boinc/doc/client.php

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<?
require_once("docutil.php");
page_head("Installing and running the BOINC client");
echo "
<ul>
<li><a href=#win>Instructions for the Windows client</a>
<li><a href=#cmdline>Instructions for the command-line client</a>
(Mac OS/X, Linus, Unix)
<li><a href=#mac>Additional instructions for Mac OS/X</a>
</ul>
<a name=win>
<h3>BOINC for Windows</h3>
<p>
Install BOINC by running the installer program.
<p>
The <b>BOINC work manager</b> program controls
the use of your computer's disk, network, and processor resources.
It is normally started at boot time.
It is represented by a icon in the system tray.
Double-click on the icon to open the work manager window.
Right-click on the icon to:
<ul>
<li> <b>Suspend</b>: stop work (computation and file transfer).
<li> <b>Run based on preferences</b>: do work
when your <a href=prefs.php>preferences</a> allow it.
<li> <b>Run always</b>: do work,
regardless of preferences.
<li> <b>Exit</b>: exit the work manager and all running BOINC applications.
No further work will take place until you run the work manager again.
<li> <b>Hide</b>: close the work manager window, but do not exit.
</ul>
<p>
When the icon is flashing,
there is an unread error message.
To view it, open the work manager window and go to the Messages tab.
<p>
The work manager window has several tabs:
<ul>
<li> <b>Projects</b>:
Shows the projects in which this computer is participating.
Right-click on a project name brings up a menu:
<ul>
<li> <b>Web site</b>: visit the project's web site.
<li> <b>Update</b>:
Connect to the project;
report all completed results,
get more work if necessary,
and get your latest <a href=prefs.php>preferences</a>.
<li> <b>Detach</b> from the project.
Your computer will stop working for the project.
<li> <b>Reset project</b>:
Stop the project's current work, if any,
and start from scratch.
Use this if BOINC has become stuck for some reason.
</ul>
<li> <b>Work</b>:
Shows the work units currently on your computer.
Each work unit is either
<ul>
<li>Downloading: input files are being downloaded.
<li>Ready to run:
An estimate of the total CPU time is shown.
<li>Running: currently running.
Elapsed CPU time and estimated percent done is shown.
<li>Uploading: output files are being uploaded.
<li>Ready to report: waiting to notify the scheduling server.
</ul>
Right-click on a work unit to:
<ul>
<li> <b>Show graphics</b>: open a window showing application graphics.
</ul>
<li> <b>Transfers</b>:
Shows file transfers (uploads and downloads).
These may be ready to start, in progress, and completed.
<li> <b>Messages</b>:
Shows status and error messages.
Messages can be sorted by project or time.
You can <a href=client_debug.php>control what messages are shown</a>.
Messages are also written to a file 'messages.txt'.
<li> <b>Disk</b>:
This shows how much disk space is available for use by BOINC,
and how much is currently being used by each project.
</ul>
The work manager's menu items are as follows:
<ul>
<li> <b>File</b>
<ul>
<li><b>Run always</b>, <b>Run based on preferences</b>,
<b>Suspend</b>: see above
<li><b>Run Benchmarks</b>:
run benchmark functions, which measure the speed of your processor.
BOINC does this automatically,
but you can repeat it whenever you want.
The results are shown in the Messages tab.
<li> <b>Hide</b>: close the work manager window.
This does not exit the work manager.
To do this, use the Exit command on the system tray icon menu.
</ul>
<li> <b>Settings</b>
<ul>
<li> <b>Attach to Project</b>:
Enroll this computer in a project.
You must have already created an account with the project.
You will be asked to enter the project's URL and your account ID.
<li> <b>Proxy Server</b>
If you connect to the web through an HTTP or SOCKS proxy,
use this dialog to enter its address and port.
</ul>
<li> <b>Help</b>
<ul>
<li> <b>About</b>: show work manage version number.
</ul>
</ul>
<p>
The text displayed by the work manager (menu names, etc.)
can be translated to languages other than English;
information about this is <a href=language.php>here</a>.
<p>
The <b>BOINC screensaver</b> can be selected using the Display Properties dialog.
The BOINC screensaver draws graphics from a running application,
if any is available.
Otherwise it draws the BOINC logo bouncing around the screen.
<hr>
<a name=cmdline>
<h3>The BOINC command-line client</h3>
<p>
Install the BOINC client by using gunzip to decompress the application.
Use 'chmod' to make it executable.
Put it in a directory by itself.
Run it manually, from your login script,
or from system startup files.
<p>
The command line client has several options:
";
list_start();
list_item("-attach_project",
"Attach this computer to a new project.
You must have an account with that project.
You will be asked for the project URL and the account ID."
);
list_item("-show_projects",
"Print a list of projects to which this computer is attached."
);
list_item("-detach_project URL",
"Detach this computer from a project."
);
list_item("-reset_project URL",
"Clear pending work for a project.
Use this if there is a problem that is preventing
your computer from working."
);
list_item("-update_prefs URL",
"Contact a project's server to obtain new preferences."
);
list_item("-run_cpu_benchmarks",
"Run CPU benchmarks.
Do this if you have modified your computer's hardware."
);
list_item("-help",
"Show client options."
);
list_item("-version",
"Show client version."
);
list_end();
echo"
<a name=mac>
<h3>Installing BOINC on Mac OS/X</h3>
<p>
The Mac OS X client will unpack correctly with gunzip on Mac OS X
10.2 (jaguar) or 10.3 (panther) as long as you type the command
within Terminal. Stuffit 7.x or newer will work under the Finder
in either OS X or OS 9, but I'd recommend using 'gunzip' or 'gzip -d'
within Terminal instead.
<p>
However, the two main browsers on OS X (IE 5.2.x and Safari 1.x) will
automatically unpack downloads by default, so your work may already
be done.
<p>
If you use IE, the boinc client will download and automatically unpack
leaving two files:
<ol>
<li>
boinc_2.12_powerpc-apple-darwin
[this will have the stuffit icon in the finder]
<li>
boinc_2.12_powerpc-apple-darwin7.0.0
[this will not have any icon in the finder]
</ol>
<p>
#2 is the unpacked program ready-to-run. You can just start Terminal
and run boinc.
<p>
If you use Safari, the boinc client will download and automatically
unpack, leaving a single file:
<ul>
<li>
boinc_2.12_powerpc-apple-darwin7.0.0
[this will not have any icon in the finder]
</ul>
This is the unpacked program, but it's not yet ready-to-run (this is
a bug with how Safari handles gzipped downloads; we'll fix this soon).
<p>
Here's what you have to do to fix the Safari download (apologies if
you already know how to do this):
<ul>
<li> Create a folder in your home directory and put the boinc
file in it
<li> Start Terminal
<li> 'cd' to the folder you just created
<li> Type 'chmod +x boinc_2.12_powerpc-apple-darwin7.0.0'
(without the quotes)
</ul>
Now you can run BOINC.
";
page_tail();
?>