Eric. et al.,
Just wanted to say, that after reading this thread I checked om my computers and found that I've got aroung a 150 ghost WU's between tmy machines.

Russell

PS will be watch to see if a fix [on the server side] comes out.
PPS I noticed a duplicate computer and was not allowed to combine it to the original, or the original to the dup. . Any thoughts on how I can clear this up??

---

Let me ask a very stupid question: has the internal server error, that produce ghost units, anything to do with the fact that I am using KWSN's optimized applications?

I have got nothing but ghost units for my two hosts the last couple of days.

I saw that another user uninstalled BOINC, manually deleted his BOINC folder and reinstalled BOINC. All the hosts he did this to is now receiving work. His "untouched" hosts are still getting ghosts and/or no new work.

(This is not a solution for me, as I am running other BOINC projects instead of SETI for the time being. At least I think it is bad BOINC behaviour.)

The above mentioned solution does start from scratch, though. It made me think of my optimized applications and the app_info.xml

YES!!! I was just about to post the same thing.

The following has worked for me on three systems - two late version 5.8 BOINC, and a 5.3.12.tx. All were service installs, running appropriate Chicken 2.2B, and had run completely dry.

Recipe:

Rename app_info.xml so it won't be recognised
Restart BOINC (service)
Update SETI - may not get through first time, but keep trying
Restore app_info.xml to original name
Wait until all transfers have finished
Restart BOINC (service)

Outcome - decent sized cache (if I haven't nabbed them all already, LOL), still running optimised, time to open a beer.

After making the 'trick' from Richard, I must press the button: 'No new work' ?

We'll see in the near future that we can ask 'normally' for new work? ;-)

---

Let me ask a very stupid question

Quoting myself as I realise my question was not that stupid after all, as I now have work thanks to Richard's recipe.

In situations like this, stupid questions are often the best ones - they represent "thinking outside the box" and questioning the perceived conventional wisdom. Maybe not 'stupid' but naïve, in the best sense of that word!

I'm glad it worked for you.

Richard, I made a windows batch file (.cmd) to Semi Automate the workaround for those running as a service, may I PM it to you for review / improvement etc ?

---

"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.

YES!!! I was just about to post the same thing.

The following has worked for me on three systems - two late version 5.8 BOINC, and a 5.3.12.tx. All were service installs, running appropriate Chicken 2.2B, and had run completely dry.

Recipe:

Rename app_info.xml so it won't be recognised
Restart BOINC (service)
Update SETI - may not get through first time, but keep trying
Restore app_info.xml to original name
Wait until all transfers have finished
Restart BOINC (service)

Outcome - decent sized cache (if I haven't nabbed them all already, LOL), still running optimised, time to open a beer.

As illogical as it sounded when I first read it, it seems to be true.

Just went through the same procedure on two of my hosts, and voila, results reported, new WUs downloaded, happily crunching again.

So I can recommend the above.

Now all that remains to be investigated is WHY this happens, and whether we need to adjust all app_info.xml files that are out there. If so, that'd be a major blow because many people will be left without work and without knowing why.

Regards,
Simon.

OK - Here is where I am:

Step 1: Suspended ALL Projects - SETI@ Home and Beta/Astropulse were already at "No New Tasks"

Step 2: (Paranoid) - "Update"-ed ALL Projects.

Step 3: Exited BOINC 5.4.11

Step 4: Copied "Projects Folder and pasted copy to Desktop - (Creating Backup)

Step 5: In original Projects Folder - Located "app_info.xml" in SETI Folder and renamed to "app_info-disabled.xml".

