I think I'll be installing the client on all of my computers in the near future. Are there any security holes opened up by installing it that you are aware of, that I should make sure are closed by proper configuration? Or is it just run it and use it?

The believe the only security related issues are the configuration changes to BOINC itself. By default it only allows connections from the localhost. However unless you are opening port 31416 to the internet it shouldn't be a problem.

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Thanks Hal, that is great to know.

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Thanks Hal, that is great to know.

The official instructions on Controlling BOINC remotely.
For my machines I use the cc_config.xml option <allow_remote_gui_rpc> instead of using a remote_hosts.cfg file. That way I don't have to configure the IP of each machine I might be connecting from.

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SETI@home classic workunits: 93,865 CPU time: 863,447 hours
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I think I'll be installing the client on all of my computers in the near future. Are there any security holes opened up by installing it that you are aware of, that I should make sure are closed by proper configuration? Or is it just run it and use it?

BOINC by default is configured to be secure on installation - you actively have to open communication channels for remote management to work. Follow Controlling BOINC remotely - the same protocol is used by all the tools mentioned (BOINC Manager, BoincTasks, BoincView), so you only have to open the channel once for all of them to work.

I think the biggest potential security risk would be attaching to a project which - whether by negligence or malice - doesn't keep their server or executable binary storage area secure. If a project's binaries are deployed properly, code signing and signature/MD5 checks should keep them that way, but we sometimes read questions about "how to I set up a BOINC server" that suggest they should go away and read chapter zero, "how do I set up a server", first. Student or one-person-operated projects sometimes inspire little confidence on the security front.

But having said that, I've never actually heard of a BOINC server distributing malware. Yet. Touch wood.

I personally am a fan of Boinc Task and have run it for years.


Currently I am only running 3 machines due to heat and monetary considerations, but have run 8.



I love the interface and cannot imagine not using it.

You can configure all the colours to what you want.

The reason one machine is showing red on the CPU task is because it is this machine and I am doing several things at once including watching a streaming web cam!!

I never look at the Boinc manager, even for the local machine.

PS there is also a "messages" tab that lest you look straight at the logs for each machine.

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Is one better than the other? I can relate, I preferred the old version of EVGA Precision, but the X and X16 came out, all bells & whistley, and found that I liked the older one better. Unfortunately, unlike BoincView, it doesn't play well with the latest hardware. But I can relate.

Even the last (v1.4.2 - 2007) version of BoincView predates the introduction of GPU computing to BOINC by about 18 months. Many readings from GPU tasks are, shall we say, quirky.

I don't think I could recommend it to anyone who hadn't grown up with the changes, but I have still got the original distribution .zip file if anyone wants a copy.

Is one better than the other? I can relate, I preferred the old version of EVGA Precision, but the X and X16 came out, all bells & whistley, and found that I liked the older one better. Unfortunately, unlike BoincView, it doesn't play well with the latest hardware. But I can relate.

Even the last (v1.4.2 - 2007) version of BoincView predates the introduction of GPU computing to BOINC by about 18 months. Many readings from GPU tasks are, shall we say, quirky.

I don't think I could recommend it to anyone who hadn't grown up with the changes, but I have still got the original distribution .zip file if anyone wants a copy.

Well that is newer than the version hosted by SETI@home, v1.2.5, & the one I have.

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Well, I'll just chalk it up to weirdness,

If your computer is finishing a WU every 5 minutes you will see the countdown. However, if there is a gap of say 10 minutes between a communication and the next completed WU, you sill not see the timer.
Exactly as Richard said and I have noticed.

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Makes perfect sense now, didn't grasp that before, thank you.

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