CreateProjectCookbook

Project creation cookbook

Make a project

• Create a BOINC server (preferably using the Server Virtual Machine).
• Run make_project:

cd boinc/tools/
make_project --test_app myproject

• Append the contents of ~projects/myproject/myproject.httpd.conf to httpd.conf and restart Apache.
• Use 'crontab' to insert a cron job to run the project's periodic tasks, e.g. 0,5,10,15,20,25,30,35,40,45,50,55 * * * * ~projects/myproject/bin/start --cron
• Edit html/project/project.inc, changing the master URL and copyright holder.
• Protect the html/ops directory (e.g. use htpasswd to create .htaccess and .htpasswd files).

Visible result: the project web site is up at http://hostname/myproject.

Troubleshooting: check the Apache access and error logs.

Install and enable test application

• Initialize database and add test application version

cd projects/myproject
bin/xadd
bin/update_versions

• Start the project

bin/start

• Create a client directory and copy the core client there, and run it.

mkdir boinc_test
cd boinc_test
cp ../boinc/client/boinc_client .
cp ../boinc/lib/boinccmd .
boinc_client

• Using the web interface, create an account on the project. Get the authenticator via email. Alternatively, create an account within the BOINC client by choosing Tools, Attach Project, http://hostname/myproject, and new user. If account creation is disabled, then change the entry in "config.xml" from "<disable_account_creation>1</disable_account_creation>" to "<disable_account_creation>0</disable_account_creation>".
• Attach to the account:

cd boinc_test
boinccmd --project_attach HOSTNAME/myproject/ authenticator

Visible result: the client does a stream of work; the web site shows credit accumulating.

Troubleshooting: check the log files of all daemon processes.

Add your own application version

• Edit config.xml and remove items related to the test application (uppercase).
• Add your application to project.xml and run bin/xadd again.
• Write a BOINC application and compile it for your platform of choice.
• Copy the executable to HOME/projects/PROJECTNAME/apps/APPNAME
• Install the version and restart the project

cd projects/myproject
bin/update_versions
bin/stop
bin/start

Create a work unit

• Using a text editor, create a work unit template file and a result template file.
• Run create_work
• Edit config.xml to add <daemon> records for make_work, the trivial validator, and the trivial assimilator. For example

<daemon>
    <cmd>validate_test -app appname</cmd>
    <output>validate_test.log</output>
    <pid_file>validate_test.pid</pid_file>
</daemon>

• Restart the project

Visible result: the client downloads and runs your application.

Troubleshooting: check the log files of all daemon processes.

Develop back end components

• Write a work generator.
• Write a validator if needed.
• Write an assimilator.
• Edit the configuration file to add these daemons.

Visible result: client executes a stream of workunits; a stream of completed results is handled by the assimilator.

Troubleshooting: check daemon log files

Before public launch

• Create a new project; this time, immediately move the code-signing private key to an isolated code-signing machine. Generate all signatures on that computer.
• Add message board categories: see html/ops/create_forums.php