I tried to install Linux on a spare PC I had. I don't think that I'm the only one with a spare PC, cheap electricity, & internet. It's not that many cards that CUDA supports, I just don't know how to make it run on Linux. BIONIC Manager can run, but it just doesn't want to work with GPUGRID.net

I'm sure that if I kept on trying that eventually I'd get it to run, but I'm not that hard-core interested in learning how to.

BTW, I planned to use an e2180 with 2GB Ram, & a 8800GT. But I gave up & installed Windows. It runs now, but it would have been nicer if there was a minimalistic dedicated BIONIC Manager Linux that had only the function to run BIONIC Manager. That way, you could easilly install, run Windows on one partition, if you plan to use Windows, & a seperate Linux, just for running BIONIC Manager.

Annother thought. If a dedicated easiliy installed Linux running BIONIC Manager also was secure w/o any way of accessing the Windows Installation. Offices could run it after hours, & work there will be even safer than if the staff left work with Windows running. Just a thought...
____________

Hi liveonc !
I'm glad to see you're interesting in using Linux.

So you just need a bit of help...
There are some LiveCD with Linux in it,(I did one last year, but it's not updated), but using a hard disk install is fare better.

The easiest Linux I've used is Ubuntu. Download it and install it on another partition. Then you will have to add the PPA link in your source.list to get a recent Nvidia driver.
Then install BOINC, the latest, through berkeley sh.

If you need any help, I will be glad to help you.

Dear Dudumomo,

If u ask me if I'm lazy, maybe, will be my answer. I did try downloading Ubuntu after failing with Mint. Googled the steps of doing a clean install, downloading the newest driver from Nvidia, stopping x, & installing the driver via all the cryptic sudo commands that I don't understand, but can read from my laptop & type on my keyboard on my desktop. I even followed the steps of getting all the SDK's & other CUDA goodies, in a vain attempt to get GPUGRID.net to recognize my 8800GT after telling me that I didn't have a GPU that the site could use, even with the Nvidia 190.53 driver

Then I tried downloading Gentoo. & actually felt like an enemy combatant getting water-boarded.

I only spent a day on each Linux. So I am a lazy N00B. But my point being is that there are so many like me, who would like to, but feel as if it's a million times easier just to go with Windows. I'm 33, & have lots of time. But there are people out there who maybe have 4 precious hours a week to do things like this, who would like to help out, but just wind up giving up.
____________

Wow...You're not lazy at all.
Installing the driver through the nvidia-drivers is not easy for a beginner.
There are several easiest way.

And then, using Gentoo....wow..I'm using gentoo and I think it's not easy to use this one.

If you have 1h free or more, I suggest you to reinstall the latest ubuntu again.
It should not be too difficult to install it.

And afterwards, to install the Nvidia driver, follow these steps :
In terminal type :
sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list
(sudo, for root acces, gedit to use the gedit software (kind of wordpad) to modify the file sources.list, located in /etc/apt/ ).

As you should have Karmic Koala (Ubuntu 9.10, hopefully the 64b one for crunching benefit), paste the following lines :
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/nvidia-vdpau/ppa/ubuntu karmic main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/nvidia-vdpau/ppa/ubuntu karmic main

These are the links for ubuntu to check the nvidia driver version and install the latest one present in this "website"/database.

Save the file and quit it.
Now, still in shell, paste :
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys CEC06767

This is the public key for the "website". You need it to be able to connect to it.

Then, still in shell:
sudo apt-get update
(to update the list of available software installable)

Finally, you just need to activate the hardware driver on system-->Administration--->hardware something
And activate the latest available nvidia driver (Should be 190.xx).

Restart and here you go !

With this way, it is very easy to update your system as soon as a new nvidia driver comes.

Now, you just need to install the latest BOINC version (from berkley, it is better).
If you need any further help, I will be watching this post, so feel free to ask me.

Dear Dudumomo,

thank you for your detailed instructions. I will try this & get back when I find out more.

____________

My pleasure liveonc.

BTW Dudumomo,

do you know if it's possible to get Mint Linux to run this? I'm a N00B who likes the Visual Look & feel of Mint...
____________

I decided to go with Mint & follow what everyone else on google said about Mint being Ubuntu, just visually different. So far so good, & thanks for your instructions.

Wish me luck, because I'm just about to find out after I install BIONIC Manager. ;-)
____________

Yes sure, It should be similar. Mint is from Ubuntu.
so, Good luck !

Yes, Mint is Ubuntu. Everything you wrote, worked on Mint. But same proble. Even though I'm using Nvidia Driver 195.62 still no go. BIONIC Manager still reports NO NVIDIA GPU. ;-(
____________

well well well.
Which BOINC version have you installed ?
Are the drivers activated ?
Can you check with the Nvidia control panel if you are really using the 195.xx ?

Hi, sorry for being so long.

I have BIONC Manager Version 6.4.5
wxWidgets Version 2.8.10

Driver is activated. Couldn't Save X Configuration to start with, so I pressed Show Preview, copied & pasted after logging in as root to /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Actually I must have written the wrong NVIDIA Driver Version, because it's 195.30

Sometimes I misread and it sticks, I just realised it was BIONC not BIONIC, but that's ok because I though NVIDIA was NVIDA for 2 years B4 realising....
____________

Oh..I thought you were a robot addict with BIONIC.
And it's not BIONC but BOINC (which stand for Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing)

I don't even remember if the version 6.4.5 can recognize GPU.
You must use a higher version (6.6.xx)
I guess you can use that one : http://www.getdeb.net/software/BOINC (easy to install)
Otherwise you will have to use the one on berkely's website

I didn't get what you did with the Xorg, but as far as it works, i'm fine with it :)

Thanks I'll try! Damn I must be word blind! Abbreviations & names have never been my strong side. It's just a bunch of letter to me most of the time.
____________

Thank you so very much! It works! :-)
BTW, I had to go to http://www.getdeb.net first, add the lines & install via package manager though...
____________

I was thinking of sharing a N00B guide to make this work, or would you like to do it? It takes a N00B to know a N00B & most Linux N00B's can only follow exact directions & clip & paste guides...
____________

Nice !
What about switching all your computers to Linux :)
I guess it will be better if you can do the how to, but I will be glad to read it.

I just bought a Windows 7 64Bit Home Premium. If I hadn't, I would. But I only have 2 PC's, the 2 netbooks I also have, doesn't make sense, plus the Splashtops would be gone for good, even if I salvaged my XP...
____________

BTW are U sure it's BOINC not BOInc? Steve Jobs did a splendid job with turning FreeBSD into MacOS...
____________

Hahaha !
Nice one ! :)

Thought you might like to see that N00B thing I was talking about: http://www.gpugrid.net/forum_thread.php?id=1549#14288

Thanks [AF>Linux] Dudumomo for making it possible!
____________