Welcome to MilkyWay@home

Need some guidance on app_info.xml

Message boards : Number crunching : Need some guidance on app_info.xml
Message board moderation

To post messages, you must log in.

AuthorMessage
curiously_indifferent

Send message
Joined: 15 Dec 09
Posts: 8
Credit: 171,824,626
RAC: 7,119
Message 34559 - Posted: 15 Dec 2009, 23:10:58 UTC

I just attached to Milky Way in order to put my ATI Radeon HD 4850 to use.

Since my CPU is bogged down with other BONIC projects, I intend to run MW on the GPU only. Here is my issue:

My version of Bonic (6.10.18) recognizes the GPU which is good. In fact, it regularly requests GPU work from CPDN, SETI, Cosmology, WCG and MW. I understand that only MW will currently support ATI GPU's.

I also understand that this support is not native to MW, so an app must be downloaded.

Per this thread: http://milkyway.cs.rpi.edu/milkyway/forum_thread.php?id=1297

I downloaded the zip file Win64_0.20b_ati and unzipped it into C:\ProgramData\BOINC\projects\milkyway.cs.rpi.edu_milkyway

I read the readme file and then opened up app_info.xml - after opening it, I realized I would not be able to fix it since it did not seem to have any correlation to the readme file. My app_info.xml looks like this:

milkyway astronomy_0.20b_ATI_x64_ati.exe brook64.dll milkyway 20 1.0e11 0.05 1 ATI 1 astronomy_0.20b_ATI_x64_ati.exe brook64.dll

I am sure I am doing something stupid, so any help to set me straight would be greatly appreciated. Maybe a copy of a working app_info.xml?
ID: 34559 · Rating: 0 · rate: Rate + / Rate - Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Profile David Glogau*
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 12 Aug 09
Posts: 172
Credit: 645,240,165
RAC: 0
Message 34560 - Posted: 15 Dec 2009, 23:15:35 UTC - in response to Message 34559.  

Mine looks like this:

- <app_info>
- <app>
<name>milkyway</name>
</app>
- <file_info>
<name>astronomy_0.20b_ATI_x64_amd.exe</name>
<executable />
</file_info>
- <file_info>
<name>brook64.dll</name>
<executable />
</file_info>
- <app_version>
<app_name>milkyway</app_name>
<version_num>20</version_num>
<flops>1.0e11</flops>
<avg_ncpus>0.05</avg_ncpus>
<max_ncpus>1</max_ncpus>
- <coproc>
<type>ATI</type>
<count>1</count>
</coproc>
<cmdline />
- <file_ref>
<file_name>astronomy_0.20b_ATI_x64_amd.exe</file_name>
<main_program />
</file_ref>
- <file_ref>
<file_name>brook64.dll</file_name>
</file_ref>
</app_version>
</app_info>
ID: 34560 · Rating: 0 · rate: Rate + / Rate - Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Profile Cori
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 27 Aug 07
Posts: 647
Credit: 27,592,547
RAC: 0
Message 34562 - Posted: 15 Dec 2009, 23:17:10 UTC - in response to Message 34559.  

Just wanted to post the same as David. ;-)

PS. A working app_info.xml should be included in the zip IMHO, at least it was in the ones I've been downloading until now. *smiles*
Lovely greetings, Cori
ID: 34562 · Rating: 0 · rate: Rate + / Rate - Report as offensive     Reply Quote
curiously_indifferent

Send message
Joined: 15 Dec 09
Posts: 8
Credit: 171,824,626
RAC: 7,119
Message 34564 - Posted: 15 Dec 2009, 23:47:13 UTC - in response to Message 34560.  

Thanks. But I must be doing something else wrong - I can't modify the .xml file to make changes.

Any thoughts on what else I am doing wrong?
ID: 34564 · Rating: 0 · rate: Rate + / Rate - Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Profile arkayn
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 14 Feb 09
Posts: 999
Credit: 74,932,619
RAC: 0
Message 34565 - Posted: 16 Dec 2009, 0:34:43 UTC - in response to Message 34564.  
Last modified: 16 Dec 2009, 0:37:22 UTC

On my computer where the the original is stored I see this if I open the app_info..

