I reported strange behavior of the linux client last month. It is about time to bump that topic and see if there has been any progress.

Initially I had a gt240 in a dual core ubuntu machine. GPUGRID took one full core and the two cpu tasks from a different project evenly split the other. I resolved that issue by pulling the GPU out of the linux machine, putting it in a windows machine and putting that machine on another project :(

Last week I picked up a shell shocker deal gt240 and decided to see how much had changed. This time I selected a quad core q6600. The distro on it was too old to be supported by nvidia so I installed ubuntu 9.04, boinc 6.10.32 and NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 190.42.

This time things are even weirder. The GPUGRID task takes one full core just like before, but the other four tasks split TWO of the remaining three cores.

A top snapshot looks like:

Additional update on the above--

I installed a 9600gso in a different quad, this time a q8200. The behavior is the same. I even verified that the CPU tasks took twice as long to complete just in case top was lying to me.

I have verified the behavior with

NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 195.36.15 Fri Mar 12 00:29:13 PST 2010

as well as the original

NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 190.42 Tue Oct 20 20:25:42 PDT 2009

and with a 9600gso as well as a gt240.

I will try a different kernel next as both tests have been run with linux 2.6.28-11-server x86_64

Hi Fractal.
As told several times in different threads, the new GPUGrid release is now using 1 full core instead of 30% before (Something like that)
But with this new release, your GPU can crunch up to 60% higher (in my case it was close to 30% with a GTX275).
I was quite disappointing with it as I like running my CPU on several others project. But with a gain of 30% I think it's worth it.
____________
MyUneo, the Cupid of Services

Hi Fractal.
As told several times in different threads, the new GPUGrid release is now using 1 full core instead of 30% before (Something like that)
But with this new release, your GPU can crunch up to 60% higher (in my case it was close to 30% with a GTX275).
I was quite disappointing with it as I like running my CPU on several others project. But with a gain of 30% I think it's worth it.

Any ETA on a new client? It has been a month and a half now.

I want to get back to this project but not if I have to give up two cores on a quad just to feed one GPU.

Heck, even a "buzz off" is better than the cold shoulder treatment.

On my ubuntu the GPU-WUs are doing 2 not-nice things, that must not happen:
a) they use a full core while pretending to be non-CPU intensive (0,05 CPUs + 1 NVIDIA GPUs)
b) they have a nice value of 10 for the CPU part instead of the required 19

If they would play fair and admit for the use of a full CPU, BOINC would not start another 4 CPU-WUs on my machine. It's OK to use a full CPU if that's needed, but don't pretend not to use one.

If the nice value was the right 19, all 5 CPU-WUs would get the same amount, and GPUgrid would not claim a full one while the others have to keep up with 3 cores for 4 WUs.

The nice value could be changed manually by me, and of course I've done so. Now all 5 CPU-hogs get about the same amount of CPU-time, brings GPUgrid down to ~75% average, alternating between 30% and 100%, and the others up from ~70% to ~80%, some CPU is needed for non-BOINC stuff of course.

How I could tell the GPUgrid WU not to pretend to be non-CPU-intensive O don't know, but it's something that should be done quick by the project team. (0,05 CPUs + 1 NVIDIA GPUs) is a plain lie, (1CPUs + 1 NVIDIA GPUs) is the truth. To tell the BOINC ,manager the truth about the WUs behaviour is an absolute must for a good project.
____________
Gruesse vom Saenger

For questions about Boinc look in the BOINC-Wiki

As I said, I have no problem with GPUgrid using a full CPU besides my GPU, it only should say so openly, not pretend to use only 0.05.
A project, that uses one full CPU, should not let 4 other WUs run in parallel on a quad (or 2 on a duo, or any other on a single core).
____________
Gruesse vom Saenger

For questions about Boinc look in the BOINC-Wiki

As I said, I have no problem with GPUgrid using a full CPU besides my GPU, it only should say so openly, not pretend to use only 0.05.
A project, that uses one full CPU, should not let 4 other WUs run in parallel on a quad (or 2 on a duo, or any other on a single core).

I just saw that it's using even more. I wondered, why there was no 400% as a sum in my system monitor, and changed the view to see all processes, not only my own, an suddenly the missing percent were there: Xorg is using something between 30 and 60%, in addition to the 90 - 110% of the regular app that's ~130 - 150 %, that's far too much, especially as the WU still pretends to only use 0.05%.

It would be OK to use as much CPU as is needed, if the app would say so. I can even live with 120%, if only 1 core is "officially" claimed. But to grab 150% while lying to the system with proclaimed 0.05% is far off being good.

As long as you need CPU, say so open and take it open. As long as you officially only want 0.05%, don't dare to take more than 1%. Your current behaviour under Linux is plain stealing from other projects.
____________
Gruesse vom Saenger

For questions about Boinc look in the BOINC-Wiki

Well, it has been half a year since the bug was first reported and it still exists..

Any status update?