Step 6: Restarted BOINC 5.4.11

Step 7: Resumed SETI@Home, (still at "No New Tasks"), and hit "Update"; several times... Got this:


5/18/2007 9:03:45 AM|SETI@home|Sending scheduler request to http://setiboinc.ssl.berkeley.edu/sah_cgi/cgi
5/18/2007 9:03:45 AM|SETI@home|Reason: Requested by user
5/18/2007 9:03:45 AM|SETI@home|(not requesting new work or reporting completed tasks)
5/18/2007 9:03:46 AM||Project communication failed: attempting access to reference site
5/18/2007 9:03:47 AM||Access to reference site succeeded - project servers may be temporarily down.
5/18/2007 9:03:51 AM|SETI@home|Scheduler request failed: server returned nothing (no headers, no data)
5/18/2007 9:03:51 AM|SETI@home|Deferring scheduler requests for 1 minutes and 0 seconds
5/18/2007 9:04:13 AM||Rescheduling CPU: project resumed by user
5/18/2007 9:04:43 AM|SETI@home|Sending scheduler request to http://setiboinc.ssl.berkeley.edu/sah_cgi/cgi
5/18/2007 9:04:43 AM|SETI@home|Reason: Requested by user
5/18/2007 9:04:43 AM|SETI@home|(not requesting new work or reporting completed tasks)
5/18/2007 9:05:04 AM||Project communication failed: attempting access to reference site
5/18/2007 9:05:05 AM||Access to reference site succeeded - project servers may be temporarily down.
5/18/2007 9:05:07 AM|SETI@home|Scheduler request failed: couldn't connect to server
5/18/2007 9:05:07 AM|SETI@home|Deferring scheduler requests for 1 minutes and 0 seconds
5/18/2007 9:06:08 AM|SETI@home|Sending scheduler request to http://setiboinc.ssl.berkeley.edu/sah_cgi/cgi
5/18/2007 9:06:08 AM|SETI@home|Reason: Requested by user
5/18/2007 9:06:08 AM|SETI@home|(not requesting new work or reporting completed tasks)
5/18/2007 9:06:29 AM||Project communication failed: attempting access to reference site
5/18/2007 9:06:34 AM|SETI@home|Scheduler request failed: couldn't connect to server
5/18/2007 9:06:34 AM|SETI@home|Deferring scheduler requests for 1 minutes and 0 seconds
5/18/2007 9:07:35 AM|SETI@home|Sending scheduler request to http://setiboinc.ssl.berkeley.edu/sah_cgi/cgi
5/18/2007 9:07:35 AM|SETI@home|Reason: Requested by user
5/18/2007 9:07:35 AM|SETI@home|(not requesting new work or reporting completed tasks)
5/18/2007 9:07:37 AM||Access to reference site succeeded - project servers may be temporarily down.
5/18/2007 9:07:56 AM||Project communication failed: attempting access to reference site
5/18/2007 9:07:57 AM||Access to reference site succeeded - project servers may be temporarily down.
5/18/2007 9:08:00 AM|SETI@home|Scheduler request failed: couldn't connect to server
5/18/2007 9:08:00 AM|SETI@home|Deferring scheduler requests for 1 minutes and 21 seconds
5/18/2007 9:08:11 AM|SETI@home|Sending scheduler request to http://setiboinc.ssl.berkeley.edu/sah_cgi/cgi
5/18/2007 9:08:11 AM|SETI@home|Reason: Requested by user
5/18/2007 9:08:11 AM|SETI@home|(not requesting new work or reporting completed tasks)
5/18/2007 9:08:36 AM|SETI@home|Scheduler request succeeded

[EDIT:]


Now - with the "Succeeded" Message displayed; am I truly ready to do the following???:

Step 8: "Allow New Tasks", obtain a WU; wait for ALL Transfers.

Step 9: Set SETI@Home to "No New Tasks", "Suspend" SETI@Home and Exit BOINC.

Step 10: Rename the "app_info-disabled.xml" to "app_info.xml".

Step 11: Restart BOINC and then "Allow New Tasks"

[/EDIT.]


Or is there anything else I need to do before proceeding to Steps 8-10, above? Sorry to make a simple thing complex; however, I have ADD and I'm just clarifying ALL steps I need to take, (now that I have that "Succeeded" Message), to make sure this goes smoothly.


Thanks,

---

TimeLord04
Have TARDIS, will travel...
Come along K-9!
Join Calm Chaos

Now - with the "Succeeded" Message displayed; am I truly ready to do the following???:

Step 8: Exit BOINC.

Step 9: Rename the "app_info-disabled.xml" to "app_info.xml"; wait for ALL Transfers.

