How-To: Ubuntu cruncher! Install and forget

[D_A]

Save yourself some keystrokes.

 sudo apt-get update && sudo aptitude full-upgrade

This will update everything including the kernel, assuming there is a new one available. I can post a how-to if people want to compile and install a custom kernel for their Ubuntu rig based on the latest source code (currently 3.1.6 I think. I compiled mine yesterday.)

[D_A]

Ok, how-to for setting up the remote BOINC management.
Assumptions:
You have installed Ubuntu server with OpenSSH

Procedure:
-Log into the remote machine with your SSH client of choice.
-Once you're logged in install BOINC from the repositories

sudo apt-get install boinc-client

the package boinc-manager is not required, ignore it.
-Next we need to open an editor and alter one of the config files to allow remote management of the client. I'll be using nano here but there are others.

sudo nano /etc/boinc-client/remote_hosts.cfg

You'll see something like this:

NOTE: Use the cursor keys to move around, don't use the mouse. This is a terminal text editor, not a gui application.
-Move the cursor down and add the host name or IP address (if you use static IPs on your network) of the system you want to be able to administer BOINC from where I have my chosen IPs entered.
-To save the file press ctrl-o (hold the control key and press the letter o) then press Enter to confirm the file name.
-To exit the editor press ctrl-x
-For BOINC to read the config file you need to restart the application

sudo /etc/init.d/boinc-client restart

-Ok, now you're done. Exit the terminal and you can handle all the client management from the BOINC Manager on your desktop system, no need to play with the command line. Just open the BOINC Manager and click through Advanced > Select Computer and use the drop box to enter the hostname or IP of the remote system.

[D_A]

I am, by the way, getting pretty ticked off over not being allowed to post attachments in any way, shape or form.

[shifty803]

Wow, good post. I am still a unix noob. I know just enough to be dangerous.

[D_A]

If you like that you'll love this.

Ubuntu is a bit of a bugger for not updating BOINC in the repositories but since it sprays the BOINC files around like hippo manure in the file system it can be a little daunting for a new guy wanting to update the client. Here's the skinny.

Open a terminal (via ssh/Putty or locally) and enter:

sudo /etc/init.d/boinc-client stop

to stop the client and

wget http://boinc.berkeley.edu/dl/boinc_6.12.34_x86_64-pc-linux-gnu.sh

replace the version numbers with whatever version you're after. If you're not sure go here and look: http://boinc.berkeley.edu/dl
This will download the file directly from Berkley to the current directory, which should be your home directory.
Next set the file as executable

sudo chmod +x boinc_6.12.34_x86_64-pc-linux-gnu.sh

and then run it

./boinc_6.12.34_x86_64-pc-linux-gnu.sh

That will create a directory called BOINC in your home folder. Change into it.

cd BOINC

now we'll copy the relevant binaries

sudo cp boinc* /usr/bin/

and we restart the client

sudo /etc/init.d/boinc-client start

That should be it. You're now running the new client version. Since Ubuntu pretty much never update it you don't have to worry about it being overwritten, but if it is just do the same thing again to change it back or update to another newer version, or back to an older one if there's a problem.

[shifty803]

If you like that you'll love this.

Ubuntu is a bit of a bugger for not updating BOINC in the repositories but since it sprays the BOINC files around like hippo manure in the file system it can be a little daunting for a new guy wanting to update the client. Here's the skinny.

An apt analogy. I once saw a hippo doing that at the San Diego zoo. Quite impressive.

[D_A]

An apt analogy

Buh dum PSSHHH! And the race is on for the last pun of 2011.

[D_A]

<bump>

I'm working on something that folk running Ubuntu-server should find useful with the upcoming (whenever it gets here) GPU client for HCC. Bumping the thread so I don't lose it.

[D_A]

Note: this is for an nVidia equipped machine. I don't have an ATi/AMD card to work this out on.

Ok, got it running on a remote machine.

