After fighting with the repository (Kubuntu 22.04) version of BOINC Manager, I gave up and installed the flatpak version this past weekend. That's working just fine -- except I noticed that my CPU fan wasn't running at high level like it should when my Fx8350 is going full blast on all eight cores. A little poking, and I've determined that it runs fine per preferences when the BOINC Manager is open, but if I close the manager (either with the x button upper right, or with File, Close Window), computation stops.

I *think* this means the client service isn't running? The command that would tell the client to start on boot in the .deb install (sudo systemctl enable boinc-client) returns "Failed to enable unit: Unit file boinc-client.service does not exist." I presume this is because the flatpak doesn't offer a system service. There must be a flatpak command that I can put in my autostart so the client runs independent of the manager -- but I don't know what it is. flatpak run edu.berkeley.BOINC launches the manager (which starts the client), but the client ought to run in background whether the manager is running or not.

Or is this one of the ways in which the flatpak version isn't quite ready for prime time?

After fighting with the repository (Kubuntu 22.04) version of BOINC Manager, I gave up and installed the flatpak version this past weekend. That's working just fine -- except I noticed that my CPU fan wasn't running at high level like it should when my Fx8350 is going full blast on all eight cores. A little poking, and I've determined that it runs fine per preferences when the BOINC Manager is open, but if I close the manager (either with the x button upper right, or with File, Close Window), computation stops.

I *think* this means the client service isn't running? The command that would tell the client to start on boot in the .deb install (sudo systemctl enable boinc-client) returns "Failed to enable unit: Unit file boinc-client.service does not exist." I presume this is because the flatpak doesn't offer a system service. There must be a flatpak command that I can put in my autostart so the client runs independent of the manager -- but I don't know what it is. flatpak run edu.berkeley.BOINC launches the manager (which starts the client), but the client ought to run in background whether the manager is running or not.

Or is this one of the ways in which the flatpak version isn't quite ready for prime time?

Vague memories (sorry but I’m not near my machines to check it out) that there is an option within BM to close the client when the manager closes.

Don't know anything about the Flatpak version, but the older versions of the Boinc Manager still had the Options >> Other Options dialog in the menu that gave you the "Enable exit Manager dialog" checkbox.

Checking that gave you the option to quit the Manager but still leave the client running.

On my version of Boinc, that is what I use. No point in leaving the Manager running for hosts I basically run headless and monitor via BoincTasks.

Don't know anything about the Flatpak version, but the older versions of the Boinc Manager still had the Options >> Other Options dialog in the menu that gave you the "Enable exit Manager dialog" checkbox.

Checking that gave you the option to quit the Manager but still leave the client running.

On my version of Boinc, that is what I use. No point in leaving the Manager running for hosts I basically run headless and monitor via BoincTasks.

I've been running with the Manager closed for literally years before the buggy version got into the Ubuntu repository. The Flatpak I have installed, however, has the following options in "Options, Other Options":

Language
Notice Reminder Interval
Run the client (checked)
Enable Manager exit dialogue (checked)
Enable Client shutdown dialogue (checked)

Except I haven't been seeing any shutdown dialogs. Changing settings for any of the three doesn't seem to change what happens with the client.

Except I haven't been seeing any shutdown dialogs. Changing settings for any of the three doesn't seem to change what happens with the client.

I haven't used the current flatpack version but many years ago before my Ubuntu days when I ran Mandrake I used to use the flatpack version available then and the dialogue did work then. I can't remember who produced the current flatpack version. I will try downloading current one and having a play.

I will try downloading current one and having a play.

Ran the manager, client didn't run

./run_client

produced

error while loading shared libraries: libssl.so.1.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

Before I got too far down the dependency hell route I tried copying the executable from my roll your own 7.23.0 from /usr/bin.
./run_client then started the client as did run_manager with the client shut down first. Closing down manager then gave me the exit dialogue so I am guessing the problem lies in the client somewhere.

./run_client then started the client as did run_manager with the client shut down first. Closing down manager then gave me the exit dialogue so I am guessing the problem lies in the client somewhere.

To me, that suggests that the flatpak version 7.22.0 (which is what I have) is missing the ability to leave the client running (as well as to ask when it receives a close input). I've definitely got a running client when the manager is open; I can see the work units ticking down in Tasks tab, and Statistics and Disks tabs reflect the activity as well.

I don't see where to execute run_client -- there don't seem to be any executables in .var/app/edu.berkeley.BOINC.

run_client is one of the built executable scripts from the Github code that is produced when you roll your own. Haven't seen it built or packaged with any of the distro packaging of BOINC.

The ability to control the client or not with the Manager was taking out in the later releases. Why I run with an older version of the Manager compared to the client. The option was removed back in 2021.

I don't see where to execute run_client -- there don't seem to be any executables in .var/app/edu.berkeley.BOINC.

running the flat pack version, running

./boinc_ubuntu_7.16.6_x86_64-pc-linux-gnu.sh 

installed it in Downloads/BOINC/ in my home folder both the run_client and run_manager scripts are there.

The Flatpak build patches BOINC to set the default for Stop running tasks when exiting the BOINC Manager to ‘on’.

The only place to unset that option in the GUI is in the confirmation dialog that appears when you Exit (not Close) the manager via File » Exit BOINC Manager.

You only see that dialog if you have checked Enable Manager exit dialog? in Options » Other options.

The Flatpak build patches BOINC to set the default for Stop running tasks when exiting the BOINC Manager to ‘on’.

The only place to unset that option in the GUI is in the confirmation dialog that appears when you Exit (not Close) the manager via File » Exit BOINC Manager.

You only see that dialog if you have checked Enable Manager exit dialog? in Options » Other options.

Yep, that seems to have worked. Kind of a non-obvious way to do it, IMO. Now, with the Manager closed, htop shows a bunch of processes that start with "../../projects*" and one that has

/app/bin/boinc --redirectio --launched_by_manager

-- that latter, presumably, is the one I want to set up to run on system start, but there is no /app folder -- not even inside ~/.var.

that latter, presumably, is the one I want to set up to run on system start, but there is no /app folder -- not even inside ~/.var.

The /app folder is part of the Flatpak bundle. The thing is that with Flatpak, you don’t explicitly run things inside it; you just run the Flatpak. And the BOINC Flatpak is configured to start the Manager. The Manager starts the client, and the client starts the project science apps.

I’m not sure the Flatpak arrangement lends itself to running as a system service, either, as the whole infrastructure seems to expect an interactive desktop session to be available.

It might work if a corresponding systemd service file is available.
In case flatpak doesn't install it's own the original one from here can be used:
https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/blob/master/client/scripts/boinc-client.service.in

Shouldn't be a problem for an experienced user to copy it to the right location and adjust at least the paths.