The Scottish Boinc Team

I think I need some help here...
Since I updated BOINC to 6.2.18, I haven't seen any graphics running, just a black screen, or occasionally the BOINC logo saying 'BOINC is currently suspended.'
Is anyone else having trouble with this version? Should I revert to an older version?
I'm running XP SP2 on an Athlon 64.

Can't recall the details off it at the moment but I've seen several complaints about similar things on the boards. Worst cases seem to involve it not coming out of the black 'screensaver' until you reboot the computer!!

Try looking at the Berkeley message boards for more details. (Sorry, don't have time to look up the reference atm. )

As far as I can gather they are blaming the projects for not updating to v6.
I tried updating my NVIDIA drivers, but that hasn't helped either. I'm going back to 5.10.45 for the time being.

Just ugraded to 6.2.18, thought it was a good idea to be up to date before I disappear again for a month.

Installation went smooth right up til the point it hung my computer.

Rebooted and found it had installed but not transferred any of the project files, moreover it had deleted said project files.

Ran a syncro with BAM, and atached to some of the projects (I dont normally run BAM unless Im away and have attached to various projects since last time)

Trouble is, it then proceeded to download one wu from every project, despite BAM being set to no new tasks for most of them. After it found its 1 sec of work from evrything it started downloading more wus from some of the projects. I have now manually set Most of the Projects back to No new work, but don't think I can get BAM to work properly while Im away, as it doesnt seem to recognise nnw.

Oh, and I have about 2 weeks worth of work on computer now, despite setting preferences to 1.5 days cache.

GGGGrrrrrr.....

Trouble is, it then proceeded to download one wu from every project, despite BAM being set to no new tasks for most of them.

Unfortunately, when you first attach the NNW is ignored so that the project can do one work unit to ...calibrate... the DCF. The idea is a good one, unless your in the situation that you were in!

Well, I uninstalled 6.18, installed 5.10.45 - still no graphics. Uninstalled that, reinstated 6.18, but I'm still not getting any graphics. I may try another reinstall. I can't seem to find anything obvious, but then I'm not an expert BOINC user unlike some of the folk on here!

On the plus side, I've just acquired a nice new laptop, which is now busily crunching numbers beside me. So it's not all bad news...

Well, I uninstalled 6.18, installed 5.10.45 - still no graphics....

That's strange indeed. One silly question, what type of installation are you doing? I know that a service install doesn't support graphics...

It's just a 'normal' install to the defaults offered, AFAIK. Doesn't that mean it should be in graphics compatibility (ie not 'service') mode?

It's just a 'normal' install to the defaults offered, AFAIK. Doesn't that mean it should be in graphics compatibility (ie not 'service') mode?

It should do but... Did you uninstall 6.2.18 and then install 5.10.45 or just install 5.10.45 over the top? If the latter, it may have picked up 'non-standard' settings from 6.2.18 as the six series doesn't install in the same way.

MacDitch wrote: Did you uninstall 6.2.18 and then install 5.10.45 or just install 5.10.45 over the top?

Ah... yes, I think I may not have uninstalled 6 when I went back to 5.10 (although I certainly uninstalled that before going back to 6). So what should I do now?

I must say MacD, you're proving much more helpful than the 'official' BOINC message board on this - and it's much appreciated!
:)

Ok, I think if you look right at the top of the Messages log, one of the first half dozen lines says if it is running as a service or under a login.

If you want to change it I believe you can run the same setup file and select 'repair' (rather than uninstall) and then select single user application when that turns up.

Failing that, finish any work you have, uninstall the whole thing and tehn install as if new.

Sorry, I think I'm a little confused by the 'service/login' thing...
The top of the message log looks like this:

21/09/2008 10:04:41||Starting BOINC client version 6.2.18 for windows_intelx86
21/09/2008 10:04:41||log flags: task, file_xfer, sched_ops
21/09/2008 10:04:41||Libraries: libcurl/7.18.0 OpenSSL/0.9.8e zlib/1.2.3
21/09/2008 10:04:41||Data directory: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\BOINC
21/09/2008 10:04:41||Running under account GG

That means I am set on single user, no?

A bit of rooting around brought me to this post in the FAQ about problems. I don't know if this still applies to v6xx, but I checked the Tasks tab in the manager; I'm currently processing Climateprediction, but the 'show graphics' tab is ghosted, so I then checked the service status thing by following the instructions on on this page, and I can't see BOINC in the services listing.

