ERROR: Bad platformId size (GTX 780 / Ubuntu 13.10)

[DocJonz]

Yes. I rebooted after installing the driver.
As with this post NV GPU not folding on Ubuntu 13.10, there is no GPU's.txt file in the fahclient folder.
I'll read on ....

[bollix47]

If nvidia-settings works and shows the correct driver version then the GPUs.txt file could be the problem and a manual download of it and placing it in your fahclient folder may fix the problem. If nvidia-settings does not work then you need to reinstall the drivers.

[davidcoton]

GPUs.txt is likely to be the problem. Download it and manually and put it where it belongs. Can't remember if you still need the Advanced flag also.

The missing GPUs.txt error is, I think, fixed in 7.4.4, but in 7.3.6 on Ubuntu the download was attempted before the network was up, and failed. There is a built-in fallback gpus.txt, but the version in 7.3.6 may be too old to recognise the 780.

David

[DocJonz]

nVidia-settings worked fine.
I downloaded and copied the GPUs.txt file and popped it in the var/lib/fahclient folder. (Restarted the PC for good measure).
I can now get it to detect the GPU, so have set the slot up ... looking good so far

[bruce]

The missing GPUs.txt error is, I think, fixed in 7.4.4, but in 7.3.6 on Ubuntu the download was attempted before the network was up, and failed. There is a built-in fallback gpus.txt, but the version in 7.3.6 may be too old to recognise the 780.

Right. The V7.4.4 fix avoids the need to manually place GPUs.txt, but you still have to restart after the file is where it's expected to be.

[davidcoton]

The missing GPUs.txt error is, I think, fixed in 7.4.4, but in 7.3.6 on Ubuntu the download was attempted before the network was up, and failed. There is a built-in fallback gpus.txt, but the version in 7.3.6 may be too old to recognise the 780.

Right. The V7.4.4 fix avoids the need to manually place GPUs.txt, but you still have to restart after the file is where it's expected to be.

So 7.4.4 downloads the file correctly, but doesn't manage to use it without a manual restart??? Half a step forward, I suppose.

David

[7im]

The missing GPUs.txt error is, I think, fixed in 7.4.4, but in 7.3.6 on Ubuntu the download was attempted before the network was up, and failed. There is a built-in fallback gpus.txt, but the version in 7.3.6 may be too old to recognise the 780.

Right. The V7.4.4 fix avoids the need to manually place GPUs.txt, but you still have to restart after the file is where it's expected to be.

So 7.4.4 downloads the file correctly, but doesn't manage to use it without a manual restart??? Half a step forward, I suppose.

David

Maybe, maybe not. V7.4.4 contains an updated GPUs.txt list internally that is used when an external list (GPUs.txt file) is not available. Only GPUs not yet released to the market would need a new file. And the new file might download before or after the client needs it, depending on how and when the client gets installed, and how faster is your network connection. Maybe a whole solution either way.

[PantherX]

The missing GPUs.txt error is, I think, fixed in 7.4.4, but in 7.3.6 on Ubuntu the download was attempted before the network was up, and failed. There is a built-in fallback gpus.txt, but the version in 7.3.6 may be too old to recognise the 780.

Right. The V7.4.4 fix avoids the need to manually place GPUs.txt, but you still have to restart after the file is where it's expected to be.

So 7.4.4 downloads the file correctly, but doesn't manage to use it without a manual restart??? Half a step forward, I suppose...

While I can't test it, from what I observed, if you manually place the GPUs.txt file when FAHClient is running, you may need to restart it. If you manually place it before FAHClient starts, it is fine. If the GPUs.txt file isn't found but is later automatically downloaded, there isn't any need to restart FAHClient.

This log shows failure to download GPUs.txt file since the system is disconnected from the LAN:

