= Preferences override file =

By default, [GlobalPrefs global preferences] and host venue are maintained on a project server, edited via a web interface, and downloaded from the server.

Some people may want to edit preferences locally, modify preferences on a single host, or hardwire the host venue. To accommodate these requirements, BOINC lets you create a 'preferences override file'. This file is read by the core client after it reads the preferences from the server, and it overrides those preferences.

The preferences override file is named `global_prefs_override.xml`. Its structure as follows:

{{{
#!xml
<global_preferences>
    <run_on_batteries>0</run_on_batteries>
    <run_if_user_active>0</run_if_user_active>
    <start_hour>0.000000</start_hour>
    <end_hour>0.000000</end_hour>
    <net_start_hour>0.000000</net_start_hour>
    <net_end_hour>0.000000</net_end_hour>
    <leave_apps_in_memory>0</leave_apps_in_memory>
    <confirm_before_connecting>0</confirm_before_connecting>
    <hangup_if_dialed>0</hangup_if_dialed>
    <work_buf_min_days>0.1</work_buf_min_days>
    <max_cpus>2</max_cpus>
    <cpu_scheduling_period_minutes>60.000000</cpu_scheduling_period_minutes>
    <disk_interval>60.000000</disk_interval>
    <disk_max_used_gb>100.000000</disk_max_used_gb>
    <disk_max_used_pct>50.000000</disk_max_used_pct>
    <disk_min_free_gb>0.100000</disk_min_free_gb>
    <vm_max_used_pct>75.000000</vm_max_used_pct>
    <ram_max_used_busy_pct>50.000000</ram_max_used_busy_pct>
    <ram_max_used_idle_pct>90.000000</ram_max_used_idle_pct>
    <idle_time_to_run>3.000000</idle_time_to_run>
    <max_bytes_sec_down>0.000000</max_bytes_sec_down>
    <max_bytes_sec_up>0.000000</max_bytes_sec_up>
    <cpu_usage_limit>100.000000</cpu_usage_limit>
</global_preferences>
[ <host_venue>venue</host_venue> ]
}}}

NOTE: the above is updated for BOINC 5.10+; see [source:trunk/boinc/lib/prefs.C lib/prefs.C] and [source:trunk/boinc/lib/prefs.h lib/prefs.h] for more information.

If you write a program for editing preferences locally, you'll want to be able to tell a running core client to reread the preferences override file. You can do this using the [GuiRpc#function-read_global_prefs_override read_global_prefs_override()] GUI RPC, or run [BoincCmd boinc_cmd] with the `--read_global_prefs_override` option.