I\'ve been running the BBC version of the experiment, but my model came to a (successful) end, and as no new models are being dispensed from there, I installed the \"ordinary\" BOINC 5.8.8 and connected it to climateprediction.net as instructed on these pages.

All went well, except that two models were downloaded rather than just the one I had expected. One of these started running immediately, the other just sat in a \"ready to run\" state.

I\'ve aborted the \"spare\" model (I hope that was the right thing to do), but thought it worth posting here in case anyone\'s interested in this odd behaviour!

You have a dual core processor, and you also have your General preferences set to use 2 cores.
So there\'s nothing unusual in the behavour of BOINC in getting a model for each core.

You have a dual core processor, and you also have your General preferences set to use 2 cores.

I do? When I look at my preferences page it says \"On multiprocessors, use at most: 1 processors\".

It shows \"2\" in the Computer Summary.

When did you make the change? Did you click Update Prefs when finished? Then click Update in the Manager\'s Projects tab?
Chances are that your machine has not yet learned of the change because it hasn\'t communicated with the server since initial download.

Edit: It would help if you posted the Manager\'s Messages relating to the downloads etc.

---

"We have met the enemy and he is us." -- Pogo
Greetings from coastal Washington state, the scenic US Pacific Northwest.

It shows \"2\" in the Computer Summary.

You mean the line which says \"Number of CPUs: 2\" on the page http://climateapps2.oucs.ox.ac.uk/cpdnboinc/show_host_detail.php?hostid=535005? I understood this just be reporting information about my CPU (which is, indeed, an AMD dual core processor).

When did you make the change? Did you click Update Prefs when finished? Then click Update in the Manager\'s Projects tab?
Chances are that your machine has not yet learned of the change because it hasn\'t communicated with the server since initial download.

On the page which I get to by clicking \"Your account\", then \"General preferences specify when and how BOINC uses your computer\", it says \"Preferences last modified: 13 Sep 2006 9:36:28 UTC\" (and then, further down the page, \"On multiprocessors, use at most: 1 processors\"). This date fits with my memory of when this was last changed.

Edit: It would help if you posted the Manager\'s Messages relating to the downloads etc.

Here you go...

03/02/2007 13:16:10||Starting BOINC client version 5.8.8 for windows_intelx86
03/02/2007 13:16:10||log flags: task, file_xfer, sched_ops
03/02/2007 13:16:10||Libraries: libcurl/7.16.0 OpenSSL/0.9.8a zlib/1.2.3
03/02/2007 13:16:10||Data directory: C:\\Program Files\\BOINC
03/02/2007 13:16:10||Processor: 2 AuthenticAMD AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4200+ [x86 Family 15 Model 43 Stepping 1] [fpu tsc 

