BOINC applications, and the BOINC core client, are native-mode programs, so
different versions are required for each platform (a 'platform' is the
combination of an operating system and a processor type: e.g.,
Linux/IntelX86).
BOINC-based projects compile program versions for common platforms
(Windows/Intel, Linux/Intel, Mac OS/X. etc.), and place them on its servers.
A participant downloads the core client for his platform (assuming that
platform is supported by the project). When the core client requests work
from the project's scheduling server, the client tells the server its
platform, and the server instructs it to download the appropriate
executables.
This addresses the needs of most BOINC participants, but it's inadequate if:
-
your computers have platforms not supported by the project;
-
for security reasons, you want to only run executables you have compiled
yourself;
-
you want to optimize applications for particular architectures.
To handle these cases, BOINC lets you compile programs yourself rather than
downloading them from the project. Here's how it works:
-
Download the source code for the BOINC core
client and the project's applications, and compile them on your computer
(instructions for compiling the core client are here). Steffen M&omul;ller has made Debian
packages. Or download executables from a server of your choosing.
-
Run the core client and attach to the project. This will create a
'project directory' (whose name is the project URL) in the BOINC
directory. Exit the client.
-
Create a file app_info.xml in the project directory. This file
lists the applications you have compiled or downloaded. It has the
following form:
".html_text("
setiathome
setiathome_4.07_windows_intelx86.exe
setiathome
407
setiathome_4.07_windows_intelx86.exe
")."
In the example XML file, 407 is the (major + minor/100).
-
Run the core client again. When it requests work from the scheduling
server, it will report its platform as 'anonymous', and provides a list of
the applications it has. The server then sends whatever work is available
for those applications.
This model is possible only with projects that make their application source
code available.
You may want to check out the following email lists (e.g. the port may
already exist):
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