Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

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Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

Hi all,

I hope you will indulge me a minor rant ;-) as I'm rather dismayed at my experience installing Linux, ahead of a FB Sprint.

So, cutting a long story short:

Background:
a) I removed my Win 7 Pro HDD from an Intel S2600CP4 mobo + GTX970 GPU and 32GB of RAM, with the idea of installing a suitable Linux in order to run some Wanless/WEP+2 tasks.

b) I swapped to a nice new 120Gb SSD, that was completely blank and unformated (which had been bought to replace an ailing HDD in a friends laptop, but the blooming laptop BIOS won't accept a SATA SSD (to replace the ailing SATA HDD) so it was spare.

The installation:
1) I have a USB stick with a boot partition containg Ubuntu 16.04 0 but the Intel motherboard wouldn't boot from it - it has been used on other PCs to boot and install Ubuntu OK, so the USB stick is fine :-(

2) I downloaded Linux Mint 19.something or other - the latest version on their website - something about a "Long Legged" version IIRC - I created a Boot image on a 32GB USB stick and I did the OEM installation, as essentially this is a NEW PC. I had to give it a "password" - which proved to be a pain further on during the installation of the OS and other programs as the OS kept on asking for the password at various stages :-(

3) That SEEMED to install OK but it wouldn't boot....no matter what I tried, all I got was a "blinking cursor" in the top left corner.

4) Numerous efforts with the BIOS and changing BOOT optins eventually allowed me to boot the PC - apparently one has to boot the "ubuntu" option, INSTEAD of selecting the actual drive that the OS is installed on. (if it had been called "Linux Mint" in the boot option, it would have been more obvious, but it didn't).

5) Mint installed Firefox, so I headed off to the BOINC website to download the latest and greatest BOINC Manager and the BOINC website clearly identified the PC as running Linux, so it gave me a nice BLUE Box to click to download BOINC.

Except it downloaded a file ending in ".sh" - and it wouldn't install and double clicking on it, just opened a TEXT EDITOR :-(

So, I go back to the BOINC website and in much smaller letters it says something about using a Software Manager to install specific programs.

6) So I find the Software Manager, and search for BOINC and sure enough it installs BOINC Manager - it needs some extra files too, so I allow that (as admin) and it starts - except it's v7.9.3 which is a bit old ?

7) I then use BM to add Wanless+Wep+2 as a project and it installs and starts processing - all well and good - we're getting there. :-)

8 ) I then add PrimeGrid project and that goes OK - except that within seconds of downloading GPU tasks, they are ALL erroring out. So I quickly suspend PrimeGrid and try and figure out what's going on - the obvious one being that Linux Mint has NOT actually installed a suitable driver for the GTX970 - I assume it has just installed a VGA type driver. And yet it installed drivers for the onboard NIC - and the keyboard and mouse are working too so those drivers are OK !!

It's a shame it didn't install the right driver for the GPU from the start. :-(

9) So, off to the NVidia website and I find the Linux driver and download that. But it doesn't work - the filename ends in ".run"...and double clicking on it, just brings up the text editor again :-(

10) Further checking and it seems there is a "Driver Manager" that one can run...and it loads up slowly and sure enough it tells me that there are 4 different NVidia drivers available (of varying age, going back to something like "v393.something" (IIRC)...so I pick the "Recommended" one which is "440.something". It also needs some extra files, so they install and the driver installs...or so it seems.

11) I have to suspend Wanless tasks in order to reboot the PC, so I wait until they complete (as they don't checkpoint) and then we reboot.

12) All seems well, so I start up BM and then unsuspend the remaining Wanless tasks (that hadn't started yet) and they start being processed - using all 32 cores initially - I then changed the percentage from 100% CPU down to 90% to allow some CPU for the GPU tasks).

I try the same with the PrimeGrid tasks, but they still have "Computation errors"...very irritating now. BM certainly "sees" the GPU as the menu option to "allow, and/or suspend" GPU operations is there...

So, I've downloaded some other GPU tasks (Asteroids and GPUGrid for now) and will see if they have issues.

13) I then use the "Software Mannger" to install "AnyDesk" so I can control this PC remotely...it too needs extra files and once downloaded, the program works, but one cannot set an "access password" via the "Settings" menu option - if you try, the program just crashes....it seems the Linux version has nothing to do with Anydesk, so it might just be that someone has ported it over and hasn't got it work 100%.


