I want to use the "Only after computer has been idle for x minutes" function and I'm failing. When I set it, the tasks say "Suspended - computer is in use" and stay that way.

BOINC Manager version: 7.0.27 (x86)
CPU: Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU D425 @ 1.80GHz
Motherboard: no idea!
RAM: 2Gb
Video: VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Atom Processor D4xx/D5xx/N4xx/N5xx Integrated Graphics Controller (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Video: Display controller: Intel Corporation Atom Processor D4xx/D5xx/N4xx/N5xx Integrated Graphics Controller
Overclocking: No

O/S: Linux
Distribution: Mint 15 (olivia)
Kernel: Linux 3.8.0-19-generic (x86_64)
Desktop environment: MATE

Projects: ABC@home, eon2, Leiden Classical, LHC@home 1.0, malariacontrol.net, SETI@home, SZTAKI Desktop Grid, wanless2, WUProp@Home

Event Log start:

Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | Starting BOINC client version 7.0.27 for x86_64-pc-linux-gnu
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | log flags: file_xfer, sched_ops, task
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | Libraries: libcurl/7.29.0 OpenSSL/1.0.1c zlib/1.2.7 libidn/1.25 librtmp/2.3
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | Data directory: /var/lib/boinc-client
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | Processor: 2 GenuineIntel Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU D425   @ 1.80GHz [Family 6 Model 28 Stepping 10]
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | Processor: 512.00 KB cache
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | Processor features: fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx lm constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good nopl aperfmperf pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm movbe lahf_lm dtherm
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | OS: Linux: 3.8.0-19-generic
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | Memory: 1.95 GB physical, 1.99 GB virtual
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | Disk: 45.84 GB total, 38.49 GB free
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | Local time is UTC +0 hours
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | No usable GPUs found
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | Config: GUI RPC allowed from:
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | A new version of BOINC is available. <a href=http://boinc.berkeley.edu/download.php>Download it.</a>
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | PrimeGrid | URL http://www.primegrid.com/; Computer ID 414813; resource share 1
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | malariacontrol.net | URL http://www.malariacontrol.net/; Computer ID 704232; resource share 7
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | SETI@home | URL http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/; Computer ID 7130666; resource share 7
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | Asteroids@home | URL http://asteroidsathome.net/boinc/; Computer ID 57589; resource share 7
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | LHC@home 1.0 | URL http://lhcathomeclassic.cern.ch/sixtrack/; Computer ID 10306145; resource share 107
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | Leiden Classical | URL http://boinc.gorlaeus.net/; Computer ID 114145; resource share 7
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | WUProp@Home | URL http://wuprop.boinc-af.org/; Computer ID 61117; resource share 7
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | wanless2 | URL http://bearnol.is-a-geek.com/wanless2/; Computer ID 23575; resource share 7
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | Einstein@Home | URL http://einstein.phys.uwm.edu/; Computer ID 9416801; resource share 2
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | Collatz Conjecture | URL http://boinc.thesonntags.com/collatz/; Computer ID 135191; resource share 7
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | ABC@home | URL http://abcathome.com/; Computer ID 265221; resource share 7
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | Cosmology@Home | URL http://www.cosmologyathome.org/; Computer ID 201581; resource share 7
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | SZTAKI Desktop Grid | URL http://szdg.lpds.sztaki.hu/szdg/; Computer ID 350873; resource share 7
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | Milkyway@Home | URL http://milkyway.cs.rpi.edu/milkyway/; Computer ID 544809; resource share 5
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | climateprediction.net | URL http://climateprediction.net/; Computer ID 1300508; resource share 7
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | eon2 | URL http://eon.ices.utexas.edu/eon2/; Computer ID 1706474; resource share 1
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | QMC@HOME | URL http://qmcathome.org/; Computer ID 219251; resource share 7
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | SETI@home | General prefs: from SETI@home (last modified 13-Dec-2013 10:19:56)
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | SETI@home | Computer location: home
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT | SETI@home | General prefs: no separate prefs for home; using your defaults
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | Reading preferences override file
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | Preferences:
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | max memory usage when active: 996.74MB
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | max memory usage when idle: 1794.14MB
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | max disk usage: 10.00GB
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | don't use GPU while active
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | suspend work if non-BOINC CPU load exceeds 25 %
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | (to change preferences, visit the web site of an attached project, or select Preferences in the Manager)
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:19 GMT |  | Not using a proxy
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:21 GMT |  | Running CPU benchmarks
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:21 GMT |  | Suspending computation - CPU benchmarks in progress
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:21 GMT | eon2 | Sending scheduler request: Requested by project.
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:21 GMT | eon2 | Not reporting or requesting tasks
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:25 GMT | eon2 | Scheduler request completed
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:53 GMT |  | Benchmark results:
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:53 GMT |  | Number of CPUs: 2
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:53 GMT |  | 619 floating point MIPS (Whetstone) per CPU
Thu 02 Jan 2014 23:13:53 GMT |  | 2613 integer MIPS (Dhrystone) per CPU

