'I've got no verbose output scrolls'

(Running boinc in the background with verbose output going to a log file)
(Boinc will not exit when closing terminal)

./boinc > /path/to/boinc/directory/log &

(You can then use the tail command to monitor the log file)

tail -f /path/to/boinc/directory/log

(Running boinc in terminal with verbose output)
(Boinc will exit when closing terminal)

./boinc


Running boinc from the command line does require a basic understanding of UNIX. Please understand all 'flavors' of UNIX systems are different and usually configured differently, which is probably why there is so little documentation. If you stick with it, I'm sure you could figure it out.

You can setup seti to allocate a number of CPUs you wan't to let run it.
For example, you have 8 CPUs, and setup seti to let run only on 4 CPUs.
Now your system is to 50 % busy. And the Unix scheduler schedule your application processes and the 4 seti processes between the 8 CPUs.
So you have a CPU controll and there is no need for a CPU binding.

On my Mac desktop at home however, I don't run it as a background process, I literally plug it into a shell on my desktop and watch it tick by. When I need the extra cpu power for other stuff I simply ctl-c and restart it all later when I'm done. So running as a daemon here is out of the question.

There shouldn't be any need to quit BOINC if you're doing something CPU-intensive, as BOINC processes run at a low priority (they're "nice" in Unix terms). They will step out of the way to let higher-priority tasks run. If you have your processor performance set to "Automatic", they will run at reduced performance.

The only time you would need to quit BOINC is if you have other "nice" processes running, and you don't want to slow them down.

'I've got no verbose output scrolls'

(Running boinc in the background with verbose output going to a log file)
(Boinc will not exit when closing terminal)

./boinc > /path/to/boinc/directory/log &

(You can then use the tail command to monitor the log file)

tail -f /path/to/boinc/directory/log

(Running boinc in terminal with verbose output)
(Boinc will exit when closing terminal)

./boinc


Running boinc from the command line does require a basic understanding of UNIX. Please understand all 'flavors' of UNIX systems are different and usually configured differently, which is probably why there is so little documentation. If you stick with it, I'm sure you could figure it out.

The screensaver is not BOINC. The screensaver is not SETI. The screensaver is unrelated to the GUI. You can run BOINC without SETI, you can run SETI without the screensaver. You can run any of them with the GUI (BOINC Manager), you can run any of them via the command line.

I eventually unloaded the 3d gui boinc just because it was too much load

The only "3D" thing in SETI/BOINC is the screensaver. Which AGAIN, has NOTHING to do with the command line or the BOINC Manager GUI. If you want to run the command line version, fine, but you could STILL run the screensaver, even with it!

IF you choose to run the command line ONLY, then you must use the account key, and put up with all the other Unix-Terminal-typing issues. I really, really doubt you're going to find much help on these boards, as you'll be one of a very few (if any) people doing this. If you are running BOINC on other Unix machines, then in general, the commands for the Mac CLI should be the same.

I repeat however - If you would forget about the "blanker" issues for a bit, we would be more than happy to help you get BOINC Manager, the "GUI" version, running on _any_ Mac you have, with any number of monitors. Once you have done that, _then_, if you don't want to have the Manager running, you don't have to - you can start BOINC from the command line, and I can tell you how to do it. If you refuse to do it this way, if you want to do it ALL from the command line, from the beginning, then all _I_ can tell you is good luck, as I don't even know anyone who has ever done it that way.

The screensaver is not BOINC. The screensaver is not SETI. The screensaver is unrelated to the GUI. You can run BOINC without SETI, you can run SETI without the screensaver. You can run any of them with the GUI (BOINC Manager), you can run any of them via the command line.

I eventually unloaded the 3d gui boinc just because it was too much load

The only "3D" thing in SETI/BOINC is the screensaver. Which AGAIN, has NOTHING to do with the command line or the BOINC Manager GUI. If you want to run the command line version, fine, but you could STILL run the screensaver, even with it!

IF you choose to run the command line ONLY, then you must use the account key, and put up with all the other Unix-Terminal-typing issues. I really, really doubt you're going to find much help on these boards, as you'll be one of a very few (if any) people doing this. If you are running BOINC on other Unix machines, then in general, the commands for the Mac CLI should be the same.

I repeat however - If you would forget about the "blanker" issues for a bit, we would be more than happy to help you get BOINC Manager, the "GUI" version, running on _any_ Mac you have, with any number of monitors. Once you have done that, _then_, if you don't want to have the Manager running, you don't have to - you can start BOINC from the command line, and I can tell you how to do it. If you refuse to do it this way, if you want to do it ALL from the command line, from the beginning, then all _I_ can tell you is good luck, as I don't even know anyone who has ever done it that way.

I'll be honest and say that I don't have enough Unix knowledge to even _begin_ to try to use the CLI... but I don't know why the GUI version isn't working for you, and I think it'd be a lot easier to just solve _that_ problem!

I ran multiple monitors for years, since the SE/30 in fact; unfortunately, my current home Mac is a Mini, so I can't replicate your problem. Does it occur only when the screensaver runs, or also when you select "Show graphics" from the work tab? If the bug is in the screensaver, that's certainly an easy fix - don't use the screensaver!

To me, the GUI provides a million advantages over the CLI. I would try _every_ other option before deciding the CLI is the way to go.

Boinc had/has today problem with the up- and downloads. Could be the cause that you can not attach to the project.

Normaly your method to attach is right. The parameters you specify are different like the rest of the unixes, don't know why. On the Unixes it is "boinc_client -attach_project $PROJECT_URL $ACCOUNT_KEY".
Have you added the account key behind "boinc --project_attach http://setiathome.berkeley.edu" ?

It should also be posible to start the commandline client from a startup script. You find here some samples : http://boinc.berkeley.edu/bare_core.php.