#1 Installing Ubuntu 14.04 LTS with Boinc / nVidia drivers
Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:24 pm
Here is a step by step guide for installing Ubuntu 14.04 lts with boinc and nvidia gpu's.
Written by an idiot so it should work. Have computer built as you want it, GPU on Mobo etc.
Download Ubuntu 14.04 lts http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop use the 64bit version unless you really have to use 32bit ( really old computer ) Don't use 12.04 LTS or you are on your own. I'm never touching that again, and 13.04 has lots of issues with broken openCL.
Burn iso to CD / DVD http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/ ... -on-ubuntu
or bootable USB http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/ ... on-windows
Make sure boot from CD ( or USB ) is set in bios as 1st option. Stick disc in cd drive, boot and
install Ubuntu.Remember to input a password as you will need one. When finished system will reboot.
Upon reboot let system update install updates if it is required. Reboot if required.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Select system settings from the launcher bar.
Brightness and lock - turn screen off -> never
lock -> off
Power management
suspend when inactive for -> never
select software updater and enable partner repo's in SETTINGS -> OTHER SOFTWARE and select all 4 options.( use file manager to search for it if it is not on your launch bar )
Select software center from launcher bar and search / install the following packages
Sysinfo
Psensor
Freeglut3 ( freeglut3-dev )
Virtualbox
7zip
java ( open JDK java7 runtime )
select additional drivers from the software updater ( SETTINGS -> ADDITIONAL DRIVERS )
this will search and give options for nvidia drivers, install nvidia driver 304 legacy
Reboot when finished
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Select sysinfo from launcher bar
nvidia
nvidia display settings
x server display configuration -> change underscan if required ( normally the screen is slightly too large )
save to x configuration file ( no name required )
if you want powermizer under GPU lets you set mode for GPU performance ( adaptive, prefer performance, auto etc. )
Select software center from launcher bar and search / download the following packages
boinc ( boinc 7.2.42 ( ancient but it will do at first ))
metapackage for boinc client and manager
(both found by searching boinc)
nvidia cuda toolkit
metapackage for cuda savvy boinc client and manager.
(this will install all the libraries needed for GPU crunching, both found by searching nvidia cuda )
next we need to install the 32 bit libraries ( this list will do all the projects on boinc ( it
can be installed from software center, but installing 32bit, removes 64 bit, go figure )). This will
require the terminal i'm afraid, but dont worry. Either copy and paste or type exactly the commands in red. Linux is reliant on syntax
open terminal -> Ctrl-Alt-T
sudo apt-get install gcc-4.7-multilib
sudo apt-get install lib32z-dev
sudo apt-get install lib32ncurses5 lib32bz2-1.0 libstdc++6 libstdc++5
add the following ppa's if you wish ( they are not required )
sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:webupd8team/java
sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:webupd8team/y-ppa-manager
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:xorg-edgers/ppa
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
ppa:webupd8team/java will update java
ppa:webupd8team/y-ppa-manager gives you a ppa manager
ppa:xorg-edgers/ppa and ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates give you updated nvidia drivers
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally we update boinc to a up to date version by adding this PPA to your system
( You can update your system with unsupported packages from this untrusted PPA by adding
ppa:costamagnagianfranco/boinc to your system's Software Sources.There is a PPA repository available for Ubuntu.
This is a "testing" PPA, that typically is rebuilt with the newest Boinc version as they are released.
You may experience bugs with the version changes, but if you want the current boinc version installed the easy way from a repository: type these commands in a terminal
CTRL-ALT-t)
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:costamagnagianfranco/boinc
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
(will bring you to current version 7.4.34 (as of 19/12/14))
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
select additional drivers from the software updater -> additional drivers ( use file manager to search for it if it is not on your launch bar )
this will search and give options for nvidia drivers, install nvidia driver 340.xx open source
Reboot when finished
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Boinc should now be running but no usable gpu will be found.
in terminal ( ctrl-alt-t )
sudo usermod -a -G video boinc
( this adds the unprivalidged boinc account to the video group )
sudo update-rc.d -f boinc-client remove
sudo update-rc.d boinc-client defaults 99
( move BOINC start-up to the end of start-up processing )
sudo apt-get install nvidia-modprobe
sudo modprobe nvidia_uvm
( without nvidia-modprobe installed boinc will not find the GPU )
sudo service boinc-client restart
( restarts the boinc client )
Thats it, check boinc now see's a usable gpu in the start up log. Select boinc from launcher bar, ( advanced view -> advanced -> view log ( at the start of the log it
should now have entries for your GPU with both CUDA and openCL versions )) .
Once you have completed and have a GPU available to BOINC, running and controlling Boinc is exactly as you would under windows.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
launch Bam manager as per usual for new install or attach to project as per your preferences. Boinc will autoboot on startup of computer. Set all your preferences on
boinc as you usually would.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
if you wish to use Linux for more than just a cruncher, take a look here to install VCL, photo editors, MP3/4 plugins etc.
http://howtoubuntu.org/things-to-do-aft ... rusty-tahr
Hope it helps
Alez
Written by an idiot so it should work. Have computer built as you want it, GPU on Mobo etc.