Settings:
Activity: run based on preferences
Computing Allowed: While computer is in use: No
Only after computer has been idle for 2.00 minutes (I have tried values of 2, 1 and 0.1 minutes).


If I set Activity to Run always, the tasks start.
If I set Computing Allowed: While computer is in use: to Yes, the tasks start.
But no matter how long I wait, they otherwise say "Suspended - computer is in use".

global_prefs.xml:

<global_preferences>

<source_project>http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/</source_project>
    <source_scheduler>http://setiboinc.ssl.berkeley.edu/sah_cgi/cgi</source_scheduler>
<mod_time>1386929996</mod_time>
<run_on_batteries>0</run_on_batteries>
<run_if_user_active>1</run_if_user_active>
<run_gpu_if_user_active>1</run_gpu_if_user_active>
<idle_time_to_run>1</idle_time_to_run>
<suspend_if_no_recent_input>0</suspend_if_no_recent_input>
<suspend_cpu_usage>0</suspend_cpu_usage>
<leave_apps_in_memory>1</leave_apps_in_memory>
<cpu_scheduling_period_minutes>480</cpu_scheduling_period_minutes>
<max_cpus>0</max_cpus>
<max_ncpus_pct>100</max_ncpus_pct>
<cpu_usage_limit>100</cpu_usage_limit>
<disk_max_used_gb>20</disk_max_used_gb>
<disk_min_free_gb>0.1</disk_min_free_gb>
<disk_max_used_pct>90</disk_max_used_pct>
<disk_interval>60</disk_interval>
<vm_max_used_pct>80</vm_max_used_pct>
<ram_max_used_busy_pct>50</ram_max_used_busy_pct>
<ram_max_used_idle_pct>90</ram_max_used_idle_pct>
<work_buf_min_days>0.1</work_buf_min_days>
<work_buf_additional_days>0.5</work_buf_additional_days>
<confirm_before_connecting>0</confirm_before_connecting>
<hangup_if_dialed>0</hangup_if_dialed>
<max_bytes_sec_down>0</max_bytes_sec_down>
<max_bytes_sec_up>0</max_bytes_sec_up>
<daily_xfer_limit_mb>0</daily_xfer_limit_mb>
<daily_xfer_period_days>0</daily_xfer_period_days>
</global_preferences>

global_prefs.override.xml:

<global_preferences>
   <run_on_batteries>0</run_on_batteries>
   <run_if_user_active>0</run_if_user_active>
   <run_gpu_if_user_active>0</run_gpu_if_user_active>
   <idle_time_to_run>0.100000</idle_time_to_run>
   <suspend_cpu_usage>100.000000</suspend_cpu_usage>
   <start_hour>0.000000</start_hour>
   <end_hour>0.000000</end_hour>
   <net_start_hour>0.000000</net_start_hour>
   <net_end_hour>0.000000</net_end_hour>
   <leave_apps_in_memory>1</leave_apps_in_memory>
   <confirm_before_connecting>0</confirm_before_connecting>
   <hangup_if_dialed>0</hangup_if_dialed>
   <dont_verify_images>0</dont_verify_images>
   <work_buf_min_days>0.100000</work_buf_min_days>
   <work_buf_additional_days>0.500000</work_buf_additional_days>
   <max_ncpus_pct>100.000000</max_ncpus_pct>
   <cpu_scheduling_period_minutes>480.000000</cpu_scheduling_period_minutes>
   <disk_interval>60.000000</disk_interval>
   <disk_max_used_gb>20.000000</disk_max_used_gb>
   <disk_max_used_pct>90.000000</disk_max_used_pct>
   <disk_min_free_gb>2.000000</disk_min_free_gb>
   <vm_max_used_pct>80.000000</vm_max_used_pct>
   <ram_max_used_busy_pct>50.000000</ram_max_used_busy_pct>
   <ram_max_used_idle_pct>90.000000</ram_max_used_idle_pct>
   <max_bytes_sec_up>0.000000</max_bytes_sec_up>
   <max_bytes_sec_down>0.000000</max_bytes_sec_down>
   <cpu_usage_limit>100.000000</cpu_usage_limit>
   <daily_xfer_limit_mb>0.000000</daily_xfer_limit_mb>
   <daily_xfer_period_days>0</daily_xfer_period_days>
</global_preferences>