Code: Select all

*********************** Log Started 2014-03-23T15:14:36Z ***********************
15:14:36:************************* Folding@home Client *************************
15:14:36:      Website: http://folding.stanford.edu/
15:14:36:    Copyright: (c) 2009-2014 Stanford University
15:14:36:       Author: Joseph Coffland <[email protected]>
15:14:36:         Args: 
15:14:36:       Config: D:/FAH/V7/config.xml
15:14:36:******************************** Build ********************************
15:14:36:      Version: 7.4.4
15:14:36:         Date: Mar 4 2014
15:14:36:         Time: 20:26:54
15:14:36:      SVN Rev: 4130
15:14:36:       Branch: fah/trunk/client
15:14:36:     Compiler: Intel(R) C++ MSVC 1500 mode 1200
15:14:36:      Options: /TP /nologo /EHa /Qdiag-disable:4297,4103,1786,279 /Ox -arch:SSE
15:14:36:               /QaxSSE2,SSE3,SSSE3,SSE4.1,SSE4.2 /Qopenmp /Qrestrict /MT /Qmkl
15:14:36:     Platform: win32 XP
15:14:36:         Bits: 32
15:14:36:         Mode: Release
15:14:36:******************************* System ********************************
15:14:36:          CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3840QM CPU @ 2.80GHz
15:14:36:       CPU ID: GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9
15:14:36:         CPUs: 8
15:14:36:       Memory: 15.89GiB
15:14:36:  Free Memory: 13.23GiB
15:14:36:      Threads: WINDOWS_THREADS
15:14:36:   OS Version: 6.2
15:14:36:  Has Battery: true
15:14:36:   On Battery: false
15:14:36:   UTC Offset: 3
15:14:36:          PID: 8004
15:14:36:          CWD: D:/FAH/V7
15:14:36:           OS: Windows 8 Pro
15:14:36:      OS Arch: AMD64
15:14:36:         GPUs: 1
15:14:36:        GPU 0: NVIDIA:2 GF114 [GeForce GTX 675M]
15:14:36:         CUDA: 2.1
15:14:36:  CUDA Driver: 6000
15:14:36:Win32 Service: false
15:14:36:***********************************************************************
15:14:36:<config>
15:14:36:  <!-- Network -->
15:14:36:  <proxy v=':8080'/>
15:14:36:
15:14:36:  <!-- Remote Command Server -->
15:14:36:  <password v='*********'/>
15:14:36:
15:14:36:  <!-- Slot Control -->
15:14:36:  <power v='full'/>
15:14:36:
15:14:36:  <!-- User Information -->
15:14:36:  <passkey v='********************************'/>
15:14:36:  <team v='69411'/>
15:14:36:  <user v='PantherX'/>
15:14:36:
15:14:36:  <!-- Folding Slots -->
15:14:36:  <slot id='0' type='CPU'>
15:14:36:    <cpus v='7'/>
15:14:36:    <max-packet-size v='small'/>
15:14:36:    <max-slot-errors v='1'/>
15:14:36:    <max-unit-errors v='1'/>
15:14:36:    <next-unit-percentage v='100'/>
15:14:36:    <pause-on-start v='true'/>
15:14:36:  </slot>
15:14:36:  <slot id='1' type='GPU'>
15:14:36:    <max-slot-errors v='1'/>
15:14:36:    <max-unit-errors v='1'/>
15:14:36:    <next-unit-percentage v='100'/>
15:14:36:    <pause-on-start v='true'/>
15:14:36:  </slot>
15:14:36:</config>
15:14:36:Connecting to assign-GPU.stanford.edu:80
15:14:36:WARNING:Attempting to update GPUs.txt from assign-GPU.stanford.edu:80: Could not get IP address for assign-GPU.stanford.edu: No such host is known. 
15:14:36:Connecting to assign-GPU2.stanford.edu:80
15:14:36:WARNING:Attempting to update GPUs.txt from assign-GPU2.stanford.edu:80: Could not get IP address for assign-GPU2.stanford.edu: No such host is known. 
15:14:36:Trying to access database...
15:14:36:Successfully acquired database lock
15:14:36:Enabled folding slot 00: PAUSED cpu:7 (by user)
15:14:36:Enabled folding slot 01: PAUSED gpu:0:GF114 [GeForce GTX 675M] (by user)
15:15:56:Clean exit

This log shows a successful download of GPUs.txt file and an "update" (the Read GPUs.txt statement):