pae nx sse sse2 3dnow mmx]
03/02/2007 13:16:10||Memory: 1023.48 MB physical, 3.90 GB virtual
03/02/2007 13:16:10||Disk: 34.46 GB total, 16.25 GB free
03/02/2007 13:16:10||No general preferences found - using BOINC defaults
03/02/2007 13:16:10||This computer is not attached to any projects
03/02/2007 13:16:10||Visit http://boinc.berkeley.edu for instructions
03/02/2007 13:17:05||Fetching configuration file from http://climateprediction.net/get_project_config.php
03/02/2007 13:17:35|climateprediction.net|Master file download succeeded
03/02/2007 13:17:35|climateprediction.net|Sending scheduler request: Project initialization
03/02/2007 13:17:35|climateprediction.net|Requesting 1 seconds of new work
03/02/2007 13:17:36|climateprediction.net|Scheduler RPC succeeded [server version 509]
03/02/2007 13:17:36||General prefs: from http://bbc.cpdn.org/ (last modified 2006-09-13 10:36:28)
03/02/2007 13:17:36||Host location: none
03/02/2007 13:17:36||General prefs: using your defaults
03/02/2007 13:17:36||Number of usable CPUs has changed from 2 to 1.  Running benchmarks.
03/02/2007 13:17:36|climateprediction.net|Successfully attached to climateprediction.net
03/02/2007 13:17:36||Suspending computation - running CPU benchmarks
03/02/2007 13:17:38|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file hadcm3trans_5.15_windows_intelx86.exe
03/02/2007 13:17:38|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file hadcm3transum_5.15_windows_intelx86.zip
03/02/2007 13:17:38||Running CPU benchmarks
03/02/2007 13:17:42|climateprediction.net|Sending scheduler request: To fetch work
03/02/2007 13:17:42|climateprediction.net|Requesting 1 seconds of new work
03/02/2007 13:17:47|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file hadcm3transum_5.15_windows_intelx86.zip
03/02/2007 13:17:47|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 191360 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:17:47|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file hadcm3transdata_5.15_windows_intelx86.zip
03/02/2007 13:17:48|climateprediction.net|Scheduler RPC succeeded [server version 509]
03/02/2007 13:17:52|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file hadcm3trans_5.15_windows_intelx86.exe
03/02/2007 13:17:52|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 210351 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:17:52|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file hadcm3transse_5.15_windows_intelx86.zip
03/02/2007 13:17:53|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file hadcm3transdata_5.15_windows_intelx86.zip
03/02/2007 13:17:53|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 165611 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:17:53|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file hadcm3pbb_bnad_05817472.zip
03/02/2007 13:17:54|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file hadcm3pbb_bnad_05817472.zip
03/02/2007 13:17:54|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 22454 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:17:54|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file SULPC_OXIDANTS_19_A2_1990.mod.gz
03/02/2007 13:17:57|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file hadcm3transse_5.15_windows_intelx86.zip
03/02/2007 13:17:57|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 280463 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:17:57|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file DMSNH3SO2A1B_19182082N.mod.gz
03/02/2007 13:17:59|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file SULPC_OXIDANTS_19_A2_1990.mod.gz
03/02/2007 13:17:59|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 184692 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:17:59|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file spec3a_lw_3_asol2c_hadcm3.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:00|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file spec3a_lw_3_asol2c_hadcm3.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:00|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 42235 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:00|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file spec3a_sw_3_asol2b_hadcm3.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:01|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file DMSNH3SO2A1B_19182082N.mod.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:01|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 96579 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:01|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file spec3a_sw_3_asol2b_hadcm3.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:01|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 27345 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:01|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file solar_v14.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:01|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file ozone_hadcm3_1919_2082.mod.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:02|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file solar_v14.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:02|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 15731 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:02|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file ozone_hadcm3_1919_2082.mod.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:02|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 243205 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:02|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file DMSNH3SO2A1B_19182082N.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:02|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file NAT_VOLC.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:03|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file DMSNH3SO2A1B_19182082N.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:03|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 328213 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:03|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file NAT_VOLC.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:03|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 58666 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:03|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file heofhdck_0208_nickfluxcorr.anc.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:03|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file yafbg.astart.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:08|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file heofhdck_0208_nickfluxcorr.anc.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:08|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 149529 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:08|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file ozone_hadcm3_1919_2082.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:12|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file ozone_hadcm3_1919_2082.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:12|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 218894 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:12|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file ghg_a1b.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:13|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file yafbg.astart.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:13|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 280214 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:13|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file ghg_a1b.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:13|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 20309 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:13|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file SULPC_OXIDANTS_19_A2_1990.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:13|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file 1063_flux_corr.anc.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:14|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file SULPC_OXIDANTS_19_A2_1990.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:14|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 151989 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:14|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file volc_v48.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:15|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file 1063_flux_corr.anc.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:15|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 271860 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:15|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file volc_v48.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:15|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 40467 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:15|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file 1063_ocean.year.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:15|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file hadcm3_40.png
03/02/2007 13:18:16|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file hadcm3_40.png
03/02/2007 13:18:16|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 82217 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:16|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file hadcm3_banner_290.png
03/02/2007 13:18:18|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file hadcm3_banner_290.png
03/02/2007 13:18:18|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 62027 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:18|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file hadcm3_ss_290_1.png
03/02/2007 13:18:20|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file 1063_ocean.year.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:20|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 313199 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:20|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file hadcm3_ss_290_1.png
03/02/2007 13:18:20|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 34573 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:20|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file hadcm3_ss_290_2.png
03/02/2007 13:18:20|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file hadcm3_ss_290_3.png
03/02/2007 13:18:21|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file hadcm3_ss_290_2.png
03/02/2007 13:18:21|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 107554 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:21|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file hadcm3_ss_290_3.png
03/02/2007 13:18:21|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 137022 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:21|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file hadcm3pbb_cjun_05859674.zip
03/02/2007 13:18:21|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file solar_v15.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:22|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file hadcm3pbb_cjun_05859674.zip
03/02/2007 13:18:22|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 121661 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:22|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file solar_v15.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:22|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 21387 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:22|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file fobnhdck_0208_nickfluxcorr.anc.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:22|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file 1109_flux_corr.anc.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:25|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file fobnhdck_0208_nickfluxcorr.anc.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:25|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 199870 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:25|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file 1109_flux_corr.anc.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:25|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 255531 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:25|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file volc_v47.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:25|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Started download of file 1109_ocean.year.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:26|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file volc_v47.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:26|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 84875 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:28|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Finished download of file 1109_ocean.year.gz
03/02/2007 13:18:28|climateprediction.net|[file_xfer] Throughput 388688 bytes/sec
03/02/2007 13:18:37||Benchmark results:
03/02/2007 13:18:37||   Number of CPUs: 1
03/02/2007 13:18:37||   2074 floating point MIPS (Whetstone) per CPU
03/02/2007 13:18:37||   3635 integer MIPS (Dhrystone) per CPU
03/02/2007 13:18:38||Resuming computation
03/02/2007 13:18:38|climateprediction.net|Starting hadcm3pbb_bnad_05817472_1
03/02/2007 13:18:39|climateprediction.net|Starting task hadcm3pbb_bnad_05817472_1 using hadcm3 version 515

