Setup BoincTasks to monitor Boinc PC & Tasks (56K) warning

[PoppaGeek]

BoincTasks is a Windows application to monitor multiple machines running Boinc. It will monitor Windows and Linux crunchers running any Boinc project. BoincTasks can issue commands to the Boinc PCs it is monitoring. One menu choice and all crunchers will report finished work units, or another single menu choice and all machines will pause, run, run benchmarks and more. BoincTasks is still under development with frequent updates, online manual and forums.

The steps for enabling BoincTasks to see your remote hosts is the same needed to use BoincView and the BoincManager. The BoincManager can show a remote host by clicking on Advanced > Select Computer and entering the IP number of the remote host.



Also available from same author is TThrottle

Measure the Processor & Gpu (CUDA) temperature.
Regulate the run time of the program, so that the Processor temperature and or Gpu Processor temperature doesn't exceeds a set temperature.
Automatically includes all BOINC projects.

TThrottle intigrates with BoincTasks.

[PoppaGeek]

After BoincTasks is installed go to the Control Panel and open Folder Options


Click on Show hidden files and folders and below that uncheck Hide extensions for known file types

Close the Folder Options and Control Panel
Open Boinc Manager and go to Messages tab. Look for the Data Directory. On Vista the default is c:\ProgramData\Boinc. If you do not see it shut down BoincManager and stop all work and restart. It should now be on the top line or first few lines.

Default Data Directory for
Vista C:\ProgramData\Boinc
Windows 7 C:\ProgramData\Boinc
Windows XP C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\BOINC if installed for all users. C:\Documents and Settings\[Username]\Application Data\BOINC\ if installed for single user. C:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\BOINC\ if installed as a Service. <needs verifying>

Open Notepad, as it is pure text and has no formating. Other editors may inbed formating so use Notepad in Accessories. Go to the Data Directory and open gui_rpc_auth.cfg. Blank this file out, removing all text or numbers and Save as using the All Files (*) option in the Save as type: box. THIS IS IMPORTANT. Notepad by default will add a .txt extention to the end of the file and Boinc will ignore it.

Now Open remote_hosts.cfg. If it is not there then create a new file called remote_hosts.cfg. Enter the IP number of the machine that BoincTasks is installed on. You can also enter the hostname of the machine Boinctasks is installed on on another line.

Save this file and reboot.

[PoppaGeek]

Ubuntu Linux setup. Other distros may be different.

Applications > Accessories > Terminal When terminal opens type the following then hit enter: sudo /usr/bin/gedit Enter your password. gedit should now be open.

For Boinc installed from the command line using apt-get:
Click on Open then in the left column click on File System on right column double click on etc scroll down to boinc-client and double click.

For Boinc installed from download:
Click on Open then in the left column click on File System on right column double click on home scroll down to your login name and double click and double click on BOINC.

For Dotsch Boinc/Linux installs:
Click on Open then in the left column click on File System on right column double click on home scroll down to boinc and double click and double click on BOINC.

If Boinc was installed another way just replace the directory names above with the location your config files are in.

If you are in the correct directory now, depending on the way Boinc was installed, you should see gui_rpc_auth.cfg in the right column. Double click on gui_rpc_auth.cfg. On my install the file is empty. If there is anything shown in the window delete it all using the Backspace or Delete keys. Now click on Save. Now File > Close.

Now click on File > Open or the Open Icon. Double click on remote_hosts.cfg. If remote_hosts.cfg is not listed then click on Cancel at bottom right corner. Then click on File > New. Go to the end of the file and type in the IP number of the machine that BoincTasks is running on. After entering the information click on save and enter the file name. In this case remote_hosts.cfg. Make sure the correct directory is in the box under the filename, else choose the correct directory by selecting File System which will open a directory browser. You can restart Boinc or reboot the machine. BoincTask should see your Linux cruncher now.

[PoppaGeek]

To enter a computer running Boinc to the list to be monitored click on the Computers tab.


Then click on Computer on the task bar and click on Add computer.
Enter the hostname under Computers and the IP of the machine to be monitored or localhost if it is the machine BoincTasks is installed on.
Then click outside the box and wait a few minutes for the PC to be found.


If the PC is not found click on Computer on task bar and click on Find Computer. It is best to narrow down the range of IPs to be searched
keeping the IP number of any PCs to be monitored within the range to be searched. Leave password blank. Scan Address Range and Find
are not the same and use different ways of locating machines running Boinc. Try each until your PC is listed. Click on the PC that was found
and click Add selected.



