I have several machines spread out around my home all running boinc. I would like to configure them so I can check on their status from a single machine.

The boinc documentation on setting up remote client access is inadequate. Does anyone have a pointer to a how-to file explaining the contents of the various .cfg files I need? At the moment, I tried putting all of the IP addresses in the gui_rpc_auth.cfg as stated in the documentation. Didn't work.

Thanks
Kevin

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I have several machines spread out around my home all running boinc. I would like to configure them so I can check on their status from a single machine.

The boinc documentation on setting up remote client access is inadequate. Does anyone have a pointer to a how-to file explaining the contents of the various .cfg files I need? At the moment, I tried putting all of the IP addresses in the gui_rpc_auth.cfg as stated in the documentation. Didn't work.

Thanks
Kevin

Kevin,

I don't know squat about networking, but...people who do know about the subject are recommending BoincView, on this page . I have never used or seen it (remember, I'm network-ignorant), so I don't know what documentation comes with it.

Regards,

Michael

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"The arc of history is long, but it bends toward Justice"

Check the WIKI.....

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BOINC Wiki

I have several machines spread out around my home all running boinc. I would like to configure them so I can check on their status from a single machine.

The boinc documentation on setting up remote client access is inadequate. Does anyone have a pointer to a how-to file explaining the contents of the various .cfg files I need? At the moment, I tried putting all of the IP addresses in the gui_rpc_auth.cfg as stated in the documentation. Didn't work.

Thanks
Kevin

Kevin,

You have to add the gui_rpc_auth.cfg AND restart BOINC. If you are using 5.2.x you will also have to enter/use the passwords for each of the remote machines.

I have a standard gui_rpc_auth.cfg file that I drop on my new installs, then I stop reastart BOINC and add it to BOINC View where I can watch all of the machines at the same time.

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You have to add the gui_rpc_auth.cfg AND restart BOINC. If you are using 5.2.x you will also have to enter/use the passwords for each of the remote machines.

I have a standard gui_rpc_auth.cfg file that I drop on my new installs, then I stop reastart BOINC and add it to BOINC View where I can watch all of the machines at the same time.

Does anyone have a copy of this mysterious config file? I've had a look at the Wiki and any other documentation I can find here but so far... pretty stumped on this issue

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Random Thoughts

It should be in your BOINC folder. Mine is 32 bytes, and dated 26 November, which is the date on which I upgraded to Ver 5.*

The quote you gave is from someone with lots of computers who is copying a set of files from a working computer to all the others.
This saves time with a "computer farm".

It should be in your BOINC folder. Mine is 32 bytes, and dated 26 November, which is the date on which I upgraded to Ver 5.*

The quote you gave is from someone with lots of computers who is copying a set of files from a working computer to all the others.
This saves time with a "computer farm".

while not having a computer farm I'm running 4 machines at home with BOINC that I'd like to be able to manage from one central place and discussing with a client rolling out a couple of dozen across one of their sites as long as we can manage/monitor without impact to the user.

The missing bit of information in this process seems to be here: Remote Hosts File. Shame no-one had posted that rather than terse and unhelpful RTFM type responses

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Random Thoughts

The missing bit of information in this process seems to be here: Remote Hosts File. Shame no-one had posted that rather than terse and unhelpful RTFM type responses

I just checked the pages in the Wiki that are found on a search for "remote" or "gui_rpc_auth.cfg", and every one of those included a link to the Remote Hosts File page _except_ the one that covers the "Remote Control Not Allowed" message. I added the link to that page, in the form "(A Remote Hosts File does not exist on this installation.)"

There is not a "single" page that explains everything - that is the purpose of links. When a page says "See also Remote Hosts File" and a link, that is a clue that you need to, well, also see the other page. I don't know of any other way, short of appending all of the necessary pages together into one giant page, to cover the topic. And where does that stop? Eventually the Wiki would be thousands of "redirects" to giant pages where you'd have to scan the whole page to find the one piece you need, and a maintenance nightmare.

While "RTFM" is not a _desirable_ answer to a question, sometimes the question is such, due to vagueness or basic misunderstanding, that it is the _only_ response one can give, short of doing all of the research yourself and rewriting the answers in a form to address the questioner's specific case. If anyone has the time to write a "Step-by-step guide to remotely controlling other BOINC PCs", and emails that to Paul, it more than likely _would_ be added as an _additional_ page in the Wiki. I would find it useful myself!