I think the complete uninstall might be in order, but I'm only 12.5% complete on all my current units...

....
21/09/2008 10:04:41||Starting BOINC client version 6.2.18 for windows_intelx86
....
21/09/2008 10:04:41||Running under account GG
...

My mistake, thought you said you'd changed back to ver5...

Let me have a play with my setup when I get home tonight (memory refresher) and I'll see what I can come up with for you.

PS. I tried to look at the links. The first won't open (network error!?) but the second worked. It is describing how to manipulate ver5 and I don't think it transfers directly to ver6 due to the nature of the changes implemented.

PPS. Are you only running CPDN on this machine?

MacDitch wrote: PS. I tried to look at the links. The first won't open (network error!?) but the second worked. It is describing how to manipulate ver5 and I don't think it transfers directly to ver6 due to the nature of the changes implemented.

That's weird - the first one works fine for me. The relevant paragraph was:
"You can at all times open the graphics on the running result. In Boinc Manager, go to Tasks (Work in 5.2.x and before), select the result that shows Running, press the Show graphics button. This window can be maximized. If you can't see graphics in this window, you have a problem with your videocard. (If you have BOINC installed as a service, you don't have this option by default. You do need this work around) "
I also thought (from the date of the post) that the two links referred to v5, but it seemed worth mentioning as the 'show graphics' button is ghosted in the tasks tab. But I don't see that on any other project on any of my 3 machines so I assume it's not supported any longer.

MacDitch wrote:PPS. Are you only running CPDN on this machine?

No, I'm running CPDN, SETI, Einstein, Rosetta, LHC, QMC, Spinhenge and Malariacontrol, but only CPDN is currently listed in the Tasks tab.... actually that's a bit weird, isn't it? Maybe this is the problem. My laptop, for instance, shows 2 x rosetta, 2 x Einstein, 2 x LHC, 2 x QMC, 1 x SETI and 10 x Spinhenge tasks going on. I'm completely confused now. Maybe I should try detaching from all projects and re-attaching?

That's weird - the first one works fine for me.

It's probably hitting some restriction on the work network then - we have the most bizarre set of restrictions I've ever come across!

it seemed worth mentioning as the 'show graphics' button is ghosted in the tasks tab. But I don't see that on any other project on any of my 3 machines so I assume it's not supported any longer.

I don't think there is a link between your problem and what is being discussed there, it's telling people how to view graphics without waiting for the screensaver to kick in.
You may however find this post by IanM of team "Scotland" usefull. He seems to have found a problem where by the CPDN models are not copying the graphic file to the execution folder and gives a step by step fix for it. As always, make a backup copy of the folders before changing anything!

No, I'm running CPDN, SETI, Einstein, Rosetta, LHC, QMC, Spinhenge and Malariacontrol, but only CPDN is currently listed in the Tasks tab.... actually that's a bit weird, isn't it?

Not weird at all! Because CPDN work is so long it frequently puts machines into EDF (Earliest Deadline First) mode, especially if you have more than one of these tasks running. What will happen (eventually) is that these tasks will finish and then the computer will run everything else, without CPDN, to "catch-up" on the resource debt.

Hope something in there helps!

Right, I've had a brief foray into that workaround you mentioned, but for me that starts to come under the category of 'meddling with the fundamental forces of nature' as far as the computer is concerned.
I can't positively identify which graphic file he talks about copying from the projects folder to the slots folder - there is a choice of 3 or 4 .exe files but none of them have 'graphics' in the title so I'm not sure which one I'm looking for.

Perhaps I'll just leave it alone and see if it sorts itself out when this CPDN unit is finished...

Perhaps I'll just leave it alone and see if it sorts itself out when this CPDN unit is finished...

I've just had a look to see if I can identify the file for you but I don't have any current models, so nothing newer than version 5.44. Might be easiest to leave it if you aren't too bothered about the graphics; unless someone else can advise the file name.

Out of interest, is it a version 6.xx model? That is, is the application listed as HADAM3 6.01 or higher?

Ah, actually no. I have 2 x hadam3_5.03 and 3 x hadcm3transse_5.44. I'm guessing that this may be the problem, yes?

Ah, actually no. I have 2 x hadam3_5.03 and 3 x hadcm3transse_5.44. I'm guessing that this may be the problem, yes?

It may be related, but IanM's post specifically said that the (lack of) graphics problem was a 6.xx bug. If you are running version 5.xx still, it's probably something different.