"Master file fetch failed" error on newer Linux BOINC clients

Questions and Answers : Unix/Linux : "Master file fetch failed" error on newer Linux BOINC clients
Message board moderation

To post messages, you must log in.

AuthorMessage
DRDC Suffield

Send message
Joined: 18 May 99
Posts: 7
Credit: 19,491,177
RAC: 0
Canada
Message 205885 - Posted: 7 Dec 2005, 18:18:19 UTC

All of my linux machines cannot run anything later than BOINC version 4.19. They all complain with a "Master file fetch failed" error. The linux machines are running Fedora Core 2, 3, or 4.

None of my Windows machines have this problem. They all work fine, no matter what version of BOINC is running.

It would seem to be a firewall/router issue, but that doesn't explain why the Windows machines have no problems, or why version 4.19 works fine on Linux, but that no later versions work.

Here is typical output demonstrating the problem:

./boinc_4.43_i686-pc-linux-gnu -attach_project http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/ <ACCOUNTKEY>
2005-12-07 10:55:24 [---] Starting BOINC client version 4.43 for i686-pc-linux-gnu
2005-12-07 10:55:24 [---] Data directory: /BOINCtest
2005-12-07 10:55:24 [http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/] Computer ID: not assigned yet; location: ; project prefs: default
2005-12-07 10:55:24 [---] No general preferences found - using BOINC defaults
2005-12-07 10:55:24 [---] Remote control not allowed; using loopback address
2005-12-07 10:55:24 [---] Insufficient work; requesting more
2005-12-07 10:55:25 [http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/] Master file fetch failed
2005-12-07 10:55:25 [http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/] Master file fetch failed
BOINC couldn't get main page for http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/.
Please check the URL and try again.
2005-12-07 10:55:25 [http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/] Resetting project
2005-12-07 10:55:25 [---] request_reschedule_cpus: exit_tasks
2005-12-07 10:55:25 [http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/] Detaching from project

ID: 205885 · Report as offensive
Dotsch
Volunteer tester
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 9 Jun 99
Posts: 2422
Credit: 919,393
RAC: 0
Germany
Message 206509 - Posted: 8 Dec 2005, 7:16:22 UTC

Berkeley had some problems with the servers and a overloaded internet connections. Connections was droped.
Not shure, if this could be the cause of your problems.

Can you please try this is a alternative procedure to attach to the project :

Change $ACCOUNT_KEY in the file /opt/boinc/account_setiathome.berkeley.edu.xml
in the key you get from email from the seti@home project.
Edit line 3, and do not set any blanks before or after the key.

<account>
    <master_url>http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/</master_url>
    <authenticator>$ACCOUNT_KEY</authenticator>
    <project_name>SETI@home</project_name>
    <host_venue>home</host_venue>
<project_preferences>
</project_preferences>
</account>


You could also try to install a newer boinc version. For Linux 5.2.13 is recommended, and 4.43 is also available.


ID: 206509 · Report as offensive
Profile spacemeat
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 239
Credit: 8,425,288
RAC: 0
United States
Message 206989 - Posted: 8 Dec 2005, 19:19:00 UTC
Last modified: 8 Dec 2005, 19:19:52 UTC

instead of
./boinc_4.43_i686-pc-linux-gnu -attach_project http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/ <ACCOUNTKEY>


try
./boinc_4.43_i686-pc-linux-gnu -attach_project setiathome.berkeley.edu <ACCOUNTKEY>


if that does not work, you may have a DNS issue
ID: 206989 · Report as offensive
DRDC Suffield

Send message
Joined: 18 May 99
Posts: 7
Credit: 19,491,177
RAC: 0
Canada
Message 207121 - Posted: 8 Dec 2005, 20:52:26 UTC - in response to Message 206989.  

instead of
./boinc_4.43_i686-pc-linux-gnu -attach_project http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/ <ACCOUNTKEY>


try
./boinc_4.43_i686-pc-linux-gnu -attach_project setiathome.berkeley.edu <ACCOUNTKEY>


if that does not work, you may have a DNS issue


That made no difference.
And it can't be a DNS issue since 4.19 works without any problem.
ID: 207121 · Report as offensive
DRDC Suffield

Send message
Joined: 18 May 99
Posts: 7
Credit: 19,491,177
RAC: 0
Canada
Message 207137 - Posted: 8 Dec 2005, 21:02:31 UTC - in response to Message 206509.  
Last modified: 8 Dec 2005, 21:07:12 UTC

Berkeley had some problems with the servers and a overloaded internet connections. Connections was droped.
Not shure, if this could be the cause of your problems.
Nope. Anything after version 4.19 can't connect to any projects: SETI, Protein, Einstein, Climate, LHC. And I've been trying now and again for months.
Can you please try this is a alternative procedure to attach to the project :

Change $ACCOUNT_KEY in the file /opt/boinc/account_setiathome.berkeley.edu.xml
in the key you get from email from the seti@home project.
Edit line 3, and do not set any blanks before or after the key.
No, I can't try that since the BOINC client doesn't even get as far as creating the account_setiathome.berkeley.edu.xml file.
You could also try to install a newer boinc version. For Linux 5.2.13 is recommended, and 4.43 is also available.
I've tried all the versions after 4.19 and they all give basically the same error. Here's the output from 5.2.13:

./boinc -attach_project setiathome.berkeley.edu <ACCOUNTKEY>
2005-12-08 13:50:23 [---] Starting BOINC client version 5.2.13 for i686-pc-linux-gnu
2005-12-08 13:50:23 [---] libcurl/7.14.0 OpenSSL/0.9.8 zlib/1.2.3
2005-12-08 13:50:23 [---] Data directory: /BOINCtest2
2005-12-08 13:50:23 [---] Processor: 1 GenuineIntel Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 1.80GHz
2005-12-08 13:50:23 [---] Memory: 1010.79 MB physical, 2.00 GB virtual
2005-12-08 13:50:23 [---] Disk: 39.86 GB total, 1023.31 MB free
2005-12-08 13:50:23 [http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/] Computer ID: not assigned yet; location: ; project prefs: default
2005-12-08 13:50:23 [---] No general preferences found - using BOINC defaults
2005-12-08 13:50:23 [---] Remote control not allowed; using loopback address
2005-12-08 13:50:25 [http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/] Couldn't access URL http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/.
The project's servers may be down,
in which case please try again later.
2005-12-08 13:50:25 [http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/] Couldn't access URL http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/.
The project's servers may be down,
in which case please try again later.
2005-12-08 13:50:25 [http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/] Resetting project
2005-12-08 13:50:25 [---] request_reschedule_cpus: exit_tasks
2005-12-08 13:50:25 [http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/] Detaching from project

ID: 207137 · Report as offensive
Profile spacemeat
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 239
Credit: 8,425,288
RAC: 0
United States
Message 207998 - Posted: 9 Dec 2005, 15:31:21 UTC

if it works in 4.19, attach to the project in 4.19, then replace the 4.19 client executable with a later version. once you have the xml file, nothing else is required for a version upgrade.

afterthought... are you using the --attach_project flag every time you run boinc? you only need to use it once to set up your host and associate it with seti.

ID: 207998 · Report as offensive
DRDC Suffield

Send message
Joined: 18 May 99
Posts: 7
Credit: 19,491,177
RAC: 0
Canada
Message 211506 - Posted: 12 Dec 2005, 14:47:39 UTC - in response to Message 207998.  
Last modified: 12 Dec 2005, 14:57:06 UTC

if it works in 4.19, attach to the project in 4.19, then replace the 4.19 client executable with a later version. once you have the xml file, nothing else is required for a version upgrade.
That is exactly what I had done originally, and all of the new clients - on about a dozen linux boxes - were no longer able to communicate with the servers, so I reverted back to 4.19.
afterthought... are you using the --attach_project flag every time you run boinc? you only need to use it once to set up your host and associate it with seti.
No, I'm not using the --attach_project every time.
ID: 211506 · Report as offensive
Profile spacemeat
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 239
Credit: 8,425,288
RAC: 0
United States
Message 213084 - Posted: 13 Dec 2005, 18:05:38 UTC

okay that sounds very unusual. i can't personally vouch for 5.2.13 on linux as i'm still running various compiles of 4.19 or 4.66 or similar on all those computers.

is this strictly the Berkeley version or have you also tried the 3rd party clients?
ID: 213084 · Report as offensive
DRDC Suffield

Send message
Joined: 18 May 99
Posts: 7
Credit: 19,491,177
RAC: 0
Canada
Message 213211 - Posted: 13 Dec 2005, 20:01:20 UTC - in response to Message 213084.  

okay that sounds very unusual. i can't personally vouch for 5.2.13 on linux as i'm still running various compiles of 4.19 or 4.66 or similar on all those computers.

is this strictly the Berkeley version or have you also tried the 3rd party clients?
They're all Berkeley versions that I've tried. The only third party client that I've used on any of my machines is a version 4.58 running on SGI IRIX platforms, and that client does not have this problem.

ID: 213211 · Report as offensive
Profile spacemeat
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 4 Oct 99
Posts: 239
Credit: 8,425,288
RAC: 0
United States
Message 213320 - Posted: 13 Dec 2005, 21:52:34 UTC

I know Crunch3r has a 5.x version but most others seem to be 4.x

I will try that on my linux platforms later and see if I encounter any similar results. I really do not know whether or not there were any changes to networking functions in 5.4.13/5.4.14

in the meantime, here is the wiki on the specific error
http://boinc-doc.net/boinc-wiki/index.php?title=Master_file_fetch_failed
ID: 213320 · Report as offensive
DRDCtest

Send message
Joined: 13 Dec 05
Posts: 1
Credit: 0
RAC: 0
Canada
Message 213366 - Posted: 13 Dec 2005, 22:28:32 UTC - in response to Message 213320.  
Last modified: 13 Dec 2005, 22:29:48 UTC

I know Crunch3r has a 5.x version but most others seem to be 4.x

I will try that on my linux platforms later and see if I encounter any similar results. I really do not know whether or not there were any changes to networking functions in 5.4.13/5.4.14

in the meantime, here is the wiki on the specific error
http://boinc-doc.net/boinc-wiki/index.php?title=Master_file_fetch_failed
I tried the 5.2.14 client from Crunch3r and it spit out the same errors as the berkeley version 5.2.13 client.

Thanks for the link to wiki entry, but I've already seen it as well as probably every page on the internet regarding this error, and none of them have been any help.
ID: 213366 · Report as offensive

Questions and Answers : Unix/Linux : "Master file fetch failed" error on newer Linux BOINC clients


 
©2025 University of California
 
SETI@home and Astropulse are funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and donations from SETI@home volunteers. AstroPulse is funded in part by the NSF through grant AST-0307956.