I started a GPU performance scan today and discovered that BOINC 7.6.33 included a fix for AMD GPU recognition. What this means is that I now get much more detail about what kind of AMD GPU is being used. For example instead of just "Ellesmere" I get "Radeon RX 480 Graphics" or "Radeon RX 470 Graphics" which is very exciting!

Unfortunately it also means that older versions of BOINC now create conflicting GPU names and my data is split for no reason. I've augmented my scripts to only scan hosts running the new version of BOINC which solves the problem however currently it leaves just under 6000 hosts and I don't think there'll be enough data to sample confidently from.

Obviously I'm curious about analyzing GPU performance with SETI so I want everyone to update; I can't imagine there's a better way than the BOINC Notices page to inform people that they should upgrade. I wonder if perhaps people here have ideas for promoting the new version?

I wonder if perhaps people here have ideas for promoting the new version?

Everyone running the BOINC Manager will get a message in the Managers Notices tab, I can't think of anyway to let more people know about it than that.

M$ tried giving away a new OS and people weren't interested.
A few people will see the message in their Manager Notices tab & new starters will use the latest release. Most people (such as myself) won't upgrade until we have to. If it's not broken, don't fiddle with it.
The fact is most people will continue to run whatever manager they have.

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Grant
Darwin NT

If it's not broken, don't fiddle with it.

Yup

Ed F

Grant (SSSF) wrote:

Everyone running the BOINC Manager will get a message in the Managers Notices tab, I can't think of anyway to let more people know about it than that.

Unfortunately, the Release Notes don't say a word about what, to me, is the most important incentive for upgrading to 7.6.33, which is putting a stop to 1073741205 Error Code (Unknown Error), which has been bedeviling many users since at least this past spring. That's the one where BOINC keeps trying to restart tasks that Windows just terminated during system shutdown. While 7.6.33 doesn't actually address the underlying BOINC vs. Windows contention, it does manage to trap the error messages so that tasks don't end up with computation errors.

Most of us who read the forums regularly know how to get around the problem, by always shutting down BOINC before shutting down the system, but it's easy to forget for those who don't have that process automated in some way. And for those who don't read the forums, well, they've probably been quietly fuming for months.

Unfortunately, the Release Notes don't say a word about what, to me, is the most important incentive for upgrading to 7.6.33, which is putting a stop to 1073741205 Error Code (Unknown Error), which has been bedeviling many users since at least this past spring. That's the one where BOINC keeps trying to restart tasks that Windows just terminated during system shutdown.

Does the actually released version still sort that issue out? If so, i'm surprised it's not mentioned in the Release Notes. Or did it get dropped from the Release Version?

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Grant
Darwin NT

Grant (SSSF) wrote:

Unfortunately, the Release Notes don't say a word about what, to me, is the most important incentive for upgrading to 7.6.33, which is putting a stop to 1073741205 Error Code (Unknown Error), which has been bedeviling many users since at least this past spring. That's the one where BOINC keeps trying to restart tasks that Windows just terminated during system shutdown.

Does the actually released version still sort that issue out? If so, i'm surprised it's not mentioned in the Release Notes. Or did it get dropped from the Release Version?

Yeah, it's in there, but you have to follow the link to the BOINC 7.6 Change Log, then go just about all the way to the bottom of the second page, where you'll finally find "client: Check for a new process initialization error code when the user session is being logged off. Microsoft decided to add a new status code for Win10. See: #1553".

Not exactly promoting it as an important reason to upgrade, are they?

I'll stick with 6.10.60 thanks.

Cheers.

I'm trying to build a better picture of how devices perform -- something I should think would be helpful to people. Thank you for your words of support and encouragement -- it's really nice to see people taking the time to chime in with their positive-thinking!

I'm trying to build a better picture of how devices perform -- something I should think would be helpful to people.

It is.
But as a reason for people to upgrade I can't see it having much if any influence on their decision.

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Grant
Darwin NT

I'm trying to build a better picture of how devices perform -- something I should think would be helpful to people.