Then, in response to my aborting the \"spare\" model

04/02/2007 00:05:03|climateprediction.net|Sending scheduler request: To report completed tasks
04/02/2007 00:05:03|climateprediction.net|Reporting 1 tasks
04/02/2007 00:05:08|climateprediction.net|Scheduler RPC succeeded [server version 509]

Then after completing the first year of the running model

04/02/2007 04:17:19|climateprediction.net|Sending scheduler request: To send trickle-up message
04/02/2007 04:17:19|climateprediction.net|(not requesting new work or reporting completed tasks)
04/02/2007 04:17:24|climateprediction.net|Scheduler RPC succeeded [server version 509]

03/02/2007 13:16:10||No general preferences found - using BOINC defaults
03/02/2007 13:16:10||This computer is not attached to any projects
...
03/02/2007 13:17:36||General prefs: from http://bbc.cpdn.org/ (last modified 2006-09-13 10:36:28)
03/02/2007 13:17:36||Host location: none
03/02/2007 13:17:36||General prefs: using your defaults
03/02/2007 13:17:36||Number of usable CPUs has changed from 2 to 1. Running benchmarks.

Strange. Looks like it might be a timing problem. A request for work went in after attachment to CPDN, when your Prefs weren\'t yet known, with boinc using its defaults, \"CPU=2\" if I recall correctly.

Then, your Prefs came down, boinc recognized a change in number of CPUs, and initiated a Benchmark. By then, though, the work-request deed was done.

My guess is that it should do what you want in the future.

---

"We have met the enemy and he is us." -- Pogo
Greetings from coastal Washington state, the scenic US Pacific Northwest.

My laptop which is a uniprocessor one, using 5.8.8, downloaded two work units. I don\'t know if this is a symptom of some problem with 5.8.x or just an strange occurrence.

My log for 5.2.8 (and going back to 4.25) starts by showing:

2005-03-14 15:37:31 [climateprediction.net] Using your default project prefs

Jenny\'s log starts with:

03/02/2007 13:16:10||No general preferences found - using BOINC defaults

So perhaps the \"BOINC defaults\" is new to 5.8.8

But it\'s followed by:

03/02/2007 13:16:10||This computer is not attached to any projects

Which may make a difference.
If the upgrade to 5.8.8 was made on the BBC project, and then it was attached to cpdn, it would explain
why there were no general preferences; the files for cpdn (global_prefs.xml?), hadn\'t yet been downloaded.

Just a quick post back to say that everything seems to be running fine now. No more \"unwanted\" models have been downloaded, so whatever caused it seems to have been a transient effect of some kind.

Thanks for that. It\'s nice to get feedback.
And it\'s good to hear that it\'s working OK now.
Just don\'t forget to backup regularly.

---

Backups: Here