Download Ubuntu 14.04 lts http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop use the 64bit version unless you really have to use 32bit ( really old computer ) Don't use 12.04 LTS or you are on your own. I'm never touching that again, and 13.04 has lots of issues with broken openCL.
Burn iso to CD / DVD http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/ ... -on-ubuntu
or bootable USB http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/ ... on-windows
Make sure boot from CD ( or USB ) is set in bios as 1st option. Stick disc in cd drive, boot and
install Ubuntu.Remember to input a password as you will need one. When finished system will reboot.
Upon reboot let system update install updates if it is required. Reboot if required.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Select system settings from the launcher bar.
Brightness and lock - turn screen off -> never
lock -> off
Power management
suspend when inactive for -> never
select software updater and enable partner repo's in SETTINGS -> OTHER SOFTWARE and select all 4 options.( use file manager to search for it if it is not on your launch bar )
Select software center from launcher bar and search / install the following packages
Sysinfo
Psensor
Freeglut3 ( freeglut3-dev )
Virtualbox
7zip
java ( open JDK java7 runtime )
select additional drivers from the software updater ( SETTINGS -> ADDITIONAL DRIVERS )
this will search and give options for nvidia drivers, install nvidia driver 304 legacy
Reboot when finished
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Select sysinfo from launcher bar
nvidia
nvidia display settings
x server display configuration -> change underscan if required ( normally the screen is slightly too large )
save to x configuration file ( no name required )
if you want powermizer under GPU lets you set mode for GPU performance ( adaptive, prefer performance, auto etc. )
Select software center from launcher bar and search / download the following packages
boinc ( boinc 7.2.42 ( ancient but it will do at first ))
metapackage for boinc client and manager
(both found by searching boinc)
nvidia cuda toolkit
metapackage for cuda savvy boinc client and manager.
(this will install all the libraries needed for GPU crunching, both found by searching nvidia cuda )
next we need to install the 32 bit libraries ( this list will do all the projects on boinc ( it
can be installed from software center, but installing 32bit, removes 64 bit, go figure )). This will
require the terminal i'm afraid, but dont worry. Either copy and paste or type exactly the commands in red. Linux is reliant on syntax
open terminal -> Ctrl-Alt-T
sudo apt-get install gcc-4.7-multilib
sudo apt-get install lib32z-dev
sudo apt-get install lib32ncurses5 lib32bz2-1.0 libstdc++6 libstdc++5
add the following ppa's if you wish ( they are not required )
sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:webupd8team/java
sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:webupd8team/y-ppa-manager
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:xorg-edgers/ppa
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
ppa:webupd8team/java will update java
ppa:webupd8team/y-ppa-manager gives you a ppa manager
ppa:xorg-edgers/ppa and ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates give you updated nvidia drivers
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally we update boinc to a up to date version by adding this PPA to your system
( You can update your system with unsupported packages from this untrusted PPA by adding
ppa:costamagnagianfranco/boinc to your system's Software Sources.There is a PPA repository available for Ubuntu.
This is a "testing" PPA, that typically is rebuilt with the newest Boinc version as they are released.
You may experience bugs with the version changes, but if you want the current boinc version installed the easy way from a repository: type these commands in a terminal
CTRL-ALT-t)
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:costamagnagianfranco/boinc
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
(will bring you to current version 7.4.34 (as of 19/12/14))
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
select additional drivers from the software updater -> additional drivers ( use file manager to search for it if it is not on your launch bar )
this will search and give options for nvidia drivers, install nvidia driver 340.xx open source
Reboot when finished
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Boinc should now be running but no usable gpu will be found.
in terminal ( ctrl-alt-t )
sudo usermod -a -G video boinc
( this adds the unprivalidged boinc account to the video group )
sudo update-rc.d -f boinc-client remove
sudo update-rc.d boinc-client defaults 99
( move BOINC start-up to the end of start-up processing )
sudo apt-get install nvidia-modprobe
sudo modprobe nvidia_uvm
( without nvidia-modprobe installed boinc will not find the GPU )
sudo service boinc-client restart
( restarts the boinc client )
Thats it, check boinc now see's a usable gpu in the start up log. Select boinc from launcher bar, ( advanced view -> advanced -> view log ( at the start of the log it
should now have entries for your GPU with both CUDA and openCL versions )) .
Once you have completed and have a GPU available to BOINC, running and controlling Boinc is exactly as you would under windows.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
launch Bam manager as per usual for new install or attach to project as per your preferences. Boinc will autoboot on startup of computer. Set all your preferences on
boinc as you usually would.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
if you wish to use Linux for more than just a cruncher, take a look here to install VCL, photo editors, MP3/4 plugins etc.
http://howtoubuntu.org/things-to-do-aft ... rusty-tahr
Hope it helps
Alez