1) Message boards : BOINC client : My Wish List (Message 36932) Posted 20 Feb 2011 by Fred Post: Caution, those results in my last post may be tainted. My computer bluescreened half an hour after reinstalling 6.10.58 - graphics driver in loop. That's first one of those with this card (3 weeks). Hope it's because I didn't reboot after changing BOINC Mgr. versions or something like that, but could have been related to those tasks hanging up and the errors. Card is EVGA GeForce 240 GT, driver is +.14.12.6658, cuda version 3020, 1G mem. BTW, when I suggested staying on the other id for 2 min, I meant 2 inactive minutes in case task suspends and resumes when inactive more than prefs setting. - think that's why some of my tasks failed and others didn't. Fred

2) Message boards : BOINC client : My Wish List (Message 36931) Posted 19 Feb 2011 by Fred Post: Well, tried 6.12.15 under Win XP SP3 and results are wierd. Cuda tasks seemed to continue running when I switched users, then suspended when I returned to my ID - they suspended for about 2 minutes (my preference setting), then the Einstein task resumed from last checkpoint although my pref is set to keep in memory and my activity tab setting was to run always. Changed preference to run always, but it did the same thing - suspended on return for about 2 minutes. The Seti task was okay the first time I switched back, but on the second test it suspended for 10-20 minutes, and then errored out wih exit code 1 (0x1)- Incorrect function. Tried the Einstein task a couple of more times - it eventually errored out exit code 1020 (0c3fc with the message 'Cannot create a symbolic link in a registry key that already has subkeys or values'. That's the same one we talked about on Einstein's forum - the error we're getting with 6.10.58 from switching users. Also noted this test version started a popup box on the other users when I logged on, offering to view a client or something like that. Maybe that's just for testing, don't think you want it in production. You'd better turn this over to experienced testers to try it - make sure they stay on other id for more than 2 minutes, etc. Have preserved the activity log to send if you want it - won't post it here for benefit of other readers. Also have one of the stderr.txt files. Going back to 6.10.58 now. Fred

3) Message boards : BOINC client : My Wish List (Message 36909) Posted 18 Feb 2011 by Fred Post: Will give 6.12.15 a test drive with XP SP3 and let you know, probably tomorrow. I also saw your comments on Einstein's forum where we've discussed this issue. Thanks for your interest in this problem. I saw the list of development items that you mentioned, and much of it is just too tech for us ordinary mortals. I did see a few items of interest, hope they get done. The other items in my list are just nuisance items and I have no problem with your response. I know the workarounds for all except the days on hand. Will just keep that number low and hope for happy uptimes at the projects. Fred

4) Message boards : BOINC client : My Wish List (Message 36903) Posted 18 Feb 2011 by Fred Post: Here's a few things I'd like to see. I didn't see them in your FAQ reject list (which was quite useful). By the way, is there a similar list of things already under development? 1. I recently installed a Nvidia card with Cuda capability, and I've had a lot of cuda tasks fail from the 3 projects I run. The error messages from each project were different, but I have now concluded that the cause was the same - my daughter switched users in WinXP while a cuda task was running, and it errored out. Other tasks in the cache then sequentially started and failed after 2 or 3 seconds each until all tasks on hand have failed, or the other user returns to my ID. One project has even built in a 10 minute delay to minimize this problem. One of the helpful folks at Einstein confirmed that this is a known issue, and it is blamed on how Windows handles multiple users. I confirmed with a test Einstein task under Win XP SP3. I understand these errors also occur with Win 7, according to another user requesting help at Einstein. The tasks don't fail if you manually suspend gpu processing before switching users. I taught my daughter and grandson how to snooze the GPU before switching to their id's, but they'll forget from time to time. They can log me off, but that will stop cpu tasks. If is possible to detect that Windows is switching users and suspend GPU processing, I wish BOINC would do that for me. If BOINC can't do it, the projects ought to look and see if they can improve their error handling to suspend the task rather than exit when they lose contact with the GPU. Realize that BOINC can't do anything about how project applications handle errors, but maybe you can help the projects if the errors can be avoided. 2. Would like to see the number of days' work to keep on hand become a project preference rather than a global one. My problem with one size fits all is that SETI has had a lot of outages lately and gives generous deadlines, so I want a lot of work on hand. But if I set the preference for that, certain unnamed projects will bombard me with too many short deadline tasks. Surely they aren't trying to get more than their allocated share of resources.... 3, Would like to be able to change resource shares from BOINC Manager and have that info sent to the project servers. Currently have to visit each site to do this. Just a nuisance item and I realize it would require changes at both ends. Maybe this one is for a major redo someday. I realize the account managers will do this for me, but that's about all they have to offer me, and I don't like some of their features. 4. Saw in your FAQ that a future BOINC Mgr. release may allow editing cc_config.xml from BOINC Mgr. That will help. I've run BOINC for years, but I only recently found the information about that file by running searches on this site. I'm not sure 2.1 mil users all over the world will do that research to understand this file, so I wonder if a few of the most commonly used items could be preferences or menu options in BOINC Manager. Some to consider: a. Use or not use a specific GPU. This one is why i did the research to find out about the config file. BOINC kept pinging SETI for GPU tasks for my motherboard's ATI GPU. Other sites have a project preference to not use the ATI GPU, but SETI doesn't because they don't yet support the ATI GPU's. Only way to stop the task requests was the config file. This subject of using one, all, or no gpu's is all over the help desk forums - could it be handled in BOINC Manager preferences or options? Something on the menus is morelikely to be found. b. Zero out the long term debt- useful when project balances get out of kilter and I want a fresh start. Don't know that you need it, but running latest BOINC Mgr, Win XP is up to date and using latest NVIDIA drivers.

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