BOINC 6, 2 questions

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Bill Roland

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Message 22355 - Posted: 9 Jan 2009, 7:18:24 UTC

Why can't BOINC6 use the NetworkService built in account in Windows instead of creating all sorts of users accounts and groups to run under? When I specify that account manually it runs fine. It seems like it would be a lot easier than the current method.

How can I stop BOINC 6.4 and later (apparently) from insisting on starting up the BOINC Manager for each user who logs into the computer? I know where to turn it off in the Manager, but that is only per user, and the default seems to be to launch it on logon for each user. Doesn't work very well when you've got a network with lots of users and you want BOINC to do its work behind the scenes. I'm guessing its a registry key somewhere.

Thanks.
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Profile Jord
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Message 22400 - Posted: 13 Jan 2009, 0:28:51 UTC - in response to Message 22355.  
Last modified: 13 Jan 2009, 0:29:06 UTC

Why can't BOINC6 use the NetworkService built in account in Windows instead of creating all sorts of users accounts and groups to run under? When I specify that account manually it runs fine. It seems like it would be a lot easier than the current method.

The NetworkService Account is not available in Windows 2000, so it's not an option to use.

For the rest of the reasons as to why BOINC creates the accounts, read this thread.

How can I stop BOINC 6.4 and later (apparently) from insisting on starting up the BOINC Manager for each user who logs into the computer?

Remove boincmgr from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
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Bill Roland

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Message 22406 - Posted: 13 Jan 2009, 3:07:44 UTC - in response to Message 22400.  


The NetworkService Account is not available in Windows 2000, so it's not an option to use.

For the rest of the reasons as to why BOINC creates the accounts, read this thread.
I was aware that the NetworkService account is not available in Windows 2000. However Windows 2000 will be 9 years old next month, will have only another year and a half of security patch support from Microsoft, and by most estimates makes up less than 1.5% of the Windows market. Its a pretty hard sell to recreate the wheel based on that information. It would be far easier just to tell the installer that if its on Windows 2000, use the LocalSystem account (Like it did until BOINC 6).


Remove boincmgr from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
But that proves my point; as a system administrator who is donating (that's the key word) idle CPU to research projects using BOINC, I don't have time to figure out why I've got 15 trouble tickets from people asking what "Bionic" is, must less track down that BOINC has added a key to the Registry for 50 PCs that causes BOINC Manager to start up for every user.

Maybe there should be a special build for corporate environments where "Service Install" means use the built in Service appropriate for the installation (NetworkService) and an option for "Never start BOINC Manager automatically." I'm just asking that the developers look at it from our standpoint, sometimes these things that look great on paper and the white board just don't make sense in practical use.
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Keck_Komputers
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Message 22408 - Posted: 13 Jan 2009, 5:53:16 UTC

You do not have to edit the registry to stop BOINC manager from starting. In the advanced view under the advanced tab there is a checkbox for running the manager at startup. Still more cumbersome than I would like but not as bad as digging in the registry.
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UpstateLabs
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Message 22414 - Posted: 13 Jan 2009, 18:16:34 UTC - in response to Message 22408.  

You do not have to edit the registry to stop BOINC manager from starting. In the advanced view under the advanced tab there is a checkbox for running the manager at startup. Still more cumbersome than I would like but not as bad as digging in the registry.


Unselecting the checkbox as descibed above did not work for me, the manager was starting up anyway; thus I had to use the registry edit to stop BOINC manager startup for users.

I dislike this change to the setup/install. I do not want the BOINC manager starting up for all users, unless I select to during install. I agree with Bill Roland on this point. I guess it works for some environments, but we need some kind of opt-out for those that it doesn't.


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Profile Jord
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Message 22466 - Posted: 15 Jan 2009, 19:59:30 UTC

I've asked the developer for a comment. He said that the NetworkService Account has more limitations than the boinc_master limited account has. It will not allow anyone else to launch processes, for instance. Which would make it impossible to then install BOINC as a service and have anyone else control BOINC Manager.
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UpstateLabs
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Message 22482 - Posted: 16 Jan 2009, 13:39:10 UTC - in response to Message 22466.  

I've asked the developer for a comment. He said that the NetworkService Account has more limitations than the boinc_master limited account has. It will not allow anyone else to launch processes, for instance. Which would make it impossible to then install BOINC as a service and have anyone else control BOINC Manager.


I don't know anything about the NetworkService acct, and I don't have a problem with the boinc_master, etc accts that are currently set up. But why autorun the Manager through the registry? I hate this kind of install, I shouldn't have to search the registry to do setup. This makes admin hard, and I won't use it again (I'll go back to 6.2.19). I don't want the boinc manager GUI to start up, unless I specify, same as before.



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Bill Roland

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Message 22766 - Posted: 30 Jan 2009, 0:37:23 UTC - in response to Message 22408.  
Last modified: 30 Jan 2009, 1:11:47 UTC

You do not have to edit the registry to stop BOINC manager from starting. In the advanced view under the advanced tab there is a checkbox for running the manager at startup. Still more cumbersome than I would like but not as bad as digging in the registry.

No, that only works for that user. The next user that signs in will have to do the same thing, and so on and so forth. 100% unnecessary.

EDIT: If you have a Windows Active Directory network with at least Windows Server 2003 R2, you can use Group Policy to remove that registry entry automatically. Shouldn't have to resort to that, but at least it will minimize the headache.
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Bill Roland

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Message 22769 - Posted: 30 Jan 2009, 1:09:54 UTC - in response to Message 22466.  

I've asked the developer for a comment. He said that the NetworkService Account has more limitations than the boinc_master limited account has. It will not allow anyone else to launch processes, for instance. Which would make it impossible to then install BOINC as a service and have anyone else control BOINC Manager.

I appreciate that, thanks.
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borsti
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Message 22779 - Posted: 30 Jan 2009, 14:55:01 UTC - in response to Message 22766.  


EDIT: If you have a Windows Active Directory network with at least Windows Server 2003 R2, you can use Group Policy to remove that registry entry automatically. Shouldn't have to resort to that, but at least it will minimize the headache.


Since I have the same problem, any hint how to achieve this with W2K-Server (<2003)?
cu/2
Torsten
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UpstateLabs
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Message 22781 - Posted: 30 Jan 2009, 15:42:01 UTC - in response to Message 22766.  


EDIT: If you have a Windows Active Directory network with at least Windows Server 2003 R2, you can use Group Policy to remove that registry entry automatically. Shouldn't have to resort to that, but at least it will minimize the headache.


Fundamentally, I have an issue with having to do ANY edits in the registry. I am volunteering resources; I don't want to have to make group policies, or script changes, or mess with my AD.

I don't want ANY autostarts from the registry, with the exception of the services I deliberately set up to run. This should be EASY to fix.

Just my opinion, of course.


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Message 24017 - Posted: 30 Mar 2009, 17:43:35 UTC

It has been about 2 months, and I am curious to know if there has been any update on this topic. Do the 6.4.x versions still install starts-up from the registry? I have not done any updates past 6.2.19 on clients to avoid the registry issues.


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borsti
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Message 24510 - Posted: 24 Apr 2009, 9:20:25 UTC

Another month went by without news on this...

6.6.20 still behaves that bad, I had to see. :(
cu/2
Torsten
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Profile Jord
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Message 24514 - Posted: 24 Apr 2009, 12:06:47 UTC

Added to ticket [trac]#881[/trac]
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borsti
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Message 24523 - Posted: 24 Apr 2009, 16:53:33 UTC

Jord, thx a lot!
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Torsten
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Message boards : Questions and problems : BOINC 6, 2 questions

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