Talk:Stop or start BOINC daemon after boot

From BOINC

Ubuntu/Debian

update-rc.d may be ok for general service startup instructions, but ubuntu has an option in /etc/default/boinc-client specifically for enabling/disabling boinc daemon startup. Because it's only relevant if boinc is installed from the repo, I added basic instructions for that on the ubuntu boinc install page. However, if it should rather go here, feel free to move it. --Chris (talk) 21:42, 29 December 2008 (UTC)

Okay but how would that work. Someone wants to disable the service they edit /etc/default/boinc-client to change a setting? With which editor? Now we have to teach them emacs or vi. WIth update-rc.d it's just a single command.
That usual nix problem of too many choices. IMO anyone working headless has to know vi or nano or emacs. A one liner for gnome users would be gksu gedit /etc/default/boinc-client. In the end I see it as a question of application configuration (edit config file) or system configuration (edit startup links). Either will work, neither is wrong, but which one do we choose to disseminate? Both? Or would that be even more confusing for those with limited experience? --Chris (talk) 23:39, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
The package installer sets the daemon to run at boot, so these commands are only needed for more "advanced" control (and so it's good that it is on a separate page). --Eric (talk) 22:36, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
I think most Linux newbies will have also installed a GUI to make things as Windows like as possible. They'll be able to use gedit, kedit or some other simple editor to edit /etc/default/boinc-client. If they don't have a GUI installed then they're most likely experienced Linux users who already know emacs or vi.
Whether the advanced commands are on a separate page or on the same page is a minor issue in my mind at this time, probably because I've been struggling for so long just to get something, ANYTHING, for Ubuntu users into these wiki pages. Dagorath (talk) 23:31, 29 December 2008 (UTC)

Gnome and KDE

There must be ways to turn services on or off via the GUI, but I don't know what they are. If anybody knows how it's done for Gnome or KDE we could have a section for each one in the article. --Eric (talk) 22:49, 29 December 2008 (UTC)

I only have ubuntu gutsy with Gnome desktop available atm. Services are accessed via System -> Administration -> Services and boinc isn't listed as an available service. Hopefully it is listed on hardy or later... --Chris (talk) 23:23, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
I have Fedora 9 installed with KDE and BOINC installed via package manager. Services are accessed via Applications -> Administration -> Service Management. BOINC is listed as a service named boinc-client and I regularly turn it on/off, start it, stop it, restart it this way. It works very well but I've hesitated to write up anything for the wiki about using it because these GUI frontends seem to change so often. I'm afraid that whatever I write based on how it works in my Fedora 9 installation will already be obsolete in Fedora 10. But I'll write something anyway. Dagorath (talk) 23:50, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
It would help if we found a page on Ubuntu wiki explaining how to turn any service on and off. We could then link to it, and updating the instructions when the GUI changes will be somebody else's problem :) Nicolas (talk) 23:59, 29 December 2008 (UTC)

I think it would help to have GUI instructions first. They don't depend on Fedora vs Ubuntu, just whether it's KDE or Gnome (or that is what I expect - prove me wrong). The general guideline should be to help the average user first, then details and special cases later. So GUI first, if possible (and it's actually easier) and CLI second. Usually... --Eric (talk) 03:10, 30 December 2008 (UTC)

Regarding Fedora vs. Ubuntu, I can't prove you wrong because I don't have a Ubuntu system. I suspect KDE's Services Manager GUI is a frontend for the chkconfig and service commands. If I am right then KDE's Services Manager won't run on Ubuntu because Ubuntu apparently does not have the chkconfig and service commands. Or maybe the chkconfig and service commands just aren't part of a standard Ubuntu installation? Dagorath (talk) 04:37, 30 December 2008 (UTC)
Well, I Googled "Ubuntu service manager" which turned up this thread wherein one mcduck suggests clicking System -> Administration -> Services. Does that work on Gnome? KDE? Both? Would it be on every Ubuntu installation (included in the basic Ubuntu install) or is it an optional package? Dagorath (talk) 05:27, 30 December 2008 (UTC)

I tried this on Hardy and it lists only some services, and boinc-client is not one of them. There must be some way services get registered so that they can be controlled this way. Until the packages activate this we should not document the GUI method. We only want the simplest way that most people would do it, even if they are not Unix experts. At least that is what we lead with. --Eric (talk) 13:50, 30 December 2008 (UTC)

I thought perhaps it would show up after a reboot, but no joy. So boinc-client just does not show up in the GUI "Services Settings" tool on Hardy.

I suggest we solicit an inventory in the dev forums of what works with KDE and Gnome --Eric (talk) 13:57, 30 December 2008 (UTC)

AFAIK, KDE apps will run on a Gnome desktop and vice-versa, though I'm not sure that's the info you're looking for. Anyway, soliciting an inventory in dev forums seems like a good idea. Who knows what interesting/useful info it will turn up, looking forward to your post on that topic.
For the time being, I'd like to leave the section on GUI for Fedora as it is. And I would like to avoid deciding what method most users will use. I think we can help the greatest number of users by providing info on all the methods, as long as they're not too complicated, even if some methods don't work on every distro. Readers won't be confused if the material is organised and well written. Dagorath (talk) 16:21, 30 December 2008 (UTC)

Merge

It might be wise to merge this page with Starting BOINC on boot (Unix) which has links to init scripts (not really needed anymore) and instructions for KDE and Gnome. --Eric (talk) 14:53, 2 January 2009 (UTC)