Summary:
I've sort of got it working...but it's not ideal...too many hoops to go through and the GUI is awful...I have a 32" (diagonal) Widescreen LCD screen and the OS fonts are far too big - they look like "kiddies letters" (ie far too big) and the right hand "scroll bar" down the side of running programs is so thin - it's about 1mm wide...you cannot easily position the cursor so as to scroll down to see the rest of the screen.

I was used to running Linux in the past from the command line - RedHat v6.0 and before that anyone remember Caldera ? (I think I've still go the original CDROMs of these too).

But this latest generation Linux is just not "user friendly" (IMHO) - I can put a Windows CDROM/DVDROM (or USB stick nowadays) into a machine and within minutes it gives a great screen, all nicely sized for your monitor and with all the right drivers installed.

It seems that doing something basic with Linux makes you go through so many hoops - and you can see why Linux has not overtaken Windows (in terms of use by the general population), because the entire installation and setting up on a new PC is just so woeful...

It just seems that the various developers of Linux are so stuck in their own ways of doing things, that making thing easy and simple for the layman to do, (to install a Linux OS) is just beyond them - they clearly do not want to make Linux a "mass market" OS - if they did then they could make the entire process less fraught with issues.

PS: Yes, I know Linux ISN'T Windows and it isn't trying to be Windows (and if it did, no doubt Micro$soft lawyers would be on the case real quick...) But even so, the GUI is just clunky and not easy to navigate - even using the "Start" button brings up a strange box with functions that do not seem obvious - there's no "balloon-text" when you hover the mouse over the icons...and just trying to select the right icon, is tricky....else you end up opening the wrong program...so, I've quickly got used to keeping the mouse cursor, really close to the bottom edge of the screen and then then bringing it up the screen, to the right of this "options" box in order to select the program I want to run....

If you have read this far, and you can offer the odd tip that might be worth me trying, then please feel free...but don't worry too much about it, as once we know which project is going to be "chosen" this week, I'll either leave the host to run Wanless, (if that is chosen) or else I'll just re-instate the Windows HDD and use that !!

regards
Tim
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by ChelseaOilman »

Two things you need to do if your going to crunch tasks on your Nvidia GPU in Linux, Install OpenCL and CUDA. Otherwise you run into the computation errors often.

Install the OpenCL Development Package:

Code: Select all

sudo apt install ocl-icd-opencl-dev
and restart the computer.

You can do this as well if you desire to check things:

Code: Select all

sudo apt install clinfo
Then you can run the command clinfo in terminal.

For CUDA, download the file and run the commands on this page:
https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-10.1- ... debnetwork

In terminal type nvidia-smi to get info on your GPU.
Last edited by ChelseaOilman on Tue Jun 02, 2020 7:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by ChelseaOilman »

Yeah, most computers won't boot from a USB drive unless you select it in the boot menu. I think hitting F12 on my computer during boot up shows the boot menu. May be different on yours. I also found after the new OS is installed and it tells you to reboot that you should remove the USB stick as upon reboot it may boot from the USB stick instead of the SSD you just installed Linux on.

If I remember correctly it's recommended to turn Secure Boot in the BIOS off for Linux. I'm not 100% sure about that.

Mint has that Welcome app that opens each time until you uncheck it. It steps you through what you should do on a new install pretty good.

One of the steps in that Welcome app bring you to a page that lets you change the desktop background and font sizes.

I use the Software manager to install BOINC. It installs the client as a service. In the menu your just opening BOINC Manager, the client is already running.
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

ChelseaOilman wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 6:59 pm Two things you need to do if your going to crunch tasks on your Nvidia GPU in Linux, Install OpenCL and CUDA. Otherwise you run into the computation errors often.

<snip>
Hi Carl

Thanks for that tip - in my "haste" today, (as work was really busy - I had a large delivery of stock arrive (of items I import and distribute) and then had 11 orders to process and ship to my customers), so, I'd forgotten about the various "extra" drivers needed for OpenCL and CUDA...so, I'll make a note of that and when I'm next in the "orifice" (sic) I'll install them. :-)

regards
Tim
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

ChelseaOilman wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 7:06 pm Yeah, most computers won't boot from a USB drive unless you select it in the boot menu. I think hitting F12 on my computer during boot up shows the boot menu. May be different on yours. I also found after the new OS is installed and it tells you to reboot that you should remove the USB stick as upon reboot it may boot from the USB stick instead of the SSD you just installed Linux on.
Hi Carl

Thanks for the feedback.

