I don't think you need to reboot. That should be it. I've tested it on one of my system and it works.

You do have to either reboot or logoff the system. /etc/environment is a system wide variable and is loaded for all users local or remote. So a logoff and login is mandatory at the least. Reboot to be sure.

I will be curious to see whether this works on anyone running a repository version of BOINC.

So I experimented and now have changed to SWAN_SYNC=1 on all my hosts. I ran overnight on the odd BOINC 7.8.3 host to make sure that it wasn't just the BOINC 7.4.44 that was able to use the SWAN_SYNC environment variable. I have the tasks now marked with SPIN synchronization too and the cpu_times equal the run_times so I used 100% of a cpu core to support the gpu task. Looks like I shaved 30-60 minutes of the typical PABLO task.

Did the tasks change w/in the past day or have you not been getting the 24hr bonus? All your tasks are worth 73k, 92k or 120k. I had mainly been getting 110k and 180k credit tasks. I was hoping to compare vs my 1070 running 2x tasks at once but want to make sure I compare proper task length.

None of the recently completed tasks with swan_sync were completed within 24 hours as GPUGrid is not my main project and only has a small resource assignment. Its too bad there is no work now to test the 24 hour bonus theory. I chewed up 3 of my normal 6 task cache overnight for the test but received no replacements. Today would have been the best day to test too since it is Outage Tuesday at Seti and I run out of Seti work in the first hour the project goes down which allows my backup projects like GPUGrid to make hay for the day.

I would appreciate those attempting the SWAN_SYNC=1 parameter in their environment file on repository versions of BOINC to report success or not. You can check if the parameter took or not with a

printenv SWAN_SYNC

in Terminal which should report a "1" if successful.

I also would like to hear which version people are using and reporting success or failure with.

So far all the positive reports are from two users using non-repository versions of BOINC.

OK merci beaucoup pour vos commentaires.
Je test pour vous dire si c'est bon.

OK thank you very much for your comments.
I test to tell you if it is good.

SWAN_SYNC=1
99% CORE CPU
GPU FAN Setting 60%
GPU load 60 to 90%
T° 77° to 82%

---

Alain, that was with repository BOINC version 7.9.3. Correct?

Keith Myers asked:

I would appreciate those attempting the SWAN_SYNC=1 parameter in their environment file on repository versions of BOINC to report success or not.

I am running Ubuntu 18.10 and BOINC 7.12.0 from the Ubuntu software installer.

I was able to get the SWAN_SYNC=1 set up in the environmental variables. When I request to printenv SWAN_SYNC, it answers back with a 1.

However, my GPU tasks are still running with Synchronization mode BLOCKING.

Did you logoff or reboot to enable the parameter to be read?
[Edit] Also any task started before the parameter was set already has the old BLOCKING parameter written into the header in the slot. So only tasks started after the parameter was set will have the new SPIN synchronization set in the stderr.txt output.

Now you can edit the environment file

Add the

"SWAN_SYNC=1"

Do I add this after PATH=bin:? And do quotations matter?

Just drop down to a new line below the PATH statement. And just put in SWAN_SYNC=1. No quotes. But is does have to be capitalized since Linux cares about upper/lower case in names.

Keith asked:

Did you logoff or reboot to enable the parameter to be read?
[Edit] Also any task started before the parameter was set already has the old BLOCKING parameter written into the header in the slot. So only tasks started after the parameter was set will have the new SPIN synchronization set in the stderr.txt output.

The PC was rebooted and the GPU tasks started after the reboot. You should be able to see my computers, the computer that I am testing is named Sledgehammer if you want to look.

Question for you, does the version of BOINC that you are using run under your id or the id of "boinc" or other? You probably know that the repository version of BOINC runs under the id of "boinc".

Keith asked:

Did you logoff or reboot to enable the parameter to be read?
[Edit] Also any task started before the parameter was set already has the old BLOCKING parameter written into the header in the slot. So only tasks started after the parameter was set will have the new SPIN synchronization set in the stderr.txt output.

The PC was rebooted and the GPU tasks started after the reboot. You should be able to see my computers, the computer that I am testing is named Sledgehammer if you want to look.

Question for you, does the version of BOINC that you are using run under your id or the id of "boinc" or other? You probably know that the repository version of BOINC runs under the id of "boinc".

I have no way of knowing what your internal name for your computers are. That is not exposed to anyone but you. You have to identify computers by their host ID for anyone other than you to figure out which is which in your hosts list.

My and Zalster's BOINC accounts are "owned" by us since they reside in the /home directory.

Alain however is using the standard repository version 7.9.3 and the owner would be the standard "boinc" user. He has reported success in using the swan_sync variable.

There might a version level that the parameter no longer works. So far, the highest level BOINC that is successful is 7.9.3. I hope others report their results of either failure or success with the version level.

I was afraid that our lower level BOINC versions were the reason for success and the fact they are owned by the user and not boinc. His result proves that is not the case.

So either your higher level of BOINC is the issue or their is something different in your system compared to the 3 successful cases so far.

.

So either your higher level of BOINC is the issue or their is something different in your system compared to the 3 successful cases so far.

