Jim1348, even though it has its quirks, I'm a fan of WSL2 for BOINC and successfully run a number of projects on it, even the most complicated ones to set up and run: LHC@Home native ATLAS and Theory tasks. I recently figured out that you can view and manage both the Windows and WSL2 clients from the same BOINC Manager (in Windows). That's been really helpful.

I usually pause updates and run CPDN in batches. Once a batch is finished I run updates, restart and start up another batch of tasks. That's good to hear that the new N144s are more stable, hopefully that'll hold true for all tasks and all users. My last batch of N216s should be done in about a week and I'll be able to start on the N144s. Apparently there are Windows tasks coming in the near future too.

I'll be able to start on the N144s. Apparently there are Windows tasks coming in the near future too.

If you don't have them, the N144s are all gone though there will be some retreads from those that get trashed by computers with missing libs and the lower number of failures for other reasons.

Still no hint of when the NZ region Windows tasks might arrive.

My fervent hope is that when the OpenIFS tasks finally make it to the main site, they can do the same jobs as the N144 and N216 tasks and so abolishing the need for the 32bit Libraries to history but on that score, only time will tell and probably quite a lot of it!

I just want to tell the computer what to do by clicking, not by typing in commands from the last century.

If something isn't broken, it doesn't need fixing. The Unixy command line doesn't need fixing. Trying to admin a Windows system, to me, is similarly frustrating, because everything is hidden behind 15 ever-changing "cute" settings screens, when all I want is the ancient Windows 2000 interface to the admin tools or something, where I can actually fix the problem, instead of being guided to "Troubleshooters" that don't tell me anything the slightest bit useful.

I googled and found gpart, which wasn't even included, Windows has disk management already there. I installed it and got a similar graphical interface, but the system drive refused to expand. So I booted off a live CD, it still refused.

Then either the physical volume wasn't expanded, you had a partition after it (which is exceedingly unusual for a modern installer), or something else was weird. What's your lsblk output show?

"I recently figured out that you can view and manage both the Windows and WSL2 clients from the same BOINC Manager (in Windows). That's been really helpful."

I am interested in this part! How to do it? Please step by step.

---

I just want to tell the computer what to do by clicking, not by typing in commands from the last century.

If something isn't broken, it doesn't need fixing. The Unixy command line doesn't need fixing. Trying to admin a Windows system, to me, is similarly frustrating, because everything is hidden behind 15 ever-changing "cute" settings screens, when all I want is the ancient Windows 2000 interface to the admin tools or something, where I can actually fix the problem, instead of being guided to "Troubleshooters" that don't tell me anything the slightest bit useful.

But I don't have to google a command for Windows, I just find it in the menu. If you don't know where it is, the search on the start menu is great. For example to resize a partition, I type "disk" into the start menu, and there's a program called "disk management". Very easy to use graphical representation of every disk and partition connected to the system.

I googled and found gpart, which wasn't even included, Windows has disk management already there. I installed it and got a similar graphical interface, but the system drive refused to expand. So I booted off a live CD, it still refused.

Then either the physical volume wasn't expanded,

I could see the free space right next to it. But when I tried to resize, that empty bit wasn't shown any more.

What's your lsblk output show?

lsblk, here we go again, that's greek to me.

lsblk, here we go again, that's greek to me.

If you type lsblk into a terminal it gives some diagnostic information about disks and partitions that the person asking thinks would help to diagnose the problem.

sda           8:0    0 153.4G  0 disk 
└─sda1        8:1    0 153.4G  0 part 
sdb           8:16   0 931.5G  0 disk 
├─sdb1        8:17   0    16M  0 part 
└─sdb2        8:18   0 931.5G  0 part /home
sdc           8:32   0 465.8G  0 disk 
├─sdc1        8:33   0   499M  0 part 
├─sdc2        8:34   0    99M  0 part 
├─sdc3        8:35   0    16M  0 part 
├─sdc4        8:36   0 464.6G  0 part 
└─sdc5        8:37   0   548M  0 part 
nvme0n1     259:0    0 238.5G  0 disk 
├─nvme0n1p1 259:1    0    37M  0 part /boot/efi
├─nvme0n1p2 259:2    0 238.4G  0 part /
└─nvme0n1p3 259:3    0    29M  0 part [SWAP]

is some of the output from mine

I never tried that. Neat!

