Changes between Version 25 and Version 26 of VboxApps

Timestamp:

Dec 15, 2011, 9:50:01 AM (14 years ago)

Author:

davea

Comment:

--

VboxApps

@@ -19 +19 @@
    This makes it feasible to deploy untrusted applications.
 
-BOINC's support for VM apps is based on a program called
-'''vboxwrapper''' that interfaces between
-the BOINC client and the !VirtualBox system.
-
-=== Licensing issues ===
-
-Commercial operating systems like Windows and Mac OS X
-have a license with a pay-per-use clause,
-so in general you can't use them in the VM image.
-Similarly, you can't include pay-per-use software such as Matlab
-in the VM image.
+BOINC's support for VM apps is based on a program called '''vboxwrapper'''
+that interfaces between the BOINC client and the !VirtualBox system.
+
+=== Restrictions ===
+
+ * Commercial operating systems like Windows and Mac OS X
+  have a license with a pay-per-use clause,
+  so in general you can't use them in the VM image.
+  Similarly, you can't include pay-per-user software such as Matlab
+  in the VM image.
+
+ * !VirtualBox runs only on Intel-compatible processors.
+  If you want to support other processors (such as ARM, SPARC, etc.),
+  you'll need to use non-VM-based app versions.
+
+ * Currently you can't run GPU applications in !VirtualBox VMs.
+  This may change in the future.
 
 === 32/64 bit issues ===
@@ -49 +55 @@
 The 32-bit vboxwrapper will generally not work on a 64-bit machine).
 
-=== Non-Intel-compatible and GPU applications ===
-
-!VirtualBox runs only on Intel-compatible processors.
-If you want to support other processors (such as ARM, SPARC, etc.),
-you'll need to use non-VM-based app versions.
-
-Currently you can't run GPU applications in !VirtualBox VMs.
-This may change in the future.
-
+=== Packaging options ===
+
+There are two ways to package VM apps.
+NOTE: in the following, we use '''application''' and '''application version'''
+with their [AppVersion BOINC-specific meanings];
+we'll use '''executable''' to refer to the program that runs within the VM.
+
+ * '''Single-purpose app''':  Include the executable with the application version.
+  Create a separate application for each executable you want to run.
+ * '''Multi-purpose app''': Include the executable in each workunit.
+  This allows you to use a single application for as many executables as you like.
+  In this case, consider making the executable file
+  [JobSubmission sticky]; that way, clients will download it only once.
+  
 == Creating app versions ==
 
@@ -66 +77 @@
 
 The application versions for a given platform are of plan class "vbox32"
-(for 32-bit machines) or "vbox64" (for 64-bit machines),
-and include the following files:
+(for 32-bit machines) or "vbox64" (for 64-bit machines).
+For single-purpose apps, an app version includes the following files:
 
  * The VM image, in !VirtualBox format.
@@ -79 +90 @@
  * '''vboxwrapper''', compiled for the platform (executables are available below).
  * All scripts and executables must have the execute permission set.
+
+For multi-purpose apps, any of these files except '''vboxwrapper''' may
+be included in the workunit instead of the app version.
 
 Include '''<dont_throttle/>''' in the version.xml file; !VirtualBox does its own CPU throttling.