Looking for config.xml docs

[lazlo_vii]

Hello,

I have three system running F@H right now, all on Linux. My desktop is running Ubuntu 20.04 so I cannot use the FAH Control program (dependency issues with the .deb package) to configure my systems. I have searched the internet on and off over the last few days but I can't find documentation for the options to set in /etc/fahclient/config.xml. While I do have my systems running now it took some guess work to get things going. If there is any documentation for the config.xml please point me in the right direction.

[ajm]

Have you seen this? https://www.reddit.com/r/Folding/commen ... untu_2004/

[lazlo_vii]

Unfortunately python-gobject-2 is a deprecated package, which makes me nervous. I'd rather do things by hand than install software that might not get security and bug fixes.

[ajm]

There's this, then: https://github.com/FoldingAtHome/fah-co ... Client-API

[lazlo_vii]

So then the options list in the output of "options -a" from a telnet session to FAHClient equate directly to <option v='value'/> in the config.xml?

[ajm]

I can't tell, sorry. And there is no official guide or support for this kind of installation. As stated here: https://foldingathome.org/support/faq/i ... e-options/
If you can get it done, it would be great to have your feedback!

[lazlo_vii]

Well what I did was copy the options available to FAHClient to a text file with the command:

Code: Select all

FAHClient --help > fahclient_help.txt

and then read through it with:

Code: Select all

less fahclient_help.txt

while I was editing the config.xml in another terminal window.

It took a few false starts to get it all going but my config.xml looks a bit like this (some information redacted):

Code: Select all

<config>
 <!-- Client Control -->
  <fold-anon v='true'/>

    <!-- Folding Slot Configuration -->
  <cause v='COVID_19'/>

  <!-- Slot Control -->
  <power v='FULL'/>

  <!-- User Information -->
  <passkey v='REDACTED'/>
  <user v='lazlo_vii'/>

  <!-- Folding Slots -->
  <slot id='0' type='CPU'>
    <idle v='true'/>
  </slot>
  <slot id='1' type='GPU'>
    <idle v='true'/>
  </slot>

and:

Code: Select all

<config>
  <!-- Client Control -->
  <fold-anon v='true'/>

  <!-- Folding Slot Configuration -->
  <cause v='COVID_19'/>

  <!-- HTTP Server -->
  <allow v='REDACTED'/>

  <!-- Slot Control -->
  <power v='FULL'/>

  <!-- User Information -->
  <passkey v='REDACTED'/>
  <user v='lazlo_vii'/>

  <!-- Web Server -->
  <web-allow v='REDACTED'/>

  <!-- Folding Slots -->
  <slot id='0' type='CPU'/>
  <slot id='1' type='GPU'/>

on one of my headless systems. This method isn't great because you need to figure out the syntax for some things on your own. Also, there was no mention of networking foibles in the FAH code. In order to get the Web Control working for a machine on a separate subnet you need to add the IP address of the router as seen by the remote system to the "allow" list in your config.xml (You can get hints at this by tailing the FAH log while trying to connect). Which means that ALL connections from that router would then be valid.

[ajm]

Looks good to me.
The second one is missing the closing </slot> and both require a closing </config>

[lazlo_vii]

Yeah, that was my sloppy Copy-Pasta skills. The closing remarks are there.

I would like to better documentation for this even if it will never be fully supported. If a volunteer is able to return valid results to the project then documenting the client config files shouldn't be too much to ask.

[ajm]

I guess you could open an issue on GitHub. But there is a version 8.0 somewhere in the works, the dev team is overwhelmed and has been for months on end. So, yeah.

[bruce]

The documentation for client.xml is actually provided by FAHControl, but since you can't run that without the deprecated dependency, you're on your own.

Do you have another system on your LAN that can run FAHControl? You can enable remote control and manage the settings on one system with FAHControl from another system.

[lazlo_vii]

The documentation for client.xml is actually provided by FAHControl, but since you can't run that without the deprecated dependency, you're on your own.

Do you have another system on your LAN that can run FAHControl? You can enable remote control and manage the settings on one system with FAHControl from another system.

I installed Devuan (Beowulf) in a VM on one of my two headless systems and put it on the same subnet as my desktop system. I was able to install FAHControl there. I have been able to two configure access to both headless systems however FAHControl will not connect to the desktop. I have not been able to find the documentation you spoke of.

[bruce]

The GUI is self-documenting.

[lazlo_vii]

The GUI is self-documenting.

That's great lie, Bruce, and almost as helpful as tell people that COVID-19 will just disappear. Abuse your volunteers often?

[ajm]

There are tooltips on the items and explanations where necessary. For example, in the Remote Access tab, you can read the following:



There sure a few things missing, for example the Extra Client Options and the Extra Core Options. But these are meant for insiders and you still have all you need to make it work in a somewhat normal configuration. I don't know of many software that would come with full documentation on running them on a Linux VM installed on a headless machine, apart from solutions especially designed for this.

The very goal of FAH was to allow standard users to lend their unused hardware. I'm one of those who regret that no solution has been developed for large-scale deployment, but then it is what it is. And it's quite good as is. And maybe it will be done at a later stage.