$ lsblk
NAME          MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
sda             8:0    0   3.7T  0 disk 
├─sda1          8:1    0 488.3G  0 part /home/jeandavid8/Videos
├─sda2          8:2    0  97.7G  0 part /home/jeandavid8/Sound
└─sda3          8:3    0 488.3G  0 part /var/lib/boinc
sdb             8:16   0   3.7T  0 disk 
├─sdb1          8:17   0 195.3G  0 part /home/margaret
├─sdb2          8:18   0 195.3G  0 part /D3P1
└─sdb3          8:19   0 195.3G  0 part /D3P2
sdd             8:48   0   1.8T  0 disk 
└─sdd1          8:49   0   1.8T  0 part /run/media/root/LNX_BLUE_TWO
sr0            11:0    1  1024M  0 rom  
nvme0n1       259:0    0   477G  0 disk 
├─nvme0n1p1   259:1    0   600M  0 part /boot/efi
├─nvme0n1p2   259:2    0     1G  0 part /boot
└─nvme0n1p3   259:3    0 475.4G  0 part 
  ├─rhel-root 253:0    0    50G  0 lvm  /
  ├─rhel-swap 253:1    0  15.6G  0 lvm  [SWAP]
  └─rhel-home 253:2    0 409.8G  0 lvm  /home

---

lsblk, here we go again, that's greek to me.

If you type lsblk into a terminal it gives some diagnostic information about disks and partitions that the person asking thinks would help to diagnose the problem.

sda           8:0    0 153.4G  0 disk 
└─sda1        8:1    0 153.4G  0 part 
sdb           8:16   0 931.5G  0 disk 
├─sdb1        8:17   0    16M  0 part 
└─sdb2        8:18   0 931.5G  0 part /home
sdc           8:32   0 465.8G  0 disk 
├─sdc1        8:33   0   499M  0 part 
├─sdc2        8:34   0    99M  0 part 
├─sdc3        8:35   0    16M  0 part 
├─sdc4        8:36   0 464.6G  0 part 
└─sdc5        8:37   0   548M  0 part 
nvme0n1     259:0    0 238.5G  0 disk 
├─nvme0n1p1 259:1    0    37M  0 part /boot/efi
├─nvme0n1p2 259:2    0 238.4G  0 part /
└─nvme0n1p3 259:3    0    29M  0 part [SWAP]

is some of the output from mine

Mmmm GUIs....
https://www.dropbox.com/s/i7er1vasq42pp81/disk%20management.jpg?dl=0

@Peter Hucker:

a) If you want easy BOINC projects, then don't look at any of the physics related projects. Simulations of non-trivial physical systems are difficult by nature. There is no way to make them easier than up to a point. If you prefer to contribute to really easy BOINC projects, take a look at e.g. math (number theory) projects. The majority of them are easy to run.

b) Controlling a computer via point-and-click interfaces is like way before the stone age, before Man developed Language. It's like being limited to pointing with your finger at things that you want. You can do a lot more once you can just say what you want. Of course computers are simple beasts and understand only their own simple and idiosyncratic language, so that's where man has to compromise.

Also, writing a HowTo, or generally giving help with computer things online, is easily done with a few words if command line interfaces are in use. Doing that for point-and-click interfaces gets quickly tiresome for all involved, as this requires many words or screenshots or remains ambiguous.

Dave Jackson wrote:

The issue with including the libraries is that they vary between distributions so that might sort out for one person but not another.

