Suspend BOINC when playing video
#1
Hi Everyone,

I have a bit of a tough one on my hands. (at least in my perspective)

I am running an application called BOINC on my HTPC, which is essentially an application that donates your computers resources to do highly complex research for the research team of your choice.
(Check out the BOINC webiste or the World Community Grid website for more details on that)

My question is, I want to suspend BOINC from running when I am watchign a TV Show or Movie.
BOINC has a built in feature which allows me to suspend processing when a certain application is open, but XBMC is always open in my case (since this is my HTPC). But it definitely is not always playing media.
Does anyone know if XBMC launches any type of application when it plays Movies or TV Shows, which I can monitor with my BOINC software, and this application will trigger BOINC to suspend?

It would be a great help!

Thanks!
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#2
I should have also mentioned that I am using Windows 7 for my HTPC.
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#3
Ugly work around but could you map a key on the remote to suspend boinc, and then manually restart?
Either that or scheduled task to close boinc during certain hours?
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#4
I'm not totally sure how I can suspend BOINC with a key.

I am wondering if there is some sort of dummy application I can launch when XBMC plays a video. And monitor that application, if it is running, then suspend BOINC.
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#5
Hi Juelestop,

I run BOINC as well using the SETI module... and it's the only module I run so I don't know how all the other modules work.

But with SETI I can log into my account on the SETI website, then adjust my computing preferences. Some of the options available are:

Suspend work while computer is on battery power?
Suspend work while computer is in use? yes
Suspend GPU work while computer is in use?
Suspend work if no mouse/keyboard activity in last
Suspend work when non-BOINC CPU usage is above
Do work only between the hours of
Leave tasks in memory while suspended?
Switch between tasks every
On multiprocessors, use at most 16 processors

I haven't really investigated in depth to know what BOINC is actually doing when I am watching videos, but adjusting the above settings allows XBMC to play and BOINC is either suspended or reduced to operate on unused threads and XBMC runs fine. When checking the OSD while watching a video, it states my CPU usage is around 10%, so BOINC might be suspended.

Which module are you running?
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#6
(2014-02-20, 09:52)blossom24 Wrote: Hi Juelestop,

I run BOINC as well using the SETI module... and it's the only module I run so I don't know how all the other modules work.

But with SETI I can log into my account on the SETI website, then adjust my computing preferences. Some of the options available are:

Suspend work while computer is on battery power?
Suspend work while computer is in use? yes
Suspend GPU work while computer is in use?
Suspend work if no mouse/keyboard activity in last
Suspend work when non-BOINC CPU usage is above
Do work only between the hours of
Leave tasks in memory while suspended?
Switch between tasks every
On multiprocessors, use at most 16 processors

I haven't really investigated in depth to know what BOINC is actually doing when I am watching videos, but adjusting the above settings allows XBMC to play and BOINC is either suspended or reduced to operate on unused threads and XBMC runs fine. When checking the OSD while watching a video, it states my CPU usage is around 10%, so BOINC might be suspended.

Which module are you running?

HI blossom24

I am running World Community Grid, as well as SIMAP. But I run them from the original BOINC software.
I have seen those setting but I haven't been successful at getting smooth playback in all scenerios. I think I just need to fine tune those settings however.
I think if it notices that the non BOINC processor usage is about a certain percentage and suspends, that will work fine.

Thanks,
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