Thank you for your reply. I am running Boinc version 5.4.11_i686. Based on your suggested message threads, I understand that I would not be able to throttle the CPU down.
-39er

Nice! Errrr - I mean - "nice" - in a unix world processes with the lowest priority are called "nice" The bigger problem is with RAM, especially whilst crunching 2*hdc - it can sometimes take even more RAM than I phisically have (1024) and I find it little annoying in the situation like this (has happened to me today):

1)

screen #1

2)
screen #2



[BOINC v.5.8.15 for i686-pc-linux-gnu @ OpenSUSE 10.2]

It happens rarely (combining 2 hdc taking >1024), I remember only one such situation, I just hadn't made a shot. What I wanted to show with those pics is not that it can take more RAM than I have, but to point out not quite smart scheduling. You see - BOINC tries to be "transparent" for the users with processes priority ("nice") and I would expect the same with RAM usage. I'm going to try to explain it now. hdc is deffinitely the most RAM demanding app from WCG, if the cpu crunches hdc - it takes quite a lot of it, moreover it can't withdraw to other apps (with "higher" priority) willing more than left, as it does with cpu time. OK, "it's a feature not a bug". But the situation on a dual core is a little different. If one core crunches hdc, and second has just finished some task, and e.g. it can choose between fcg1 and hdc - IMO it should take fcg1, because: it continues to be more "transparent" for other apps. I don't consider the situation when there are only hdc's in a queue, but some less and some more demanding RAM WU. IMO it would be a "nice" feature, but if not - it's not a bug, my previous post was only for sharing my observation that "there is a bigger problem with RAM than with process priority/cpu usage (at least for me)". I hope you understand what I mean, don't you?

Regards, D_T_G.

BOINC 5.8 is much smarter than some give it credit. Use the Idle and Busy memory functions that can be set in the general_prefs_override.xml. Set 'Busy' to e.g. 60% and the HDC job will be suspended when it hits the limit and show a 'waiting for memory' message in the task tab. It will move on to the next job in queue until it finds a job that fits in the restricted resource.

WCG elected to combine both in a single option and set default to 100%. Several posts on these fora discuss the 2 new memory features and how set it up in the general_prefs_override.xml. Original BOINC defaults are 50 Busy and 90 idle.

cheers

PS, set 'Leave in Memory' to NO as BOINC 5.8.15 is smart about project switching and checkpoint saving too. The Yes now merely helps for those on RAM galore as it speeds up job changing.... it's does not have to fetch it from disk.

Since HDC is in limited supply it's anyway advised to have a multi project selection in the device profile, so that it has an escape route if HDC runs low. That said, if only on HDC, tick that alternate work box, so if HDC is not available, BOINC will fetch other projects work.