Looking at the original question in the thread, I see "tried putting all of the IP addresses in the gui_rpc_auth.cfg as stated in the documentation" - which leads me to ask WHAT documentation the person was reading that would contain such an inaccurate instruction? Whatever it was, it was obviously wrong, and sending them to the Wiki, which at least knows the difference between gui_rpc_auth.cfg and remote_hosts.cfg, or to BOINCView, which has it's own set of instructions and is MUCH better at remote control than BOINC Manager is, seems pretty helpful.

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ah, the "user is stupid" defence.
I for one first tried looking around the links from the Boinc.Berkely.edu site to find out how to get remote control working and, before finding this thread and becoming encounraged to hunt some more, had given up because it was too obscure.
I like to think that I'm reasonably computer literate and with a grasp of the english language (I've been developing computer systems for commercial applications for the last 15 years from embedded micro-processors to mainframes and have a reasonable affinity for most styles of written manual) but I ended up deciding this was a candidate for the too-hard basket.
The Wiki way of delivering information is all good and well but I suspect for some (not least the critics of the likes of Wikipedia) find it to be chaotic, disorganised and tediously self-referential.
Simple recipies on how to do something are more straightforward and helpful to the newbie community to a project than what's on offer. Simply pointing to a Wiki and suggesting that someone search (without even suggesting some helpful keywords to search on) is simple unfriendly. Sadly it seems to be the Open Source etiquette.
All of which is a little off the point.
Rather than simply refer someone to a Wiki (which may or may not be 'official', accurate or even up-to-date) for the missing bit of information why not provide a direct link to make it more approachable. They'd eventually found the gui_rpc_auth.cfg via these posts but without the extra information contained in the remote_hosts.cfg which no-one had actually provided a helpful link it was useless. I found what I was looking for by doing a google search... and I only bothered to do that rather than uninstall the other 3 machines because I had a bit of downtime over the holidays

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Random Thoughts

ah, the "user is stupid" defence.
I for one first tried looking around the links from the Boinc.Berkely.edu site to find out how to get remote control working and, before finding this thread and becoming encounraged to hunt some more, had given up because it was too obscure.

Well, whether you like the Wiki or not, or the way it's laid out or not, it's what we've got. PLEASE express your dissatisfaction with the "official" documentation as provided (or not provided, as the case may be) on this site! That, we will all be behind 100%. The UCB provided stuff is almost always a) wrong b) out of date c) inadequate or d) non-existent. That's why the Wiki was created in the first place. Oh, you'll have to find some way to email someone, as I VERY rarely see any sign that anyone from UCB bothers to read these boards.

Of course, most people are MUCH more likely to get help on one of the specific project boards, on almost any topic, because few of us bother to look at these boards to see if we can help answer something. Some days I'm not sure it's worth the effort to try to help people or not. Let 'em rely on UCB for everything and just see how many bother sticking with BOINC. If I get attacked a few more times, I'll just say fsck it and let everybody else rot.

As for the "user is stupid" defense - are you writing this wonderful page that brings it all together for future searchers? If not, then I guess "see the Wiki" is about all they're going to get, too. I don't have the time to do the search for them.

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Here is Dr. A's email addy, I am sure he would love to hear from you, especially if you have it all worked out....

Dr. David P. Anderson
Director and architect. Contact him at davea at ssl.berkeley.edu.

You are not my customer nor are you a customer of the BOINC, I had to search and search and well you should get the idea by now, we are all volunteers and I have one rule I follow, if you give me attitude you get attitude. SO I will close with SEE THE WIKI, failing that at least check the links on the front page, they have some info... you just need to work at it.......

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BOINC Wiki

ah, the "user is stupid" defence.
I for one first tried looking around the links from the Boinc.Berkely.edu site to find out how to get remote control working and, before finding this thread and becoming encounraged to hunt some more, had given up because it was too obscure.

Well, whether you like the Wiki or not, or the way it's laid out or not, it's what we've got. PLEASE express your dissatisfaction with the "official" documentation as provided (or not provided, as the case may be) on this site! That, we will all be behind 100%. The UCB provided stuff is almost always a) wrong b) out of date c) inadequate or d) non-existent. That's why the Wiki was created in the first place. Oh, you'll have to find some way to email someone, as I VERY rarely see any sign that anyone from UCB bothers to read these boards.

