Windows S5R3 App 4.46 available for Beta Test

Bernd Machenschalk
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Topic 193660

A new Windows App is available from our Beta Test Page.

This App combines the Apps previously known as 4.26 and 4.36 (SSE) (see Power User's Apps page) with the App-switching mechanism we already use on Linux and MacOS PPC, and this Beta test is mainly to test this switcher. In contrast to the Linux and MacOS implementation on Windows the switcher will keep running as a separate process, i.e. you should see two einstein_4.46_* processes running in the Task Manager per running Einstein@home Task.

With the larger variety of Apps it had gotten harder to write an app_info.xml that satisfies everyone's needs. The one in this package contains the following tags and should allow smooth migration for tasks assigned to these versions:
415
425
426
432
436
You should take a look into the file before installing the App (i.e. restarting the client) if your version is not listed here.

The graphics_app link in the slot directory is not updated, i.e. after installing this App the "Show Graphics" button doesn't work for tasks that were already run with an older App version. This is a known issue for switching App versions in the middle of a task which is actually not supported by BOINC.

Happy testing!

BM

BM

Bikeman (Heinz-Bernd Eggenstein)
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Windows S5R3 App 4.46 available for Beta Test

I tried it on my Athlon , no SSE, Windows ME ==> app detects correctly missing SSE support and seems to run OK so far. Even graphics work :-)

CU
Bikeman

Jord
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I see a possible problem.

I see a possible problem.

When checking in Task Manager, the application that is running is using Normal priority, not Low.

einstein_S5R3_4.46_windows_intelx86.exe is running at Low priority but using no CPU.
einstein_S5R3_4.46_windows_intelx86_1.exe is running at Normal priority and using the CPU.

Quote:
The graphics_app link in the slot directory is not updated, i.e. after installing this App the "Show Graphics" button doesn't work for tasks that were already run with an older App version. This is a known issue for switching App versions in the middle of a task which is actually not supported by BOINC.


If it makes you feel any better, the graphics button does work in BOINC 6.2.1 and it shows me the graphics. Too bad I still only get the Einstein@Home logo and not much else. :-(

(Ah, specs: P4 2.8GHz, 2GB RAM, Windows XP Pro SP2, Ati Radeon 9600 Pro 128MB with latest Omega drivers and DirectX9.0c March '08 update)

Bernd Machenschalk
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RE: I see a possible

Message 81047 in response to message 81046

Quote:

I see a possible problem.

When checking in Task Manager, the application that is running is using Normal priority, not Low.


Thanks for spotting & reporting this!

Yes, that's a serious problem; I already fixed this in the code and will build a new App soon. Following a suggestion from Rom Walton the next App will also have latest BOINC code to work better with the latest Core Clients.

We (actually Oliver) is currently working on refurbishing the graphics code, this will hopefully fix the graphics display problems, too (and use way less CPU for the graphics process than the current App does).

BM

BM

Constantinos
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Should we try the new app or

Should we try the new app or wait?

Gravity increases significantly in Autumn, because apples fall in large numbers during that time!

Gary Roberts
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RE: Should we try the new

Message 81049 in response to message 81048

Quote:
Should we try the new app or wait?

If you're using 4.36 anyway, I'd let that run until Bernd announces a fix for the problem Jord identified. If you are still on 4.26 and you have SSE capable hardware, you could just use 4.36 in the interim.

I imagine that once 4.46 has been fixed, it (or its replacement) will be beta tested to shake out these sort of issues and then will fairly soon afterwards become the stock application.

Cheers,
Gary.

Constantinos
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Thank you. I am (happily)

Thank you. I am (happily) using the 4.36 app, so I will wait for the fix.

Gravity increases significantly in Autumn, because apples fall in large numbers during that time!

Bernd Machenschalk
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For some reason I still need

For some reason I still need to find out the switcher does work with the Apps in the 4.46 package, but not with Apps compiled from latest code (might be a BOINC issue).

For the time being I updated the 4.46 package (and the Beta page) with a new switcher that should properly hand down the priority class.

Please download the 4.46 (again if you already did) and try it.

BM

BM

Jord
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RE: Please download the

Message 81052 in response to message 81051

Quote:
Please download the 4.46 (again if you already did) and try it.


That fixed the priority.

Still no graphics to be seen. But the upshot is, the graphics application doesn't take any CPU either. (I've seen on other projects that it takes up to 25%)

archae86
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RE: For the time being I

Message 81053 in response to message 81051

Quote:
For the time being I updated the 4.46 package (and the Beta page) with a new switcher that should properly hand down the priority class.

Yes, on my Windows XP SP2 Q6600 the previous 4.46 package put the Einstein science ap at priority Normal, while this revised one puts it at Idle. Good thing, too, I believe I saw much more foreground ap impact a few times yesterday than I am used to, though it is possible the real issue was something else I had been doing with the machine.

I had done a bunch of fc file compares between files of size roughly 400 Megabytes each--those went quickly enough, but probably pushed a bunch of stuff out of disk cache. It was when I tried to re-use something that would ordinarily have come out of cache that the refill time seemed glacial.

Rakarin
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RE: A new Windows App is

Quote:

A new Windows App is available from our Beta Test Page.

Happy testing!

BM

Ok, this is a rather odd question....

Where have the files gone for BOINC? I've been running the version 6 betas, and just updated to 6.2.1. Version 6 runs everything as a special non-privileged user.
However, the work and engine files for the different projects are no longer in the main BOINC directory. I tried searching for different names, but found nothing. I'm logged in with an administrative account, and explorer displays hidden files and does *not* hide system files.

So... Where do the files go?

Thank you.

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