A BOINC web page states:

"When the BOINC software first runs,
it will ask you for a Project URL and
a Account key.

Copy and paste them from here:

* Project URL: http://setiathome.berkeley.edu
* Account key: ...
"

I downloaded the software.

I installed it.

No sign of the above prompt:

[root@plecostomus allard]# cd Desktop
[root@plecostomus Desktop]#
[root@plecostomus Desktop]# ls -tl
total 12088
-rw-rw-r-- 1 allard allard 3705623 Jul 24 10:46 boinc_4.43_i686-pc-linux-gnu.sh
-rw-r--r-- 1 allard users 599 Jun 28 09:25 myComputer.desktop
-rw-rw-r-- 1 allard allard 8619766 May 28 17:56 firefox-1.0.4.installer.tar.gz
drwx------ 2 allard users 4096 Dec 29 2004 Trash
-rw-r--r-- 1 allard users 2409 Dec 29 2004 Network.desktop
-rw-r--r-- 1 allard users 579 Dec 29 2004 Office.desktop
-rw-r--r-- 1 allard users 602 Dec 29 2004 Printer.desktop
-rw-r--r-- 1 allard users 421 Dec 29 2004 SuSE.desktop
-rwx------ 1 allard allard 2575 Apr 15 2004 larry-004bb3b279.desktop
[root@plecostomus Desktop]#
[root@plecostomus Desktop]#
[root@plecostomus Desktop]# sh boinc_4.43_i686-pc-linux-gnu.sh
now run /home/allard/Desktop/BOINC/run_client to run the client and /home/allard/Desktop/BOINC/boincmgr to run the GUI
[root@plecostomus Desktop]#
[root@plecostomus Desktop]# ls -tl
total 12092
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Jul 24 10:47 BOINC
-rw-rw-r-- 1 allard allard 3705623 Jul 24 10:46 boinc_4.43_i686-pc-linux-gnu.sh
-rw-r--r-- 1 allard users 599 Jun 28 09:25 myComputer.desktop
-rw-rw-r-- 1 allard allard 8619766 May 28 17:56 firefox-1.0.4.installer.tar.gz
drwx------ 2 allard users 4096 Dec 29 2004 Trash
-rw-r--r-- 1 allard users 2409 Dec 29 2004 Network.desktop
-rw-r--r-- 1 allard users 579 Dec 29 2004 Office.desktop
-rw-r--r-- 1 allard users 602 Dec 29 2004 Printer.desktop
-rw-r--r-- 1 allard users 421 Dec 29 2004 SuSE.desktop
-rwx------ 1 allard allard 2575 Apr 15 2004 larry-004bb3b279.desktop
[root@plecostomus Desktop]#
[root@plecostomus Desktop]# cd BOINC
[root@plecostomus BOINC]# ls -l
total 14628
-rw-r--r-- 1 1002 1002 164 May 23 13:36 binstall.sh
-rwxr-xr-x 1 1002 1002 7379409 May 23 13:36 boinc
-rwxr-xr-x 1 1002 1002 7561914 May 23 13:36 boincmgr
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 43 Jul 24 10:47 run_client
[root@plecostomus BOINC]#
[root@plecostomus BOINC]# cat binstall.sh
cd BOINC && echo "cd "`pwd`" && ./boinc" > run_client && chmod +x run_client && echo now run `pwd`/run_client to run the client and `pwd`/boincmgr to run the GUI
[root@plecostomus BOINC]#
[root@plecostomus BOINC]# chown allard:allard . -R
[root@plecostomus BOINC]# ls -l
total 14628
-rw-r--r-- 1 allard allard 164 May 23 13:36 binstall.sh
-rwxr-xr-x 1 allard allard 7379409 May 23 13:36 boinc
-rwxr-xr-x 1 allard allard 7561914 May 23 13:36 boincmgr
-rwxr-xr-x 1 allard allard 43 Jul 24 10:47 run_client
[root@plecostomus BOINC]#
[root@plecostomus BOINC]# /home/allard/Desktop/BOINC/run_client
2005-07-24 10:49:37 [---] Starting BOINC client version 4.43 for i686-pc-linux-gnu
2005-07-24 10:49:37 [---] Data directory: /home/allard/Desktop/BOINC
2005-07-24 10:49:37 [---] No general preferences found - using BOINC defaults
2005-07-24 10:49:37 [---] Remote control not allowed; using loopback address
2005-07-24 10:49:39 [---] Running CPU benchmarks
^C
2005-07-24 10:49:46 [---] Received signal 2
2005-07-24 10:49:46 [---] Received signal 2
2005-07-24 10:49:46 [---] Exit requested by user
2005-07-24 10:49:46 [---] request_reschedule_cpus: exit_tasks
You have new mail in /var/spool/mail/root
[root@plecostomus BOINC]# [root@plecostomus BOINC]#
[root@plecostomus BOINC]#
[root@plecostomus BOINC]# /home/allard/Desktop/BOINC/boincmgr &
[2] 15042
[root@plecostomus BOINC]# 10:50:02: Error: wxWidgets could not open display. Exiting.

[2]+ Exit 255 /home/allard/Desktop/BOINC/boincmgr

---

Dennis G. Allard
allard@oceanpark.com
http://oceanpark.com

I was able to resolve this by fumbling through various
setiathome and BOINC web pages and downloaded files.

For the impatient, skip to step (8), below.

For those into sarcasm, read this entire post.

BOINC and/or SetiAtHome need a communications major
or anyone who understands how to write or create
user interfaces, even simple command line interfaces.
It is, after all, a learned skill.

The answer (for my situation, which is that I had an old
SetiAtHome account and desired to get SetiAtHome on my
new computer linked to that account) was:

1.) Downloaded the BOINC stuff, postponing my frustration
at their attempts at one liner documention files and total
lack of READE files and XML DTDs.

2.) Visited http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/sah_email_form.php

Entered my email address. I then received an email with
my new account number.

3.) Visited http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/account_created.php

Entered my account number and got back an 'OK' or something.
THAT would have been an excellent place to inform me about
step (8), below, in something other than sound byte vernacular.

4.) Found a web page (via fumbling around, and I now forget
eactly what the URL is, sorry 'bout that) stating to run
'the client' software with the -attach_project option.

5.) Ran ~/Desktop/BOINC/run_client -attach_project

That failed. The thing just started up without prompting me
for a darn thing.

6.) Inspected content of run_client (a shell script) and
discovered that it ignores command line arguments and merely
runs a binary executable named boinc after CDing to the
directory containing boic.

7.) Ran ~/Desktop/BOINC/boinc -attach_project

That failed. The promised prompt did not materialize, but
some usage output, at long last, appeared, resolving the
mystery...

8.) Ran ~/Desktop/BOINC/boinc -attach_project http://setiathome.berkeley.edu 527a748ec68c8a5b72186...


That worked!

I *think* I'm good to go now.

Cheers,
Dennis Allard
allard@oceanpark.com
http://oceanpark.com