.

Yes, that's an odd one - I haven't seen it before, either. (But I thought we ought to sort out the account manager stuff first).

It comes from https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/blob/master/client/cs_prefs.cpp#L239, so it's a global preference. Looking at general preferences on a standard BOINC project, I see:

Suspend when no mouse/keyboard input in last	--- minutes

in the list of 'When to suspend' - that must be the one.

I'd guess the intention might be to allow a laptop to sleep when not in use, to save the battery. I think we've got better ways to handle that now.

My own global_prefs.xml file contains

    <suspend_if_no_recent_input>0</suspend_if_no_recent_input>

and works properly. You should be able to correct that either via the website of one of your attached projects, or by correcting the file manually. Check global_prefs_override.xml too, but I don't see the entry there.

Yes, that's an odd one - I haven't seen it before, either. (But I thought we ought to sort out the account manager stuff first).

It comes from https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/blob/master/client/cs_prefs.cpp#L239, so it's a global preference. Looking at general preferences on a standard BOINC project, I see:

Suspend when no mouse/keyboard input in last	--- minutes

in the list of 'When to suspend' - that must be the one.

I'd guess the intention might be to allow a laptop to sleep when not in use, to save the battery. I think we've got better ways to handle that now.

My own global_prefs.xml file contains

    <suspend_if_no_recent_input>0</suspend_if_no_recent_input>

and works properly. You should be able to correct that either via the website of one of your attached projects, or by correcting the file manually. Check global_prefs_override.xml too, but I don't see the entry there.

Thank you!!!

And yes, ironing out the smaller wrinkles before the larger was a good way to go.

I have changed the local computing preferences on my machine to only suspend BOINC when the laptop is running on battery. Ostensibly, it should run all the time when the machine is plugged in. But, the behavior and event log entry continues.

I'm no coder / programmer, but will attempt to correct this via your find in the global prefs. Will report back with questions / success.

Thank you again.

I've been trying to locate the BOINC Data directory & config file (have been using the BOINC wiki) and can't find it on my machine. I think if I could find that, I could edit the code and be ok. Any thoughts / help for a Mac user?

Or, should I cleanly uninstall BOINC and reinstall and start fresh?

The path to your data directory is shown in the event log messages:
Mon Aug 3 22:44:54 2020 | | Data directory: /Library/Application Support/BOINC Data

It may be a hidden directory under MacOS as well.

---

Thanks for pointing that out. Embarrassed I couldn't find that on my own.

But, I'm writing to say that I've "solved" my problem.

When I signed on to Science United, computing preferences were imported from ScienceUnited. Though I changed some computing preferences locally, it seems that the "stop computing when computer is idle" command was not overwritten. This is why computing was ceasing for me and the event log reported as such.


When I disconnected from Science United, I did not cleanly wipe BOINC from my system and the BOINC preferences remained those of Science United. A clean uninstall and reinstall and NOT signing back in to Science United did the trick.

I appreciate your help through this. I'm now back up and running and computing all night long.

Cheers,
Globalksp