Make Boinc project list update automatically.

[hucker75]

Describe the problem

The project list to join a new project in Boinc is out of date - at the moment, CPDN is wrong, it should be https://main.cpdn.org

Describe the solution you'd like

Please have this list update automatically.

Additional context

No response

[AenBleidd]

This should not be updated automatically, since projects to this list are added manually, and usually their addresses are not changed to often.
Also, having this updated automatically without proper validation might lead to security issues.
@davidpanderson, could you please check and update the URL of CPDN in the project list?

[hucker75]

@AenBleidd So when someone adds a project manually, is this pushed out to Boinc clients, or do we have to wait for the next client update?

@davidpanderson Check CPDN thoroughly, they are having server problems and things may be temporary. I had to add the project using https://main.cpdn.org/ but it then corrected itself back to the one I couldn't use to add it:

Master URL changed from https://main.cpdn.org/ to https://climateprediction.net/

Discussion including Glenn Carver and Dave Jackson at the project here: https://main.cpdn.org/forum_thread.php?id=9339

[AenBleidd]

So when someone adds a project manually, is this pushed out to Boinc clients, or do we have to wait for the next client update?

BOINC client does automatic update of the project list every two weeks.

[hucker75]

So when someone adds a project manually, is this pushed out to Boinc clients, or do we have to wait for the next client update?

BOINC client does automatic update of the project list every two weeks.

Then I'm not sure what you were saying would be a security issue earlier. It seems you are already doing what I wanted (albeit not that often).

[AenBleidd]

Then I'm not sure what you were saying would be a security issue earlier. It seems you are already doing what I wanted (albeit not that often).

I thought you were talking about automatic update of the list on the server when any of the projects has their URL updated.
Sorry, I got your message wrong.

[gdcarver]

I think this is related to the earlier attempt at climateprediction.net to 'rebadge' to cpdn.org. It failed for a number of reasons too long to get into here. Andy Bowery @ CPDN has had conversations with David A about this already.

I have raised the issue of https://climateprediction.net/ not allowing new users to connect, whereas main.cpdn.org does. My understanding was that redirects were in place to handle this but Andy will look into it.

Maybe the confusion is the client gets the list from the server, but the server still has climateprediction.net and not main.cpdn.org. Changing to main.cpdn.org did not work because of issues at the Oxford end (it all got very complicated TBH). This is something for Andy@Oxford to deal with in conversation with David etc.

And, to correct hucker75, there are no server issues at Oxford. I'm not sure what that is referring to.

[hucker75]

I'm confused, are you moving to cpdn.org or not? First you say the rebadge failed, then you talk about "still has climateprediciton.net" as though it's the old one.

The issues at Oxford I was referring to are when you said in the CPDN forum, "There were issues with the servers going down - I think some upgrade work at Oxford."

[gdcarver]

I refer you to this forum post in the News section which you must have missed:
https://main.cpdn.org/forum_thread.php?id=9315&postid=71481#71481

[hucker75]

That doesn't explain fully what's happening. At the moment we have cpdn and climateprediction and boinc doesn't know what's going on. Please unconfuse my computers.

[davidpanderson]

Projects have 'master URLs', which is how you attach to them
and where the client gets scheduler URLs from.
For CPDN this is 'https://climateprediction.net'; see
https://climateprediction.net/get_project_config.php

I was able to successfully attach to CPDN from the BOINC client,
which has this URL from the project list.

However, the web site at this URL is confusing;
it does not make it clear, for example, how to create an account.
I get the impression that the CPDN admins
are unclear about URLs and about the goals and function of their web site.

[hucker75]

@davidpanderson

Projects have 'master URLs', which is how you attach to them and where the client gets scheduler URLs from. For CPDN this is 'https://climateprediction.net'; see https://climateprediction.net/get_project_config.php

I was able to successfully attach to CPDN from the BOINC client, which has this URL from the project list.

However, the web site at this URL is confusing; it does not make it clear, for example, how to create an account. I get the impression that the CPDN admins are unclear about URLs and about the goals and function of their web site.

If you scroll down to the bottom it's there - to create an account. But the page doesn't look like you're on a Boinc page, I think I've gone to the wrong place, it's a general page about the whole place instead of Boinc.

Not sure why they have two URLs though. Glenn said something about an aborted attempt to move things over.....

And they shouldn't have that bloody legal agreement there to confuse Boinctasks! Like anyone reads those.....

[hucker75]

For some reason I could not attach as you did, I had to use https://main.cpdn.org/

Maybe they're in the process of fiddling about!

[davidpanderson]

What happens when you try? Any messages in the event log?

[hucker75]

Using Boinctasks, it displays "AddProject: Error -224"
This is all I get in the log (without extra options ticked) when I remove it and try to reattach with Boinctasks:

4058 climateprediction.net 21/05/2025 02:17:59 Resetting project
4059 climateprediction.net 21/05/2025 02:17:59 Detaching from project
4060 21/05/2025 02:18:21 Fetching configuration file from https://climateprediction.net/get_project_config.php

Using Boinc Manager, it works. I notice it asked me to agree to a license agreement, which could be confusing Boinctasks, is this possible? Although I get the same agreement to agree to using either URL.

[davidpanderson]

It's the license agreement. BoincTasks doesn't handle that.

[hucker75]

Why does it manage to join https://main.cpdn.org/ which produces the same license agreement?

If you know why, let me know and I'll pass it on to Fred.

[gdcarver]

Ok. Since this is nothing to do with CPDN URLs I will cancel this issue internally at CPDN.

@davidpanderson - I am surprised by your comment since you had several conversation with Andy about changing the project URLs. CPDN is migrating away from using 'climateprediction' because the project has a wider scientific remit now than just 'climate'. I'll look over the joining instructions but they seem consistent to other projects.

Signing off this thread. Glenn, Visiting Scientist / CPDN.