I think I left the "Boot from USB" enabled on this host, from when I installed Win 7 Pro - I just never "Disabled" that option. Still not sure why the PC allowed the Linux Mint USB stick to install, and didn't allow the Ubunto USB stick to "do it's thing" :-(
ChelseaOilman wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 7:06 pmIf I remember correctly it's recommended to turn Secure Boot in the BIOS off for Linux. I'm not 100% sure about that.
I'll check and see if that option is available :-)
ChelseaOilman wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 7:06 pmMint has that Welcome app that opens each time until you uncheck it. It steps you through what you should do on a new install pretty good.

One of the steps in that Welcome app bring you to a page that lets you change the desktop background and font sizes.
Yup - saw that and I haven't "unchecked" it yet - so I'll have a perusal through what it says next time.
ChelseaOilman wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 7:06 pmI use the Software manager to install BOINC. It installs the client as a service. In the menu your just opening BOINC Manager, the client is already running.
I've found the "Start Up applications facility...so I've added BOINC Manager and Anydesk to start at boot time.

Will see how well this host is doing when I'm next there...it might surprise me and have completed lots of tasks ;-)

regards and thanks
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by damienh »

Yes ... it took quite a bit of banging one's head on the keyboard to get over the hump with Linux. Fine once you're there, but there are lots of different ways of doing things and it does seem near impossible to avoid doing some things in the terminal.

Generally speaking though, software is installed through software manager. There are ways to get files from websites, unpack them, make them executable etc but most common software is in the software manager. and boinc is in there too.

As you discovered, the driver manager will install your nvidia GPU drivers, and you want the proprietary version of that. I've not tried anydesk.

One big hiccup I had on several hosts was that Boinc Manager would just refuse to launch. I re-built so very many hosts. I then found a handy little comment lost on a message board somewhere: open your home folder and find a file named 'BOINC Manager -' and then your username. Delete that guy and, voila, Boinc manager launches fine again. How strange ...

Anyhoo, I now run lots and lots of Linux instances. I'm sure CO's OpenCL commands work, although the ones I use are a little different:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt install ocl-icd-libopencl1
sudo apt install opencl-headers
sudo apt install clinfo
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by ChelseaOilman »

Damien Healy wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2020 8:58 pm One big hiccup I had on several hosts was that Boinc Manager would just refuse to launch. I re-built so very many hosts. I then found a handy little comment lost on a message board somewhere: open your home folder and find a file named 'BOINC Manager -' and then your username. Delete that guy and, voila, Boinc manager launches fine again. How strange ...
That one drove me crazy until someone told me about the easy fix.
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by damienh »

C.R.A.Z.Y.
Woodles
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by Woodles »

Hi Tim,

I've spent the early part of this week upgrading my S2600CP hosts and they've all booted successfully off a USB stick, maybe you have some BIOS setting different?

For next time:
  • Download Ubuntu 16.10 iso
  • Burn to USB stick with Rufus
  • Boot and install (select "Download third party drivers while installing"
  • Reboot
  • Open terminal
  • sudo apt update
  • sudo apt upgrade
  • (Optional) sudo apt install htop psensor virtualbox
  • sudo apt update (again}
  • sudo apt install boinc-client-nvidia-cuda boinc-manager
All done :)

Ubuntu 16.10 installs the GPU drivers during the setup process and includes the latest libopencl files.

Mark
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

Hi Mark

Thanks for the tips - the strange thing is that the Ubuntu install USB flash USB stick wouldn't work, but the Mint install USB flash stick did...!!
(Both were plugged into the same USB port (at different times of course) - and the Ubuntu stick has been shown to work (and install) on other PC hardware.

I'll be back at "orifice" tomorrow so will try some of this :-)

regards
Tim
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by Woodles »

Very strange :confusion-confused:
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

Hi all

So, during the last Sprint, my (remotely accessed, office-based) Linux Mint host decided to crap out and stop crunching...plus I was also unable to log in remotely via AnyDesk.

When I was at the office the machine was in a powered down state and had not "rebooted" itself (as it should auto-restart itself, in the event of a local power cut). So, clearly a power cut didn't happen. and something else did.

