Boinc quit working again with newist release of Ubuntu

There's a known issue with the latest repository version of BOINC and Ubuntu that has been documented here by another user. You may want to read around before giving up.

As he said, the various ways to get boinc to work in buntu/debian (compile, use my crummy hacks, etc) are not for the casual Linux user.

[You can see this thread for some unorganized ideas on how to get Boinc 7.0.26 running in a very hacked manner in Ubuntu 12.04 without compiling.]


Yes the Debian/Ubuntu repository version of Boinc 7.0.24 (and 7.0.26) is BROKE for many/most users.

The bug seems to affect S@H, and "Quake Catcher" from what I've since discovered.

It is seemingly broken because of the way it's patched/compiled by the Debian/Ubuntu folks.

So somebody important around here with Boinc needs to communicate with the Debian package managers, give them some hints. Or else they may never try to fix it.

As I've mentioned before, affected users should go here and make an account if necessary and click "this bug also affects me" in the upper left corner. Maybe if enough people complain, the right people will get involved in fixing the Debian/Ubuntu packages of 7.0.24+

This bug makes workunits instantly error upon trying to be processed. It will ruin a long list of units in a hurry, as happened to me.

The W-U error looks like this:

According to the BOINC FAQ at http://boincfaq.mundayweb.com/index.php?view=238, your error could be caused by:

Code 193 is a segmentation violation error.

You either have problems with your memory or swap file, or the application attempts to access a memory location that it is not allowed to access, or attempts to access a memory location in a way that is not allowed (for example, attempting to write to a read-only location, or to overwrite part of the operating system).

Use a memory checking program like memtest86+ to rigorously test your memory.
And always when you have this error, report it on the forums of the application it happens with. It may well be an error in the application's code.

Installed 7.0.26 yesterday still get 1 second and fails on all of the work I got today

If he got that from a Debian/Ubuntu repository that could be the issue.

I'm just waiting for a few AP units to finish (probably by morning), then I'll be testing a 7.0.26 that's been compiled for Debian/Ubuntu without the patches suspected to be breaking the repository versions...

If that 7.0.26 doesn't have this "debian/ubuntu compilation" bug (as I'm now going to refer to it) it will be pushed into the regular Ubuntu repository post-haste. And the Debian package maintainer (who is the first in line between Berkeley and Debian/Ubuntu) knows there is a issue. So it will be sorted out in future repository upgrades.

Ill update this thread and my other one as soon as a change is made to the repository version for us Ubuntu folk. The Debian repo should get fixed shortly thereafter.
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-Dave #2


3.2.0-33

Agreed, Windows is better. It simply works. :-D

Lol. Ubuntu 12.04 came out TWO WEEKS ago...

Give it a friggin chance. We should have the repository version "simply working" within a DAY OR TWO.

=P

You flame throwing turd mongers. :-D


(I remember two weeks into Windows Vista............................)

As I've mentioned before. If microsoft had this issue, they would not be working with us so closely to resolve it! That I promise you!
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-Dave #2


3.2.0-33

I actually like(d) Vista... started using it the day it was available and kept using it all the way until Windows 7 was released.


You're right that Microsoft would not be helping, because its not their job to debug apps or host software repositories. The only reason why the Linux community even hosts software repositories is due to the frequent compatibility issues that arise from distro to distro, and the repository is supposed to be a place where a user can find apps that are guaranteed to work.

I actually like(d) Vista... started using it the day it was available and kept using it all the way until Windows 7 was released.


You're right that Microsoft would not be helping, because its not their job to debug apps or host software repositories. The only reason why the Linux community even hosts software repositories is due to the frequent compatibility issues that arise from distro to distro, and the repository is supposed to be a place where a user can find apps that are guaranteed to work.

Ubuntu is based on Debian TESTING...

If you want a distro guaranteed to be bug free there is choice. Us *buntu folk are the head on ones in the community finding the bugs that get fixed later on for debian stable releases. If you ran Debian stable, you would not be subject to this bug. You get older versions, but they've been fixed by the community before they get there..

And I like windows. I use it everyday. I've ran 95,98,NT,2000, and 7, and have overall been happy with all except 98. Honestly I don't run linux as a desktop OS (I have 'em, but don't use 'em, except as utilities of course to fix or find faults), but as a server command line OS there is nothing better.

As far as the bug, come on, we're getting it fixed just weeks into release so give everyone a break, please.

[And as far as Vista, I was referring to the widespread crashes people encountered. This was well documented, and I had to retrieve data off of unbootable drives for TWO different people, and I DO NOT do PC work for a living (however sometimes I think I should)]

And I love the way people support S@H, by putting down a whole line of operating systems that contribute users to our cause, just because of a hiccup on a brand new release of one distro, contributing negative comments instead of positive help...

If Vista was really so horrible and the crashes so widespread, why did the Windows Mojave Experiment work so well?

Yes, I don't really care for Linux, but I don't care what people run as their OS. Its their choice. There's no reason why I can't have a little fun with it.

So get an old build out and start learning. ;-)

The bug in the repository versoins of Boinc has been figured out.

Now it's just up to the package maintainers to make a few decisions and do a few more tests. Hopefully a fix will get in the repository today or tomorrow.

We're testing a 7.0.27 build now, (I think they're trying to pick between .26 and .27 for the repository, just need to make sure 7.0.27 won't have the bug)
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-Dave #2


3.2.0-33

I'm starting to get very upset about the Ubuntu situation.

Now it's all red tape, and waiting.

In a few days if it's not fixed, I will be making my own PPA at launchpad so at least the users here have a simple install method for a working Boinc.


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-Dave #2


3.2.0-33

Ozz was just talking badly about repositories the other day.

I defended the process. Now I see that the process kind of sucks!

We figured out a major bug in Ubuntu's package. And now the higher-ups are saying "well, you can't just change the package, you're not allowed to, you need this authorization and" blah blah blah...

I left a simple message stating: "I sure hope you authorize this change, because you currently have a BROKEN package that doesn't work for one of the larger projects running under Boinc."

As I said, I'm just frustrated with this process, I've put a lot of work into helping determine the issue, only to be told, "we need authorization" blah blah

Maybe I should just switch distros, and get used to compiling stuff myself.

But that doesn't help the angry Ubuntu users in our forums...

And if they do get the fix authorized, I fear it will still be 7.0.24, when it has been mentioned several times that 7.0.27 "has several fixes in it and that should be the used package for now until something more stable is available."

Blah it's just a waiting game now.

(Anyways I'm back off to get this server running for my friend. )
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-Dave #2


3.2.0-33