Starting from a machine that is already running a CUDA etc capable version of BOINC and Ubuntu-server (I'm working with 10.04 64bit)]

Install a CUDA/OpenCL enabled nVidia driver. (I'm running 280.something now and downloading 290.something as I type this).
copy it to your home directory on the server, then make sure the file is executable

sudo chmod +x NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-290.10.run

now run the installer

./NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-290.10.run

answer all the questions and let it run, it should dump you back to the command line when it's done with no errors
next we need to set up a little something so that the nvidia modules load without the X server running

sudo nano /etc/init.d/nvidia_cuda

nano is a text editor and this just started creating a new file with it.
now copy and paste this into the new file AS IS

#!/bin/bash

PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin:$PATH

/sbin/modprobe nvidia

if [ "$?" -eq 0 ]; then

   # Count the number of NVIDIA controllers found.
   N3D=`/usr/bin/lspci | grep -i NVIDIA | grep "3D controller" | wc -l`
   NVGA=`/usr/bin/lspci | grep -i NVIDIA | grep "VGA compatible controller" | wc -l`

   N=`expr $N3D + $NVGA - 1`
   for i in `seq 0 $N`; do
      /bin/mknod -m 666 /dev/nvidia$i c 195 $i;
   done

   /bin/mknod -m 666 /dev/nvidiactl c 195 255

else
   exit 1
fi

Press Ctrl+o (hold Ctrl and press the letter o) and then just press Enter. Next press Ctrl+x to exit back to the command line.
Now enter

sudo chmod +x /etc/init.d/nvidia_cuda
sudo update-rc.d nvidia_cuda defaults

this will set up the init script that will load the nvidia modules and create the processor nodes
Now reboot the system

sudo reboot now

When it loads back up it should see your CUDA enabled GPU (mine did at least)

credit where it's due, I got this from HERE

[D_A]

OpenCL has been supported by the nVidia drives since release 280.13 and they're currently up to 290.10 so check your driver releases.

[Moo]

Will your Nvidia guide work on ubuntu 11.10 desktop?

[D_A]

I think the instructions I followed were actually for 11.10 originally. For a desktop system you don't need to muck about with device nodes and such they're already there, just install the driver and you should be good. Install the driver, reboot and you should be ok. If it complains about the Nouveau driver the nVidia driver can put that in the black list but you'll need to get to the recovery console to get the nVidia driver installed afterwards which means getting to the grub menu. To do that you need to keep quickly tapping the left shift key as the machine boots, and I really do mean you have to keep doing it and do it QUICKLY. This menu is a bugger to get into. Once you're in the Grub menu, select the "recovery" option for the kernel you're using (VERY important to pick the right one, it should be the first recovery option from the top of the list) and when you get to the next menu pick the root terminal (very bottom) option.
You will now be in a terminal, don't even think about trying to start a desktop session or this won't work.
cd to the directory where you saved the nvidia driver and run it ( ./NVIDIA<blah blah blah>.run ) It will complain about being started in this mode but just go through it and answer all the questions. Once it's done type "exit" to get back to the last menu and then select "boot normally". That should be it done. If the driver is running then BOINC will see the CUDA/OpenCL device.

[Moo]

Worked like a charm, running on gpugrid now. One thing I ran into though was I had to delay boinc starting or it wouldn't see the gpus. It seems boinc loads before the graphics driver and boinc gives the message no gpus found.

[D_A]

Yes, my reply to this got lost in the forum update.
Here's the most elegant solution I found

sudo update-rc.d -f boinc-client remove
sudo update-rc.d boinc-client defaults 99

This removes BOINC from the automatic startup sequence and re-adds it right at the very end so everything else will have time to load.

[OldChap]

If you like that you'll love this.

Ubuntu is a bit of a bugger for not updating BOINC in the repositories but since it sprays the BOINC files around like hippo manure in the file system it can be a little daunting for a new guy wanting to update the client. Here's the skinny.

