BoincRemote

This directory contains two programs:

• boinc_remote_deploy.sh: deploy/configure BOINC on a remote headless machine.
• boinc_tasktop.py: terminal dashboard (htop-style) for BOINC task monitoring.

boinc_remote_deploy.sh

What it does

The deployment script connects to a remote server over SSH and:

1. Installs boinc-client (unless --no-install is used).
2. Checks NVIDIA/CUDA dependencies (apt systems):
   • installs nvidia-cuda-toolkit if missing.
   • attempts to install an NVIDIA open driver package when GPU exists but is not visible.
3. For new project attachments, assigns a random two-word host label (MagicDNS-style CamelCase).
4. Attaches BOINC to a project (default: PrimeGrid) using a weak account key.
5. Writes app_config.xml to:
   • /var/lib/boinc-client/projects/<project-host>/app_config.xml
6. Restarts boinc-client.

Usage

./boinc_remote_deploy.sh --host user@server --ssh-key /path/to/private_key [options]

Required arguments

Argument	Description
--host, -H	Remote host in SSH form (example: root@203.0.113.10).
--ssh-key, -i	SSH private key path used for remote access.

Optional arguments

Argument	Default	Description
--weak-key, -k	prompt	BOINC project weak account key.
--project-url, -p	https://www.primegrid.com/	BOINC project URL to attach.
--ssh-port, -P	22	SSH port for remote host.
--no-install	off	Skip package installs (boinc-client and GPU dependencies).
--help, -h	n/a	Show help.

Examples

Deploy to PrimeGrid on a custom SSH port:

./boinc_remote_deploy.sh \
  --host root@203.0.113.10 \
  --ssh-port 2222 \
  --ssh-key /home/youruser/.ssh/id_rsa \
  --weak-key "YOUR_WEAK_KEY"

Run config/attach only (skip package installation):

./boinc_remote_deploy.sh \
  --host root@203.0.113.10 \
  --ssh-port 2222 \
  --ssh-key /home/youruser/.ssh/id_rsa \
  --weak-key "YOUR_WEAK_KEY" \
  --no-install

Notes

• If GPU driver packages are changed, script may print:
  • NVIDIA dependencies were installed/updated. Reboot this host to finalize GPU availability.
• The script uses non-interactive SSH (BatchMode=yes), so key-based auth must already work.

boinc_tasktop.py

What it does

boinc_tasktop.py is a terminal dashboard for BOINC tasks. It parses boinccmd --get_tasks output and shows:

• task counts (running/total)
• per-task state
• per-task resource usage (CPU/GPU)
• fraction done and ETA
• aggregate running CPU/GPU totals

Usage

Interactive dashboard:

./boinc_tasktop.py [options]

One-shot snapshot (prints once, exits):

./boinc_tasktop.py --once [options]

Arguments

Argument	Default	Description
--boinccmd	boinccmd	Command used to run BOINC CLI. Can be a wrapped command string (including SSH).
--interval	2.0	Refresh interval in seconds (>= 0.5).
--all	off	Start in all-tasks mode (default is running tasks only).
--once	off	Print one snapshot and exit.
--no-sudo-fallback	off	Disable fallback command sudo -n -u boinc boinccmd --get_tasks.

Interactive keys

Key	Action
q	Quit
a	Toggle running-only / all tasks
r	Refresh immediately
+ / -	Increase/decrease refresh interval
Arrow Up/Down or k/j	Scroll
PageUp/PageDown	Scroll faster

Examples

Run locally on a host where boinccmd is available:

./boinc_tasktop.py

Query remote BOINC over SSH from local machine:

./boinc_tasktop.py --once --all \
  --boinccmd "ssh -o BatchMode=yes -o ConnectTimeout=20 -o IdentitiesOnly=yes -i /home/youruser/.ssh/id_rsa -p 2222 root@203.0.113.10 boinccmd"