I keep looking for Alain's results to see if it's working. The last one reported was done before he made the change so we wait to see what it says when his current 2 get done. Till then, we only know your and mine are working. Hopefully by tomorrow more people will have tried it and we will get a better idea.

Of course I have no proof, since PM's leave no record, but I'm positive he said his gpu is running at 100%, thus he has a full cpu feeding it.

I wont get a chance to try this solution for another 6 hours, but...

If you check host id: 153837 and 423329. (both belong to same user, [not me])

Both running Boinc client 7.8.3 and have been using SPIN since at least 21st October (possibly longer)

Alain, that was with repository BOINC version 7.9.3. Correct?

Yes 7.9.3 version.

---

Alain, that was with repository BOINC version 7.9.3. Correct?

Yes 7.9.3 version.

For Alain,

1 of 2 just returned. The time to complete is less than other work units but they aren't the same type so can't tell if there is really any improvement due to the addition of the SWAN_SYNC

Here's part of the stderr

# CUDA Synchronisation mode: BLOCKING
# SWAN Device 0 :
# Name : GeForce GTX 980 Ti
# ECC : Disabled
# Global mem : 6075MB
# Capability : 5.2
# PCI ID : 0000:42:00.0
# Device clock : 1076MHz
# Memory clock : 3505MHz
# Memory width : 384bit
# GPU [GeForce GTX 980 Ti] Platform [Linux] Rev [3212] VERSION [80]
# SWAN Device 0 :
# Name : GeForce GTX 980 Ti
# ECC : Disabled
# Global mem : 6075MB
# Capability : 5.2
# PCI ID : 0000:42:00.0
# Device clock : 1076MHz
# Memory clock : 3505MHz
# Memory width : 384bit
# Time per step (avg over 6560722 steps): 3.356 ms
# Approximate elapsed time for entire WU: 33555.639 s
# PERFORMANCE: 24566 Natoms 3.356 ns/day 0.000 ms/step 3.356 us/step/atom
06:41:38 (8543): called boinc_finish
# CUDA Synchronisation mode: BLOCKING
# SWAN Device 0 :

According to this, it wasn't picking up it up. Will have to wait for the other work unit to return to see if that one has it on there or not.

---

Hello, I followed the instructions and typed "printenv SWAN_SYNC" and it returned with 1. Below are my tasks from last night but it appears not to have synced the CPU time with the overall time. This computer's BOINC version is 7.6.31.

http://www.gpugrid.net/results.php?hostid=490728

Same thing here. printenv SWAN_SYNC returns a 1 now, but still showing Blocking on the WUs from overnight.

http://www.gpugrid.net//results.php?hostid=48715
(WUs completed on 31 Oct all started after SWAN_SYNC=1)

Boinc 7.9.3 from Linux Mint Software Manager.

(Thank you to Keith and Zalster for trying to figure this out.)

ALAIN's second work unit returned also with BLOCKING still in the stderr. So it is not picking up the SWAN_SYNC=1

Thanks to everyone who is reporting back with their results.

I think it maybe necessary to use the BOINC Manager version compiled by TBar at crunchers anonymous in order to get it to work properly.


http://www.arkayn.us/lunatics/BOINC-7.8.3.7z

The default of the BM is set to connect to Seti@home but you can always add GPUGrid as a project and then delete the Seti@home folder.

---

OK, yes I agree with Zalster's assessment now too. It looks like only the TBar BOINC versions is able to run with SWAN_SYNC=1 and have it applied to the tasks.

To add to just the link that Zalster posted, I thought the full post describing the steps necessary to run TBar's BOINC versions.

The Latest version of BOINC for Testing in Linux. You should check the Dependencies and Execute bits before running. This version should work in Ubuntu 12.04 and above by installing libwebkitgtk from the Package Manager, however, Mint users should probably use the repository version of BOINC .

This version has Fixed the BOINC Manager Tasks view problem that resulted in the view being focused on the bottom of the Tasks page, and Simple View works. If you have an existing BOINC folder in your Home folder expand the download to your Downloads folder, and Stop all boinc Apps. Open the download, Copy the files and Paste them into your existing BOINC folder in Home. Double click boincmgr to launch the Manager.

To expand the file in Linux you need to have 7zip installed, in the terminal;
To install 7zip run, sudo apt-get install p7zip
To install libwebkitgtk run, sudo apt-get install libwebkitgtk-1.0-0

I also have had to install libcurl3 for the boinc client along with the libwebkitgtk-1.0-0 for the Manager. I did discover that Ubuntu 18.10 has removed libcurl3 from the repository and the solution is to add the curl34 ppa repository and then install the libcurl4 library from that ppa which has both libcurl3 and libcurl4 libraries in the libcurl4 package.

A major benefit of these BOINC versions are that you simply unpack them to location of your choice like /home. The owner is then just you with full permissions to do whatever you want with any file.

Based on comments from others at SETI that have previously run the repository versions of BOINC, it is best to purge/autoremove the repository versions and reboot before installing the TBar versions to prevent old symbolic links from interfering.