Open a terminal (via ssh/Putty or locally) and enter:

sudo /etc/init.d/boinc-client stop

to stop the client and

wget http://boinc.berkeley.edu/dl/boinc_6.12.34_x86_64-pc-linux-gnu.sh

replace the version numbers with whatever version you're after. If you're not sure go here and look: http://boinc.berkeley.edu/dl
This will download the file directly from Berkley to the current directory, which should be your home directory.
Next set the file as executable

sudo chmod +x boinc_6.12.34_x86_64-pc-linux-gnu.sh

and then run it

./boinc_6.12.34_x86_64-pc-linux-gnu.sh

That will create a directory called BOINC in your home folder. Change into it.

cd BOINC

now we'll copy the relevant binaries

sudo cp boinc* /usr/bin/

and we restart the client

sudo /etc/init.d/boinc-client start

That should be it. You're now running the new client version. Since Ubuntu pretty much never update it you don't have to worry about it being overwritten, but if it is just do the same thing again to change it back or update to another newer version, or back to an older one if there's a problem.

Just had my Linux Mint for about a week and the Boinc I got from the repository. All seems well but I obviously need to get the latest and greatest.

Can I use this method??

[D_A]

I believe so, yes. Mint is close enough to Ubuntu behind the curtains that this should all still work fine.

[Gamekiller]

So I got Ubuntu 11.10 x64 installed and Boinc v7.0.20 (beta) installed and running but I have a few questions.

- When I run the client it shows that I'm running the x64 version as intended but when I run the manager and click on "about boinc manager" it tells me that I have the x86 version. What's going on? Will it affect anything? I'd like to fix it.

- How do I set the client to auto run on start-up? The first page of this thread is missing many images.

- How can I make a shortcut on desktop or taskbar (? thing on the left side with large buttons) for my boinc manager so I can easily open it at will.

- I tried pwnconfig in an attempt to slow down this Ultra Kaze 3000 ( o_o ) but it wouldn't work. Is there any other way to go about this on Ubuntu?

[D_A]

So I got Ubuntu 11.10 x64 installed and Boinc v7.0.20 (beta) installed and running but I have a few questions.

- When I run the client it shows that I'm running the x64 version as intended but when I run the manager and click on "about boinc manager" it tells me that I have the x86 version. What's going on? Will it affect anything? I'd like to fix it.

Honestly I'd ignore that. 7.0.20 is ALPHA software so if you're not ready and willing to join the alpha mailing list, contribute to it, report any and all bugs including those it may cause with other applications and expect any amount of work errors then don't run it. It's much safer and more reliable to run the current production version, whatever that is at any point in time.

- How do I set the client to auto run on start-up? The first page of this thread is missing many images.

- How can I make a shortcut on desktop or taskbar (? thing on the left side with large buttons) for my boinc manager so I can easily open it at will.

I take it you didn't use Aptitude to install from the repositories and update the client but rather just grabbed the client straight from Berkley. What you need to do is add the launcher script (run_client) to the session manager (you might call it "startup applications") so it starts when you log in and add a shortcut to the panel or whatever to launch the manager. You could, (I haven't done this) add a script to /etc/init.d that calls the run_client script when ti boots into run level 3 (I think that's the one you want) but that's not exactly beginner stuff.
I have no experience with the Unity interface (mobile phone interfaces are for phones and tablets at a pinch and have no place on the desktop imho. I stopped using Ubuntu on my desktop because of that monstrosity) so I'm afraid I can't be more precise than that.

- I tried pwnconfig in an attempt to slow down this Ultra Kaze 3000 ( o_o ) but it wouldn't work. Is there any other way to go about this on Ubuntu?

A quick google to find what either is tells me that you need to have lm-sensors properly configured before trying to run pwmconfig.
Use

sudo sensors-detect

and get the modules loaded before trying to run pwmconfig. Other than that you might try checking your BIOS settings to see if those fans can be set to automatic control, some only run at fixed speed no matter what you try.