Of course, most people are MUCH more likely to get help on one of the specific project boards, on almost any topic, because few of us bother to look at these boards to see if we can help answer something. Some days I'm not sure it's worth the effort to try to help people or not. Let 'em rely on UCB for everything and just see how many bother sticking with BOINC. If I get attacked a few more times, I'll just say fsck it and let everybody else rot.

As for the "user is stupid" defense - are you writing this wonderful page that brings it all together for future searchers? If not, then I guess "see the Wiki" is about all they're going to get, too. I don't have the time to do the search for them.

Hi Bill. Thanks for the response. Please note - my feelings/sentiments are not directed at individuals here but a more generic attitude that seems to have been present in this project from when I first encountered it (SETI beta)

Firstly... to express my dissatisfaction with the 'official documentation' ... it sucks. It's obscure and impossible to find information. If it wasn't for the links scattered through this forum to other resources I'd still be very much in the dark.

UCB have provided a great tool but making the users wander off around the half dozen projects they may be supporting and hopefully find an answer is just counter productive. It would make so much more sense if all client related config and help was documented here - ideally with the folks at the various projects making use of the framework contributing to avoid (a) them duplicating effort and (b) users having to jump through hoops to find answers to problem. Like I want another 5 forums to register with just to ask one or two questions.

As for me writing a wonderful page to bring all the information together... it's nice to see the other defense that open software throws up. Has anyone here read the lovely Wikipedia / OpenOffice write up at The Register this very week?!
I don't see how I can possibly help when many far clever people than me have obviously already wasted a lot of time producing perfect documentation that I'm too stupid to understand, and then scattered it amonst 20 different websites to provide a Myst-like experience when a newbie wants a simple answer.

maybe the answer is to close these forums and make the only communication route via the science projects so that they have to address the documentation and usability issues...

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Random Thoughts

As for me writing a wonderful page to bring all the information together... it's nice to see the other defense that open software throws up.

I have no idea what "open source" or w/e has to do with anything, but you're obviously on some kind of "mission", so go ahead...

I don't see how I can possibly help when many far clever people than me have obviously already wasted a lot of time producing perfect documentation that I'm too stupid to understand, and then scattered it amonst 20 different websites to provide a Myst-like experience when a newbie wants a simple answer.

I suppose you're right - we've all wasted a lot of time trying to help stupid people like you.

maybe the answer is to close these forums and make the only communication route via the science projects so that they have to address the documentation and usability issues...

Or, we can just start ignoring you personally, and you can go on to do whatever you like. Meanwhile, we'll continue to help the people who want help, and ignore those with nothing to contribute but asinine diatribes.

Have a nice day.

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Here is Dr. A's email addy, I am sure he would love to hear from you, especially if you have it all worked out....

Dr. David P. Anderson
Director and architect. Contact him at davea at ssl.berkeley.edu.

You are not my customer nor are you a customer of the BOINC, I had to search and search and well you should get the idea by now, we are all volunteers and I have one rule I follow, if you give me attitude you get attitude. SO I will close with SEE THE WIKI, failing that at least check the links on the front page, they have some info... you just need to work at it.......

Hi Jim. you're right. I'm not your customer. Nor am I a BOINC customer. I'm one of the stupid sheep donating CPU cycles and power bills to help you and the science projects. And your great gangsta 'tude make isn't going to help.
I fail to see the merit in making users jump through hoops to get answers to questions / problems... but then again maybe problem solving is my thing.

I have a suggestion for Dr Anderson - get the science projects to split between then the cost of a part time documentation / marketing / usability resource and actually give this project some of the smarts that the original SETI, the UD or WGC clients have. And tidy up these forums. By centralising the knowledgebase rather than having the current fragmented solution split between the science project sites (and forums), third party Wiki and FAQ sites and various blogs around the web you're not working smarter, just harder. Something I'd have thought volunteers would like to see improved....

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Random Thoughts

@OffBeatMammal,

Well, in one thread you are relatively reasonable.

Here you are doing what is deplored in the very article you referenced; Flame war.