Step 10: Restart BOINC and then "Allow New Tasks"

I would wait until the WUs have finished downloading, before doing 8-10.

---

Dublin, California
Team: SETI.USA

...snip...

5/18/2007 9:08:11 AM|SETI@home|Sending scheduler request to http://setiboinc.ssl.berkeley.edu/sah_cgi/cgi
5/18/2007 9:08:11 AM|SETI@home|Reason: Requested by user
5/18/2007 9:08:11 AM|SETI@home|(not requesting new work or reporting completed tasks)
5/18/2007 9:08:36 AM|SETI@home|Scheduler request succeeded


Now - with the "Succeeded" Message displayed; am I truly ready to do the following???:

Step 8: Exit BOINC.

Step 9: Rename the "app_info-disabled.xml" to "app_info.xml"; wait for ALL Transfers.

Step 10: Restart BOINC and then "Allow New Tasks"


Or is there anything else I need to do before proceeding to Steps 8-10, above? Sorry to make a simple thing complex; however, I have ADD and I'm just clarifying ALL steps I need to take, (now that I have that "Succeeded" Message), to make sure this goes smoothly.

Not quite. You need to "Allow new tasks" first: then get another successful scheduler update, so that you download the new tasks while app_info.xml is still disabled.

Then, set "No new work" again (good idea), exit BOINC, rename file to app_info.xml, restart BOINC.

There's a flaw in your step 9 - you won't be getting any transfers through if you exit BOINC (it's BOINC that does the transferring!)

Good luck!

...snip...

5/18/2007 9:08:11 AM|SETI@home|Sending scheduler request to http://setiboinc.ssl.berkeley.edu/sah_cgi/cgi
5/18/2007 9:08:11 AM|SETI@home|Reason: Requested by user
5/18/2007 9:08:11 AM|SETI@home|(not requesting new work or reporting completed tasks)
5/18/2007 9:08:36 AM|SETI@home|Scheduler request succeeded

[EDIT:]


Now - with the "Succeeded" Message displayed; am I truly ready to do the following???:


Step 8: "Allow New Tasks", obtain a WU; wait for ALL Transfers.

Step 9: Set SETI@Home to "No New Tasks", "Suspend" SETI@Home and Exit BOINC.

Step 10: Rename the "app_info-disabled.xml" to "app_info.xml".

Step 11: Restart BOINC and then "Allow New Tasks"

[/EDIT.]


Or is there anything else I need to do before proceeding to Steps 8-10, above? Sorry to make a simple thing complex; however, I have ADD and I'm just clarifying ALL steps I need to take, (now that I have that "Succeeded" Message), to make sure this goes smoothly.

Not quite. You need to "Allow new tasks" first: then get another successful scheduler update, so that you download the new tasks while app_info.xml is still disabled.

Then, set "No new work" again (good idea), exit BOINC, rename file to app_info.xml, restart BOINC.

There's a flaw in your step 9 - you won't be getting any transfers through if you exit BOINC (it's BOINC that does the transferring!)

Good luck!

OK - Thanks Zombie67 and Richard Haselgrove. (I've edited the original Post and This Post... Edits are contained in "Modified" Steps 8-11.)


@ Richard,

I followed your suggestion; with the "app_info-disabled.xml" still disabled, I have set "Allow New Tasks". BOINC is attempting to get 8640 Seconds of new work; however, now I continue to receive the various "http error" Messages, "couldn't connect to server" Messages, etc... No work is Downloading; however, on a positive note - no new "Ghosts" are being generated either...

How long should it take, (now), for BOINC, (restored to stock), to complete this cycle and Download what it needs before I proceed with my Steps 8-11? < Yes, breathing and patiently waiting... > ;-D

The only two "Ghosts" I have are from during the crash recovery of Thumper; and prior to attempting this new task with the app.info file... Here is my "Ghost List":


Host: Excalibur, (Athlon XP 1.6GHz), Win XP Pros SP-2, BOINC 5.4.11, 512MB RAM - (480MB RAM Available, 32MB Reserved for on-board Video)


SETI@Home Ghost WUs:


Issued 5-15-2007, WU ID#: 128877324 WU: 16fe05ab.10775.10880.397176.3.166

Issued 5-14-2007, WU ID#: 129105021 WU: 04mr05ab.8726.13154.304840.3.23


Sincerely,

---

TimeLord04
Have TARDIS, will travel...
Come along K-9!
Join Calm Chaos

Update:


Step 1: Suspended ALL Projects - SETI@ Home and Beta/Astropulse were already at "No New Tasks"

Step 2: (Paranoid) - "Update"-ed ALL Projects.

