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World Community Grid Forums
Category: Completed Research
Forum: The Clean Energy Project - Phase 2 Forum
Thread: Could BOINC comply with Windows executable naming conventions? [RESOLVED] |
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Thread Status: Active Total posts in this thread: 10
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
wcgrid_cep2_6.40_windows_intelx86
----------------------------------------and wcgrid_cep2_qchem_6.40_windows_intelx86 should be named wcgrid_cep2_6.40_windows_intelx86.exe wcgrid_cep2_qchem_6.40_windows_intelx86.exe (as examples; there are also the graphics images etc.) respectively in order to comply with the Windows image/executable naming conventions. Some virus scanners - e.g., Microsoft Security Essentials - will not permit you to exclude a process whose image/executable file does not end in ".com", ".exe", or ".scr". Those two images obviously do not, and since you have one each per core/hyperthread allocated to BOINC... The granularity of excluding said processes above and beyond excluding the BOINC data directory from file I/O monitoring is important as file download/transfer monitoring, process scanning, and process I/O monitoring can be very different beasts to an antivirus software programmer/vendor - and the way those methods of protection are carried out are obviously subject to change without prior notification//compensation for instantly obsoleted practices. I.e., I wouldn't be shocked if one day Microsoft or some other vendor just prohibited the loading of images that "disguise" (intentionally, or not) their intended purpose/function altogether - and Voila! - part or all of the BOINC universe ceases to function without benefit of natural entropy. Given that the things appear in the BOINC data directory along with beta image files etc., I (blindly) assume they're unpacked from project zip files making my renaming them by hand "to see what happens" an exercise in futility as each newly created BOINC task would be able to invoke what it had just unzipped (assuming the unzip didn't fail because of confusion over the "Huh? What's the same image with an .exe extension doing there?"). I note leaving the ".exe" off seems to be common practice across the entire BOINC universe (and I hope somebody doesn't go all 'nix vs. 'doze on me). [Edit 1 times, last edit by Former Member at Dec 2, 2011 8:51:02 PM] |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Think you'd have to present your case / concerns over at Berkeley developers. They're working with W8 and MS has as yet not kneejerked.
----------------------------------------Now I wonder... how do they look under Linux and Mac. Is there an extension to tell what they are, but looking at the properties. --//-- P.S. Pretty sure in past I saw many a project with an .exe extension on their science apps, so having aligned with WCG that never had it, makes it an interesting change. BOINC split of the data dir from version 6 as did at that time get the graphics broken out from the science app. edit: at Admin, would you please move this topic to Suggestions / Feedback. thx [Edit 2 times, last edit by Former Member at Nov 27, 2011 7:41:05 PM] |
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sk..
Master Cruncher http://s17.rimg.info/ccb5d62bd3e856cc0d1df9b0ee2f7f6a.gif Joined: Mar 22, 2007 Post Count: 2324 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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Think this is from one of Berkeley's server updates. Seen it arrive elsewhere a few months back. I very much doubt that this will become an issue.
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kateiacy
Veteran Cruncher USA Joined: Jan 23, 2010 Post Count: 1027 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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Now I wonder... how do they look under Linux and Mac. Is there an extension to tell what they are, but looking at the properties. Here's one from Linux: wcg_gfam_6.08_i686-pc-linux-gnu It's common practice to have Linux executables with no file extensions.  |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Think this is from one of Berkeley's server updates. Seen it arrive elsewhere a few months back. I very much doubt that this will become an issue. Already an issue, to me. I can't tell Microsoft Security Essentials to leave such processes alone.MSE process select info:  Actual MSE file select indicating you cannot even see the aforementioned files with a Folding directory opened to demonstrate that you can see conforming file names.  [Edit 1 times, last edit by Former Member at Nov 28, 2011 6:13:57 AM] |
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marvey11
Advanced Cruncher Germany Joined: Apr 2, 2011 Post Count: 89 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
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It's common practice to have Linux executables with no file extensions. Many file formats use so-called magic bytes, including the Linux ELF (Executable and Linkable Format). Under Linux, the file utility is able to evaluate these magic bytes (among other things). Example: marvey@helium$ file wcg_gfam_6.08_i686-pc-linux-gnu  [Edit 1 times, last edit by marvey11 at Nov 28, 2011 5:46:10 AM] |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
It's common practice to have Linux executables with no file extensions. Many file formats use so-called magic bytes, including the Linux ELF (Executable and Linkable Format). Under Linux, the file utility is able to evaluate these magic bytes (among other things). Example: marvey@helium$ file wcg_gfam_6.08_i686-pc-linux-gnu Doesn't affect the possiblity that any anti-malware vendor may arbitrarily decide that someone who is putting out images with an incorrect or missing file extension is attempting to "fool" your aforementioned "average" Windows user and block them from running/quarantine them based not upon virus signature but rather upon "proactive heuristics". Edit: The latter is particularly true given the fact that BOINC chooses to embed file versions inside the image name. That makes an anti-malware vendor who decides to wildcard acceptable names a patsy, for wcgrid_cep2_graphics_*_windows_intelx86 is equivalent to both wcgrid_cep2_graphics_6.40_windows_intelx86 and wcgrid_cep2_graphics_I_pwn_your_machine_windows_intelx86 [Edit 1 times, last edit by Former Member at Nov 28, 2011 6:48:59 AM] |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Think you'd have to present your case / concerns over at Berkeley developers. They're working with W8 and MS has as yet not kneejerked. After pondering just who to raise the issue with for a few days, I raised the issue over at Microsoft to see if they could eliminate that extension filter before the current MSE beta (which also, unfortunately, has that filter) goes production.And it might be that I will discover that a solution exists already; Microsoft often will have a registry key available for "advanced" customization of their products for those willing to assume all risks. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
And to close this, according to the Microsoft "Community" if your antivirus is Microsoft Security Essentials you can exclude CEP2 processes from scanning by:
Right-click the MSE notification area icon and select "Open" Go to the settings tab In the left-hand pane, select "Excluded File Types" In the topmost right-hand box, paste in (for this version of CEP2) .40_windows_intelx86 Click "Add" Click "Save Changes" As per the thread I linked to above, the Microsoft "Community" says that exclusion affects both file and in-memory process scanning. (Something that is admittedly counter-intuitive to me; you cannot exclude CEP2/BOINC/WCG processes from in-memory process scanning by using the process exclusion tab of Microsoft Security Essentials because of the exotic file extension, but you can exclude that process by excluding the extension? I wonder where I got this perception that file extensions in Windows - because their meanings are not enforced - are akin to a vestigial tail on your newborn baby?) Note: I have not personally verified this information - and since I made 10 CEP2 tasks on a hex core blow up the other day by using Sysinternals/Microsoft's Process Explorer (which faulted and apparently caused a heartbeat timeout twixt the CEP tasks) to nib into a running task to identify the actual image name, I ain't going to either (at least, not on a hexcore...maybe one of these days on a non-hyperthreading quad where there are only four tasks running  ).In summary, I'm going with "Well, it's worth a shot." Close this thread, please. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Think we have several sciences that happen to end in .40_windows_intelx86 (HCMD2, C4CW, CEP2 on quick check)
That's a mighty long file extension btw Sysinternals Process Explorer used to bomb on me under Vista when opening the Thread tab IIRC. No issue under W7 with v 15.05 Closing a thread is done by editing the opening post title and make it like mine and thanks for digging out that workaround. --//-- |
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