If after rebooting all machines or exiting Boinc, see below, that you edited the files on and doing the above scan address range and find
they still do not show up recheck all the files,
file names and IP of the BoincTasks host. Most of the time when a machine does not show up a file is mis-named or the IP is wrong.
Check firewall settings on any of the machines and open port 31416.

Boinc Manager and Boinc are NOT the same program!

In the pic below you can see Boincmgr.exe and above that boinc.exe are both running. Boinc.exe manages your work units,
downloading new ones, uploading and reporting completed ones according to configuration files. The configuration files are managed by Boincmgr.exe
or Boinc Manager. Boinc Manager is the visual interface that allows you to see the work units being worked on and the ones in queue. BoincTasks and BoincView
are alternative Boinc Managers. The files we create and alter for BoincTasks and BoincView are Boinc configuration files that are also used and managed by Boinc Manager.



In order for changes to gui_rpc_auth.cfg and remote_hosts.cfg to be recongized by Boinc.exe it has to be shut down. You can close Boinc Manager
and not Boinc. The changes will not be read. Boinc has to be closed.

To do so on Windows click on File > Exit and put a check mark in the box Stop running science applications when exiting the Manager.
Starting Boinc Manager will restart Boinc and configuration changes will be in force.



To do the same in Linux click on File > Exit and then OK To restart the boinc client enter at the command line sudo /etc/init.d/boinc-client restart
If you click on the X in the top left hand corner or another button on the gui window you will close Boinc Manager but NOT Boinc. Changes will not be read.

[shoota]

how about a similar app for os x? is there anything?

[PoppaGeek]

Please advise of any errors or additional info that needs to be added.

Thanks!

[jcool]

Thanks for the tutorial PG!
I do prefer BoincView's looks though. Or maybe I've just gotten used to it

[SiGfever]

Thanks for the tutorial PG!
I do prefer BoincView's looks though. Or maybe I've just gotten used to it

I too have used BoincView for a long time and are very comfortable with it. I was wondering what the advantages of BoincTasks are over BoincView.

[my87csx481]

Thanks for the how-to. I've been meaning to set this up (or BoincView) for quite some time but, I just never made the time to find out how to do it.

[trn]

I need to try out boinc task again; I remember it had some good features like it compressed WU's waiting in que into a minimizable tree. That was handy because now my task tabe in BV is outa control.

*edit, you can see this in the first screenshot in PG's post #1.

[werdwerdus]

boinctasks has a nice graphing tool built in. it's that button right beneath the File menu

[WFO]

Please advise of any errors or additional info that needs to be added.

Thanks!

Hey Poppa, I've wasted about 4 hours trying to get this program to work without success. Most befor your guide went up. I noticed in your guide that you said to put the host computers IP address in the remote_hosts.cfg. on the local machine. The instructions on the website say specifically not to do that. They say the host computer IP should be 192.168.10.1/Localhost. You don't mention how your remote computer files read or were modified. I feel like I've tried every combination and nothing is working.

[trn]

Hey Poppa, I've wasted about 4 hours trying to get this program to work without success. Most befor your guide went up. I noticed in your guide that you said to put the host computers IP address in the remote_hosts.cfg. on the local machine. The instructions on the website say specifically not to do that. They say the host computer IP should be 192.168.10.1/Localhost. You don't mention how your remote computer files read or were modified. I feel like I've tried every combination and nothing is working.

Can you use the stock boincmanager to connect to a remote computer? Go to Advanced > Select Computer then enter the remote computer IP and the password that you put in the machines gui_rpc_auth.cfg. If that works then your remote boinc is setup to accept incomming connections. If not then back to editing those files and checking firewalls. And also after you edit remote_host.cfg and gui_rpc_auth.cfg you have to restart boinc on that machine because boinc reads those files when it starts. Once you can connect with the stock boincmanager then move onto setting up boincview or boinctask.

[PoppaGeek]

Hey Poppa, I've wasted about 4 hours trying to get this program to work without success. Most befor your guide went up. I noticed in your guide that you said to put the host computers IP address in the remote_hosts.cfg. on the local machine. The instructions on the website say specifically not to do that. They say the host computer IP should be 192.168.10.1/Localhost. You don't mention how your remote computer files read or were modified. I feel like I've tried every combination and nothing is working.

