So I installed BOINC Manager and it is running as a service.
I'm trying to set it up so that it is always running *unless* I'm interacting with the computer via the keyboard or mouse ..
I set the settings in the computing prefs but they don't seem to stick. Neither do the menu settings 'Run Always/Run according to prefs' seem to stick either.
I read that the manager can't control the client if it is running as a service...
Q: is this why the settings don't stick in the manager?
if so, how can I run the client not as a service?

*confused*

(also tried BAM but then the client just sat there, doing nothing.,)

I had the same issue once, the reason was a permission error in the configuration directory. It should look like this:

$ ls -al /etc/boinc-client/
total 32
drwxr-xr-x   2 root  root   4096 Oct 29 09:43 .
drwxr-xr-x 144 root  root  12288 Nov  6 06:39 ..
-rw-rw-r--   1 boinc boinc   520 Oct 26 11:52 cc_config.xml
-rw-rw-r--   1 root  boinc  1449 Oct 26 11:56 global_prefs_override.xml
-rw-r-----   1 root  boinc     1 Oct  9 20:33 gui_rpc_auth.cfg
-rw-r--r--   1 root  boinc   296 Feb 23  2016 remote_hosts.cfg

I think you'd best start by telling what version of Ubuntu and BOINC.

Since you had problem with Run Always you'd better tell what happens when you select it.

Manager can control the client just fine even when the client is running as service so that's not a problem.

So I installed BOINC Manager and it is running as a service.
I'm trying to set it up so that it is always running *unless* I'm interacting with the computer via the keyboard or mouse ..
I set the settings in the computing prefs but they don't seem to stick. Neither do the menu settings 'Run Always/Run according to prefs' seem to stick either.
I read that the manager can't control the client if it is running as a service...
Q: is this why the settings don't stick in the manager?
if so, how can I run the client not as a service?

*confused*

(also tried BAM but then the client just sat there, doing nothing.,)

Welcome to BOINC forums titanXP

Just to add to floyd's reply, a couple of things. The user running the boincmgr, needs to be a member of the boinc group.

Also the GUI does not display up to date information in the Activity status buttons - use boinccmd --get_cc_status

for example if i Activity/Suspend network activity then quit the GUI manager then restart GUI manager i do not see the Suspend Network Activity set. (does not stick)

However if i run

$ boinccmd --get_cc_status
network connection status: don't need connection
CPU status
    not suspended
    current mode: always
    perm mode: always
    perm becomes current in 0 sec
GPU status
    not suspended
    current mode: always
    perm mode: always
    perm becomes current in 0 sec
Network status
    suspended: user request                            ### here 
    current mode: never
    perm mode: never
    perm becomes current in 0 sec

It shows network activity is and remains suspended.

To return back to Network activity always - i simply suspend again - wait a second then set back to Always.

A couple of questions. How exactly did you install boinc - via the ubuntu repository?

What boinc version are you running?

hth

I'm seeing same kind of problems with my fresh installation (Ubuntu 16.04.1 + Boinc 7.6.31 (x64 ) ). My purpose was to try and learn if I could make a Nvidia GPU work with Boinc + Linux. I also wanted to try the Boinc Manager for the first time with Ubuntu.

I don't know if I was at right track at all, but this way I installed BOINC (after installing Nvidia drivers thru somewhere the Ubuntu Update tabs):

"sudo apt-get install boinc-client-nvidia-cuda" and then also
"sudo apt-get install boinc-client-opencl" and
"sudo apt-get install boinc-client-fglrx" and
"sudo apt-get install boinc-manager".

Now this Boinc GUI keeps acting like a joke. No matter how I set the three different activity settings they keep living their own life.

Another thing is the whole GUI is able to contact the BOINC core only the first time after a reboot. If I exit Manager and start it again, Manager fails to contact Boinc core anymore.

Nvidia card was recognized and working okay whatsoever.

In response to floyd's message... permissions here look like this:

$ ls -al /etc/boinc-client/
total 36
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 **** .
drwxr-xr-x 134 root root 12288 **** ..
-rw-rw-r-- 1 boinc boinc 4672 **** cc_config.xml
-rw-rw-r-- 1 root boinc 1450 **** global_prefs_override.xml
-rw-r----- 1 root boinc 1 **** gui_rpc_auth.cfg
-rw-r--r-- 1 root boinc 296 **** remote_hosts.cfg

(I've just replaced the dates with ****).
I don't know if those permissions look good. I don't know how to make them look better, if they are wrong at the moment.

I'm pretty much a newbie with linux, but have had at least some success with Mint 18 and Ubuntu _without Boinc Manager_. It's just sooo frustraiting to find out how this basic usage with Manager seems right away like a nightmare. Clearly this combination isn't for anybody seeking a friendly experience. Even after BOINC + Ubuntu have been copulating already for years... outcome from that seems to be cursed with whatever syndromes. Luckily I have Windows as a parallel option for this machine. Whoah, now it's easier to breathe again.

Ritchie wrote:

I'm seeing same kind of problems with my fresh installation (Ubuntu 16.04.1 + Boinc 7.6.31 (x64 ) )

Ritchie - do you mind if we start a separate thread for your problem please, i think your problems are different from titanXP's?

I'll cut and paste them into a new thread.