my thought was that maybe attaching einstein@home to BOINCManager agian would edit the "hosts" file for me.
No program should be allowed to edit protected system-configuration files without explicit authorization. That could be a huge security issue!
(BTW I’m still not convinced the hosts file is the problem. As I mentioned upthread, I have several Macs that are being identified just fine, yet their hosts files contain nothing of relevance.)
...I’m still not convinced the hosts file is the problem.
It would appear that the problem is related to whatever got deleted when the /private folder was removed, which includes the hosts file and probably other important configuration information. Would you mind having a look under your /private (if you have a similar structure for these system files) to see what else is there thanks?
Sorry to butt in on your conversation (I'm not a Mac person), but could the OP's original question be related to something I happened to notice in Kathryn's post here?
Quote:
...snip... - core client: print error messages if gethostbyname() fails
for entries in remote_hosts.cfg
...snip...
In other words, if the OP had, once upon a time, set up BOINC for remote management by another named host, he/she would get error messages if that host couldn't be found?
Slightly more plausible than apps fiddling with the system's hosts file.
It would appear that the problem is related to whatever got deleted when the /private folder was removed, which includes the hosts file and probably other important configuration information. Would you mind having a look under your /private (if you have a similar structure for these system files) to see what else is there thanks?
Are you addressing me or Michael? I’ve never deleted (or even edited) any of those files …
Anyway, my “private� folder has three subdirectories: “etc�, “tmp�, and “var�. The hosts file is in “etc�. This is in the Panther OS, v10.3.9; Michael is running Tiger so there may be some differences. The iMac here running v10.4.8 also has a subdirectory called “tftpboot�. I’ll have a look at my G5’s “private� directory when I get home, to see if it’s any different.
No problem - butt in all you like and sooner or later someone will come up with the fix ...
Quote:
... could the OP's original question be related to something I happened to notice ...
I very much doubt it as that fix related to hosts in remote_hosts.cfg and the OP had already indicated in an earlier response that he had not attempted any form of remote management.
Quote:
Slightly more plausible than apps fiddling with the system's hosts file.
I think you are misunderstanding what the OP wrote and how Odysseus pointed out how what the OP thought might happen was really not feasible. Nobody was suggesting that apps were fiddling with system files. In summary:-
*The original hosts file (and probably other important stuff) got deleted
*The hosts file was restored by copying a template from the OS CD
*The OP said that BOINC might just "fix up" this template to contain more info
*Odysseus pointed out the security risks of allowing a "fix up" like this - ie wouldn't be allowed
In addition to not being allowed, how would BOINC know what information was missing and how to fix it up anyway? BOINC has no way of knowing the needed information.
On FreeBSD unix, a system's hostname is stored in the file /etc/rc.conf (along with a lot of other important stuff). The rc.conf file is actually a set of "overrides" to default values of parameters which are stored in /etc/defaults/rc.conf. The whole set of overrides in /etc/rc.conf is generated during OS installation from questions that are asked by the installer. Subsequent to installation, the system administrator can edit these overrides (if needed) without risk to the default values stored in /etc/defaults/rc.conf.
I suspect that both the /etc/hosts and /etc/rc.conf files in a FreeBSD installation would have their equivalents stored in /private/etc/... for the installation on a Mac. It would seem likely that a missing rc.conf or its equivalent is why there is something wrong with the system's hostname.
On FreeBSD unix, a system's hostname is stored in the file /etc/rc.conf (along with a lot of other important stuff). The rc.conf file is actually a set of "overrides" to default values of parameters which are stored in /etc/defaults/rc.conf. […]
I suspect that both the /etc/hosts and /etc/rc.conf files in a FreeBSD installation would have their equivalents stored in /private/etc/... for the installation on a Mac. It would seem likely that a missing rc.conf or its equivalent is why there is something wrong with the system's hostname.
Looking in the “private:etc� directory (on a G4 Mac whose name BOINC does pick up correctly), I see no “rc.conf�, although there are files called “rc�, “rc.boot�, “rc.cleanup�, “rc.common�, and “rc.netboot�; there’s also an alias called “resolv.conf� that points to the file “private:var:run:resolv.conf�(*). The “defaults� folder contains only one file, called “periodic.conf�.
FWIW I tried searching the startup volume for this computer’s name appearing in file contents; nothing was found except in the BOINC Data folder (in client_state.xml, the sched_request_….xml files, and the init_data.xml files from the “slots� folders—each instance with “.local� appended, and tagged within the file’s section). Of course the name must be ‘written down’ somewhere; I assume this means either that it’s stored in some file to which a mere administrator has no access, or that the Find command ignores system files. OTOH it must also get read into a location where BOINC (or whatever system routines are called for the purpose) can get at it.
