New install, can't find work units after reboot

Message boards : Questions and problems : New install, can't find work units after reboot
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Marathon

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Message 52471 - Posted: 9 Feb 2014, 19:21:14 UTC

I use Ubuntu with KDE, 64 bit.

In order to protect the progress made by BOINC projects, before I shut down my computer, I use the BOINC manager to suspend the projects, and then exit the manager, selecting the option to suspend work. I normally then use the BOINC manager to resume the projects next time I restart my computer. I did that before shutting down my computer last night.

Yesterday, I downloaded and installed BOINC 7.2.33 (64 bit). I used the manager to join three projects. Two of these download some tasks and began running them. Today, when I try staring the BOINC manager, none of the projects show. It is as if I had installed BOINC, and stopped there, without joining any projects.

What happened? How can I resume running tasks already started?

I previously had a version of BOINC modified for Ubuntu installed using Muon package manager. That was version 7.2.7. I got tired of waiting for a new version to become available via Muon.
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Profile Jord
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Message 52473 - Posted: 9 Feb 2014, 19:35:23 UTC - in response to Message 52471.  

I previously had a version of BOINC modified for Ubuntu installed using Muon package manager. That was version 7.2.7. I got tired of waiting for a new version to become available via Muon.

And you uninstalled that one before you installed the Berkeley version, didn't you? As the repository BOINC and the Berkeley installer install to different places. Also, the repository version will auto-start, while the Berkeley installer version needs to be set up for that.

So you may want to start with Uninstalling repository BOINC, perhaps reinstalling Berkeley BOINC after that.

Berkeley BOINC runs from the home directory, by the way.
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Marathon

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Message 52476 - Posted: 9 Feb 2014, 20:03:34 UTC - in response to Message 52473.  

Yes. A few days before uninstalling, I used the "No new tasks" feature. I waited until all 3 projects had no tasks left. I used Muon to uninstall Ubuntu BOINC version before I installed the Berkeley version.

You seem to be on the right track, though. The Ubuntu version put the project data files in /var/lib/boinc-client. It seems my newly downloaded task data is there. So Muon didn't completely uninstall the Ubuntu version. Something on my computer remained that directed BOINC to use that. I'll try again.
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Marathon

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Message 52477 - Posted: 9 Feb 2014, 21:41:35 UTC - in response to Message 52476.  

I tried removing all the BOINC files on my computer and then re-installing the Berkeley version. However, there is still something, somewhere, on my computer from the previous BOINC installation: When I start the manager, my old preferences / settings are still there, instead of the default.
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Profile Jord
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Message 52478 - Posted: 9 Feb 2014, 22:03:24 UTC - in response to Message 52477.  
Last modified: 9 Feb 2014, 22:04:44 UTC

Check all the directories and (script) files as shown in http://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/Installing_BOINC_on_Ubuntu#What_the_installer_does.

And well, some Linux users always snort at Windows users that they have to reinstall their OS every 5 minutes to overcome such a thing... {hint. Laughs}
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Juha
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Message 52486 - Posted: 10 Feb 2014, 18:52:16 UTC - in response to Message 52477.  

However, there is still something, somewhere, on my computer from the previous BOINC installation: When I start the manager, my old preferences / settings are still there, instead of the default.

If you are really talking about Manager preferences and not client, there's a file called ".BOINC Manager" in your home directory. It's a hidden file so you need to set your file manager to show hidden files if you want to do something to it.
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Marathon

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Message 52680 - Posted: 20 Feb 2014, 23:17:58 UTC

Thanks, all. I think I finally got it.

Juha was correct: I had not noticed, and therefore not deleted the hidden file in my home directory. The information from Ageless was also helpful, even though I had previously seen that page. But, a big part of the problem was that a user BOINC was created by the Ubuntu installer. I had to delete that user manually.

(In case anyone is interested in minor details of this case history, here are some:
I re-installed the Ubuntu version using Muon. It found the downloaded work units -- they were in the same directory used by Ubuntu. But, whenever I shut down my computer and later restarted it, no tasks would run. BOINC seemed frozen. I forcibly killed the process, and then restarted it. I managed to finish the work units that way. Then, I went to work to try to fix the problems.)

Here is a suggestion: I'd like someone to create a "Test BOINC" project. The work units would only do some "dummy" work. They would allow users to check that BOINC properly sends and receives work units and other information, and BOINC shuts down and starts up properly when the user's computer is shut down and restarted.
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Profile Jord
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Message 52682 - Posted: 21 Feb 2014, 0:46:52 UTC - in response to Message 52680.  

Here is a suggestion: I'd like someone to create a "Test BOINC" project. The work units would only do some "dummy" work. They would allow users to check that BOINC properly sends and receives work units and other information, and BOINC shuts down and starts up properly when the user's computer is shut down and restarted.

We (BOINC) had one, but it was abused by people wanting cheap credit. If someone sets it up, they'd better set it so credit is either very very very low per task (like 0.000001) or just non-existent.
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Juha
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Message 52699 - Posted: 21 Feb 2014, 21:54:16 UTC - in response to Message 52680.  

But, a big part of the problem was that a user BOINC was created by the Ubuntu installer. I had to delete that user manually.

The user "boinc" is removed automatically but you need purge the package, not just remove it. Since you removed the user manually you probably missed the group "boinc".

No idea what was up with the minor details.
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Message boards : Questions and problems : New install, can't find work units after reboot

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