It actually goes even deeper: There is kernel support required for 32bit compatibility on 64bit Linuxes. (Of course all general-purpose Linux distributions have this support enabled in their kernel. The option has to be set at compile time of a 64bit kernel; it's CONFIG_IA32_EMULATION in case of x86.)


computezrmle wrote:

geophi wrote:

It won't download work, ... if 32 bit libraries are not installed.

wrong

geophi wrote:

It ... immediately crashes if 32 bit libraries are not installed.

right

geophi wrote:

May depend on the distribution

wrong

BOINC doesn't check for missing standard libs when it downloads work (even 32-bit ones like in this case).

The boinc client does check though whether or not 32bit compatibility is enabled on the host. If yes, it sends <alt_platform><name>i686-pc-linux-gnu</name></alt_platform> in its scheduler requests. As far as I understand, the server won't send the i686-pc-linux-gnu applications to hosts which don't have it as their platform or alt_platform.

However, I suppose CPDN's requirements go a little further than the minimum conditions for the client's alt_platform check to turn out positive.

klepel,

All BOINC clients communicate via the same port, 31416. One of them needs to be set to another port and I found that it's much easier to change the WSL2 client rather than Windows one (requires Registry edit). I assume you have standard BOINC installations in both WSL2 Ubuntu and Windows. Also just to note, you can only view and manage one client at a time in BOINC Manager not both at the same time. You'll have to switch between the two but that's easy to do which I'll describe at the end. You'll have to do some restarts during the process so you might want to wait until your current CPDN tasks are finished so they don't error out.

* Edit the following 2 files as follows.

1. Edit the configuration file for the boinc-client init script. Go to /etc/default and edit a file called boinc-client. At the bottom of the 7th paragraph add the following line. 51325 is an example port number, make up your own, I've seen it suggested that it be over 50000.

BOINC_OPTS="--gui_rpc_port 51325"

2. Edit gui_rpc_auth.cfg file located in /etc/boinc-client. It's the file that stores the password. Make this password match the password in the file by the same name in your Windows BOINC, located in C:\ProgramData\BOINC. It's important that both files have the same password and that there is a password (i.e. can't be blank).

* After making those adjustments shut down and start up the WSL2 BOINC client. This will start the client communicating via port 51325

* Open the BOINC Manager in Windows and go to File -> Select computer

* For Host name type localhost:51325 and for Password type in the password from above (it may pre-populate on its own), click OK. This should switch you to WSL2 client.

* If that doesn't work, restart both BOINC clients and if still not working restart the PC.

From now on to switch between the two clients is simple. Go to File -> Select computer (or press Ctrl+Shift+I) and use the Host name pull down menu to select the WSL2 client (localhost:51325) and click OK, you won't need to type in the password anymore, even if the password field is blank. To switch to the Windows client go to the same menu option and simply click OK, you won't need to select or type anything (i.e. localhost) even if both fields are blank. Blanks default to the Windows client. You could also select localhost (password will pre-populate) and press OK but it's not necessary.

Let me know if you have any issues.

@Peter Hucker:

a) If you want easy BOINC projects, then don't look at any of the physics related projects.

I have no problem with Cosmology, Einstein, MW.

b) Controlling a computer via point-and-click interfaces is like way before the stone age, before Man developed Language.

Wrong way round. We started with punched cards, then text input then the GUI was developed. Even Linux has a semi usable GUI now. It's computers becoming more like us in the way we talk to them. You can't make a human screech 0s and 1s at it at several GHz. The computer has to come to us.

Also, writing a HowTo, or generally giving help with computer things online, is easily done with a few words if command line interfaces are in use. Doing that for point-and-click interfaces gets quickly tiresome for all involved, as this requires many words or screenshots or remains ambiguous.

No it isn't. Very easy even over the phone to say "click this menu, then option, then advanced, then this then that then increase that number to 5.

Now try repeating unintelligible commands over the phone for a command line.