Step 3: Exited BOINC 5.4.11

Step 4: Copied "Projects Folder" and pasted copy to Desktop - (Creating Backup)

Step 5: In original "Projects Folder" - Located "app_info.xml" in SETI Folder and renamed to "app_info-disabled.xml".

Step 6: Restarted BOINC 5.4.11

Step 7: Resumed SETI@Home, (still at "No New Tasks"), and hit "Update"; several times.


OK - Here is where I am:


Step 8: "Allow New Tasks", obtain a WU; wait for ALL Transfers.


I finally just finished the Transfer of required files and received two WUs.


Holding here until further notice...


Step 9: Set SETI@Home to "No New Tasks", "Suspend" SETI@Home and Exit BOINC.

Step 10: Rename the "app_info-disabled.xml" to "app_info.xml".

Step 11: Restart BOINC and then "Allow New Tasks"

Step 12: If all works as expected/planned; delete the "Backup Folder" on Desktop.


Is there, (now), anything else I need to do before proceeding to Steps 9-12, above?


Thanks,

---

TimeLord04
Have TARDIS, will travel...
Come along K-9!
Join Calm Chaos

Is there, (now), anything else I need to do before proceeding to Steps 9-11, above?

That should do it.

---

Dublin, California
Team: SETI.USA

This is crazy, I'm going into hibernation.

Somebody wake me up when this debacle is resolved.

Please excuse me if I snore.

---

Is there, (now), anything else I need to do before proceeding to Steps 9-12, above?

That should do it.

Cool, thanks much Zombie67; however, I actually have one more update to this between the creation of the last post I made and your response... Rather than "Edit" my last response; I chose to acknowledge your reply and give the final update here:


Update:


Step 1: Suspended ALL Projects - SETI@ Home and Beta/Astropulse were already at "No New Tasks"

Step 2: (Paranoid) - "Update"-ed ALL Projects.

Step 3: Exited BOINC

Step 4: Copied "Projects Folder" and pasted copy to Desktop - (Creating Backup)

Step 5: In original "Projects Folder" - Located "app_info.xml" in SETI Folder and renamed to "app_info-disabled.xml".

Step 6: Restarted BOINC

Step 7: Resumed SETI@Home, (still at "No New Tasks"), and hit "Update"; several times.

Step 8: "Allow New Tasks", obtain a WU; wait for ALL Transfers.

Step 9: Set SETI@Home to "No New Tasks", "Suspend" SETI@Home and Exit BOINC.


OK - Here is where I am, now:


Step 10: Rename the "app_info-disabled.xml" to "app_info.xml".

Step 11: Restart BOINC and then "Allow New Tasks"

Step 12: If all works as expected/planned; delete the "Backup Folder" on Desktop.


NOTE:

The two WUs finished, Uploaded, AND Reported!!! 8-D


WOOOHOOOO!!!!! OK - so; stock application works! Now, should I hold here until Eric, Matt, and crew finish the repairs; or, should I chance it and finish steps 10-12??? (I'm at step 9; however, NOT Exited BOINC, yet...) I ask this; because, they are still debugging, rebuilding, etc... Perhaps it would be better to wait on Steps 10 and 11 until they are done... Or, have any of you that have finished through Step 11 finished a WU, (or WUs), Uploaded, Reported, and then Downloaded WUs with the restored Chicken "app_info.xml"??? Thanks again in advance. (Sorry to be a pest...)


Sincerely,

---

TimeLord04
Have TARDIS, will travel...
Come along K-9!
Join Calm Chaos

Houston, we have a problem... 8-(


I think these 2005 WUs are mostly no good... I'm crunching my 3Rd WU today; however, when looking at the graphics, there's no waterfall!!! (D'OH!!!)


