Boinc Admins are working on native support for Docker/WSL (on Windows), because:
- it's faster
- has access to gpu (VirtualBox cannot)
- easier maintenance
- portability
- smaller images
- etc

This important new function of Boinc enviroment will be introduced in Boinc 9 (the beta of this version will be, probably, released at the end of December, as admins said in the last Boinc Project Call).

It's some time that R@H do not release VirtualBox/Python wus (that are very messed up), but this feature may help A LOT

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This sounds like a good thing! Will BOINC be able to run as a service using Docker, and still access the GPU or isn't that possible?

D

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Will BOINC be able to run as a service using Docker, and still access the GPU or isn't that possible?

This is one of the targets of BUDA (Boinc Unified Docking App).

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This is one of the targets of BUDA (Boinc Unified Docking App).

While we are waiting for stable release of Buda, the Boinc dev team released a new version of wrapper (26210)

vboxwrapper (Mac): fix startup failure on Mac via #6016 by @davidpanderson
vboxwrapper: create the 'virtualbox home directory' in the project dir via #6018 by @davidpanderson
improve vboxwrapper network setup via #6111 by @computezrmle
setup vbox profile location via #6116 by @computezrmle
remove obsolete function launch_vboxsvc() via #6119 by @computezrmle
Cleanup 'launch_vboxsvc' associated code via #6129 by @computezrmle
Replace getcwd() with boinc_getcwd() via #6132 by @computezrmle
Remove unused files and variables via #6139 by @computezrmle

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This important new function of Boinc enviroment will be introduced in Boinc 9 (the beta of this version will be, probably, released at the end of December, as admins said in the last Boinc Project Call).

The BUDA is still in beta test, and lhc-dev started using it with "Theory" app both for Win and Linux
Seems more light than the vbox app...

https://lhcathomedev.cern.ch/lhcathome-dev/apps.php

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A comment from Boinc developers:

We want to deprecate VBox functionality in future.

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The new version (for all platforms) of boinc manager (8.2.4) is the first to support officially Docker

https://boinc.berkeley.edu/download.php

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Trying to run boinc-buda-runner.wsl and I get the error message

Error code: Wsl/Service/RegisterDistro/CreateVm/HCS/HCS_E_SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE

Any idea what to do with that and how?

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Trying to run boinc-buda-runner.wsl and I get the error message

Error code: Wsl/Service/RegisterDistro/CreateVm/HCS/HCS_E_SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE

Any idea what to do with that and how?

I had the same message on one of my systems.

Virtualisation needs to be enabled in the BIOS (in my case it was).

In Settings, Apps and features, Programs and Features, Turn Windows features on or off, I had already selected Windows Subsystem for Linux; but up near the top of that page of the list is Virtual Machine Platform.
That needs to be selected as well (why it was selected on one system, but not on the other, i have absolutely no idea).

Once i selected that, rebooted (yet again), i was then able to Right click on the boinc-buda-runner.wsl file and it installed with no further errors.

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Grant
Darwin NT

Trying to run boinc-buda-runner.wsl and I get the error message

Error code: Wsl/Service/RegisterDistro/CreateVm/HCS/HCS_E_SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE

Any idea what to do with that and how?

Seems that WSL is not active in your pc
Have you try "wsl --version" in Poweshell??
In my pc this is the output

wsl --version
Versione WSL: 2.5.9.0
Versione kernel: 6.6.87.2-1
Versione WSLg: 1.0.66
Versione MSRDC: 1.2.6074
Versione Direct3D: 1.611.1-81528511
Versione DXCore: 10.0.26100.1-240331-1435.ge-release
Versione di Windows: 10.0.26100.4652

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Can any projects run in Docker, or do they need to create a docker image to run? And if the latter, what projects can make use of Docker now?

I'm just installing it to test btw...

[EDIT] And are you using Docker or Podman?

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And if the latter, what projects can make use of Docker now?

None at this time.
Several Projects (including Rosetta) made use of Virtual Box for some applications.
However, the implementations could best be described as not great (the one here at Rosetta, more of a mess- massive system requirements in order to run, even though they weren't actually necessary...).

Docker is seen as a more efficient, more manageable and easier for developers (and much, much simpler for end users) option to do what VB was meant to do. And now that BOINC supports it, Projects can now develop applications to take advantage of it.

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Grant
Darwin NT

And if the latter, what projects can make use of Docker now?

None at this time.

That's not true.
"Theory Simulation" at Lhc-Dev project is using docker/podman version of the app, concurrently with Vbox app.
https://lhcathomedev.cern.ch/lhcathome-dev/apps.php

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And if the latter, what projects can make use of Docker now?

None at this time.

That's not true.
"Theory Simulation" at Lhc-Dev project is using docker/podman version of the app, concurrently with Vbox app.
https://lhcathomedev.cern.ch/lhcathome-dev/apps.php

See, it's already begun...

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Grant
Darwin NT

See, it's already begun...

I've tried some of these wus on my windows machines.
And seems very good: less resourses request, littler download, etc.
Now they are working on checkpoints...

