Old GPU being assigned Gravity it can't do

Mr P Hucker
Mr P Hucker
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Topic 226890

My R9 280X cards are receiving gravity work, they can't do it, they sit forever not processing.  Please take these off the allowed list.

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Ian&Steve C.
Ian&Steve C.
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not sure who you're talking

not sure who you're talking to . but you control your own system and what work it does or does not process. there is not any kind of project administrator that will do this for you from the Einstein side.

 

if you don't want it to do GW, then disable GW for that system by setting up a different venue for it in Einstein preferences, then change the venue of that system.

also take a good look at the app_config.xml options you have available. https://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/Client_configuration

you can disable a specific GPU (by device number) from processing a specific application.

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archae86
archae86
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You could opt out of any

You could opt out of any application you prefer while logged in at the Einstein web site.

Account|Preferences|Project

Select the location (aka venue) to which the host in question is assigned

In the Applications section, untick the boxes for applications you prefer not to receive.

Click "Save Changes" at the bottom of the page.

[Edit: Ian & Steve was typing while I was typing.  I'll leave my comment as I originally typed it]

Mr P Hucker
Mr P Hucker
Joined: 12 Aug 06
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I shouldn't have to do this. 

I shouldn't have to do this.  Think how may people just want to install it and run it.  We shouldn't have to do the programmer's work for them.  They know what ranges of cards it works on.

And since I use gridcoins, I can't access server preferences.  Local preferences are not seen by the server, so I'll just get piles of Gravity work that will never run.

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Ian&Steve C.
Ian&Steve C.
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1. You don’t have to run via

1. You don’t have to run via Gridcoin pool to earn gridcoin. You can do it solo. They have a process on how to do it on their website.  
 

2. using a Gridcoin pool shouldn’t prevent you from implementing an app_config file. It’s still BOINC. A properly formed app_config will do exactly what you want. It will stop your incompatible card from processing that type of application. 
 

3. if you’re running a better card mixed with this old card, then the project won’t know about the old card. BOINC always only displays the information for the best card in the system (within the same chipset type Nvidia/AMD/Intel) with the total number of devices appended. So if you have say an RX 570 and a R9 280X, BOINC thinks you have 2x RX 570. This has always been this way and is not a project limitation. The project sees the RX570 and sends compatible work for that. If you want to stop getting incompatible work, you can also move this old GPU to a different system by itself so the project is aware of it. 
 

4. even if you think “you shouldn’t have to do this”, the fact remains that there is no way for the project to do what you’re asking. They don’t have the capability to do this. So you’ll need to make some changes on your end if you want something to change. 

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Mr P Hucker
Mr P Hucker
Joined: 12 Aug 06
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Credit: 481409887
RAC: 1912

Solo requires staking, an

Solo requires staking, an investment I'm not prepared to make, and is too complicated for me to bother.

I can and do use app config files on other projects.  But consider two of my machines which only have a 280X.  If I deny that card from doing gravity, I'll get sent gravities which will just sit there.  The server doesn't know to send me gamma.  The app config only works on my main machine which has two cards, one of which can do gravity.  The other takes milkyway tasks.

Boinc needs to be programmed to consider all cards, it's not too bright with anything more complicated than the most basic of setups.  If you have detailed info I'll make a request for a change via github.

I'm sure projects can send work to certain types of machines.  TNGrid for example sends SSE to my older machines and FMA to my newer ones.

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Keith Myers
Keith Myers
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Peter Hucker wrote: I'm sure

Peter Hucker wrote:

I'm sure projects can send work to certain types of machines.  TNGrid for example sends SSE to my older machines and FMA to my newer ones.

That decision has nothing to do with the project.  That is entirely decided by BOINC and the generated APR values for each application.  Whatever application has the greater APR is the preferred application and those tasks are what is sent.

 

Mr P Hucker
Mr P Hucker
Joined: 12 Aug 06
Posts: 819
Credit: 481409887
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Keith Myers wrote: That

Keith Myers wrote:

That decision has nothing to do with the project.  That is entirely decided by BOINC and the generated APR values for each application.  Whatever application has the greater APR is the preferred application and those tasks are what is sent.

So Boinc has no mechanism to tell the project to send certain work for certain GPUs?  I'm no good at this, if someone can give me a sensibly worded request with technical info, I'll file a request in Boinc for a feature using github.

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Mr P Hucker
Mr P Hucker
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P.S.  Are there any gamma GPU

P.S.  Are there any gamma GPU tasks?  I see them on server status, but I never get any.  Are they in Beta only?  GRCpool may have deselected beta.

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Keith Myers
Keith Myers
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Gamma Ray is not beta.  But

Gamma Ray is not beta.  But the project preferably endorses Gravity Wave over GR when both applications are selected because of locality scheduling which the project server software uses.

As mentioned previously you can run an app_config file to keep GW off the troublesome card even when running Gridcoin Pool.

 

Mr P Hucker
Mr P Hucker
Joined: 12 Aug 06
Posts: 819
Credit: 481409887
RAC: 1912

Because I saw the large

Because I saw the large amount of gamma being done on server status, I assumed they were supposed to be being handed out.  I guess a lot of folk have deselected gravity (possibly with the same problems as me).

5 weeks ago I had problems with gamma and someone said they were in beta.  Has that finished?
https://einsteinathome.org/content/errors-my-gpu
I also notice in there someone said Einstein was able to not send WUs to Tahiti cards that wouldn't run them.  Well they're not doing that very well, since I have two machines with only one card so it should know what not to send there.

I use app_config on the machine with two different cards, the older card just gets milkyway instead.  But there's nothing I can do for the computers with only older cards.  And I've just bought another old card, managed to get a 7970 for £80.  The predecessor to 280X (which I have 3 of but the prices have skyrocketed), 95% as fast.  Nice 1:4 double precision for Milkyway.

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