I started it up and everything looked fine BUT BOINC Manager had no tasks....nor any projects - in fact nothing. And worse, when it had booted, it seemed to have run out of hard drive space. :-(

Further examination showed it had less than 3Gb of HDD space AND the "time-shft" folder was stuffed with about 60Gb of (what are essentially) backups. Now when I installed Mint, I'd not configured "time shift" and so over the last few days it had "run" a few times and had slowly gobbled up the free HDD space.

So, with nothing else to try, I ran the "time-shift" app to restore a recent "backup" and sure enough BOINC Manager now was working OK;

I've since removed some of these back-ups and restarted again and all looks OK. But "free space" on the hard drive is much less than normal.


Now here's the problem: The LHC website claims I still have some "In progress" LHC tasks....but they do not appear in BOINC Manager AND the deadline has now passsed - so they should have been ended by BOINC Manager...but I suspect that BM might have forgotten them somehow and they are taking up space on the hard drive.

But Linux File Manager cannot view any files as they each have a small "x" on the folder icon representing the project sub-folder. And I suspect that somewhere within the /var/lib/ folder some of the slot directories have LHC file fragments in there taking up space...but I cannot view them as File manager says I do not have "permission" to view them.

So, how do I gain flle access to view the contents of these "locked" folders? When I booted the machine, I logged in as "admin", but that doesn't seem to be enough.

regards
Tim
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by ChelseaOilman »

Right click on the lib folder and there's a menu item to open as root. Now you can access your BOINC stuff in the new window that opens.
You'll have to enter your password.
Last edited by ChelseaOilman on Wed Aug 05, 2020 9:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by Woodles »

They have a small 'x' as Boinc is the owner not admin :P
You have super powers but you have to apply them, it's not automatic.

To give yourself all permissions permanenty:
Open a terminal window
Navigate to the directory you're interested in

Code: Select all

sudo chmod -R 777
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

ChelseaOilman wrote: Wed Aug 05, 2020 9:09 pm Right click on the lib folder and there's a menu item to open as root. Now you can access your BOINC stuff in the new window that opens.
You'll have to enter your password.
Hi Carl

OK - I tried that and right clicking on the "lib" icon brings up a box that opens up has 4 tabs - I clicked on the permissions tab and it says:

owner: root
group: root

And all the "owner" "group" and "others" tick boxes are all "ticked" and cannot be changed.

I tried the same with the "boinc-client" and "boinc" sub-folders and their "owner" and "group" were different, but again the tick boxes could not be accessed.

regards
Tim
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

Woodles wrote: Wed Aug 05, 2020 9:10 pm They have a small 'x' as Boinc is the owner not admin :P
You have super powers but you have to apply them, it's not automatic.

To give yourself all permissions permanenty:
Open a terminal window
Navigate to the directory you're interested in

Code: Select all

sudo chmod -R 777
Hi Mark

OK - will try that.

One thing though - there's two sub-folders: "boinc" and "boinc-client" - I'm assuming one is just a "mirror" of the other - but which is the sub-folder that actually has the files in it?

(I'm assuming I need to chmod the correct sub-folder?)

regards
Tim
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by ChelseaOilman »

UBT - Timbo wrote: Wed Aug 05, 2020 9:49 pm OK - I tried that and right clicking on the "lib" icon brings up a box that opens up has 4 tabs - I clicked on the permissions tab and it says:
Your in the properties of the folder if you see that. I tried to take a screenshot but linux won't let me.
I click on the green folder on the task bar.
In the left menu I click on file system.
Then I double click on the var folder.
Then I right click on the lib folder and that brings up the menu.
Choose the "open as root selection".
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by Woodles »

UBT - Timbo wrote: Wed Aug 05, 2020 9:51 pmOne thing though - there's two sub-folders: "boinc" and "boinc-client" - I'm assuming one is just a "mirror" of the other - but which is the sub-folder that actually has the files in it?

(I'm assuming I need to chmod the correct sub-folder?)
You want "boinc-client"
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

ChelseaOilman wrote: Thu Aug 06, 2020 12:18 am Your in the properties of the folder if you see that. I tried to take a screenshot but linux won't let me.
I click on the green folder on the task bar.
In the left menu I click on file system.
Then I double click on the var folder.
Then I right click on the lib folder and that brings up the menu.
Choose the "open as root selection".
Hi Carl

Actually the method you described is exactly what I did.

