Configuring several machines via app_config.xml file

djoser
djoser
Joined: 23 Mar 16
Posts: 3
Credit: 2100424
RAC: 0
Topic 203810

Hello alltogether!

 

I'm facing the following challenge:

I have two machines with different hardware. On one machine i would like to run one gpu-task (nvidia) and nothing else. On the other machine i would like to run cpu-tasks only.

If i only configure the project via the preferences page both gpu- and cpu-tasks are being send to the first machine. The second machine receives cpu-tasks only, since it has no discrete gpu.

I think i could resolve this issue via an app_config.xml file on one or both machines.

Can somebody please provide an example of such xml-files to achive what i want?

 

Thanks in advance and regards, djoser.

Why mine when you can research? - GRIDCOIN - REAL cryptocurrency without wasting hashes! www.gridcoin.us

Holmis
Joined: 4 Jan 05
Posts: 1118
Credit: 1055935564
RAC: 0

Create another location

Create another location (home, work or school) in your preferences and set one of your computers to that location in the computer details page. You should then have 2 sets of preferences for your 2 computers.
No need to use an app_config.xml and that file isn't meant to be used that way.

djoser
djoser
Joined: 23 Mar 16
Posts: 3
Credit: 2100424
RAC: 0

Hello Holmis,   thanks for

Hello Holmis,

 

thanks for your suggestion, it did the trick!

 

Greetings, djoser.

Why mine when you can research? - GRIDCOIN - REAL cryptocurrency without wasting hashes! www.gridcoin.us

Ray Stone
Ray Stone
Joined: 6 Feb 13
Posts: 5
Credit: 185128285
RAC: 0

Is there a list somewhere

Is there a list somewhere that identifies the application names that can be placed in the app_config.xml?  I was trying to configure 2 "Gamma-ray pulsar binary search #1 on BPUs1.16 (FGRPopencl-nvidia)" to run on 1 cpu and 1 Nvidia.  I finally typed any old name in the name field and got an error notice which listed valid applications.  However I wasn't sure which of the hsgamma apps I was trying to address. Finally entered following

<app_config>
<app>
<name>hsgamma_FGRPB1</name>
<gpu_versions>
<gpu_usage>.5</gpu_usage>
<cpu_usage>.5</cpu_usage>
</gpu_versions>
</app>
<app>
<name>hsgamma_FGRPB1G</name>
<gpu_versions>
<gpu_usage>.5</gpu_usage>
<cpu_usage>.5</cpu_usage>
</gpu_versions>
</app>
</app_config>

This configuration does what I want it to do but but it seems like there should be a list somewhere that translates the display name to the app name.  What am I missing?  Also, are there other items in the app config I should be paying attention to?

 

 

Christian Beer
Christian Beer
Joined: 9 Feb 05
Posts: 595
Credit: 118568976
RAC: 114187

Ray Stone wrote:Is there a

Ray Stone wrote:
Is there a list somewhere that identifies the application names that can be placed in the app_config.xml?

Yes there is: https://einsteinathome.org/apps.php?xml=1

Holmis
Joined: 4 Jan 05
Posts: 1118
Credit: 1055935564
RAC: 0

Ray Stone wrote:Is there a

Ray Stone wrote:
Is there a list somewhere that identifies the application names that can be placed in the app_config.xml?

Christian's link to the xml view of the applications page is great (Thank you Chrisitan!) but you can also get the app_name from the Event log in Boinc if you enable "cpu_sched" in cc_config.xml or via Options -> Event log options (Ctrl+Shift+F). You'll then see lines like this in the event log when a tasks starts:

19/12/2016 22:48:20 | Einstein@Home | [cpu_sched] Starting task LATeah2003L_372.0_0_0.0_6676600_0 using hsgamma_FGRPB1G version 117 (FGRPopencl-Beta-nvidia) in slot 0

The part that I colored red is the app_name to insert into the app_config.xml, everything between "using" and "version" is the app_name.

Ray Stone wrote:
Also, are there other items in the app config I should be paying attention to?

Start by looking at the manual for app_config.xml, as long as you don't mix different kinds of GPUs (Nvidia, AMD or Intel) that can run the same type of task and you want to use different settings for them then the <app> </app> block is sufficient, otherwise you need to use the <app_version> block to set the options for the different plan classes.

I never use the <max_concurrent> option, but you could if you want to force Boinc to run tasks from different apps/projects at the same time.

Richard de Lhorbe
Richard de Lhorbe
Joined: 15 Dec 05
Posts: 43
Credit: 9258352654
RAC: 797488

General question .... where

General question .... where does one actually place the app_config.xml file under linux / UBUNTU ?  Everything I read says in the "project directory" but the only thing that suggests it is the project directory is var/lib/boinc-client/projects and that folder is locked from even viewing the contents.  That makes me think there must be somewhere else because you should not have to be changing permissions to use such a file .... Thanks, Richard

Gary Roberts
Gary Roberts
Moderator
Joined: 9 Feb 05
Posts: 5842
Credit: 109381572833
RAC: 35973908

Richard de Lhorbe wrote:...

Richard de Lhorbe wrote:
... the only thing that suggests it is the project directory is var/lib/boinc-client/projects ...

The 'project directory' is always an appropriately named sub-directory of the above - a different one for each project your host is attached to.  You have to place the file in the correct one.  For a 'once off' change, you could do it as the root user and give it the correct ownership and permissions if you wanted to.

Quote:
... and that folder is locked from even viewing the contents.

I imagine it's done that way (separate boinc user and protected from the unwashed masses) just to keep the BOINC stuff away from human interference in multi-user systems.  If you wish to manage BOINC on an ongoing basis whilst logged in as your normal user, why don't you just give yourself group permissions by adding yourself to the boinc group?  If files in the project directory have 660 permissions (rw rw --) putting yourself in the boinc group would give you permission to edit them whenever you needed to.

I should point out that I've never used Ubuntu (or any other distro that does things the way you describe) so I'm just guessing how things are set up.  I install everything under /home/gary/BOINC/ and everything is owned by me.  Makes things very simple to micro-manage on a dedicated crunching machine :-).

 

Cheers,
Gary.

Christian Beer
Christian Beer
Joined: 9 Feb 05
Posts: 595
Credit: 118568976
RAC: 114187

The preferred way to meddle

The preferred way to meddle with the BOINC installation on Debian/Ubuntu is to add your own user to the boinc group then you can manage files in /var/lib/boinc-client. But be careful there is a reason why it is separated. One is because of security the other is so you don't accidentally break your installation.

AgentB
AgentB
Joined: 17 Mar 12
Posts: 915
Credit: 513211304
RAC: 0

Richard de Lhorbe

Richard de Lhorbe wrote:
General question .... where does one actually place the app_config.xml file under linux / UBUNTU ?  Everything I read says in the "project directory" but the only thing that suggests it is the project directory is var/lib/boinc-client/projects and that folder is locked from even viewing the contents.  That makes me think there must be somewhere else because you should not have to be changing permissions to use such a file .... Thanks, Richard

The setting of file permissions and group membership  was discussed a few weeks ago in your post Help to update cc_config.xml on Ubuntu.

Did you follow the suggestions there?

Shawn Kwang
Shawn Kwang
Joined: 3 Nov 15
Posts: 289
Credit: 2740270
RAC: 1029

The URL in AgentB's message

The URL in AgentB's message doesn't work. Please try this one: https://einsteinathome.org/content/help-update-ccconfigxml-ubuntu

Einstein@Home Project

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.