For a flame war to occur there has to be two sides. If I refuse to let you suck me into personal attacks, well, it won't occur.

But, here is seems to me that you want to cling to the position that we all hate you and made things such to personally inonvenience you. Trust me, I have better things to do than to think up ways to make life hard on you.

But, as much truth there is in that article it ignores the economics. The fact is that open source relies on volunteer contributions means that we cannot control the total quality of the people that volunteer. So, some of us may be a little less than would be tolerated in other venues. Truth be told, BOINC would not have happened if it had not been open source. SETI@Home would have died and then where would many people be?

In the two and a half years I have worked on documentation for BOINC I have not yet found a formula for presenting information in a way that suits people's needs. I think I pointed you to my prior site where you can see the source content for the Wiki. Before that was another site, anotheer site, another site ...

In each, I was chastized and lambasted for not doing "x" as that was what the agrieved party thought would solve everything. Of course they had no time to help make "x" happen ...

As far as the scattering, well, projects are usually funded with many restrictions including what they can spend money on. Well, that may include supporting some of the features you would like.

As best as I was able to centralize it, well, the knowledge is centralized. As I said elsewhere, I steal from everywhere, I co-opt as much as I can, and do as much as is possible in my reduced circumstances ...

Anyway, this is a flame war and I am not going to get sucked into it ... turn down the heat ...

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@OffBeatMammal,

Well, in one thread you are relatively reasonable.

Here you are doing what is deplored in the very article you referenced; Flame war.

For a flame war to occur there has to be two sides. If I refuse to let you suck me into personal attacks, well, it won't occur.

Hey Paul - not wanting to start, or even contine a flame war here. I guess it's down to personal tone and interpretation of some of the comments and commentary - both how I'm reading them, and how others are as well. But we've certainly managed to (unintentionally) hijack this thread

I think perhaps both Bill and Jim have taken my newbie comments as being a little sharper than intended, and I in turn have been equally guilty in over-reacting to their defences.

But, here is seems to me that you want to cling to the position that we all hate you and made things such to personally inonvenience you. Trust me, I have better things to do than to think up ways to make life hard on you.

that's the furthest from my mind. sure there may be some difference of opinion but I'm not going to take it personally.

But, as much truth there is in that article it ignores the economics. The fact is that open source relies on volunteer contributions means that we cannot control the total quality of the people that volunteer. So, some of us may be a little less than would be tolerated in other venues. Truth be told, BOINC would not have happened if it had not been open source. SETI@Home would have died and then where would many people be?

the economics is an interesting thing. Makes me wonder what SETI did with Paul Allens $13.5m and other donations! How SETI and the other science projects is certainly beyond my ken, as is how BOINC was founded and funded. However that doesn't reflect on the quality of volunteer.

In the two and a half years I have worked on documentation for BOINC I have not yet found a formula for presenting information in a way that suits people's needs.....
In each, I was chastized and lambasted for not doing "x" as that was what the agrieved party thought would solve everything. Of course they had no time to help make "x" happen ...

my sincere apologies if you understood I was critising the content of the data. While I'm not personally a fan of the Wiki approach (but then again, it's so much better than MAN pages) it does allow presentation of a lot of data and a very rich linkage without too much effort... however I think the downside is it can be quite convoluted and intimidating for a newbie to navigate the many twists and turns to find simple answers (I normally revert to Googling what I'm trying to do... and most time it sends me either to a forum or your Wiki... but I use the Google links to navigate!)
If I had the knowledge of how this thing hung together, and a slightly more focussed approach than a hyperactive mongoose I'd love to contribute... just now sure what would be the most effective way as I'm muddling through most of it myself!

As far as the scattering, well, projects are usually funded with many restrictions including what they can spend money on. Well, that may include supporting some of the features you would like.

hence the institutionalisation of the inefficiency. Having worked on govt and education contracts I know that problem well.

As best as I was able to centralize it, well, the knowledge is centralized. As I said elsewhere, I steal from everywhere, I co-opt as much as I can, and do as much as is possible in my reduced circumstances ...

I guess my point (and this isn't a dig at you, any other volunteer, members or guests here) is that it shouldn't be encumbent on one or two individuals to expend the time and effort that documenting and making this beast a little more approachable than it is.... because the benefits are more far-reaching than just having a few happy forums users (at the very least there would be more people able to dive in and start accepting work units because the client worked how they're used to for their platform or they can find answers by pressing F1 if that's what they're used to...)

