NEW: WINDOWS TEST APPLICATION FOR EINSTEIN@HOME

Stick
Stick
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There are a couple of threads

There are a couple of threads on Problems and Bug Reports where Beta 0.03 users have reported problems after upgrading to BOINC 5.2.X. Just thought you might want to know:

1. Message boards : Problems and Bug Reports : Can't send any result after upgrade to 5.2.7; and, 2. Message boards : Problems and Bug Reports : E@H crashes on graphics request.

Stick
Stick
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I was just now rereading the

I was just now rereading the Einstein@Home Beta Testing page and I noticed that, although there are good instructions for installing the Beta application, there aren't any instructions for uninstalling it. And, somehow, I doubt that reading the install instructions backwards will work very well. ;-)

Being an advocate for the Beta app, I don't plan on "bailing out" on it any time soon, but, hopefully, there will be a new "official" app coming sometime in the future and, when that happens, a lot of us will probably be asking the same question. That is, I am trying to help "PLAN AHEad".

Gary Roberts
Gary Roberts
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Hi Stick, I think the

Hi Stick,

I think the trouble you have taken to point people towards the beta app when they were having problems with graphics is quite praiseworthy. Thanks very much for continuing to do that.

Because the app is installed by copying it into the appropriate directory along with the appropriate app_info.xml file, uninstalling is not required. If there were to be a further beta, a replacement .xml file would effectively prevent the wrong version from being run. If you don't want to run the beta just delete the .xml file and BOINC will no longer use it but will revert to the standard science app. The old app could remain there or just be deleted by hand.

I know you are frustrated by the apparent lack of progress of the beta app towards being the new science app, so I wrote to David Hammer, the owner of this thread, over a week ago. I've not had a reply as yet so David is obviously busy. I've written again, cc'ing to Bruce, so hopefully we'll get an answer soon. I suspect that Bernd might be the person actually working on this, but I'm not sure. I haven't seen him posting lately.

Cheers,
Gary.

Stick
Stick
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Gary, Thank you for the

Message 13117 in response to message 13116

Gary,

Thank you for the quick reply. The removal process sounds really easy. I will remember this post for future reference - but I also hope the instructions get posted on the Einstein@Home Beta Testing page.

I think it will be important to make the transition back to "normal" operation as easy and non-technical as possible. I say this because I'm pretty sure I convinced a fair number of users to give the Beta a try and I doubt that many of them are real comfortable using terminology like "app_info.xml files". I feel somewhat responsible for helping them get back into the mainstream when the time comes.

And, also thank you for your "behind the scenes" efforts to move things along. I hope they will bear fruit somtime soon. I hope you agree with my position that, if we hope to attract and keep new users from the Seti Classic pool, we need a new science app ASAP.

Again, thank you for your reply!

Stick

Quote:

Hi Stick,

I think the trouble you have taken to point people towards the beta app when they were having problems with graphics is quite praiseworthy. Thanks very much for continuing to do that.

Because the app is installed by copying it into the appropriate directory along with the appropriate app_info.xml file, uninstalling is not required. If there were to be a further beta, a replacement .xml file would effectively prevent the wrong version from being run. If you don't want to run the beta just delete the .xml file and BOINC will no longer use it but will revert to the standard science app. The old app could remain there or just be deleted by hand.

I know you are frustrated by the apparent lack of progress of the beta app towards being the new science app, so I wrote to David Hammer, the owner of this thread, over a week ago. I've not had a reply as yet so David is obviously busy. I've written again, cc'ing to Bruce, so hopefully we'll get an answer soon. I suspect that Bernd might be the person actually working on this, but I'm not sure. I haven't seen him posting lately.


Michael Roycraft
Michael Roycraft
Joined: 10 Mar 05
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RE: ...I suspect that

Message 13118 in response to message 13116

Quote:
...I suspect that Bernd might be the person actually working on this, but I'm not sure. I haven't seen him posting lately.

Gary,

I think you're right. Here, David seems to verify.

Michael

microcraft
"The arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice" - MLK

Gary Roberts
Gary Roberts
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RE: ... but I also hope the

Message 13119 in response to message 13117

Quote:
... but I also hope the instructions get posted on the Einstein@Home Beta Testing page.

