How to start BOINC from command line

[jave808]

Hi all

I'm trying to write some very simple scripts for starting/stopping boinc.

To stop, I have

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boinccmd --quit
This kills all the WUs and leaves boincmgr open.

How do I do the same thing but in reverse, ie to start all WUs that were processing previously?  boincmgr is still open.

[Dingo]

I do not use commands in Windows just BoincTasks that does all that on one or many computers.

If you want scripts to stop and start BOINC on Linux or Raspberry Pi I can help you out.

[jave808]

I do not use commands in Windows just BoincTasks that does all that on one or many computers.

If you want scripts to stop and start BOINC on Linux or Raspberry Pi I can help you out.

Yes please Dingo. I'm running Linux Mint 20.2 (based on Ubuntu).

[Dingo]

There is a script for starting and stopping BOINC in the directory BOINC is loaded into.  On Ubuntu it is /usr/bin and the script is called boinc-client   I do not use that one I created a simple script to start and stop BOINC and allow remote gui.  This script is put into the /etc/init.d folder.

get to a root prompt by either logging in as root or using sudo -i

nano /etc/init.d/boinc

insert the following into the file and change the location of boinc if needed

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# BOINC start/stop
#
if [ $1 == start ];then
cd /usr/bin
./boinc --daemon --allow_remote_gui_rpc
echo "Starting BOINC"
fi
if [ $1 == stop ];then
   pkill boinc
echo "Stopping BOINC"
fi


Make the file executable 

chmod 755 /etc/init.d/boinc

To stop and start BOINC the commands are.
/etc/init.d/boinc start
/etc/init.d/boinc stop

Update the system to recognise the script

update-rc.d boinc defaults

if you want to use your own password on BOINC, it makes it easier on BoincTasks etc.

nano /etc/boinc-client/gui_rpc_auth.cfg   ---->   insert the password
nano /usr/bin/gui_rpc_auth.cfg            ---->   insert the password

I have gone a bit further and made sure that BOINC starts at boot time or in the case of a reboot.

This time login as a user NOT ROOT and do the following exactly.

sudo crontab -e              // for info stored in /var/spool/cron/crontabs folder under root
   select #1  nano
           Add a line at the end of the file that reads like this:
         @reboot bash /home/user that was logged in that made the script/myscript.sh
         
  save and exit  Ctl+x  Y   enter

nano myscript.sh   ////  DO NOT USE SUDO****

add the following lines to the script.

#!/bin/bash
#
# Script to run at startup to start BOINC on Raspberry Pi4 / Ubuntu
#

/etc/init.d/boinc stop
/etc/init.d/boinc stop
/etc/init.d/boinc start
# -------------------------------------------

save the script then run

   sudo chmod a+x myscript.sh

 
Make another file

   sudo nano /etc/xdg/autostart/myapp.desktop

insert this line with no space in front of command or at the end.

Exec=lxterminal --command"/bin/bash -c 'sh myscript.sh; /bin/bash'" 

save and exit

That's it it should start BOINC on startup.

Give it a try with sudo reboot

[jave808]

Thanks Dingo. A few questions....

1. Does the boinc script you create have to be in init.d?  Can I place it in /home/jave/bin which is in my path variable?

2. Not sure I need the 2nd part of your post to start boinc. It starts crunching away from power up/reboot as it is a service?

3. I remember either you or someone else telling me how to connect the running boinc tasks to boincmgr on bootup?  I have to manually connect it now via "New Boinc Manager window" and enter "localhost".  It was working fine before I screwed it up.

[Dingo]

Thanks Dingo. A few questions....

1. Does the boinc script you create have to be in init.d?  Can I place it in /home/jave/bin which is in my path variable?

If your tasks start at boot then you do not need this script.  there is probably a script called boinc-client in /etc/init.d that is starting BOINC. If that script is there you should be able to run /etc/init.d/boinc-client start or /etc/init.d/boinc-client stop

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root@dingo3:~# /etc/init.d/boinc-client stop
Stopping boinc-client (via systemctl): boinc-client.service.
root@dingo3:~# /etc/init.d/boinc-client start
Starting boinc-client (via systemctl): boinc-client.service.


2. Not sure I need the 2nd part of your post to start boinc. It starts crunching away from power up/reboot as it is a service?

3. I remember either you or someone else telling me how to connect the running boinc tasks to boincmgr on bootup?  I have to manually connect it now via "New Boinc Manager window" and enter "localhost".  It was working fine before I screwed it up.

I don't use boincmgr I use BoincTasks and you can control all your machines as I have Linux servers that do not have a GUI. That is also why I change the password from the large hexadecimal one that BOINC uses.


In the second script i said to insert into crontab the following

@reboot bash /home/pi/myscript.sh

it should be

@reboot bash /home/user that was logged in that made the script/myscript.sh