where is boinc-manager on ubuntu 18?

robl
robl
Joined: 2 Jan 13
Posts: 1709
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Topic 216614

after a new install of ubuntu 18 I had an icon on the left side of the desktop for "boinc manager" but regardless of how many times I clicked on it boinc-manager would not "appear".  Why?  Because in $HOME a file is generated called "BOINC Manager-{your_user_name}"   This will prevent the manager from appearing.  If you remove that file then clicking on the icon will launch Boinc Manager and it will run as usual.  I do not believe this to be an Ubuntu issue only but one that effects other distros.  Strap yourself in.  At some point this file is regenerated.  I do not know when or under what conditions but I find this a bit annoying.  It will not effect a running Boinc Manager but should you close the one you have and try to launch a new one the you will have to once again remove this file.

I read this was because Ubuntu ( and maybe other distros) start boinc manager in the background.  If anyone can add to this I would like to understand "why".  

EDIT:  If I "cat "BOINC Manager-my_user_name"" I get 1961.  If I ps -ae | grep boinc I get:  1961 tty2 boincmgr so it appears the my_user_name file contains the process number of boinc manager.

                                                                                       

Jim1348
Jim1348
Joined: 19 Jan 06
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I don't know why, but I get

I don't know why, but I get the latest BOINC (currently 7.12.0) from Locutus of Borg.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:costamagnagianfranco/boinc
sudo apt-get update

Then, I search for BOINC in Ubuntu Software, and launch it from there. The manager does not survive a reboot unless you add it to Favorites, but the client does.  (I manage it remotely over the LAN via BoincTasks, so the manager is not needed.)

 
Keith Myers
Keith Myers
Joined: 11 Feb 11
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If you make a desktop file

If you make a desktop file for the Manager you can add it to Favorites so it will always be available. The desktop file is stored in the hidden directory /home/user/.local/share/applications.  It needs to have explicit locations defined in its settings.

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Name=BOINC Manager
Icon=/home/keith/Desktop/BOINC/boincmgr.32x32.png
Path=/home/keith/Desktop/BOINC
Exec=/home/keith/Desktop/BOINC/boincmgr
StartupNotify=false
StartupWMClass=Boincmgr
OnlyShowIn=Unity;
X-UnityGenerated=true

 

robl
robl
Joined: 2 Jan 13
Posts: 1709
Credit: 1454483908
RAC: 8510

Keith Myers wrote:If you make

Keith Myers wrote:

If you make a desktop file for the Manager you can add it to Favorites so it will always be available. The desktop file is stored in the hidden directory /home/user/.local/share/applications.  It needs to have explicit locations defined in its settings.

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Name=BOINC Manager
Icon=/home/keith/Desktop/BOINC/boincmgr.32x32.png
Path=/home/keith/Desktop/BOINC
Exec=/home/keith/Desktop/BOINC/boincmgr
StartupNotify=false
StartupWMClass=Boincmgr
OnlyShowIn=Unity;
X-UnityGenerated=true

Thanks for your response.  Let me high light a section for clarification:

/home/your_user_name/.local/share/applications

in this directory I created a file called boinc_mgr and placed the above info modified for my user_name.  It seems to work just fine.  If I have done something incorrectly let us know.  

While it really does not matter why was such a change considered worth while?  

 

Keith Myers
Keith Myers
Joined: 11 Feb 11
Posts: 4704
Credit: 17548319606
RAC: 6430006

What I discovered was that

What I discovered was that Ubuntu 18.04 didn't automatically create the desktop file for BOINC Manager like it used to do with no issues back in 16.04.  I could launch boincmgr from the folder without issue with a double-click but it didn't have any "Add to Favorites" right button menu choice like all of the normal 18.04 apps.  So it was not easy to exit and restart the Manager without opening the BOINC folder each time.  I discovered that the old 16.04 BOINC Manager desktop file could be copied into 18.04 and I would then have the normal application right click menu choice to add to Favorites.  It just made things a lot easier and exactly what I was used to with 16.04.

I don't use the repository versions of BOINC but a easier to use Seti@Home developer version which installs BOINC into your /home directory for easy access with permissions set for the user and not the system.  Don't have to go looking for BOINC in two separate hidden system directories with troublesome access permissions.

 

robl
robl
Joined: 2 Jan 13
Posts: 1709
Credit: 1454483908
RAC: 8510

Keith Myers wrote:What I

Keith Myers wrote:

What I discovered was that Ubuntu 18.04 didn't automatically create the desktop file for BOINC Manager like it used to do with no issues back in 16.04.  I could launch boincmgr from the folder without issue with a double-click but it didn't have any "Add to Favorites" right button menu choice like all of the normal 18.04 apps.  So it was not easy to exit and restart the Manager without opening the BOINC folder each time.  I discovered that the old 16.04 BOINC Manager desktop file could be copied into 18.04 and I would then have the normal application right click menu choice to add to Favorites.  It just made things a lot easier and exactly what I was used to with 16.04.

I don't use the repository versions of BOINC but a easier to use Seti@Home developer version which installs BOINC into your /home directory for easy access with permissions set for the user and not the system.  Don't have to go looking for BOINC in two separate hidden system directories with troublesome access permissions.

This explains why no problem in ubu 16 but problem in ubu 18.  Thanks again.

Keith Myers
Keith Myers
Joined: 11 Feb 11
Posts: 4704
Credit: 17548319606
RAC: 6430006

Yes, I assume the change from

Yes, I assume the change from Unity to Gnome Desktop Manager had something to do with it.

 

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