Development for LHC@home

The docker app is now available on Mac.

https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/wiki/Installing-Docker#mac

Hi

I installed boinc 8.2.1 (I was still with 8.0) and installed latest docker version on my Intel iMac (latest macOS version), I got 4 theory docker tasks and they fail immediately

<core_client_version>8.2.1</core_client_version>
<![CDATA[
<message>
process exited with code 1 (0x1, -255)</message>
<stderr_txt>
docker_wrapper config:
workdir: /boinc_slot_dir
use GPU: no
create args: --cap-add=SYS_ADMIN --device /dev/fuse -v /cvmfs:/cvmfs:shared
verbose: 1
Using unknown
running docker command: ps --all --filter "name=boinc__lhcathomedev.cern.ch_lhcathome-dev__theory_2848-4507864-714_0"
sh: unknown: command not found
command output:
creating container boinc__lhcathomedev.cern.ch_lhcathome-dev__theory_2848-4507864-714_0
running docker command: images
sh: unknown: command not found
command output:
building image
running docker command: build . -t boinc__lhcathomedev.cern.ch_lhcathome-dev__theory_2848-4507864-714 -f Dockerfile
sh: unknown: command not found
command output:
running docker command: create --name boinc__lhcathomedev.cern.ch_lhcathome-dev__theory_2848-4507864-714_0 -v /Library/Application Support/BOINC Data/slots/7:/boinc_slot_dir --cap-add=SYS_ADMIN --device /dev/fuse -v /cvmfs:/cvmfs:shared boinc__lhcathomedev.cern.ch_lhcathome-dev__theory_2848-4507864-714
sh: unknown: command not found
command output:
starting container
running docker command: start boinc__lhcathomedev.cern.ch_lhcathome-dev__theory_2848-4507864-714_0
sh: unknown: command not found
command output:
running docker command: ps --all -f "name=boinc__lhcathomedev.cern.ch_lhcathome-dev__theory_2848-4507864-714_0"
sh: unknown: command not found
command output:
running docker command: logs boinc__lhcathomedev.cern.ch_lhcathome-dev__theory_2848-4507864-714_0
sh: unknown: command not found
command output:
stderr from container:
stderr end
running docker command: stop boinc__lhcathomedev.cern.ch_lhcathome-dev__theory_2848-4507864-714_0
sh: unknown: command not found
command output:
running docker command: container rm boinc__lhcathomedev.cern.ch_lhcathome-dev__theory_2848-4507864-714_0
sh: unknown: command not found
command output:
running docker command: image rm boinc__lhcathomedev.cern.ch_lhcathome-dev__theory_2848-4507864-714
sh: unknown: command not found
command output:
2025-04-27 19:23:47 (89661): called boinc_finish(1)

</stderr_txt>
]]>

I seems it cannot execute any docker command... ?

$ docker --version
Docker version 28.0.4, build b8034c0

This is a bug in the client. You can work around this by creating a symbolic link from the non-existing command 'unknown' to the docker command.

I'm not sure to understand, for example when it tried to run ("running docker command")

ps --all --filter "name=boinc__lhcathomedev.cern.ch_lhcathome-dev__theory_2848-4507864-714_0"

the result is

"sh: unknown: command not found"

so there is not a command "unknown", the command is "ps --all --filter "name=boinc__lhcathomedev.cern.ch_lhcathome-dev__theory_2848-4507864-714_0""

so what kind of symbolic link do you suggest to create ?

Due to a bug in BOINC it tries to execute the command "unknown" instead of "docker" or "podman".
Since "unknown" does not exist you get "command not found".

To make it work create a symbolic link "unknown" which points to "docker" or "podman" (whatever you have installed), like:
ln -s /usr/bin/podman /usr/bin/unknown

OK thanks ! I'll try this tonight once back home.

Sadly my mac doesn't like that idea

$ sudo ln -s /usr/bin/docker /usr/bin/unknown
ln: /usr/bin/unknown: Operation not permitted

First I tried without the sudo but I had the same message, I thought "this is just permission issue", and I know my sudo is working correctly because I can do a "sudo ls" for instance and it works fine.

(I also tried with "podman" instead of "docker" but same message)

Also I now that in boinc I have a message like this

Notice from BOINC
Some projects require Docker. We recommend that you install it. Instructions are here .
Mardi 29 avril 2025 à 01:01:55 · suivant...

But docker *is* actually installed... ?

Check the permissions:
ls -dhal /usr/bin
dr-xr-xr-x 1 root root 62K 25. Apr 06:05 /usr/bin

If 'w' is not set, run 'chmod +w /usr/bin' to allow it.
Then create the link and finally remove the 'w' running 'chmod -w /usr/bin'.

 $ ls -dhal /usr/bin
drwxr-xr-x  916 root  wheel    29K  4 fév 17:57 /usr/bin

I have the w...

I don't know what the "wheel" stands for, though.

Any other idea on this ?

I was able to do it with chatgpt :

even as root (via sudo), on modern macOS (Catalina and above), you can't write to /usr/bin at all, because /usr/bin is read-only, protected by System Integrity Protection (SIP)

so it told me to use "unprotected folder" like this

sudo ln -s /usr/local/bin/docker /usr/local/bin/unknown

and it worked

$ unknown --version
Docker version 28.0.4, build b8034c0

Last model of chatgpt is much better than previous, I try to use IA the less that I can (to keep my brain working) but this time it was quick and accurate, and didn't fail.

So now I'm waiting for docker tasks of theory app to see if this works, but now it keeps sending me vbox tasks, I hope it has not blacklisted my machine because all docker tasks were (logically) still failing all the time...

In reply to [AF>Le_Pommier] Jerome_C2005's message of 4 May 2025:

So now I'm waiting for docker tasks of theory app to see if this works, but now it keeps sending me vbox tasks, I hope it has not blacklisted my machine because all docker tasks were (logically) still failing all the time...

Not blacklisted, but, because of all the errors, your quota is down to 1 task a day. Maybe you can fetch a docker-Theory after a new day has born.
That should be successful to increase your quota, else you have to wait another day.

It never gave me any docker task anymore, it kept sending vbox tasks continuously, last one was (failing) on May 2nd...

Now I'm switching with the team on Pentathlon so it'll have to wait...

I got theory tasks again (no more WCG tasks for the Pentathon, I let LHCdev as backup project) and I still get only vbox tasks, it won't send me any docker task at all since end of April with my initial testing with errors.

Maybe there are no task setup for macOS, it's not the first time I realize that a project has not "open" delivery of tasks for an OS though officially supported.