LHC@home

I have typically run Atlas tasks with Virtualbox in Windows earlier (under a different username), where it used to run well. Right now I have a few 64bit machines at my disposal on which I am planning to install Linux and was thinking of using the spare capacity to run Atlas tasks.

To test things out, on one of my machines, I have so far tried multiple combinations of OS+Virtualbox (Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Debian Jessie, Debian Strtech, Linux mint, etc. and 5.1 versions and 5.2 versions). Installed Boinc through the apt packages, as well as also through the downloads available at https://boinc.berkeley.edu/download_all.php

However, the Atlas server hasn't been sending me any tasks. To diagnose, I also checked some other projects which use Virtualbox and have been facing similar problems. Projects/applications not reliant on Virtualbox run fine.

It would be great if someone can share a Linux disk image with a working installation of Boinc+Virtualbox. Many thanks in advance.

If you could post the boinc log messages here, it would be much easier to figure out the problem. It sounds like boinc is not recognizing that virtualbox is installed.

Here two useful posts for getting the correct setup or to troubleshoot:

Yeti's checklist for VBox setups (make sure every single point is fullfilled):
https://lhcathome.cern.ch/lhcathome/forum_thread.php?id=4161&postid=29359#29359

If you have a Linux OS installed on your boinc PCs, you may consider running the native atlas app, which needs much less resources (RAM) and is more efficient, this post gives you a good overview:
https://lhcathome.cern.ch/lhcathome/forum_thread.php?id=4617&postid=34410#34410.

I was running open SuSE Leap 42.3 on my HP Linux laptop with VirtualBox installed by myself compiling the kernel modules when I got a message from SuSE that an update was available. I said yes and I found I had installed the Tumbleweed version which is a development version. BOINC was not working. So I used my other Linux box,still running Leap 42.3 and found that the new stable version is called Leap 15.0. I downloaded it, burned on a DVD and installed on the laptop. BOINC was installed as 7.8.3 and it works. Then I downloaded and installed VirtualBox 5.2.18 but LHC says that VirtualBox is not installed. I know,from previous experiences, that I must reboot the Linux HP so that LHC may see that VirtualBox is installed but it is now running Einstein@home, GPUGRID and SETI@Home. I write this also for any OpenSUSE user. Stay clear of Tumbleweed!
Tullio

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Yes Tullio,
Tumbleweed need something other than Leap 42.3 or less.
For example:
"Zypper dup" in Console to update the Linux!
Had some sixtrack running with Tumbleweed the last days.

I found that Leap 15.0 had reserved a partition,sda3, hosting Tumbleweed. But if I try to boot it it does not work. So I am keeping Leap 15.0 running, as long as BOINC works I am happy.
Tullio

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