The boinc client does check though whether or not 32bit compatibility is enabled on the host. If yes, it sends <alt_platform><name>i686-pc-linux-gnu</name></alt_platform> in its scheduler requests. As far as I understand, the server won't send the i686-pc-linux-gnu applications to hosts which don't have it as their platform or alt_platform.

However, I suppose CPDN's requirements go a little further than the minimum conditions for the client's alt_platform check to turn out positive.

You are right.
Just found it in the BOINC source code.
https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/blob/master/client/cs_platforms.cpp#L201-L288

On a 64-bit Linux the BOINC client checks the standard 32-bit library locations.
If at least 1 file is found there that is a 32-bit C library BOINC client adds "i686-pc-linux-gnu" to the (alt_)platforms list.

The (CPDN) project server relies on that and sends 32-bit app versions to the client even it project specific libraries are missing.

That's good to hear that the new N144s are more stable,

All eight of mine survived the upgrade to XUbuntu 22.04 My experience with some past model types has been that a kernel update greatly increases the chances of the tasks crashing on resume. While I guess 8 tasks is not enough to say the problem has gone, it does suggest at least an improvement.

All BOINC clients communicate via the same port, 31416. One of them needs to be set to another port and I found that it's much easier to change the WSL2 client rather than Windows one (requires Registry edit). I assume you have standard BOINC installations in both WSL2 Ubuntu and Windows. Also just to note, you can only view and manage one client at a time in BOINC Manager not both at the same time. You'll have to switch between the two but that's easy to do which I'll describe at the end. You'll have to do some restarts during the process so you might want to wait until your current CPDN tasks are finished so they don't error out.

* Edit the following 2 files as follows.

1. Edit the configuration file for the boinc-client init script. Go to /etc/default and edit a file called boinc-client. At the bottom of the 7th paragraph add the following line. 51325 is an example port number, make up your own, I've seen it suggested that it be over 50000.

BOINC_OPTS="--gui_rpc_port 51325"

Thanks for that. I normally put the port on the startup command line (boinc --gui_rpc_port 31420), but I like the permanent setting better.

As for managing both the Windows and Linux sides easily, the best way is BoincTasks
https://efmer.com/boinctasks/

I run it on Windows 10, and it manages not only the Windows and WSL sides, but also several other Linux machines on the same LAN.
You just set up one "computer" and direct it to your Windows machine (e.g., port 31416), and set up another computer for the WSL side (e.g., port 31420 or whatever), and any additional machines you want on their ports (e.g., 31421, etc.).

It couldn't be easier to manage.

Re #65373, command line interfaces are of course written language, not spoken language. I get it that not everybody sees the occasional utility of that right away.

On the note of telephone support, here is a transcript of how phone support for CPDN would go:
"Have you visited the 'Platform-specific problems' section of the CPDN message board yet?"
(Which would be a rhetorical question, if responding to a problem statement like the one in the thread opening.)

Re #65373, command line interfaces are of course written language, not spoken language. I get it that not everybody sees the occasional utility of that right away.

On the note of telephone support, here is a transcript of how phone support for CPDN would go:
"Have you visited the 'Platform-specific problems' section of the CPDN message board yet?"
(Which would be a rhetorical question, if responding to a problem statement like the one in the thread opening.)

On other projects, there's no need for phone support, there are no platform specific problems. And actually there aren't on Windows CPDN either (apart from the insistance of a 1 year deadline when they actually want them back in a month).

On other projects, there's no need for phone support, there are no platform specific problems. And actually there aren't on Windows CPDN either (apart from the insistance of a 1 year deadline when they actually want them back in a month).

Not true. I would have to look up the affected projects but there are other projects with the 32bit libraries issue on Linux for a start.

On other projects, there's no need for phone support, there are no platform specific problems. And actually there aren't on Windows CPDN either (apart from the insistance of a 1 year deadline when they actually want them back in a month).

Not true. I would have to look up the affected projects but there are other projects with the 32bit libraries issue on Linux for a start.

But not on Windows. I like an easy life.