[Gamekiller]

Honestly I'd ignore that. 7.0.20 is ALPHA software so if you're not ready and willing to join the alpha mailing list, contribute to it, report any and all bugs including those it may cause with other applications and expect any amount of work errors then don't run it. It's much safer and more reliable to run the current production version, whatever that is at any point in time.

Ah, been running the 7.0.x series on my main rig without issue (though it's Win 7) so I figured it'd be alright. So far so good. *crosses fingers*

I take it you didn't use Aptitude to install from the repositories and update the client but rather just grabbed the client straight from Berkley. What you need to do is add the launcher script (run_client) to the session manager (you might call it "startup applications") so it starts when you log in and add a shortcut to the panel or whatever to launch the manager. You could, (I haven't done this) add a script to /etc/init.d that calls the run_client script when ti boots into run level 3 (I think that's the one you want) but that's not exactly beginner stuff.
I have no experience with the Unity interface (mobile phone interfaces are for phones and tablets at a pinch and have no place on the desktop imho. I stopped using Ubuntu on my desktop because of that monstrosity) so I'm afraid I can't be more precise than that.

I used the method from the first post of this thread to install it except using the newer version of Boinc. Alright, got it running on start-up and shortcut added. As for the Unity interface, I agree, but not an issue if not a main rig.

A quick google to find what either is tells me that you need to have lm-sensors properly configured before trying to run pwmconfig.
Use

sudo sensors-detect

and get the modules loaded before trying to run pwmconfig. Other than that you might try checking your BIOS settings to see if those fans can be set to automatic control, some only run at fixed speed no matter what you try.

I've already completely set up lm-sensors and loaded the modules before trying. I've already tried setting the bios to auto fan control but it doesn't do anything and there aren't any adjustments.


Thank you for the help!

[D_A]

Happy to help.

As for rigs other than this one, I typically use Ubuntu Server purely for ease of administration. The lack of a gui also appeals to me, especially for a headless rig, as there's no point in wasting cycles on a gui that's not going to be used.

As for the 7.x series on linux ... I discovered that 7.0.18 would trash CEP2 and HPF2 units almost instantly and reliably on Slackware 13.37 x86_64, Ubuntu 10.04 x86 Desktop, 11.10 x86_64 Server and 12.04 i386 Server beta. Other work seemed to process ok. I posted to the alpha list and WCG forums but never got any response so I went back to 6.12.43.

[OldChap]

Did anyone see my white stick or my dog

My story goes like this: was running the repository download in mint

Did the "If you like that you'll love this"

now I am thrashing around in the dark. Until now I always used boincmanager but although system monitor would suggest things are running I cannot start boincmanager (at least from where I used to in the graphical interface)

So, Can I connect via a port from my main rig? or Is there another way to start boincmanager? or do I have to download boincmanager again this time from berkley?

Not critical until I need to stop or pause or make changes I guess but... Heeeeeelp

[D_A]

You still need to set up the remote access files just like before, that hasn't changed. Mint is basically just Ubuntu with a better front end, so everything you learned administering Ubuntu still applies.

[OldChap]

Putting together another box..... tried to "sudo apt-get install ia32-libs" and for the past 24 hours I get a '404 not found' for a bunch of the files needed.

Thoughts anyone?

[OldChap]

A voyage of discovery for me... I discovered "apt-get update" which seems to update the repositories from which the various bits and pieces are collected.

Just a guess here but when items are updated I would say that instead of the new being put where the old were they are each given a new address too

Got ia32-libs loaded now

Still struggling to start manager though. eventually I must get around to learning how to do this remotely

[D_A]

There are two repositories at work here. Firstly the main ones, next the update repos. If the package in the update repository is newer than the one in the main repo then during a system update it is downloaded and replaces the original.
On the local system, when a package is updated it is first removed, while leaving the data files in place, and then the new package is installed. If you purge a package it removes everything.