Code: Select all

*********************** Log Started 2014-03-23T15:17:55Z ***********************
15:17:55:************************* Folding@home Client *************************
15:17:55:      Website: http://folding.stanford.edu/
15:17:55:    Copyright: (c) 2009-2014 Stanford University
15:17:55:       Author: Joseph Coffland <[email protected]>
15:17:55:         Args: 
15:17:55:       Config: D:/FAH/V7/config.xml
15:17:55:******************************** Build ********************************
15:17:55:      Version: 7.4.4
15:17:55:         Date: Mar 4 2014
15:17:55:         Time: 20:26:54
15:17:55:      SVN Rev: 4130
15:17:55:       Branch: fah/trunk/client
15:17:55:     Compiler: Intel(R) C++ MSVC 1500 mode 1200
15:17:55:      Options: /TP /nologo /EHa /Qdiag-disable:4297,4103,1786,279 /Ox -arch:SSE
15:17:55:               /QaxSSE2,SSE3,SSSE3,SSE4.1,SSE4.2 /Qopenmp /Qrestrict /MT /Qmkl
15:17:55:     Platform: win32 XP
15:17:55:         Bits: 32
15:17:55:         Mode: Release
15:17:55:******************************* System ********************************
15:17:55:          CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3840QM CPU @ 2.80GHz
15:17:55:       CPU ID: GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9
15:17:55:         CPUs: 8
15:17:55:       Memory: 15.89GiB
15:17:55:  Free Memory: 13.18GiB
15:17:55:      Threads: WINDOWS_THREADS
15:17:55:   OS Version: 6.2
15:17:55:  Has Battery: true
15:17:55:   On Battery: false
15:17:55:   UTC Offset: 3
15:17:55:          PID: 9000
15:17:55:          CWD: D:/FAH/V7
15:17:55:           OS: Windows 8 Pro
15:17:55:      OS Arch: AMD64
15:17:55:         GPUs: 1
15:17:55:        GPU 0: NVIDIA:2 GF114 [GeForce GTX 675M]
15:17:55:         CUDA: 2.1
15:17:55:  CUDA Driver: 6000
15:17:55:Win32 Service: false
15:17:55:***********************************************************************
15:17:55:<config>
15:17:55:  <!-- Network -->
15:17:55:  <proxy v=':8080'/>
15:17:55:
15:17:55:  <!-- Remote Command Server -->
15:17:55:  <password v='*********'/>
15:17:55:
15:17:55:  <!-- Slot Control -->
15:17:55:  <power v='full'/>
15:17:55:
15:17:55:  <!-- User Information -->
15:17:55:  <passkey v='********************************'/>
15:17:55:  <team v='69411'/>
15:17:55:  <user v='PantherX'/>
15:17:55:
15:17:55:  <!-- Folding Slots -->
15:17:55:  <slot id='0' type='CPU'>
15:17:55:    <cpus v='7'/>
15:17:55:    <max-packet-size v='small'/>
15:17:55:    <max-slot-errors v='1'/>
15:17:55:    <max-unit-errors v='1'/>
15:17:55:    <next-unit-percentage v='100'/>
15:17:55:    <pause-on-start v='true'/>
15:17:55:  </slot>
15:17:55:  <slot id='1' type='GPU'>
15:17:55:    <max-slot-errors v='1'/>
15:17:55:    <max-unit-errors v='1'/>
15:17:55:    <next-unit-percentage v='100'/>
15:17:55:    <pause-on-start v='true'/>
15:17:55:  </slot>
15:17:55:</config>
15:17:55:Connecting to assign-GPU.stanford.edu:80
15:17:57:Updated GPUs.txt
15:17:57:Read GPUs.txt
15:17:57:Trying to access database...
15:17:57:Successfully acquired database lock
15:17:57:Enabled folding slot 00: PAUSED cpu:7 (by user)
15:17:57:Enabled folding slot 01: PAUSED gpu:0:GF114 [GeForce GTX 675M] (by user)
15:20:14:Clean exit

[davidcoton]

@Panther,

That's fine -- what I would expect. Place the file manually, restart manually. But, with the original problem fixed, download the file automatically and use it automatically.

All good.

David

[bruce]

The client configures the GPU when FAHClient starts. Unfortunately on some systems, these two steps can happen before the internet connection is fully operational, causing the GPU to be configured with obsolete data from GPUs.txt. Previously, downloading was only attempted once. Now it will retry, expecting that sooner or later the internet will be operational. Reconfiguring of the GPU will happen on the next restart.

This is already an extremely rare scenario and probably not worth expending additional programming resources (which would have the potential to introduce new bugs) for something that's also extremely difficult for beta testers to test properly. There are plenty of more productive things which can use scarce programming resources.

[7im]

Additionally, the internal GPUs.txt list is updated with each client version release. Unless you have the very newest GPU to hit the market, you're already covered by V7.4.4 client, even without the latest download of the GPUs.txt file.

At least that is how it was explained to me.

[SteveWillis]

I know this is a very old topic but I just wanted to relate my experience. I was getting this error along with the PC freezing. Turned out one of my GTX 1080s had gone bad. Removing the card has me now happily folding on the other three GPUs.