15mr05aa.455.30658.148584.3.122_0


Depressed now,


=========================================

[EDIT:]

OK - I stand corrected... Finally at approx. 4% crunched, the Waterfall in the graphics showed up. The WU is still crunching...


Sincerely,

---

TimeLord04
Have TARDIS, will travel...
Come along K-9!
Join Calm Chaos

I have reverted to stock app version by renaming the app_info file and forcing a download. It worked perfectly.

Suggest those with the ability direct TBTB to investigate what it is about the app_info which is thoroughly throwing a spanner into the works.

Greg

---

Same here. Got my first two WU's on one of my computers since the big crash following these instructions.

Now the big question, what do we do with all the ghost WU's?

BigEfromLC
"Searching for intelligent life in Lake City FL for 23 years without success!

I have reverted to stock app version by renaming the app_info file and forcing a download. It worked perfectly.

Suggest those with the ability direct TBTB to investigate what it is about the app_info which is thoroughly throwing a spanner into the works.

Greg

---

Richard's recipe worked for me too and got two nice new shiny wu's - hooray. Then got the chicken running and fiddled with my cache. Requested more work and got none AND 4 ghosts - silly-billy.

---

Richard's recipe worked for me too and got two nice new shiny wu's - hooray. Then got the chicken running and fiddled with my cache. Requested more work and got none AND 4 ghosts - silly-billy.

I'm glad it worked for you. But you need to fiddle with the cache, and do all the work-fetching, while still in standard mode - only switch back to optimised when you've got enough work to keep you occupied.

I'm glad it worked for you. But you need to fiddle with the cache, and do all the work-fetching, while still in standard mode - only switch back to optimised when you've got enough work to keep you occupied.

Thanks, the reason for putting "silly-billy" was because I knew I'd boobed!

---

I have reverted to stock app version by renaming the app_info file and forcing a download. It worked perfectly.

Same here. I sure hope someone will find a cure for this anti-KWSN-flu.. ;)

Greetings,
Sander

---

Modified Instruction Set...
Disabling Optimized Application(s) for Dummies. (Like me... ;-D )


Step 1: Set ALL Projects to "No New Tasks" then Suspended ALL Projects.

Step 2: (Paranoid) - "Update"-ed ALL Projects.

Step 3: Exit BOINC.

Step 4: Copy "Projects Folder" and paste copy to Desktop - (Creating Backup)

Step 5: In original "Projects Folder" - Located "app_info.xml" in SETI Folder and renamed to "app_info-disabled.xml".

Step 6: Restart BOINC.

Step 7: Resumed SETI@Home, (still at "No New Tasks"), and hit "Update"; several times. (When "Succeeded" shows then go to Step 8; else, repeat "Update".)

Step 8: Set SETI@Home to "Allow New Tasks"; wait for ALL Transfers & 1St WU.


If remaining at Stock Application Skip to Step 13; else, to Resume Optimized App. go to Step 9.


Step 9: Set SETI@Home to "No New Tasks".

Step 10: "Suspend" SETI@Home and Exit BOINC.

Step 11: Rename the "app_info-disabled.xml" to "app_info.xml".

Step 12: Restart BOINC and set SETI@Home to "Allow New Tasks"

Step 13: Reset ALL other Projects to "Allow New Tasks", and "Resume" them.

Step 14: If all works as expected/planned; delete the "Backup Folder" on Desktop.


OK - For now, I'm choosing to remain where I'm at... I went from Step 8 to Step 13 in the Modified List, above. I will be waiting for Eric, Matt, and crew to finish debugging, repairing, and whatever else is going on to restabilize SETI@Home. All of my other Projects are "Resume"-ed.

Special thanks to Richard Haselgrove, (for the original Modification Instructions), and Zombie67 for all of the assistance they gave to all of us. 8-D


Sincerely,

---

TimeLord04
Have TARDIS, will travel...
Come along K-9!
Join Calm Chaos

And thanks to you as well TimeLord04 - it was your instructions I used with Richard's.

cheers

James

---