<app_info>
 <app>
 <name>milkyway</name>
 </app>
 <file_info>
  <name>astronomy_0.20b_ATI_x64_ati.exe</name>
  <executable/>
 </file_info>
 <file_info>
  <name>brook64.dll</name>
  <executable/>
 </file_info>

 <app_version>
  <app_name>milkyway</app_name>
  <version_num>20</version_num>
    <flops>1.0e11</flops>
    <avg_ncpus>0.05</avg_ncpus>
    <max_ncpus>1</max_ncpus>
    <coproc>
      <type>ATI</type>
      <count>0.5</count>
    </coproc>
    <cmdline></cmdline>
  <file_ref>
   <file_name>astronomy_0.20b_ATI_x64_ati.exe</file_name>
   <main_program/>
  </file_ref>
  <file_ref>
   <file_name>brook64.dll</file_name>
  </file_ref>
 </app_version>

</app_info>


I made a slight correction to it as I run 2 units concurrently.

Make sure you are opening the file with Notepad and not IE like David did.
ID: 34565 · Rating: 0 · rate: Rate + / Rate - Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Profile Gary Roberts

Send message
Joined: 1 Mar 09
Posts: 56
Credit: 1,984,937,499
RAC: 0
Message 34567 - Posted: 16 Dec 2009, 0:44:56 UTC - in response to Message 34559.  

I read the readme file and then opened up app_info.xml - after opening it, I realized I would not be able to fix it since it did not seem to have any correlation to the readme file.


I'm only guessing but I think your problem is the opening of app_info.xml by something (like a browser for example) that is actually interpreting the xml code rather than simply allowing you to edit it. There is no real need to edit the app_info.xml file anyway - what is in the archive will work 'as is'. But if you really insist, then you must open it with a simple text editor like Windows Notepad which will treat it as straight text. I don't believe you have done this.

David's example (which hopefully he didn't save otherwise it would be stuffed) shows evidence of being opened with a browser - look at the minus signs which shouldn't be there.

You actually have a CPU crunched task in your list of tasks. If you have a correct app_info.xml in place which specifies the GPU for crunching, that shouldn't happen. Did you stop BOINC, insert the files from the archive and then restart BOINC? Did you see messages on startup to the effect, "...found app_info.xml ... using anonymous platform "? You really need to look for these messages as an assurance that everything is going as intended.

Your easiest way to solve the problem is probably to stop BOINC and replace just the files you placed in the MW project folder from the zip archive that might be contaminated - the app_info.xml for example. Get a fresh unedited copy from the zip archive. Then try launching BOINC and look for the messages that say that anonymous platform for MW is being used. You should then get GPU tasks and one should start crunching.

Then you can come back and ask questions if you want to make the crunching a bit more efficient.

You do have appropriate catalyst drivers installed, I presume?

Cheers,
Gary.
ID: 34567 · Rating: 0 · rate: Rate + / Rate - Report as offensive     Reply Quote
curiously_indifferent

Send message
Joined: 15 Dec 09
Posts: 8
Credit: 171,824,626
RAC: 7,119
Message 34574 - Posted: 16 Dec 2009, 2:42:13 UTC - in response to Message 34567.  

Thank you! You are correct - I was opening app_info.xml in Safari. (I was right to assume I was doing something stupid.) After deleting the corrupted files and replacing them with new files, MW now downloads (and runs) GPU based programs.

The GPU blows through these programs. It is loaded between 88% and 92% with one program running. The temperature under this load is between 90C and 92C with the fan spinning at about 8500 RPM - with 8 cores running, and a 'normal' Bonic program (no GPU,) the fan speed is about 2500 RPM. It is a touch loud...

I guess I will find out good the onboard Thermal Management is.
ID: 34574 · Rating: 0 · rate: Rate + / Rate - Report as offensive     Reply Quote

Message boards : Number crunching : Need some guidance on app_info.xml

©2024 Astroinformatics Group