Windows Boinc Manager and gui_rpc_auth.cfg

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OpenlySecular
OpenlySecular
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9 Jun 2022 11:14:45 UTC
Topic 227642
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    While my Windows PC crunches regularly per schedule and uploads results, I am unable to get the Boinc Manager to authenticate - it always shows 'no connection' and I receive pop-up prompts to change my password

    Given that the PC is authenticated, in which file/folder can I find the password? Reinstalling Boinc doesn't appear to be a solution. My Chrome Browser is where I hold web site authentication passwords .

    I used to keep a copy of the subject .cifg file which I could drop into the Boinc directory, but that approach no longer works.

    Julian Pedley BSc, MSc

    Julianrani-[at]-gmail.com

    UK, Nottinghamshire 

    Keith Myers
    Keith Myers
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    The file is the

    9 Jun 2022 16:27:06 UTC
    Message 197515
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      The file is the gui_rpc_auth.cfg file.  It is in the Data directory where BOINC is installed.

      It normally has an auto generated salted password derived from your email address and the machine hardware.

      But you can put in your own password.

      It used to be not be able to be left blank.  But the latest BOINC version removed that restriction but is not released yet.

       

      OpenlySecular
      OpenlySecular
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      Hi Keith, Thanks for the

      9 Jun 2022 18:19:13 UTC
      Message 197522
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        Hi Keith,

        Thanks for the insight: In fact I had already deleted the .cfg file from the BONCDATA directory, but by restarting the service, it did recreate the .cfg file with an embedded password in plain text: however it is not recognised by the Boinc manager client.

        After restarting the service, and then the Boinc manager, the manager initially seems to try to connect to my project, but then starts displaying various tabular data, before issuing a “Invalid client RPC password-reinstall. BOINC”. However the crunching continues in the background until Boinc screensaver is displayed, showing that crunching continues.

        Any more insight, perhaps where I might find the cruncher’ password? 

        Julian Pedley BSc, MSc

        Julianrani-[at]-gmail.com

        UK, Nottinghamshire 

        OpenlySecular
        OpenlySecular
        Joined: 25 Apr 15
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        Credit: 97335148
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        Further to your suggestion,

        9 Jun 2022 18:24:26 UTC
        Message 197523
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          Further to your suggestion, what password should I insert to replace the one that was auto-generated, would you suggest?

           

          Thanks again for your insights.

          Julian Pedley BSc, MSc

          Julianrani-[at]-gmail.com

          UK, Nottinghamshire 

          OpenlySecular
          OpenlySecular
          Joined: 25 Apr 15
          Posts: 31
          Credit: 97335148
          RAC: 0

          Further to your suggestion,

          9 Jun 2022 19:03:04 UTC
          Message 197524
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            DUPLICATE POST DELETED

            Julian Pedley BSc, MSc

            Julianrani-[at]-gmail.com

            UK, Nottinghamshire 

            .clair.
            .clair.
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            I had a look at mine with

            9 Jun 2022 18:52:04 UTC
            Message 197526
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              I had a look at mine with notepad and it is 32 digits long and has a mix of numbers and lower case letters . I have no idea how long they can be .

              so to make one yourself I would , make a file in notepad named - gui_rpc_auth.txt including the underscores not spaces then dream up a password with letters and numbers ,

              something like - b2ba2ceb3976fc33f7dc67dh7900f785 {don't use this one its public now - not mine}

              rename it from .txt to .cfg and see what happens

              OpenlySecular
              OpenlySecular
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              Thanks. I will try that

              9 Jun 2022 19:09:49 UTC
              Message 197530
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                Thanks. I will try that later, but how will that be accepted/processed differently from the auto-generated password that is already in the new .cfg file?

                Julian Pedley BSc, MSc

                Julianrani-[at]-gmail.com

                UK, Nottinghamshire 

                Keith Myers
                Keith Myers
                Joined: 11 Feb 11
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                Credit: 18929706808
                RAC: 6463789

                It can be anything for a

                9 Jun 2022 19:56:44 UTC
                Message 197531
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                  It can be anything for a password.  It just cannot be left blank.

                  It can be very simple.  It does not need to 32 characters long or contain special characters.

                  I just have single word as my password in the gui_rpc_auth.cfg file

                  Start the PC from scratch or at least restart BOINC to get the Manager to pick up the new password from the client.

                  You can also start the Manager in the Terminal with the boinccmd utility passing the password on the input line.

                  boinccmd [--host hostname] [--passwd passwd] boincmgr

                   

                  Keith Myers
                  Keith Myers
                  Joined: 11 Feb 11
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                  Credit: 18929706808
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                  OpenlySecular wrote: Thanks.

                  9 Jun 2022 19:58:01 UTC
                  Message 197532 in response to message 197530
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                    OpenlySecular wrote:

                    Thanks. I will try that later, but how will that be accepted/processed differently from the auto-generated password that is already in the new .cfg file?

                    The trick is to get both the client and the Manager to resync on the new password.

                     

                    OpenlySecular
                    OpenlySecular
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                    Credit: 97335148
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                    Thanks, I will try tomorrow.

                    10 Jun 2022 5:11:53 UTC
                    Message 197537
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                      Thanks, I will try tomorrow. But why isn’t the default new password in the .cfg file successful ? (I don’t see what value I am adding by contriving a new one?)

                      Julian Pedley BSc, MSc

                      Julianrani-[at]-gmail.com

                      UK, Nottinghamshire 

                      Keith Myers
                      Keith Myers
                      Joined: 11 Feb 11
                      Posts: 5023
                      Credit: 18929706808
                      RAC: 6463789

                      I just stumbled onto a

                      10 Jun 2022 0:21:53 UTC
                      Message 197541
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                        I just stumbled onto a recalcitrant Pi4 that I did not realize I wasn't able to access with BoincTasks as I am able to do with the rest of my crunching farm.

                        Didn't have permission to access the gui_rpc_auth.cfg file.

                        I looked in the /etc/boinc-client directory and all I found was the file with normal permissions.

                        It should be a soft symlink back to /var/lib/boinc-client with all the rest of the user configurable files.

                        So I added it back in with:

                        $ cd ~/
$ ln -s -f /etc/boinc-client/gui_rpc_auth.cfg /var/lib/boinc/gui_rpc_auth.cfg 
# chmod 640 gui_rpc_auth.cfg

                        And now I have normal access to the host with BoincStats because I now have user permissions to access the file.

                        And BOINC Manager can read the file also now.

                        Give that location a look and you should see symlinks all pointing to /etc/boinc-client for:

                        cc_config.xml

                        global_preferences_override.xml

                        remote_hosts.cfg

                        and the reverse for gui_rpc_auth.cfg

                        If you use ls -ail it will print out the destination symlinks for files.

                         

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