I am trying to set-up two SBC ODROID XU4 from scratch (new installs) with Mate/Ubuntu 16.04.3 from the ODROID repository (https://odroid.in/ubuntu_16.04lts/) and BOINC 7.6.31. I'm running into some serious lockup/restart problems when I set BOINC prefs to use more than 2 of the 8 cores on the SBC. I have throttled back BOINC to not use more than 50%.
The last time I tried running 3 cores and 30% but it still crashed after a few minutes.
This last time, when it rebooted, BOINC manager was without any projects and I needed to add the project (I'm running Seti).
I've tried Einstein as well with same results.
I have also tried the minimal Ubuntu install (Headless) just command line and I get the same results.
I also have two SBC ODROID XU4 (new installs) with Android and these are also acting the same way as the Linux/Ubuntu setup... keep crashing.. restarting....
I hope somebody can give me some insights.
I will also post this request over on the ODROID forums.
Thanks.

Have you checked if the CPU is overheating or that PSU can keep voltage stable under heavy load?

Yes....
The CPU hasn't even time to do any processing before it reboots.....

If it ran for awhile, then crashed... overheating would be a possibility.....

But they don't run long enough to get "hot"....

The supplied voltage is 5v from a 60w source.

It's enough to hold the load.

If the system runs with 2 CPUs without problem but crashes with 3 CPUs after few minutes it could still be problem with overheating. Say, heatsink could have a bad contact with the CPU package. You could have a script print out temperatures once per second to see how the temps go. Although if you have 3 devices with the same symptoms it would be weird if they all had misplaced heatsinks.

The 60W PSU doesn't sound like a regular phone charger. Is it some kind of multi-phone charger or actually designed for powering a single power hungry 5V device? Just to rule out bad PSU can you test it with any other PSU? I think in Raspberry Pi world most stability issues are caused by chargers that are not good enough for computer use.

If you can find some benchmark or stress test program that runs on ARM you could try that to rule out any BOINC misbehaviour.

In Odroid HC1 Thermal Issues thread someone has similar symptoms and it seems the problem there was a faulty temperature sensors. Apparently there is a new kernel that works around the problem. It's different device from yours but the same SoC. Upgrading kernel would be worth trying.

Yea....
Here is some update.
I have 4 ODROIDS XU4.....

2 are on Ubuntu and 2 on Android. Preloaded eMMc's...

But now the Ubuntu's are on 32 Gig Micro SD's.

Both the Androids behaved the same way as the Linux ones which is:
1. Install the BOINC Manager
2. Attach project.
3. Within 30 seconds, it crashes.
4. Adjust the preferences... 2 CPU's at 50%.....
5. It works.
6. The Android (I am only working on one of the two at this time), BOINC only runs if I manually start it, I don't have it set up for auto-start.
7. Every time I start the Android, it crashed before I could get to preferences....(Preferences were downloaded to 100% CPU's - 100% of the time). I have since updated the Global Prefs to 25% - 25% of the time.
8. On the Android, I found a pre-installed utility that let me change the frequency on the memory from 822 down to 622 (or something close to that) and as soon as I changed the frequency lower, the Android quit crashing on startup.
9. I had to reinstall BOINC on the one Android to get Einstein off it... Now I am waiting on WU's to test out the lower frequency change.
10. The second Android has BOINC and lower frequency and it is also waiting on WU's....

Then we will see how that goes.... if the lower memory speed makes the difference.

I'll be checking out some of your ideas as well.

I'm trying to find a utility now that will let me change the clocks, etc. on the Ubuntu ODROIDS...

I'll need to install it.... I couldn't find any such utilities on the Ubuntu Mate I have installed.

Thanks.

Can you provide some updates as to how you made out. Are you still running BOINC on the ODROID XU4? I was think of setting a few of these just for BOINC and would be interested in your experience.

Thanks