Make: Asus
Model: Eeebox EB1007P
Processor: Intel D425
Link to spec: www.asus.com/Eee_Box_PCs/EeeBox_PC_EB1007P

Boinc on Linux has had idle detection problems in the past, supposedly fixed in later Boinc (on some distros), Boinc 7.0.27 is quite old now, The Recommended Boinc was 7.0.65 until recently, and now Boinc 7.2.33, Try and get one of those versions from your distro if possible,

I looked through your preference files, they look right (I compared mine from Boinc 7.2.36), the only thing I noted is you have the 'Suspend work when non-BOINC CPU usage is above' set to 0% on the Web preferences, and set to 100% on your local preferences, I don't think this is the cause as you get different wording when Boinc suspends because of high CPU usage.

Claggy

I'm getting reports from users on Fedora using Gnome 3 that this problem is reappeared (with boinc 7.2.33). Also a Ubuntu user has confirmed this.
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1047044

That's sent me off on a quest to check all my Linux PCs.

BOINC Manager v6.10.58 for i686-pc-linux-gnu on Ubuntu 10.04 with GNOME 2.30.2 ... unsuspends (i.e. works OK).

BOINC Manager v7.0.27 (x86) on Linux Mint 15 (based on Ubuntu 13.04) with GNOME 3.6.3 ... stays suspended (i.e. does not work).

BOINC Manager v7.0.65 (x64) on Xubuntu 13.04 with GNOME 3.6.3 ... unsuspends (i.e. works OK).

BOINC Manager v7.2.7 (x86) on Xubuntu 13.10 with GNOME 3.8.4 ... stays suspended (i.e. does not work).

Just tried with a fresh Fedora 20 installation, boinc 7.2.33. Using KDE or using GNOME 3.10 is the same, I get:
- "Run only after being idle for x minutes" does not work, tasks are always "suspended"
- If I set to run when PC is in use, "Run only when CPU usage is less" does not work, even setting 1% boinc tasks always run
- "Exclusive applications" settings does not work, tasks always run

So it's not a GNOME fault, I can reproduce the problem using KDE too. On Fedora 19 everything works fine (same boinc version), so maybe some software upgrade has broken the way Boinc checks CPU usage and executed applications... I don't know how boinc checks this, so I don't know what library to downgrade to check where the problem is.

Mattia,

I have had the same problem for F19 - it drives me crazy! I want to let BOINC run as much as possible but the only way that works is to set limits for while the computer is IN USE - and this is far from ideal. If I have to resort to always having to REMEMBER to turn BOINC activity off and on, then BOINC is going to get a lot less availability out of my machine . .

I do wonder why it worked on F19 for you though - I am using XFCE - not that it should matter . .

Regards,

Phil.

I just upgraded to:

7.2.33-2.git1994cc8.fc19

but the problem still persists . .

Phil.

The developers are looking into it. None of the BOINC versions available at this time will have a fix. If there is a fix to be found soon, it'll be in 7.2.39 or above.

---

I see this issue crop up every now and then; work preferences get "overridden" by a mystery source, even though preferences at all projects and the project manager are correctly set.

---

My Detailed BOINC Stats

Hi,

I was (and still am) experiencing the same issue - tasks not starting - when I upgraded to 7.2.33. I have just upgraded to 7.2.42, with the same result. As soon as the screensaver licks in, it announces that 'The computer is in use', so no tasks are executed, unless I manually force it via the manager.

It's worth noting that I've been running Boinc for a number of years, connected to the same projects, with no previous issues - it just seems that the recent upgrades have introduced something that's broken.

I've had a look at the uploaded data in the previous posts above, and my data is effectively identical, hence no details!

Any suggestions?