If you would link to what you read that said to use 192.168.10.1/Localhost. No way that will work if that is not your network. Maybe that was an example he was giving?

BoincTasks communicates with the Boinc that is running on the remote machines. For clarity the IP number that goes in the remote_hosts.cfg file is the IP number of the machine running BoincTasks. I run BoincTasks on my Vista machine 1055x6, it's IP is 192.168.1.119. That is what I put in all the remote_hosts.cfg file of the other machines that run Boinc that I want to monitor. Not the IP of the machine being monitored. This is not BoincTasks specific it is Boinc specific as the same thing is required to monitor a remote machine with BoincManager or BoincView.


I had problems with BoincView on a new Vista install and could not fix it. I did not like BoincTasks at first but have since found it to have more features and it is still supported as BoincView is no longer supported.

[mezcal]

I just set this up earlier today, WFO.

PG is correct. Use the host machine IP in the remote_hosts.cfg file on the local machines.
The IP you cited from the instructions is just an example.
I was a bit confused by the language there myself.

As TRN said, you MUST restart BOINC manager on the local machines after creating and editing the remote_host.cfg file. (I didn't have to reboot the machines-just exited and restarted BOINC.)
In my case, relaunching BOINC manager on the local machines immediately gives a firewall prompt which I accepted.
After that, the Boinc Tasks search function on the host machine picked up the locals and all I had to do was provide the password from the gui_rpc_auth.cfg file on the local machines.

If you're running a different OS (I'm on W7ProX64) you may have to handle the firewall thing manually, IDK.

I handled the whole thing via RDC from the host machine.

Keep asking, we'll get it.

[PoppaGeek]

I just set this up earlier today, WFO.

PG is correct. Use the host machine IP in the remote_hosts.cfg file on the local machines.
The IP you cited from the instructions is just an example.
I was a bit confused by the language there myself.

As TRN said, you MUST restart BOINC manager on the local machines after creating and editing the remote_host.cfg file. (I didn't have to reboot the machines-just exited and restarted BOINC.)
In my case, relaunching BOINC manager on the local machines immediately gives a firewall prompt which I accepted.
After that, the Boinc Tasks search function on the host machine picked up the locals and all I had to do was provide the password from the gui_rpc_auth.cfg file on the local machines.

If you're running a different OS (I'm on W7ProX64) you may have to handle the firewall thing manually, IDK.

I handled the whole thing via RDC from the host machine.

Keep asking, we'll get it.

Yep keep posting and we'll get there!
My first time I spent several jours trying to get BoincView to work and it was a mis-named remote_hosts.cfg file. Very frustrating.

I say to reboot the machine after changing the files because closing BoincManager does not nessacarily stop Boinc. If you are not used to Linux you will think you stopped it by closing the windows and you did not and the new settings will not be read.

If you are sure you restarted it correctly then that will work fine.

[Origin_Unknown]

Cheers for the guide!!

Is boinctasks something that could be run on a machine without WCG? (blasphemy!!) say, just on a machine to monitor others?

[PoppaGeek]

Cheers for the guide!!

Is boinctasks something that could be run on a machine without WCG? (blasphemy!!) say, just on a machine to monitor others?

Do not see why not. As long as it is a Windows PC.

[D_A]

Do not see why not. As long as it is a Windows PC.

Attachment 109079

<gigglesmirk>

[Origin_Unknown]

If i squint really hard, i can just about make out the text

[D_A]

If i squint really hard, i can just about make out the text

Fine then

Attachment 109080

[PoppaGeek]

I am going to assume that D_A is saying you can run it on a Linux box under wine.

I do not use wine so he can help ya with that one.

[[Ion]]

Thanks for the guide!

I should give this or BOINCView a shot on the school farm, that would make monitoring them all a lot easier

[D_A]

I am going to assume that D_A is saying you can run it on a Linux box under wine.

I do not use wine so he can help ya with that one.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. Works very nicely, too, though not everything does.

[OldChap]

Thought I'd sat thanks for this thread PG...It's the first time I tried using this and once I read ALL of your guide it worked just fine...just should have re started boinc on the other machines ....but did I pay attention to that little gem on first read???....

EDIT:Question....Do the guys who get pie turn their widescreens vertical to get all their cores on screen?