Anyway, this is a flame war and I am not going to get sucked into it ... turn down the heat ...

as Johnny Storm would say... "Flame Off"....

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Random Thoughts

@Bill and Jim - I think Paul is quite correct. We've (a) managed to get off to a bad start and (b) hijack this thread.

I think it's safe to assume that we either have different points of view on some things... or perhaps the same point of view but different ways of expressing that PoV

Either way, as a newbie (lurked for a while, long time SETI@Home contributor, but only just got around to putting BOINC into action) I probably need to be a bit more careful in my wording.

Hopefully with a bit of understanding and tolerance on both sides all will be smooth sailing here on in....

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Random Thoughts

@OffbeatMammal (hyperactive mongoose? oookaaayy... that's a mammal... and pretty offbeat...)

You just happened to pick a very bad time to set me off, having been dealing with two other threads elsewhere with people FAR more "unreasonable" and "personal-attack-mode" than you. My only real complaint with what you're saying is the "snippiness" on the "oh yes, open source, ho-hum, standard response number 12" stuff. I am _not_ a big "open source" advocate. I think MANY of the PROBLEMS with BOINC and SETI can be traced back to the fact that they ARE open source. Sure, some of the biggest improvements have been gained that way - but I'm not sure it's a good tradeoff. (The other problems come down to bad management, frankly.) So when I'm trying to give an _accurate_ response to the (justified) complaints, but feeling like I'm being brushed off as "just another open-source nut", it rankles.

My apologies for overreacting to you, because of others.

Oh, on the Paul Allen thing - "Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has donated $13.5m to the SETI institute to fund construction of a scalable, multi-use radio telescope array." The "SETI Institute" is not "SETI@Home"; as far as I know, it's not even related. None of the webpages referenced, or people named, are anything or anyone I've ever heard of. SETI/BOINC's biggest (cash) donation in the last year was something like $5000.

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A comment on "RTFM" responses... this is a perfect example of one. Three people responded simultaneously. All gave links to either the Wiki home page and instructions on how to search, or links to _A_ page that would get the user started. Here is the response:

Wow, the response time on these boards is amazing.

Thanks for the links and the reading material folks,

You guys are great!

Now I suppose one of the respondants COULD have instead spent an hour or so writing a summary of the multiple pages this guy will have to read to learn all that he wants to know... but it just isn't gonna happen.

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@OffbeatMammal (hyperactive mongoose? oookaaayy... that's a mammal... and pretty offbeat...)

You just happened to pick a very bad time to set me off, having been dealing with two other threads elsewhere with people FAR more "unreasonable" and "personal-attack-mode" than you.

:) having just posted answers to a couple of threads identical to this one... I understand the frustration!

My only real complaint with what you're saying is the "snippiness" on the "oh yes, open source, ho-hum, standard response number 12" stuff. I am _not_ a big "open source" advocate. I think MANY of the PROBLEMS with BOINC and SETI can be traced back to the fact that they ARE open source. Sure, some of the biggest improvements have been gained that way - but I'm not sure it's a good tradeoff. (The other problems come down to bad management, frankly.) So when I'm trying to give an _accurate_ response to the (justified) complaints, but feeling like I'm being brushed off as "just another open-source nut", it rankles.

My apologies for overreacting to you, because of others.

I'm with you 101% on Open Source.... while Firefox is a great example of how it can go right it's hampered by the many heads setting direction and personal agenda and often missing great new things because of it. I used to be a tester for a couple of ports for large OS projects and bailed simply because of the antagonism when I dared to suggest perhaps it would be sensible to take advantage of various platform strengths (with workarounds for other platforms) rather than go for the lowest common denominator - left me a touch bitter!

Oh, on the Paul Allen thing - "Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has donated $13.5m to the SETI institute to fund construction of a scalable, multi-use radio telescope array." The "SETI Institute" is not "SETI@Home"; as far as I know, it's not even related. None of the webpages referenced, or people named, are anything or anyone I've ever heard of. SETI/BOINC's biggest (cash) donation in the last year was something like $5000.

Darn, there was me hoping :( Maybe we need a Boinc client to predict horse-racing odds....

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Random Thoughts