*) For historical reasons (I presume), Mac pathnames use colons instead of slashes as separators.
what happens when someone attaches to a project with BOINCManager? what file or file entry does BOINCManager or the project make on the user's computer? einstein@home did originally list my computer's name and only had one ip address for my computer.
RE: if i could get rid of
)
my thought was that maybe attaching einstein@home to BOINCManager agian would edit the "hosts" file for me.
RE: my thought was that
)
No program should be allowed to edit protected system-configuration files without explicit authorization. That could be a huge security issue!
(BTW I’m still not convinced the hosts file is the problem. As I mentioned upthread, I have several Macs that are being identified just fine, yet their hosts files contain nothing of relevance.)
RE: ...I’m still not
)
It would appear that the problem is related to whatever got deleted when the /private folder was removed, which includes the hosts file and probably other important configuration information. Would you mind having a look under your /private (if you have a similar structure for these system files) to see what else is there thanks?
Cheers,
Gary.
Sorry to butt in on your
)
Sorry to butt in on your conversation (I'm not a Mac person), but could the OP's original question be related to something I happened to notice in Kathryn's post here?
In other words, if the OP had, once upon a time, set up BOINC for remote management by another named host, he/she would get error messages if that host couldn't be found?
Slightly more plausible than apps fiddling with the system's hosts file.
RE: It would appear that
)
Are you addressing me or Michael? I’ve never deleted (or even edited) any of those files …
Anyway, my “private� folder has three subdirectories: “etc�, “tmp�, and “var�. The hosts file is in “etc�. This is in the Panther OS, v10.3.9; Michael is running Tiger so there may be some differences. The iMac here running v10.4.8 also has a subdirectory called “tftpboot�. I’ll have a look at my G5’s “private� directory when I get home, to see if it’s any different.
RE: Sorry to butt in on
)
No problem - butt in all you like and sooner or later someone will come up with the fix ...
I very much doubt it as that fix related to hosts in remote_hosts.cfg and the OP had already indicated in an earlier response that he had not attempted any form of remote management.
I think you are misunderstanding what the OP wrote and how Odysseus pointed out how what the OP thought might happen was really not feasible. Nobody was suggesting that apps were fiddling with system files. In summary:-
*The hosts file was restored by copying a template from the OS CD
*The OP said that BOINC might just "fix up" this template to contain more info
*Odysseus pointed out the security risks of allowing a "fix up" like this - ie wouldn't be allowed
In addition to not being allowed, how would BOINC know what information was missing and how to fix it up anyway? BOINC has no way of knowing the needed information.
On FreeBSD unix, a system's hostname is stored in the file /etc/rc.conf (along with a lot of other important stuff). The rc.conf file is actually a set of "overrides" to default values of parameters which are stored in /etc/defaults/rc.conf. The whole set of overrides in /etc/rc.conf is generated during OS installation from questions that are asked by the installer. Subsequent to installation, the system administrator can edit these overrides (if needed) without risk to the default values stored in /etc/defaults/rc.conf.
I suspect that both the /etc/hosts and /etc/rc.conf files in a FreeBSD installation would have their equivalents stored in /private/etc/... for the installation on a Mac. It would seem likely that a missing rc.conf or its equivalent is why there is something wrong with the system's hostname.
Cheers,
Gary.
RE: On FreeBSD unix, a
)
Looking in the “private:etc� directory (on a G4 Mac whose name BOINC does pick up correctly), I see no “rc.conf�, although there are files called “rc�, “rc.boot�, “rc.cleanup�, “rc.common�, and “rc.netboot�; there’s also an alias called “resolv.conf� that points to the file “private:var:run:resolv.conf�(*). The “defaults� folder contains only one file, called “periodic.conf�.
FWIW I tried searching the startup volume for this computer’s name appearing in file contents; nothing was found except in the BOINC Data folder (in client_state.xml, the sched_request_….xml files, and the init_data.xml files from the “slots� folders—each instance with “.local� appended, and tagged within the file’s section). Of course the name must be ‘written down’ somewhere; I assume this means either that it’s stored in some file to which a mere administrator has no access, or that the Find command ignores system files. OTOH it must also get read into a location where BOINC (or whatever system routines are called for the purpose) can get at it.
*) For historical reasons (I presume), Mac pathnames use colons instead of slashes as separators.
what happens when someone
)
what happens when someone attaches to a project with BOINCManager? what file or file entry does BOINCManager or the project make on the user's computer? einstein@home did originally list my computer's name and only had one ip address for my computer.
should i erase the hard disc
)
should i erase the hard disc and start completely over?
i will re-install the system
)
i will re-install the system software.