[Debian Wiki] Update of "BOINC/Troubleshooting" by SteffenMoeller
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Thu Apr 24 09:51:51 UTC 2008
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The following page has been changed by SteffenMoeller:
http://wiki.debian.org/BOINC/Troubleshooting
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Anchor(Troubleshooting)]]
+
== Troubleshooting ==
=== Bug tracking ===
==== Everything works fine but some submissions get evaluated as erroneous ====
@@ -9, +10 @@
==== Where to find status reports on clients ====
The boinc-client installed by the Debian package does not perform the actual computation. That is performed by the binary downloaded dynamically by that client. The web site of the project features entries for each result which may be indicative of one problem or the other.
+ ==== Experiencing core dumps - how to get a backtrace with gdb ====
+ On some platforms, e.g. SPARC and PowerPCs, some users have reported core dumps of the boinc client. A backtrace lists the functions that were called. This only works for binaries that were compiled with the -g debug flag and are not stripped. Such are distributed with the boinc-dbg package. After its installation run boinc_client with the GNU Debugger gdb. This page [:HowToGetABacktrace:http://wiki.debian.org/HowToGetABacktrace] has some detailed instructions how to run gdb. Make sure to have shut down the system-wide boinc_client by invoking "/etc/init.d/boinc-client stop" when debugging.
+
=== Graphics ===
-
- Graphics '''are''' supported, but they won't show up by default.
- The X display needs to be accessible to the BOINC graphics processes in order to see the interesting graphics for, e.g., Einstein at Home, and it isn't by default.
+ Graphics '''are''' supported, but they won't show up by default. The X display needs to be accessible to the BOINC graphics processes in order to see the interesting graphics for, e.g., Einstein at Home, and it isn't by default.
Your X display can be made accessible to all local UNIX socket connections, including the ones from BOINC, by running
+
{{{
xhost +local:
}}}
This is generally safe on single-user machines, though not ideal. It is a bad idea on multi-user machines, so don't do it there.
If you're concerned about security a more limited version of the above is
+
{{{
xhost +si:localuser:boinc
}}}
This will only give access to the "boinc" user that boinc_client runs as.
- Then, the "Show graphics" button in boincmgr, or the `--result ... graphics_window` option to boinc_cmd, will actually work. Unfortunately, when it doesn't work because of failed X authorization, it does not report the error back to boinc_cmd or boinc_mgr, and the only trace of the error is in some log file in the result directory `/var/lib/boinc-client/slots/<whatever>`.
+ Then, the "Show graphics" button in boincmgr, or the {{{--result ... graphics_window}}} option to boinc_cmd, will actually work. Unfortunately, when it doesn't work because of failed X authorization, it does not report the error back to boinc_cmd or boinc_mgr, and the only trace of the error is in some log file in the result directory {{{/var/lib/boinc-client/slots/<whatever>}}}.
=== Command Line Only ===
+ Successfully running BOINC from the command line may take a little work. The package installs {{{boinc_client}}} as a daemon service running under user {{{boinc}}}. When working from the command line only, this means using {{{boinc_cmd}}} to communicate with the {{{boinc_client}}} service.
- Successfully running BOINC from the command line may take a little work. The package installs `boinc_client` as a daemon service running under user `boinc`. When working from the command line only, this means using `boinc_cmd` to communicate with the `boinc_client` service.
-
- `boinc_cmd` can be a little frustration to work with, the man page needs a volunteer to step up and the feedback from the command is minimalistic. By default, the output from `boinc_client` is piped to log files in `/var/lib/boinc-client/` (`stdoutdae.txt` and `stderrdae.txt`). These will need to be consulted when troubleshooting.
+ {{{boinc_cmd}}} can be a little frustration to work with, the man page needs a volunteer to step up and the feedback from the command is minimalistic. By default, the output from {{{boinc_client}}} is piped to log files in {{{/var/lib/boinc-client/}}} ({{{stdoutdae.txt}}} and {{{stderrdae.txt}}}). These will need to be consulted when troubleshooting.
The first command you should use should be
{{{
boinc_cmd --get_state
}}}
-
Why not try it! When it works, you'll see lots of information about the projects you are (or are not) running but it's likely not to work just yet.
