Re-install BOINC keeping the same host ID
23 Apr 2017 5:09:03 UTC
Topic 207060
(moderation:
Hi!
Currently I run BOINC on HDD and I want to re-install OS and BOINC on a new SSD. Now I'm finishing all my tasks in progress.
So the questions are:
1) how to keep the same host ID on a new machine? Just copy BOINC data folder from an old HDD to a new SSD?
2) there are many files in the project folder, some are very old (applications, photos, icons, etc.) - can these be deleted? Or I need to copy the project folder intact?
The main goal of all this is to keep the host ID but get clean BOINC installation. So that's why I'm finishing all task now.
Alexander Favorsky
)
If you are prepared to stop BOINC and make a backup copy of the entire BOINC tree, you don't even need to finish current tasks. You just install the OS, including whatever drivers BOINC currently needs, put the BOINC data back exactly where it was and then reinstall BOINC making sure you tell BOINC where its files are if they happen to be in a non-standard location. I don't use Windows at all so I can't give advice about exactly what you will see, options wise, in a Windows BOINC install. Once installed, BOINC will find its stuff and pick up exactly where it left off.
That's the easiest way. The hostID is just a single entry in the state file (client_state.xml) so there are quite easy ways to make a completely new install have the old hostID even if you have totally lost (hard disk destroyed) the old data directory. But you haven't so it's even easier :-).
If you delete anything, BOINC will most likely just download it all again. Virtually everything is listed in the state file so unless you know what you are doing and remove the state file entries first whilst BOINC is not running, you will just go through a lot of unnecessary re-downloads. If you know files are totally finished with, you can remove the entries for them from the state file and then delete the files. Eventually, they are supposed to be removed automatically under control of the project itself. Old versions of apps do tend to hang around so on occasion I have trimmed them from the state file and then deleted the file on disk.
Are you running more than just Einstein on the machine? If you are running other projects, the next bit would be rather more tricky. In that case just save the BOINC tree and be happy :-). If it's just Einstein, you could read further :-)
How important is the 'clean BOINC installation' bit? How important is it to minimise the volume of downloads? If the second item doesn't matter, and all you really want is to keep the hostID whilst getting a clean install, you could scrap the entire BOINC data tree except for just a couple of items, the account_einstein......xml file and a state file stripped down version (template) containing the hostID you want to reuse inside a <project>....</project> block. Don't attempt this if you don't understand a bit about the state file structure. The benefit of this potential pain is that you get to keep the ID but have to download everything that really is needed so you will have the 'cleanest' possible install :-). I could post a state file template you could use if you are determined to have a clean install. Personally, I'd just go with the backup copy of the BOINC tree :-).
Cheers,
Gary.
Thanks a lot, Gary. I think
)
Thanks a lot, Gary.
I think I will go the easiest way and just copy the whole BOINC tree.
But I really want to delete old apps such as BRP4G and such. So I just have to delete file entries in the state file and then delete those files. Am I right?
And another question. It is said that "Restart project" deletes all the files and tasks. Does it mean that it simply clears the project folder while keeping the host ID?
Alexander Favorsky wrote:But
)
Yes. There are entries for all app versions for all apps previously used, in the state file. You can carefully delete the entries for those versions which are no longer current (including old versions of FGRP apps) and then restart BOINC. Then, at your leisure, you can find and delete the apps themselves without causing BOINC to fetch them again.
It's actually "reset" the project and it will keep the hostID. It will clear out the project directory and will remove the related entries in the state file but NOT the hostID. I'm overly paranoid about using it because with a large number of machines, it's a *lot* of unnecessary download bandwidth chewed up.
Cheers,
Gary.