Can I move boinc from linux root?

[cjspizz]

Unlike most programs, boinc installed itself in root and keeps all the data files there. I allocated a generous 30GB to my root partition during install, but it's now ~60% full because of boinc. Anyone know why boinc makes its home in root? More importantly, does anyone know how I can move it (or at least move the data files to the /home partition)?

[scole of TSBT]

It's normally installed in /var/lib/ by default. You can't just move it if that's where the install script put it. Check your /etc/init.d/boinc-client script and see if the lines are the same as these...

BOINC_DIR=/var/lib/boinc-client
BOINC_CLIENT=/usr/bin/boinc

[zombie67]

In the past, I have just downloaded the app from the BOINC site, extracted it to my Desktop, and just run it form there. Works fine, assuming you are running a GUI.

[cjspizz]

It's normally installed in /var/lib/ by default. You can't just move it if that's where the install script put it. Check your /etc/init.d/boinc-client script and see if the lines are the same as these...

BOINC_DIR=/var/lib/boinc-client
BOINC_CLIENT=/usr/bin/boinc

Yup, they're the same, and that's where everything is:

boinc-root-hog.jpg

But that's the problem. I was hoping to move BOINC_DIR to /home because my root partition is filling up.

sdc-partitions.png

Is there any way to do that? Maybe stop taking new tasks, complete the tasks on hand, then uninstall/reinstall with new settings?

[scole of TSBT]

Try moving the folder to where you want and change the folder name in the boinc-client script and see if it works. It should because we run additional clients in other folders and that is only place the path is referenced by the installed scripts

[cjspizz]

That didn't work, partly because boinc wouldn't use the folder I designated (/home/cjspizz/boinc-dir). For some reason, it insisted on using /home/cjspizz instead.

I found this script a while back but haven't tried it, mainly because I'm not sure where to define the variables "$BOINC_DIR" and "$CONF_DIR." Where do I define those, and do you think this script will work?

#!/bin/sh
#
# This script can be used to move the BOINC data directory from Debian's
# default location in root '/var/lib/boinc-client' to a more sensible place,
# like your Home directory.
# Invoke it with the old data directory as it's only argument,
# for example:
#    $ move-new-boinc-dir.sh /var/lib/boinc-client
#
# This file is licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License,
# Version 2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.


set -e


OLD_DIR="$1"
if [ -z "$OLD_DIR" ]; then
    echo "Error: Old BOINC directory not specified."
    exit 1
elif [ ! -d "$OLD_DIR" ]; then
    echo "Error: $OLD_DIR does not exist or is not a directory."
    exit 1
fi


BOINC_DIR=/home/boinc-client
CONF_DIR=/etc/boinc-client


mv_conffile()
{
    if [ ! -L "$BOINC_DIR/$1" ] && [ -f "$BOINC_DIR/$1" ]; then
        mv -f "$BOINC_DIR/$1" "$CONF_DIR/$1"
    fi
    ln -sf "$CONF_DIR/$1" "$BOINC_DIR/$1"
}


# Stop the BOINC core client.
invoke-rc.d boinc-client stop


# Copy the old BOINC directory to the new location.
mkdir -p $BOINC_DIR || true
cp -R -T "$OLD_DIR" $BOINC_DIR


# Set the user boinc as the owner for
# all files in /home/cjspizz/boinc-client.
chown -R boinc:boinc $BOINC_DIR || true


# Move old configuration files to /etc/boinc-client/ and
# create symlinks for the BOINC core client.
mv_conffile cc_config.xml
mv_conffile global_prefs_override.xml
mv_conffile gui_rpc_auth.cfg
mv_conffile remote_hosts.cfg


CA_FILE=/etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt
CA_LINK="$BOINC_DIR/ca-bundle.crt"
if [ ! -e $CA_LINK ] && [ -f $CA_FILE ]; then
    ln -sf $CA_FILE $CA_LINK
fi


# Start the BOINC core client again.
invoke-rc.d boinc-client start

[scole of TSBT]

Going to be messy in /home/cjspizz. Try /home/cjspizz/boinc then set the owner and permissions...

sudo chmod 777 -R /home/cjspizz/boinc
sudo chown -R boinc:boinc /home/cjspizz/boinc

[cjspizz]

Yup, that's what I tried (/home/cjspizz/boinc-dir). It was boinc that wanted to make a mess in /home/cjspizz. There's another boinc-client script in /etc/default/ (it's the configuration script for the init script) that has the "BOINC_DIR=/var/lib/boinc-client" variable. I'm going to try changing that too and see if it helps. I'll report back, just in case others are interested.