Thread 'Mac Screensaver problem, please help'

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Rich Charlebois

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Message 33327 - Posted: 10 Jun 2010, 15:07:07 UTC

New MacBook Pro, running latest edition Boinc Manager. Every time the screensaver starts running, it stops within a second and starts over. It does this repeatedly. Any ideas?
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Jim

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Message 34097 - Posted: 9 Aug 2010, 4:01:31 UTC

Hi,

I am having this same issue. The BOINC logo starts at the corner, then... it restarts. Sometimes I see a message indicating that it is starting the screensaver graphics. It certainly appears to be interrupted each time it tries to get the graphics going.

After reading this short thread, I tried a couple of things:
- I let loose with the CPUs on my laptop, 100%, 100% of the time, use at most 100% of CPU time
- set the tasks to run always
- restricted the project to not allow new tasks, AND shut down all tasks but one. So, there are no competing tasks.

It still does it.

One more thing, in my experiment, when I select the one running task and click the "show graphics" button, a small window pops up but is blank. It will not close. In the activity monitor, the process "minirosetta_graphics_1.92_i686-apple-darwin" is non-responsive. I must force quit it from the activity monitor, as it will not force quit using the cmd-opt-esc key sequence.

Running boinc 6.10.58_macOSX_universal on OS 10.6.4, 2.66 i7, 8 GB RAM.

Jim


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Jim

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Message 34098 - Posted: 9 Aug 2010, 4:08:24 UTC

Just for the heck of it, I uninstalled the 6.10.58 version, and installed the newer 6.11.4 version. No improvement.
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Jim

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Message 34105 - Posted: 9 Aug 2010, 12:45:57 UTC - in response to Message 34098.  

Just for the heck of it, I uninstalled the 6.10.58 version, and installed the newer 6.11.4 version. No improvement.


I tried some further tests. I attached the SETI project, and when the CPU is high enough (I don't know what "high enough" is, but it is between 50 and 95%) SETI will show its graphics in the screensaver. But, I can't let it be cranked that high all the time, the temps get pretty high. So, at 50%, the screensaver shows the logo, then shows a graphic for a second, then the logo, etc.... with the graphics just blinking. Rosetta's graphics don't even blink.
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ProfileJord
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Message 34106 - Posted: 9 Aug 2010, 13:19:12 UTC - in response to Message 34105.  
Last modified: 9 Aug 2010, 13:19:38 UTC

Your problem is an Apple effect that the developers cannot fix. See [trac]#996[/trac] and http://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/GPU_computing#Things_to_be_aware_of, which now says:

"Some newer MacBooks have dual GPUs with automatic switching. BOINC won't detect the NVIDIA GPU unless it is currently selected. You can force selection either permanently or temporarily using a third-party utility."
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Jim

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Message 34109 - Posted: 9 Aug 2010, 15:39:18 UTC - in response to Message 34106.  

Your problem is an Apple effect that the developers cannot fix. See [trac]#996[/trac] and http://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/GPU_computing#Things_to_be_aware_of, which now says:

"Some newer MacBooks have dual GPUs with automatic switching. BOINC won't detect the NVIDIA GPU unless it is currently selected. You can force selection either permanently or temporarily using a third-party utility."



Jord, many thanks. Changing the setting in the prefs pane did the job.
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alphaace

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Message 34957 - Posted: 26 Sep 2010, 2:46:01 UTC

This is exactly my problem. Can someone post a more detailed solution as this is driving me nuts!
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ProfileGundolf Jahn

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Message 34961 - Posted: 26 Sep 2010, 8:26:40 UTC - in response to Message 34957.  

Did you see the links in Jord's post? ('permanently' and 'third-party utility')

Gruß,
Gundolf
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Message boards : BOINC Manager : Mac Screensaver problem, please help

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