Bug#720849: boinc-manager: Can't connect to boinc-client due to empty password in gui_rpc_auth.cfg

[MestreLion]

At 12:59 25/08/2013, you wrote:
>Package: boinc-manager
>Version: 7.2.7+dfsg-1
>Severity: important
>
>While installing boinc-manager, the file /etc/boinc-client/gui_rpc_auth.cfg
>is created empty. While starting boinc-manager without parameters, it gives
>"Retrieving current status" and then "Unable to connect to the core client".
>
>This message does not help the user to understand that the problem is
>that he didn't gave a password in /etc/boinc-client/gui_rpc_auth.cfg
>and that this password should be given to boincmgr using the -p
>argument.

/etc/boinc-client/gui_rpc_auth.cfg is created empty because authorization is 
not required for local access (ie, managing a boinc client running in localhost).
It is only required for remote access (ie, someone else accessing your boinc client).
And remote access is also disabled by default.

So most likely your issue is not related to gui_rpc_auth.cfg, unless you're trying
to acesss your boinc client from another computer. I suspect it can be the current
directoy: boincmgr must run from the boinc data directory (/var/lib/boinc-client)
so it can find the all config and state files of current boinc instance.

Also, The "-p" option is available via GUI: In Advanced view, go to "Advanced"
-> "Select Computer", where you can provide hostname and password of the boinc instance
you're trying to access.

>And I think the fact that user have to put a password in
>gui_rpc_auth.cfg, the format used by the file, etc should be
>documented (I searched and didn't find any documentation about this,
>if it's actually documented, documentation is too hard to find for a
>normal user).

You only have to put a password if you're trying remote access. As for
documentation, the very first google hit for "boinc remote access" leads to:

http://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/Controlling_BOINC_remotely

And for "gui_rpc_auth.cfg" leads to:

http://boinc.berkeley.edu/trac/wiki/RpcAuth

`man boinccmd` also briefly mentions gui_rpc_auth.cfg and its role, and 
`man boinc` suggests http://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/Client_configuration 
which has related info.

ML