"BOINC portable" for Windows hosts

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Message 1876754 - Posted: 4 Jul 2017, 9:21:17 UTC - in response to Message 1876642.  
Last modified: 4 Jul 2017, 9:38:18 UTC

And on host with fully installed BOINC (with registry entries) no matter if I use boinc.exe --dir ... or boinc --dir... or just boinc w/o anything.
In all these cases BOINC client starts with correct directory and with GPU support.

So I still see inconsistency in observations on 2 different hosts (original one had full BOINC install also! Now on anoher host I see no issue with GPU detection no matter how I run boinc).

Difference in BOINC versions: current one is 7.6.9 vs recommended one (7.6.33) on original PC.
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Message 1883146 - Posted: 11 Aug 2017, 11:13:18 UTC
Last modified: 11 Aug 2017, 11:25:41 UTC

After netbook's HDD death and complete OS refreshment I copied old BOINC and BOINCdata folders to c:\ and attempting to configure "portable" variant to run w/o formal BOINC installation.

So I start daemon with bat file containing this line:
boinc.exe --dir ..\BOINCdata.old --skip_cpu_benchmarks --allow_remote_gui_rpc

and launch manager from command line:
boincmgr.exe /i

Despite using "insecure" option I got http://prntscr.com/g76rlp



What is wrong?

P.S. On first launch embedded Windows firewall asked permissions for BOINc - I allowed operation on both private and public networks.

P.P.S After few more attempts (run manager w/o deamon started and switched to advanced view) got such message: http://prntscr.com/g76xoj
But both started from C:\BOINC
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Message 1883170 - Posted: 11 Aug 2017, 15:01:37 UTC - in response to Message 1883146.  

Try starting Manager from BOINCdata. I don't know what the --insecure really does.
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Message 1883179 - Posted: 11 Aug 2017, 16:21:23 UTC - in response to Message 1883146.  
Last modified: 11 Aug 2017, 16:42:42 UTC


boincmgr.exe /i

Despite using "insecure" option I got http://prntscr.com/g76rlp



What is wrong?



Since the you did not run the installer, the boinc_users group was never created, so you are getting caught by Windows UAC. You'll need to either create the group manually or run Boinc from an Administrator window. Will take a while to check and trace in the code what the -i insecure actually does, can find nothing about it in the Wiki.

Edit: Just got a message about the (-i) option from Rom. As far as he remembers it is only for MAC systems and is used to prevent changing the user context when starting the client from the Manager.
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Message 1883187 - Posted: 11 Aug 2017, 16:57:42 UTC - in response to Message 1883179.  

BOINC's user and group accounts are needed only in service installs. It's a bug in Manager if it's complaining about them without reason.
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Message 1883197 - Posted: 11 Aug 2017, 17:40:40 UTC - in response to Message 1883187.  

BOINC's user and group accounts are needed only in service installs. It's a bug in Manager if it's complaining about them without reason.


From the Wiki about installing Boinc:

Install options

You can set install options by clicking the "Advanced" button on the configuration screen. The options are:

- Program directory - where BOINC's program files will be stored.
- Data directory - where BOINC's data files will be stored. This will be a hidden directory. Where it is is shown in the BOINC start up messages.
- Use BOINC screensaver - Use the BOINC screensaver for the current user.
- Service install - (FKA Protected application execution) Run project applications under an unprivileged account. This provides increased protection against faulty applications, but it prevents BOINC from using your GPU, and it may cause graphics to not work with older applications.
- Allow all users on this computer to control BOINC - If selected (public mode), all users can control BOINC (attach/detach projects, etc.). If not selected (private mode), the only users who can control BOINC are: the installing user, members of the Administrator group, and members of the 'boinc_users' group. When other users run the BOINC Manager, they'll be shown a dialog saying to contact the administrator to add them to the 'boinc_users' group.


The last option is the one that is catching Rastimer's starting of the Manager. It is not a Manager bug, but a Windows UAC error that the Manager is reporting in his screenshot. So without running the installer, he is going to have to turn off Windows UAC or manually create the user group and add himself to it or run it from a command window that has Administrator privilege.
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Message 1883201 - Posted: 11 Aug 2017, 17:50:03 UTC - in response to Message 1883197.  

For what function exactly BOINC manager needs elevated access or special security context?
As I see it all that needed is IPC between 2 processes running in the same security context.
Can't devise any sensible reason why it should be restricted.
It sounds if to as bug but as quite annoying and excessive "feature".
And if I will use BOINC tasks for example insyead of manager - will it connect? And if it will then this limitation of manager just ridiculous...
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Message 1883210 - Posted: 11 Aug 2017, 18:07:38 UTC - in response to Message 1883201.  
Last modified: 11 Aug 2017, 18:11:07 UTC

For what function exactly BOINC manager needs elevated access or special security context?
As I see it all that needed is IPC between 2 processes running in the same security context.
Can't devise any sensible reason why it should be restricted.
It sounds if to as bug but as quite annoying and excessive "feature".
And if I will use BOINC tasks for example insyead of manager - will it connect? And if it will then this limitation of manager just ridiculous...


This goes way back to the creation of Boinc and is apart of the client and Windows User Account security programming. I haven't used Boinctasks program, but I suspect it won't be allowed to connect to the client either. The Manager is working correctly, it is just reporting the error that Windows security generates.

i.e. it isn't a Boinc or Manager problem, it is just the way that Windows ensures process security.
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Message 1883224 - Posted: 11 Aug 2017, 18:56:16 UTC - in response to Message 1883197.  