There is ONE difference that might affect this though. I have set this host up as "OEM configuration (temporary user)" - as I'm "pretending" to be an OEM manufacturer of this PC - not that I did this 100% on purpose, but the original installation took me down a specific route and I've not bothered to change it as I had only expected to keep the host on this OS while the Wanless Sprint was running - and I've since thought that while it is working I'll "have a play and see if I can fall in love with Linux" !!.

But it is hard work !!

regards
Tim
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

Woodles wrote: Thu Aug 06, 2020 8:52 am You want "boinc-client"
Hi Mark

Tried to do that but the sub-folder doesn't exist.

I did an "ls" and neither "boinc" nor "boinc-client" are listed in the directory listing...so what appears in File Manager as "real" directories seem to both be "mirrors" of some other location. :-(

This is what really messes with my brain - that files are supposed to be in a specific location but aren't - so you have spend even more time trying to find the thing you want - and then get messed up by not having the right "permissions"....

Almost makes me want to chuck the thing out the window !!

It was much easier back in the days of DOS 5 !!!!!!

regards
Tim
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by Woodles »

You'll start off in your /home directory.

Open terminal

Code: Select all

cd /var/lib
sudo chmod -R 777 boinc-client
Enter your admin password.
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

HI Mark

AHA !! That's done it :-)

I can now see/view all the slot directories - and there's lots of them, even though only about 30 tasks are running...(this is my 32-core Xeon so, it is crunching away on some other projects ;-) ).

In fact there's about 75 sub-folders...so, THAT'S where the LHC tasks are hiding and taking up so much HDD space.

I'll let BOINC Manager run down all the current tasks, set it to "No new work" and then I can delete the "ghost" files and get me back some disk space - as I think that's what caused the host to crash as it was complaining about having "no free space" - I assume VBox was taking up too much room.

Cheers for the help !!

regards
Tim
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by Woodles »

Glad it's working :)

You'll get a slot opened every time a task starts, if some are suspended or not finished running yet then the slots will keep increasing.

If you "reset" LHC it should clear away any files it's using. Of course, if it doesn't think you have any tasks running anyway then it won't remove those slots/files.
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by ChelseaOilman »

Hi Tim,

I've never done the OEM installation of Linux Mint so I don't know what may be different about it. When I go to var and right click on the lib folder there, right in the middle of the menu is the selection to open as root. When you choose that it opens another instance of the file manager with elevated privileges.
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by ChelseaOilman »

Screenshot from 2020-08-06 08-05-38.png
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by ChelseaOilman »

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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

Hi Carl

Thanks for the screenshots - as you can see from my install, it looks a wee bit different...with only the "Home" and "File System" directories showing in File Manager and no "My Computer", "Devices" or "Network" drop downs.

So, a bit of a curve ball from me there !! And to be honest, your screenshots looks more like what I would have expected to see...

Anyways - I've got a bit further on and just need to wait until the host has finished all it's tasks and then I can sort out any slots that are left.

regards
Tim
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by ChelseaOilman »

Hi Tim,

Your just in a different view of File Manager I believe. See the three icons on the bottom left of the Window? That's how you switch views. The icons on the bottom left switch views in the left pane and the icons on the top right change the views in the right pane of the window.

Are you right clicking on the var>lib folder in the right pane or the left pane? I do it in the right pane. I'm guessing your doing it in the left pane and that's why your not seeing the menu selection for "Open as Root" with the key icon next to it.
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

Hi Carl

Ok - got it now - your further assistance has opened my eyes further to what was going on...and yes, I hadn't really experimented with all the icons (and the changes to the views) within the File Manager.

So, now my "view" matches your screenshots, and I can "open as root" by using the middle pane (the right pane is a file listing) and right clicking on "lib" folder...when then opens the "elevated" view in File Manager.

I've just got to get used to how this works I guess...but some things in Linux are just more complicated...and you just need to get a feel for how the programmers mind works, to understand and comprehend it all...I guess I'm too used to the Windows way of doing things, which does seem a bit more polished, whereas the Linux version just seems like it's trying very hard to do what Windows does, but in a different way.

So, thanks to you for the "hand-holding" on this :-)

regards
Tim
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by ChelseaOilman »

Linux Mint Cinnamon is as close to Windows as your going to get with Linux. Pretty sure that's why it's so popular.
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

Hi all

OK, so my Linux installation on my Xeon 32-core mobo, has somehow gone bad.

Let me explain.