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Trying to run boinc-buda-runner.wsl and I get the error message

Error code: Wsl/Service/RegisterDistro/CreateVm/HCS/HCS_E_SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE

Any idea what to do with that and how?

Seems that WSL is not active in your pc
Have you tried "wsl --version" in Powershell??
In my pc this is the output

wsl --version
Versione WSL: 2.5.9.0
Versione kernel: 6.6.87.2-1
Versione WSLg: 1.0.66
Versione MSRDC: 1.2.6074
Versione Direct3D: 1.611.1-81528511
Versione DXCore: 10.0.26100.1-240331-1435.ge-release
Versione di Windows: 10.0.26100.4652

I do have it, but all my versions are earlier than yours.
I was going to say it might be because I run Windows 10, but so do you.
I thought I was up to date, but apparently not.
Windows Update isn't offering me anything more recent - and I assume WSL might update with it? - I have no idea why not

I should also say, I have absolutely no idea what WSL even is or what it does...

wsl --version
WSL version: 2.4.13.0
Kernel version: 5.15.167.4-1
WSLg version: 1.0.65
MSRDC version: 1.2.5716
Direct3D version: 1.611.1-81528511
DXCore version: 10.0.26100.1-240331-1435.ge-release
Windows version: 10.0.19045.6093

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Trying to run boinc-buda-runner.wsl and I get the error message

Error code: Wsl/Service/RegisterDistro/CreateVm/HCS/HCS_E_SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE

Any idea what to do with that and how?

I had the same message on one of my systems.

Virtualisation needs to be enabled in the BIOS (in my case it was).

In Settings, Apps and features, Programs and Features, Turn Windows features on or off, I had already selected Windows Subsystem for Linux; but up near the top of that page of the list is Virtual Machine Platform.
That needs to be selected as well (why it was selected on one system, but not on the other, I have absolutely no idea).

Once I selected that, rebooted (yet again), I was then able to Right click on the boinc-buda-runner.wsl file and it installed with no further errors

Ok, I suspect you've got my solution here
I did follow the instructions to check Windows Subsystem for Linux, but not Virtual Machine Platform - now done
I did previously run VirtualBox, but I've recently updated my BIOS as part of the repairs I've been doing, and a lot of my old settings got reset, so I'll have to find a convenient moment to double-check where I am with that

As you later say, it's not being utilised (much) atm, but I just know I'll never remember all this when the time eventually comes, so best get it set up right at the outset if Boinc is heading this way
Thanks

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Trying to run boinc-buda-runner.wsl and I get the error message

Error code: Wsl/Service/RegisterDistro/CreateVm/HCS/HCS_E_SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE

Any idea what to do with that and how?

I had the same message on one of my systems.

Virtualisation needs to be enabled in the BIOS (in my case it was).

In Settings, Apps and features, Programs and Features, Turn Windows features on or off, I had already selected Windows Subsystem for Linux; but up near the top of that page of the list is Virtual Machine Platform.
That needs to be selected as well (why it was selected on one system, but not on the other, I have absolutely no idea).

Once I selected that, rebooted (yet again), I was then able to Right click on the boinc-buda-runner.wsl file and it installed with no further errors

Ok, I suspect you've got my solution here
I did follow the instructions to check Windows Subsystem for Linux, but not Virtual Machine Platform - now done
I did previously run VirtualBox, but I've recently updated my BIOS as part of the repairs I've been doing, and a lot of my old settings got reset, so I'll have to find a convenient moment to double-check where I am with that

Right, so virtualisation was still enabled in my BIOS, so I've returned to the desktop, located boinc-buda-runner.wsl again and run it
From the cmd prompt I tried setting it up and got this response

C:UsersOwner>wsl.exe -d boinc-buda-runner
Creating default user account 'boinc'...
User account 'boinc' created
Setting up certificates...
fetch https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/v3.21/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
289B04579F7F0000:error:0A000086:SSL routines:tls_post_process_server_certificate:certificate verify failed:ssl/statem/statem_clnt.c:2103:
WARNING: fetching https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/v3.21/main: Permission denied
fetch https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/v3.21/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
289B04579F7F0000:error:0A000086:SSL routines:tls_post_process_server_certificate:certificate verify failed:ssl/statem/statem_clnt.c:2103:
WARNING: fetching https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/v3.21/community: Permission denied
ERROR: unable to select packages:
  ca-certificates (no such package):
    required by: world[ca-certificates]
OOBE command "/etc/oobe.sh" failed, exiting

I'm suspicious of this for two reasons
1) It seems I'm starting from directory C:/Users/Owner which isn't my User nor Boinc home directory because I've redirected it to my E drive
Should I be navigating to my Boinc home directory first?
2) A couple of "Permission denied" messages there too, which makes me think of the problems I had redirecting my User directory to the E drive and whatever Norton issues I had with that as well

This is <not> my strong point at all.
I'd much rather take advice than flail around in my ignorance, so any and all suggestions gratefully received on how I should proceed

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Docker is being utilized at BOINC Central at this time if you want to test your setup. Tasks are currently running about 1 hour each on my Intel i9-10850K @5.1GHz. I am running at BOINC Central, and I look forward to running Rosetta again in the future.