The last option is the one that is catching Rastimer's starting of the Manager. It is not a Manager bug, but a Windows UAC error that the Manager is reporting in his screenshot. So without running the installer, he is going to have to turn off Windows UAC or manually create the user group and add himself to it or run it from a command window that has Administrator privilege.


No.
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Message 1883227 - Posted: 11 Aug 2017, 19:09:55 UTC - in response to Message 1883210.  


i.e. it isn't a Boinc or Manager problem, it is just the way that Windows ensures process security.

I'm quite sure that 2 processes can communicate being under same standard security context. So it's not Windows, it's BOINC attempting to run under some another user/security context instead of just accepting current context. W/o that attempt Windows security would not interfere at all.
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Message 1883343 - Posted: 12 Aug 2017, 4:56:23 UTC - in response to Message 1883170.  
Last modified: 12 Aug 2017, 5:10:33 UTC

Try starting Manager from BOINCdata. I don't know what the --insecure really does.


This helped indeed, thanks! Now manager connected to daemon/client.
I checked registry - it has SSL entry with BOINC manager options. I assume it's inevitable registry pollution cause BOINC manager writes those options on each update (actually on each exit perhaps regardless real options update).
So, my attempt to run BOINC manager w/o client started still can be required step - will check by deleting registry entry.

EDIT: checked on another data directory with emptied registry - BOINC manager forgot about running in advanced mode, but connected to client with first attempt (being run from data directory instead of binary one).

So, the only real issues here:
1) lack of public info about such peculiarity (to launch from data dir)
2) misguided first error message.

Regarding 2 - still unsure why it changed from screenshot 1 to screenshot 2 after few attempts.
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Message 1883347 - Posted: 12 Aug 2017, 5:57:21 UTC - in response to Message 1883343.  

P.S. and adding .exe to boinc in launching script helped with GPU detection too (at least on this netbook).
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Message 1883376 - Posted: 12 Aug 2017, 15:11:48 UTC - in response to Message 1883343.  

Launching from data directory or telling Manager where the data directory is is something that needs to be done on Linux. There is no registry to look for the directory location.
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Message 1890472 - Posted: 17 Sep 2017, 22:30:30 UTC - in response to Message 1883376.  

Why not to use --data_dir switch instead as daemon does?
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Message 1890473 - Posted: 17 Sep 2017, 22:32:25 UTC

If someone could devise cmd/bat script for multi-attach and multi-work download I would test it on multiple identical hosts.
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Message 1890553 - Posted: 18 Sep 2017, 13:52:28 UTC - in response to Message 1890473.  

This is something I use on my multi BOINC systems. Perhaps it would be useful for what you need?
I rem out the attach or update line depending on what I need to do.
@ECHO OFF & cls & pushd %~dp0
set pass=password
set precmd=boinccmd --host localhost
set /a doffset1=0
set /a doffset2=10
set /a stprt=31416+%doffset1%

:project1
set pcnt=1
set Projecturl=http://nci.goofyxgridathome.net/
set ProjectKey=abc123
set /a endoffset=%doffset2%
goto worker

:project2
set pcnt=2
set Projecturl=https://wuprop.boinc-af.org/
set ProjectKey=abc123
set /a endoffset=%doffset2%-6
goto worker

:project3
set pcnt=3
set Projecturl=http://www.primegrid.com/
set ProjectKey=abc123
set /a endoffset=%doffset2%-9
goto worker

:worker
@ECHO Updating Project %pcnt%
set nn=%doffset1% & set /a prt=%stprt%+0
rem set cmd=--passwd %pass% --project_attach %Projecturl% %ProjectKey%
set cmd=--passwd %pass% --project %Projecturl% update
:loopy
set /a nn=%nn%+1
@ECHO Poked %prt% on Project %pcnt%%
%precmd%:%prt% %cmd%
set /a prt=%prt%+1
if %nn% LSS %endoffset% goto loopy
timeout 10
@ECHO.
if %pcnt% EQU 1 goto project2
if %pcnt% EQU 2 goto project3

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Message 1890576 - Posted: 18 Sep 2017, 15:26:43 UTC - in response to Message 1890553.  

Thanks a lot.
I'll try to modify it for my needs and come back with questions if any arise.
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Message 1891561 - Posted: 23 Sep 2017, 19:40:33 UTC - in response to Message 1890553.  
Last modified: 23 Sep 2017, 19:41:57 UTC

Got such results:

Updating Project 1
Poked 0 on Project 1
can't connect to localhost
Poked 1 on Project 1
can't connect to localhost
Poked 2 on Project 1
can't connect to localhost
Poked 3 on Project 1
can't connect to localhost


I launched script from C:\BOINC dir where executableslocated.
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Message 1891564 - Posted: 23 Sep 2017, 19:48:48 UTC - in response to Message 1891561.  

And with local boinc.exe running:

Updating Project 1
Poked 31416 on Project 1
Authorization failure: -155
Poked 31417 on Project 1
can't connect to localhost
Poked 31418 on Project 1
can't connect to localhost
Poked 31419 on Project 1
can't connect to localhost
Poked 31420 on Project 1
can't connect to localhost
Poked 31421 on Project 1
can't connect to localhost
Poked 31422 on Project 1
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Message 1891572 - Posted: 23 Sep 2017, 20:26:54 UTC - in response to Message 1890553.  

and what directory structure corresponds to your script?
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Message boards : Number crunching : "BOINC portable" for Windows hosts


 
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