==== Authorization ====
+ The first stumbling block is that (for security reasons) {{{boinc_cmd}}} should not be authorized to connect to the daemon initially. {{{boinc_client}}} will have invented a random password (to protect the connection to the {{{boinc_client}}} daemon and is nothing at all to do with project passwords) and put it into {{{/var/lib/boinc-client/gui_rpc_auth.cfg}}}. You'll probably want to edit this file so that it contains the password you want to use.
- The first stumbling block is that (for security reasons) `boinc_cmd` should not be authorized to connect to the daemon initially. `boinc_client` will have invented a random password (to protect the connection to the `boinc_client` daemon and is nothing at all to do with project passwords) and put it into `/var/lib/boinc-client/gui_rpc_auth.cfg`. You'll probably want to edit this file so that it contains the password you want to use.
-
- `boinc_client` will need to be restarted for this change to take effect. This can be done thus:
+ {{{boinc_client}}} will need to be restarted for this change to take effect. This can be done thus:
{{{
/etc/init.d/boinc-client restart
}}}
-
Now try
{{{
boinc_cmd --host localhost --passwd <YOUR PASSWORD> --get_state
}}}
-
Hopefully it should work now.
==== Signing Up ====
-
When using the command line, you'll need to sign up using a form on the project website. In return, you will receive an email containing important information looking something like:
{{{
Welcome to SETI at home.
-
This email confirms your account with SETI at home:
Project URL: http://setiathome.berkeley.edu
Account Key: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-
User name: Your User Name
E-mail: email at example.com
-
-
For further information and assistance with SETI at home go to http://setiathome.berkeley.edu
}}}
-
- You now need to ask `boinc_client` to attach each project you want to run. Use
+ You now need to ask {{{boinc_client}}} to attach each project you want to run. Use
{{{
boinc_cmd --host localhost --passwd <YOUR PASSWORD> --project_attach http://setiathome.berkeley.edu xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
}}}
-
where xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx is the account key contained in the email.
To attach the boinc_client to your SETI-account use
@@ -91, +83 @@
{{{
boinc_cmd --host localhost --passwd <YOUR PASSWORD> --lookup_account http://setiathome.berkeley.edu YourEmail YourSetiPassword
}}}
-
To check that this has been successful, use:
{{{
boinc_cmd --host localhost --passwd <YOUR PASSWORD> --get_state
}}}
-
You should now see your projects listed under Projects, a little like
{{{
@@ -108, +98 @@
master URL: http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/
...
}}}
-
and a lot of other information as well.
If this doesn't work for you, start by consulting the logs in the /var/lib/boinc-client directory.
==== Installing and configuring BOINC without boincmgr on Debian Etch ====
-
This is how I installed and configured BOINC on an underused Debian Etch server. It seems to work fine.
{{{
@@ -125, +113 @@
# boinc_cmd --set_network_mode always
# boinc_cmd --project http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org resume
}}}
-
Or with account creation (necessary with some projects):
{{{
@@ -135, +122 @@
$ boinc_cmd --project_attach http://www.malariacontrol.net <printed key>
$ boinc_cmd --project http://www.malariacontrol.net resume
}}}
-
You can monitor your installation with:
{{{
# boinc_cmd --get_state
# boinc_cmd --get_messages 0
}}}
-
=== Going back to older version ===
Once you have agglomerated evidence that something is wrong with the current version of the boinc client, it may be worth to consider a downgrade to the previous version. Not all problems may occur with all clients, with an increasing number of clients you may indeed be the first to experience a particular issue.
+ Debian has a snapshot functionality. The link below please reset to the date you feel that everything last worked: http://snapshot.debian.net/archive/2006/05/10/debian/pool/main/b/boinc/ Download the respective boinc-client and boinc-manager .deb packages and run dpkg -i on the boinc-*.deb.
- Debian has a snapshot functionality. The link below please reset to the date you feel that everything last worked:
- http://snapshot.debian.net/archive/2006/05/10/debian/pool/main/b/boinc/
- Download the respective boinc-client and boinc-manager .deb packages and run dpkg -i on the boinc-*.deb.
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