Ubuntu 9.10 Help getting GPU crunching!

[LoneWolf_53]

I've switched my main crunchers to Ubuntu 9.10 64bit and I've managed to get BOINC going but the version in Synaptic doesn't seem to do GPU crunching.

Anyone able to direct me as to what I need to do to get these GPU's working again?

Be forewarned I don't know my way around Linux very well at all.

Also I'm curious to know whether Linux is not quite as efficient at cranking out work units as Win7 is?

I seem to see an overall decline in output since switching to Linux.  :(

[Rob]

Anyone able to direct me as to what I need to do to get these GPU's working again?

You should be able to download the latest version from Berkely then Install it in some easily accessible  folder. Then remove the boinc, boinccmd, & boincmgr files from /usr/bin (this is the synaptic install) I usually move the files to a safe location for backup. Then replace those files with the same files from the new install. Then you also have to copy the file libcudat ? or something like that, I can't remember, to a folder that I also can't remember  :blush1:

Having said that I still haven't have much success with GPU crunching in Linux  :cry2:

Also I'm curious to know whether Linux is not quite as efficient at cranking out work units as Win7 is?

I seem to see an overall decline in output since switching to Linux.  Sad

It's possible that one of several programs are throttling your cpu. Search in Synaptic for powrnowd I think it's called and remove it. There's also one or two others that can slow things down but again my memory fails me :blush1:

[kashi]

Are you talking about Collatz CUDA when you are referring to Linux GPU? You know you have to download and manually install the Collatz Linux CUDA app I suppose, it is not downloaded automatically like in Windows. Linux CUDA app is found in the Optimized Applications link on the Collatz home page.

MilkyWay has an automatically downloaded CUDA app for Linux 64-bit though.

I can't advise which are the best NVIDIA drivers to use for Collatz Linux CUDA, if you have trouble perhaps someone on the Collatz forum may be able to advise you.

There were some talk there last year about slow performance with CUDA on Ubuntu and one of the Collatz developers suggested that Ubuntu was not a good Linux distrubution for CUDA and contributors should use another Linux distro or compile ther own kernel. forum thread

He also said "WU times are the same as on Windows. However, since you're running ubuntu, you need to create a file called cc_config.xml in your boinc directory and add the following content to it:

<cc_config>
<options>
<no_priority_change>1</no_priority_change>
</options>
</cc_config>


Otherwise the time to crunch a WU will increase dramatically." forum thread

Don't know if any of that is still the case.

There is no Linux MilkyWay ATI app that is why I switched to Windows, so because I have no Linux or NVIDIA installed I can't test anything for you.

[LoneWolf_53]

Appreciate the help guys.

When I go to  the BOINC download site I see a Linux 64 bit version so I downloaded it.

It comes in the form of a .sh file so how do I open that to get at the files I need to replace in usr/bin ?

[kashi]

Not sure, but http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/forum_thread.php?id=35636 describes how to install BOINC in Linux from a .sh file. Perhaps that would help.

[daveandton]

If you go to the GetDEb website it has the latest version of boinc . It will download it without you having to know how to unpack and install files
Dave

[Vajras]

 Another method - Installing BOINC 6.10.17
**** the links will show you the dependencies needed if you get into strife/haven't got 'em

[LoneWolf_53]

Thank you kindly I shall explore these suggestions.   

[LoneWolf_53]

Alright mates I have the latest BOINC now installed and running on this PC.

Now I need to install CUDA and the latest NVidia drivers which I have downloaded to my Desktop.

I have been trying to follow this tutorial......... http://moelhave.dk/2009/12/nvidia-cuda-on-ubuntu-karmic-koala/   but my dilemma is I have the files on my Desktop, I've made it to the #2 step that says to stop the gdm service but the #3 step is not working for me when I type in the text shown in the how-to?????   I need to know how to run that driver file that I put on the Desktop from the virtual terminal??

[Dingo]

Did you put in the $, I think the command is just

Code Select Expand

sudo service gdm stop If this does not work what does the error say??

[LoneWolf_53]

Did you put in the $, I think the command is just

Code Select Expand

sudo service gdm stop If this does not work what does the error say??

I entered it without the $ and I think that part executed as after entering the command I got  a "gdm service stop/waiting" message

It's the next command which I entered as "sudo cudadriver_2.3_linux_64_190.18.run"   (except I put in the exact name of my file which is newer) that gave me a no such command error.

[Dingo]

Were you in the folder that contained to file that you are trying to run.  on the command line you may need to do a cd to get to the folder that you loaded the file to.So if you saved the files to /home/username then change to that folder on the command line by type

Code Select Expand

cd /home/username and then run the command in the doco.

Just grasping at straws but that has tricked me before

[Vajras]

start typing after the '$' - the blinking curser becomes the first character, or the last if you 'backspace'.

You can also see what your previous commands were using the keyboard 'arrow keys'  - UP = scroll back last command - DOWN = scroll forward

Here are two good posts to help you put the right 'cd' in  

Ubuntu Terminal Commands - many references

a linux command line reference for common operations

[LoneWolf_53]

OK unless I'm understanding something incorrectly I downloaded the files the tutorial indicates though the CUDA version is now 3.0 so my file has a different name than the tutorial.   In the tutorial after stopping gdm service the next command simply looks to me like sudo and the exact name of the file.

I did as directed and closed X then opened a virtual terminal and logged myself in.   I changed the directory to "Desktop" as that's where I put the file and then I entered   "sudo devdriver_3.0_linux_64_195.36.15.run" and tried to make it run by hitting enter key.
I then got a message that said  "command not found".

Since I'm supposedly trying to install this driver is there not some other command I need to use as well besides just sudo and the file name or is that supposed to be taken care of by the .run extension?

for what it's worth I tried it by changing directory to Desktop and I also tried it just the way shown without directory change and got same result.

Really beginning to bug me that two cards are down until I figure this out.  :(

Definitely something to be said for the old windows double click on a file to install it method.  LOL

[LoneWolf_53]

Try googling the sh command in linux/unix.  I seem to remember that is how I loaded my nvidia drivers a while ago before I gave up and went back to win 7.
sudo sh devdriver_3.0_linux_64_195.36.15.run

If it blows up it was John Howard's fault

Thank you that was what was missing in the instructions.

I added sh in front of the file name and it installed.


ETA:  I've played around with drivers to where I'm extremely frustrated and no matter what can't get Collatz to run on my Linux box GPU's.

I finally gave up and tried GPUgrid and it works so at least my cards are crunching again for the cause.   Odd too because GPUgrid was one that I couldn't get to run stable in the windows environment yet so far it looks fine on Linux Ubuntu 9.10
I've got plenty of Collatz points anyway so I suppose a change in focus isn't all bad plus GPUgrid is more to my liking anyway.


Thank you very much for all the tips folks it helped point me in the right direction.