There is a BOINC wiki for installing BOINC on Ubuntu:

http://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/Installing_BOINC_on_Ubuntu

However, the repository package for BOINC is generally NOT up-to-date. I'd like to rectify that little problem by suggesting the following be added to the page:

10 Easy Steps to Update BOINC
To update BOINC you may do the following:

1. Download the latest BOINC software bundle from the BOINC web site for your flavor (32 or 64 bit) to your favorite download directory. This will be a ".sh" file.
Note: There is a notable problem using the 32 bit version on 64 bit platforms concerning message updates on the Messages tab.

2. In your download directory, change the ".sh" file properties to "executable" using your favorite method.

3. Run the ".sh" file, i.e.,

./boinc...sh

This should unpack the file and create a BOINC directory.

4. Create a BOINC Update script called "boinc_update.sh" in the download directory with the following commands in the file:

cp BOINC/boinc /usr/bin/boinc
cp BOINC/boinccmd /usr/bin/boinccmd
cp BOINC/boincmgr /usr/bin/boincmgr
cp BOINC/boincmgr.16x16.png /usr/share/pixmaps/boincmgr.16x16.png
cp BOINC/boincmgr.32x32.png /usr/share/pixmaps/boincmgr.32x32.png
cp BOINC/boincmgr.48x48.png /usr/share/pixmaps/boincmgr.48x48.png
cp BOINC/ca-bundle.crt /var/lib/boinc-client/ca-bundle.crt
cp BOINC/libcudart.so /var/lib/boinc-client/libcudart.so

Reuse this script whenever you want to update.

5. Make this new BOINC Update script executable.

6. Make sure your BOINC client service is stopped using your favorite method (I use BUM).

7. Make sure the BOINC Manager is closed.

8. Run the "boinc_update.sh" script as superuser, i.e.,

sudo ./boinc_update.sh"

9. Restart your BOINC client service.

10. Run the BOINC Manager to check your update.

Language Files:
The language files are not updated and I don't yet know where they should be placed, but I suspect they could be dumped in the /var/lib/boinc-client dir.

Run Files:
Apparently, the Ubuntu package does not contain the run... files, so they are ignored for updating purposes.

BOINC Client Service:
The service stop/start could be added to the script, but then it wouldn't be 10 Easy Steps, now would it.
Add:

service boinc-client stop

to the beginning of the script and

service boinc-client start

to the end of the script.

Oops,
For some reason the "service" command won't wait until it is finished before continuing to the next command. Even a "wait" command is ignored.
You might want to add a sleep command after the service stop so that it stops in time for the copies:

service boinc-client stop
sleep 1

Maybe doing a direct

/etc/init.d/boinc-client stop

would work.

I've tried the script but got errors. (lockfile couldnt be replaced) I tried BUM but BOINC didnt show up.
I'm a total UBUNTU *nix newb so get stuck very quickly.

Why isnt there a decent auto-update program / script that will work?

Can someone help me?

Thanks

Ken

What BOINC version are you trying to update from and to which next version?
Downloaded from the package manager or from the Berkeley web site?

---

Hi Ken,

Using Applications->ubuntuSoftwareCenter worked for me.
I did a search for boinc-manager and it found it.
There was a checkbox for the boinc-client that I checked.

all installed OK.

I had a small glitch when the client didn't start one day.
I removed and re-installed boinc-manager - without losing the WU in progress.

The boinc version that was downloaded was 6.10.58
http://boinc.berkeley.edu/download_all.php says this is the recommended version.

Best wishes,
Jay

PS
This was on an old Pentium II box.

The only option I get from Ubuntu Software Centre is to REMOVE it. Sorry - that's not what I want - my guess is I would lose all data pertaining to BOINC if I do that.

What BOINC version are you trying to update from and to which next version?
Downloaded from the package manager or from the Berkeley web site?

I'm currently running 6.10.17

and I downloaded the 6.10.58 from the Berkeley web site. Hence trying to do the scripted update from this thread.

See my comment re Ubuntu Software Centre too.

(Sorry for the long delay in responding)

Thanks

This is some of the errors that I get

ken@ken-desktop:~/Downloads$ sudo ./boinc_update.sh
cp: cannot create regular file `/usr/bin/boinc': Text file busy
cp: cannot create regular file `/usr/bin/boincmgr': Text file busy
ken@ken-desktop:~/Downloads$ /etc/init.d/boinc-client stop
* Stopping BOINC core client: boinc rm: cannot remove `/var/lib/boinc-client/lockfile': Permission denied
ken@ken-desktop:~/Downloads$ /etc/init.d/boinc-client stop
* Stopping BOINC core client: boinc rm: cannot remove `/var/lib/boinc-client/lockfile': Permission denied
ken@ken-desktop:~/Downloads$ sudo ./boinc_update.sh
cp: cannot create regular file `/usr/bin/boinc': Text file busy
ken@ken-desktop:~/Downloads$ /etc/init.d/boinc-client start
* Starting BOINC core client: boinc [ OK ]
* Setting up scheduling for BOINC core client and children: /etc/init.d/boinc-client: 203: cannot create /proc/810/oom_adj: Permission denied

/etc/init.d/boinc-client: 203: cannot create /proc/4374/oom_adj: Permission denied

/etc/init.d/boinc-client: 203: cannot create /proc/4414/oom_adj: Permission denied

[ OK ]
ken@ken-desktop:~/Downloads$

Now, first off, I know next to nothing about Linux, so I won't be able to help you much. Yet according to those error messages, you run BOINC without permission, or your BOINC does not have permission to run the science applications, or write to disk. So check that first.

---

What about getting permission? ;-)

Gruß,
Gundolf