I'm sure they will be. Up to now, the thinking has probably been that anyone being helped by the beta is probably not going to want to go back to crashes anyway so "uninstall" instructions are not needed. When there is an "official" replacement for 4.79, the announcement just needs to say, "For all users of the current beta app, just finish existing work and then delete the app_info.xml file", basically :).

Quote:
I think it will be important to make the transition back to "normal" operation as easy and non-technical as possible. I say this because I'm pretty sure I convinced a fair number of users to give the Beta a try and I doubt that many of them are real comfortable using terminology like "app_info.xml files". I feel somewhat responsible for helping them get back into the mainstream when the time comes.

I understand completely what you are saying. Having started my "entice the classic users" campaign, I basically stopped pushing it further over on the classic boards since I started to realise it would create a lot of ill feeling if ex-classic users started to be hit by the graphics bug. I would feel responsible for getting them into a situation where I'd have to spend a lot more time rescuing them, probably in a way they wouldn't appreciate.

I've developed the impression that it's not just ATI hardware but more the "age difference" between the libraries in 4.79 and current BOINC. It seems to be getting quite desperate that we get a standard science app that will not cause problems for a flood of new users. Since the "Seti Classic closure" email went out there is already a significant upsurge of posts on the BOINC boards about how to get started with BOINC. I'n not even game to look at what is happening on the Seti boards :). We are bound to get more activity here as the closing date approaches.

Quote:
And, also thank you for your "behind the scenes" efforts to move things along. I hope they will bear fruit somtime soon. I hope you agree with my position that, if we hope to attract and keep new users from the Seti Classic pool, we need a new science app ASAP.

No problem. Yep, sure do agree.

Cheers,
Gary.

simon15zollsyncro
simon15zollsyncro
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hallo RE: it would

Message 13120 in response to message 13119

hallo

Quote:
it would create a lot of ill feeling if ex-classic users started to be hit by the graphics bug.
[...]
I'n not even game to look at what is happening on the Seti boards :)

I don't think many SETI-users would complain about a graphics bug, 'cause the SETI-graphics is by far not as impressive as the Einstein graphic -in fact, we tried to get rid of it ASAP 'cause it consumes computing time.
(At least) here (in my place) most Einstein-users joined just because of this _cool_ screenserver :)

cu
simon

Stick
Stick
Joined: 24 Feb 05
Posts: 790
Credit: 33130322
RAC: 1161

RE: hallo RE: it would

Message 13121 in response to message 13120

Quote:

hallo

Quote:
it would create a lot of ill feeling if ex-classic users started to be hit by the graphics bug.
[...]
I'n not even game to look at what is happening on the Seti boards :)

I don't think many SETI-users would complain about a graphics bug, 'cause the SETI-graphics is by far not as impressive as the Einstein graphic -in fact, we tried to get rid of it ASAP 'cause it consumes computing time.
(At least) here (in my place) most Einstein-users joined just because of this _cool_ screenserver :)

cu
simon

Simon,

I justed "viewed" your computer and looked at some of your recent results. Are you aware that you are still running Beta v0.03? A newer Beta app (v0.18) was released a month or so ago. You might want to upgrade to it when you get a chance. Here's the link: Einstein@Home Beta Testing.

Stick

Stick
Stick
Joined: 24 Feb 05
Posts: 790
Credit: 33130322
RAC: 1161

Please look at this thread.

Please look at this thread. This guy apparently changed to 0.18 but he is still getting the usual "graphics bug" Client errors. I am not sure he realizes it though, since he hasn't posted back since switching.

Michael Roycraft
Michael Roycraft
Joined: 10 Mar 05
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Credit: 157718
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RE: Please look at this

Message 13123 in response to message 13122

Quote:
Please look at this thread. This guy apparently changed to 0.18 but he is still getting the usual "graphics bug" Client errors. I am not sure he realizes it though, since he hasn't posted back since switching.


Hmmm, looks as if he scrapped everything and started anew, new host ID, shortly after posting. Wonder if the 0xc0000005 is possibly a result of outdated drivers??? Or ancient non-OpenGL-capable vidcard/chipset?

(Aside - Good game last night, right up until the last 5 minutes. Rough loss) 8-{

microcraft
"The arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice" - MLK

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