It was (until Sunday 30 Aug), crunching away merrily on some GPU and CPU projects, at my office. And I occasionally remote log into it, to make sure it's OK. I tried to do so on Bank Holiday Monday and it appears to have rebooted at some point before this, and although it was set to "auto-run" BOINC Manager (BM) everytime it boots up, BM was running but it was displaying the "Add a Project" tab.

I rebooted it a couple of times (remotely) and the same thing kept happening.

I was at work today (Wednesday) and the PC was working, but BM was still asking for me to "Add a Project URL".

But BM was not showing ANY projects in the "Projects" tab and no tasks were shown in the "Tasks" tab (of BM).

Doing a quick command line "top" command, I could see that BOINC itself was running (as it was crunching Collatz GPU tasks, tho' it had no CPU tasks).

I took a quick look through the File System and sure enough all the projects are all displayed in the /var/lib/boinc-client directory...so, the files for BM do exist.

And BM is still saying "Disconnected" at the bottom of its window.

I've tried to use the "File > Select computer..." option to select "127.0.0.1" as the host, but still I get "Disconnected".

I've checked again this evening and the PC is still running AND is returning validated Collatz tasks. But I cannot get BM to actually display any Projects or Tasks that are active. And hence I cannot control what projects can accept work and which tasks to actually crunch.

So, there seems to be a "disconnect" between the BOINC program and BM.

I thought of re-installing BM, but I'm running v7.9.3 and the latest version on the BOINC website is 7.4.22 - and there are no instructions to teach this Linux noob, how to re-install BM on a PC running Mint (though there are instruction for installing on a Ubuntu/RedHat/Debian/Fedora OS) - and the Mint Software Manager only has the 7.9.3 version.

So, I'm stuck.

I've switched my Collatz Preferences on their website, so that this Mint host will run dry of work...and I'm tempted to just re-install Linux from scratch - but it's a real pain to do that and I'd rather figure out why BM on this host has lost contact with the BOINC tasks running on it.

If anyone has any pointers, I'd appreciate it. :-)

regards
Tim
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by ChelseaOilman »

Instead of using "127.0.0.1", try "localhost"
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by Woodles »

Carl is correct, 'localhost' is the right way to connect locally.

I have a similar problem on one of my hosts (also a Linux 32 core Xeon coincidentally) but after a power cycle, BM just sits there "disconnected" rather than asking for a project.

Usually selecting "localhost" as the computer to connect to will fill in the password automatically but not in this case, to get it to work I have to select "localhost" then manually type the password in. All fine after that.

Doesn't happen on any other host so I expect there's a file corrupted somewhere or a setting that needs changing. I don't reboot too often and don't really use BM much on that host (I CAN connect remotely) so I haven't bothered finding out why it does it or how to fix it.
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

ChelseaOilman wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 2:42 am Instead of using "127.0.0.1", try "localhost"
Hi Carl and Mark

Thanks for the tip - sadly it doesn't work - BM still says "Disconnected" - so "something else" must be going on.

Fortunately, overnight, this host has now finished crunching Collatz (as I'd stopped further downloads via Collatz account preferences by unticking the GPU tasks).

I'm not too worried as this machine is only used for BOINC, so a re-install of the OS, if required, is OK, but just a pain.

For now, the problem is that I cannot just add a URL to BM to get it running YoYo - as that option (AND all other options !!) is/are "greyed out" and cannot be selected at all.

So, all I can do for now is to try and remove BM and then re-install it, in the hope it "remakes" whatever connection(s) it has lost. (I'm remote working today so I cannot re-install the OS and the CPU cores would be helpful for the Sprint this weekend).

update: Tried to un-install and re-install BM - and still get the exact same issue. Running out of options (and time, as I've got work to do today !!).

regards
Tim
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

Woodles wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 8:53 am Carl is correct, 'localhost' is the right way to connect locally.

I have a similar problem on one of my hosts (also a Linux 32 core Xeon coincidentally) but after a power cycle, BM just sits there "disconnected" rather than asking for a project.

Usually selecting "localhost" as the computer to connect to will fill in the password automatically but not in this case, to get it to work I have to select "localhost" then manually type the password in. All fine after that.

