Starting with version 7.2.28, the recommended BOINC installer for Windows also installs VirtualBox, open-source virtualization software. This allows volunteered computer to run VM applications, benefitting both scientists and volunteers.

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Is there anywhere that explains more about how this combo of Boinc and VirtualBox works, it's setup and performance on the computer it runs on? What level of control do we have over what uses virtualbox or do we have to decide to use virtualbox for some projects?

You should have pointed out that this was an additional optional download.

http://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/VirtualBox

cant install, error 1719

David,
Not sure if you have any contacts with the folks who manage LinuxMint, but they still have version 7.2.27 of BOINC in their App Store. If you can, (I've already requested via email) could you request they update their version, so I (we) can start using VirtualBox with BOINC? Thanks In Advance, Rick

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The bundling of BOINC and VirtualBox installers applies to Windows only.

They are two different applications, and (if the Windows experience can be followed - I have no Linux experience) an installation of VirtualBox by itself will be detected and utilised by BOINC v7.2.27

VirtualBox availability for Linux is described at https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads. You should check that the version of VirtualBox you install is compatible with the BOINC project you wish to run - some, like Test4Theory, are having problems with the latest releases.

The bundling of BOINC and VirtualBox installers applies to Windows only.

They are two different applications, and (if the Windows experience can be followed - I have no Linux experience) an installation of VirtualBox by itself will be detected and utilised by BOINC v7.2.27

VirtualBox availability for Linux is described at https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads. You should check that the version of VirtualBox you install is compatible with the BOINC project you wish to run - some, like Test4Theory, are having problems with the latest releases.

Thanks for your reply Richard. I've already installed Vitualbox on my Linux machines, but I'm running climate@home, which requires BOINC 7.0.28 or above, hense my request. Thanks for the feedback though. Regards, Rick

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... which requires BOINC 7.0.28 or above ...

That is indeed what I read at http://climateathome.com/climateathome/.

But you said

LinuxMint ... still have version 7.2.27 of BOINC in their App Store.

Surely 7.2.27 is 'above' 7.0.28?

... which requires BOINC 7.0.28 or above ...

That is indeed what I read at http://climateathome.com/climateathome/.

But you said

LinuxMint ... still have version 7.2.27 of BOINC in their App Store.

Surely 7.2.27 is 'above' 7.0.28?

Oops, sorry. I meant 7.0.27 is currently in their App Store. Rick

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Starting with version 7.2.28, the recommended BOINC installer for Windows also installs VirtualBox, open-source virtualization software. This allows volunteered computer to run VM applications, benefitting both scientists and volunteers.

I'm sorry David but how it's possible to have benefit from this?

Any VM require a certain ammount of CPU time and RAM to work and this will influence the overall CPU usage of BOINC client, becaus he can take only the maximum CPU percentage that we assing to the VM.
So it is possible that the host system have more CPU to use for BOINC operation, but it's limited by the VM.

Any VM require a certain ammount of CPU time and RAM to work and this will influence the overall CPU usage of BOINC client, becaus he can take only the maximum CPU percentage that we assing to the VM.
So it is possible that the host system have more CPU to use for BOINC operation, but it's limited by the VM.

I agree with Heki.

Not long ago clustering (many devices act as one big brain or supercomputer) was a hot topic elsewhere. I did the math and it turned out that on an 8-device quad-core ARM setup, with the clustering software being offered, the crunching power of 2 devices/8 cores were "lost" just administering the cluster/ additional software layer. Maybe these ideas scale better when there are ,000s of multi-core devices.

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The difference between 0 and 1 is greater than the difference between 1 and 1,000,000,000

I'm sorry David but how it's possible to have benefit from this?

Well, if an application has problems, it it's less likely to destroy the rest of the machine if it's running in a virtual machine. Don't forget that we're dealing with a lot of alpha- and beta-level software with these projects. I consider myself to be rather brave -- and probably somewhat foolish -- to be offering the use of my primary personal workstation to BOINC projects. Any protection I can get is welcome. In fact, I wish that I could install anti-malware and other defensive software in those virtual machines, even though that would slow down processing even more. I won't actually care how slow the number crunching is if some programmer inadvertently or intentionally does something that I end up wishing she or he hadn't done.

I won't actually care how slow the number crunching is if some programmer inadvertently or intentionally does something that I end up wishing she or he hadn't done.

There's that other solution for this problem. However, that solution is totally unwelcome, thus it's not going to happen.

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I'm counting for science,
points just make me sick.

I'm confused here. Does Boinc on Windows now REQUIRE VirtualBox? VirtualBox is easy enough to download and install on its own, so I am struggling to understand why it is being included with Boinc.

Well, I had written a whole explanation about that in the Release Notes in the official Wiki, but then David went and removed all that, as it was apparently not of need that you need to know. You being general you, not you personally. Shrug.

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The advantage of a Wiki is that you can still see what was written, and what it was replaced by.

http://boinc.berkeley.edu/w/?title=VirtualBox&diff=5465&oldid=5463

Or Jord's version, as he wrote it.

Edit: See also http://boinc.berkeley.edu/w/?title=Release_Notes_for_BOINC_7.2&diff=5479&oldid=5477 and Jord's version.

I'm puzzled. Nothing is happening. I have followed the instructions but after 24 hours since adding climateathome project to BOINC there is nothing in Virtual Box. What is supposed to happen?

Perhaps the project is out of work. Always best ask these questions on their forums, or check if there are actually 'tasks ready to send' at their server status page. Currently there are none.

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On a possibly related note, when I tried to install the BOINC/VBox combination, Windows fussed. "The software you are installing has not passed Windows Logo testing . . . ".

eh??

PS: How, exactly do you manage to install an image in here, anyway? All the IMG button seems to do is give you a [IMG] to mark off the image, but nothing seems to actually add the image itself.[/img]