It is.
But as a reason for people to upgrade I can't see it having much if any influence on their decision.

If Boinc developers want to encourage new version uptake, adding certain desirable features such as the dynamic configuration Raistmer describes in another thread, support for mixed GPU separate configurations, adding DirectCompute, and Vulkan device detection (even though the apps don't exist yet) or other possibilities exist.... Though I'm pretty sure they don't have the development resources.

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"Living by the wisdom of computer science doesn't sound so bad after all. And unlike most advice, it's backed up by proofs." -- Algorithms to live by: The computer science of human decisions.

Jason wrote:

Though I'm pretty sure they don't have the development resources.

Yup.

Jeff wrote:

Not exactly promoting it as an important reason to upgrade, are they?

Who 'they'? Jord (Ageless) wrote those notes, and I've just added the line about the error code fix. BOINC will only improve if volunteers contribute to the process.

Who 'they'? Jord (Ageless) wrote those notes, and I've just added the line about the error code fix. BOINC will only improve if volunteers contribute to the process.

I'd only add that the necessary zeitgeist moment, where Boinc collapses or changes, is yet to appear. Who Knows ?

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"Living by the wisdom of computer science doesn't sound so bad after all. And unlike most advice, it's backed up by proofs." -- Algorithms to live by: The computer science of human decisions.

Jason wrote:

Though I'm pretty sure they don't have the development resources.

Yup.

Jeff wrote:

Not exactly promoting it as an important reason to upgrade, are they?

Who 'they'? Jord (Ageless) wrote those notes, and I've just added the line about the error code fix. BOINC will only improve if volunteers contribute to the process.

I believe Ageless had recently messaged D.A. asking that 7.6.33 be put up for download. Even if it were listed as a dev version.

Also the OpenCL name detection was introduced in build 7.6.23, which was released nearly a year ago.

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SETI@home classic workunits: 93,865 CPU time: 863,447 hours
Join the [url=http://tinyurl.com/8y46zvu]BP6/VP6 User Group[

I am confused I thought 7.6.33 had been the standard download for the last 10 days.

http://boinc.berkeley.edu/dev/forum_thread.php?id=11342&postid=74678#74678

Richard Haselgrove wrote:

Jeff wrote:

Not exactly promoting it as an important reason to upgrade, are they?

Who 'they'? Jord (Ageless) wrote those notes, and I've just added the line about the error code fix. BOINC will only improve if volunteers contribute to the process.

Sorry 'bout that. I would never intentionally disparage Jord's contributions. I certainly miss his well-reasoned contributions here in NC since his S@h RAC now only permits him to post in Q&A.

And thanks for making the addition to the 7.6.33 Release Notes. As I mentioned, that fix is, to me, the primary motivation for upgrading. Hopefully, it'll get the attention of others who have seen many tasks trashed by that error.

Jeff Buck wrote:

Sorry 'bout that. I would never intentionally disparage Jord's contributions. I certainly miss his well-reasoned contributions here in NC since his S@h RAC now only permits him to post in Q&A.

Running a couple of tasks to be able to post here. It's a one time thing, don't get used to it. I have chosen not to run Seti anymore, and it has resulted in us getting over 200 euros back on our energy bill. Aside from that, the computer that used to run BOINC isn't on that much anyway and when it is, I do other things with it and shut it down when I'm done, being able to walk away for several days or weeks before returning. Not something I can do running work.

Sorry I overlooked that line in the release notes, but there was a lot of stuff to choose from and I have to condense all that into just a couple of points.
As said, BOINC being a governance anyone with write capability can go in and make those changes to the documentation.

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If it's not broken, don't fiddle with it.

Yup

Ed F

On one of my machines if i click on "Notices" tab it crashes the manager, client still running in the background though. (I think i got those terms right). I know it's the new BOINC version notice because other machines can safely click on the tab. Next time I need to restart I'll update BOINC and GPU drivers.

Any AMD or NV drivers I should avoid?