Doesn't happen on any other host so I expect there's a file corrupted somewhere or a setting that needs changing. I don't reboot too often and don't really use BM much on that host (I CAN connect remotely) so I haven't bothered finding out why it does it or how to fix it.
Hi Mark

I've had that EXACT same issue with the 32-core Xeon too..but in the past, using the "Select computer" and typing in "127.0.0.1" has always worked (as "localhost" IS "127.0.0.1"...)

It's just not working THIS time. (I'm assuming a local leccy power failure caused the host to shutdown and reboot...but maybe something got "fudged" during the sudden shutdown?)

regards
Tim
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by Woodles »

127.0.0.1 is the localhost and usually works, it makes sense to eliminate any possible BM 'feature' just in case though.

Until you're connected you can't add a new project as BM doesn't know which host it applies to.

If the Boinc service is running, you could try running the Boinccmd commands rather than using the manager? You'll need your account key from an existing project to add a new one.

Open a terminal and navigate to /var/lib/boinc-client (otherwise you need to add the host name and password each time)

Code: Select all

boinccmd --project_attach http://www.rechenkraft.net/yoyo/ account_key
Get more work

Code: Select all

boinccmd --project http://www.rechenkraft.net/yoyo/ update
Suspend the network

Code: Select all

boinccmd --set_network_mode never
Reconnect the network

Code: Select all

boinccmd --set_network_mode always
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

Hi Mark

Thanks for the guidance...and taking the time to advise me...

I did the first step and got:

"Operation failed: authentication error"

(I have checked and re-checked the command line entry AND my account key for YoYo...but something seems to be causing an issue).

And that was after "removing" and then re-installing BOINC, via the Software Manager in Mint.

To save time and further bother, I'll just wipe the drive and re-install Mint...though I still have my Windows HDD to hand so just unplugging the SSD and re-connecting the Windows HDD saves me time and effort...esp as YoYo tasks can be run on a Windows host.

Only trouble is: The work place is a 30+ mile round trip away and I hadn't planned on going back to the office until after the Sprint ends.

regards
Tim
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

Hi Mark

Next step:

I tried the following:

$ cd /var/lib/boinc-client
$ sudo apt install boinccmd

...on the basis that maybe boinccmd was "incomplete" (though just typing "boinccmd" does bring up lots of command line parameters...so boincmd as a program is in the directory and seem to be working).

But this failed with:

E: Unable to locate package boinccmd

I then tried:

$ sudo apt install boinc

..and that just gave a very long result code, including "boinc is already the latest version...0 to upgrade, 0 to newly install, 0 to remove and 211 not to upgrade"

So, boinc is there but not recognising how to actually crunch one project. :-(

I think I'll give up now...

regards
Tim
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by ChelseaOilman »

I use BAM on all my computers. If you had BAM set up you could change BOINC settings through their website and wouldn't even need BM on the host. The password you need to use with localhost is in the BOINC folder in the gui_rpc_auth.cfg file.
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by Woodles »

That would be another option (and the reason why I haven't fixed my issue)

You also need "<allow_remote_gui_rpc>1</allow_remote_gui_rpc>" in cc_config.xml and a remote_hosts.cfg file containing the URL of the controlling host.

Then "/etc/init.d/boinc-client restart" to restart the client and get it to recognise the changes.

Edit: I was thinking of BoincTasks :oops:
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Re: Why Linux p*$$e$ me off....

Post by UBT - Timbo »

ChelseaOilman wrote: Thu Sep 03, 2020 2:23 pm I use BAM on all my computers. If you had BAM set up you could change BOINC settings through their website and wouldn't even need BM on the host. The password you need to use with localhost is in the BOINC folder in the gui_rpc_auth.cfg file.
Hi Carl

I *DO* have a BAM account and logging into it, I see "NO" hosts appearing in the "hosts list"...not even the other active hosts that are happily crunching away.

And clicking on "Show all hosts" does not populate what is displayed.

So, somehow this option doesn't seem to be viable - esp as I never set a BAM password in the gui_rpc_auth.cfg file...which actually doesn't exist on this specific host (or any other for that matter !!).

But thanks for the suggestion.

(However: As I recall, I had an pretty "bad" experience with BAM in it's early days - it wanted to take over full control of my hosts and in some cases, it caused numerous tasks to fail or it got confused with the hosts I had and would not accept me having mutiple accounts (which were all the same) on multiple hosts...so, I gave up using it...no doubt it might be better today, but 10+ years ago it was awful and far too erratic in what *it* wanted to do, rather than what *I* wanted to do.)

regards
Tim
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