VTU URL change causes BOINC client to crash

[ubt-timbo]

I recently downloaded some VTU WUs. These were in my cache, awaiting the completion of other project WUs.

One morning I awoke to find BOINC Manager had crashed. Trying to restart BOINC Manager, caused my "attached projects" list to be displayed for about 2 seconds and then they ALL disappeared. Likewise, there were no messages and the graphics were shoing I wasn't attached to anything.

Likewise, BOINC Manager refused to connect to "localhost", claiming that it couldn't connect,

I restarted BOINC and attempted to "suspend" both running network activity, but BOINC Manager refused to allow me to stop either before it caused the projects list to disappear.

I tried to change my preferences, but this didn't work as the preferences I set were ignored and restored immediately to the default settings.

So, I uninstalled the v5.10.18 I was running and installed v5.10.20. Same problem.

I then edited the registry and removed all traces of BOINC client, and then moved the BOINC folder elsewhere and re-installed. Same problem.

I then started looking for help online and someone else had a similar problem on the BOINC Message Board. Jord advised me about a URL change from VTU@home.

So, I edited my client_state.xml file to update to the NEW VTU URL.

This then allowed me to start BOINC normally, and I was then able to detach the VTU project.

So far, after 5 hours of crunching, BOINC Manager is still working properly again.

My original posting on the BOINC Message Forum is answered here:

http://boinc.berkeley.edu/dev/forum_thread.php?id=2131&nowrap=true#12578

I have my logs, from the various BOINC log files available, so if required I can email them to someone for inspection.

I've lost approx 3 full days of crunching due to this...as well as missing a few deadlines !!

It even got to the point where I thought I had to re-install the Windows Winsock, even though everything else was working on the PC !!

regards

Tim System: Pentium P4/HT @ 3GHz, 1GB RAM, 40GB HDD, Windows XP Pro

[Nicolas]

It's actually the daemon crashing (obviously causing the manager to lose connection).

[Ageless]

Thanks Tim.

Original problem was reported by zombie67. One of the things he said to me through an email exchange was this:

"I forgot to mention that I know why BOINC manager cannot connect to the CC. It looks like the CC blows up. So there is no CC running that the manager can connect to.

I noticed this when trying to run the CC form the command line. Immediate error, and then back to the prompt."

[Nicolas]

Clarifying title.

[Nicolas]

Was a stacktrace generated? Recently I have seen some particularly useless stacktraces (who knows why...), but maybe we're lucky and this one pinpoints the line of code causing the crash...

[davea]

If this still happens in 5.10.30 please reopen.