corrupted config.xml file

[ChuckSommer]

I loaded the FAH software less than a week ago on my new PC.

I tried editing my configuration with the:
"FAHControl-Folding@home Client Advanced Control" tool

Now the FAHClient gives the following error when it starts up:
"On client "local" 127.0.0.1 Option 'gpu-index' has no default and is not set."

Actually it may have given a slightly different error, because I have since tried to edit config.xml with a simple text editor so that is the error message I see now.

Below is the current version of that section of config.xml:

<!-- Folding Slots -->
<slot id='0' type='CPU'/>
<slot id='1' type='GPU'>
<client-type v='bigadv'/> </slot>
</config>

I was trying to add the "client-type = bigadv" option when all this then happened using the config tab on the FAHClient tool.

Thanks Chuck

[bruce]

The FAHControl program is specifically designed to edit config.xml without corrupting it. Manually editing it is a very dangerous prospect (and technically prohibited by the EULA). FAHClient cannot manage a file which has been corrupted.

You'll find a sub-directory called Configs in FAH's data file. It contains previous versions of your config but you'll have to manually restore one that works -- or reinstall.

[ChuckSommer]

Thanks Much for the pointer to the previous versions of config.xml.
I expect this will be a great help.

Please be advised that I got into this problem by using the FAHClient to edit my configuration.
I went to modifying it by hand after things broke.

Again Bruce, thanks much, I will attempt to recover.

Chuck

[ChuckSommer]

As a follow on, I tried to replace my config.xml file with an older one, then restarting FAHClient with no success, the client still did not work.
In a fit of inspiration, I then rebooted my machine, FAHClient then worked correctly.

It may have been that my hand editing of config.xml might have worked, but I failed to reboot so it never got reloaded.

Thanks Much ... Chuck

[bruce]

If the invalid .xml file was created by FAHClient (which I doubt) please explain how you did that. This has never happened before. I'd like to report it as a bug in FAHControl.

[7im]

Also, a client not working is not the same as a bad config. Just don't have the right settings selected.

And unless your CPU has 24 threads or more, client type bigadv does nothing.

[ChuckSommer]

Hi Bruce,

I did the following to create the file: (Windos 8.1 and click is Left Mouse Click)

In FHAControl:
click on Configure
click on Slots tab
in Folding slots window double-click on 0 cpu
in Configure folding slot click on the GPU button on the left of the window
Scroll down to the Extra Slot Options click Add
In Edit Options in Name: client-type
In Edit Options in Value: bigadv and click OK
At the bottom of Folding Slot click OK
In the Configure window click Save


Got error message:
On client "local" 127.0.0.1 No available GPUs

Here is the file FAHClient created (I replaced my name and pasword with ***)
<config>
<!-- Folding Core -->
<checkpoint v='5'/>

<!-- Network -->
<proxy v=':8080'/>

<!-- User Information -->
<passkey v='*****************************'/>
<team v='40051'/>
<user v='***********'/>

<!-- Folding Slots -->
<slot id='0' type='GPU'>
<client-type v='bigadv'/>
<paused v='true'/>
</slot>
<slot id='1' type='GPU'>
<client-type v='bigadv'/>
<paused v='true'/>
</slot>
</config>


The problem is that I was able to turn slot 0 into a GPU slot by clicking the GPU button after having clicked on the slot 0 cpu selection


It let me do it!

And then it made the BAD config.xlm file
After that I could not do anything with FAHControl window.

I closed FAHControl, hand edited config.xml with a text editor (notpad)
and restarted FAHControl, but FAHControl would display an error and not respond beyond that.

Rebooting with the fixed config.xml did fix the problem.

Hope this helps. I clearly did something unexpected by the GUI Developer.

Chuck

[7im]

I didn't try it, but why would you want to change a CPU slot to a GPU slot?

[bruce]

If you posted the first few pages of your log per the instructions in my previous post, we'd be able to help you without guessing your your hardware and your configuration.

The small segment that you did post indicates your system has two GPUs. What are they? You cannot create two GPU slots if you only have one supported GPU, which is probably why your system would hang.

Whomever is telling you to use Client-Type='bigadv" is giving you bad advice. GPUs do not have bigadv and the minimum CPU configuration for that to mean anything is 24 CPU-threads.

[ChuckSommer]

Hi Bruce and 7im

Thanks for your previous support.

I apologize if my initial description of my problem made it hard to understand exactly what I did, please allow for this newbie.

Bruce, your pointing me to the list of previous config.xml made it easy to simply backtrack to a working config.xml, reboot and be up and running.
So my description was good enough to get me some help.
Also I was confused that restarting FAHConttrol did NOT cause a reloading of the config.xml file.
So any changes I made to the file were NOT loaded simply by restarting FAHClient.

As to the issue of client-type = bigadv, I had read about that somewhere on the FAH home page or FAQ, but was not aware it would not apply to GPUs.
I was aware that I did NOT have the CPU cores to use "bigadv" not having the required 24, I was not aware it did not apply to GPUs

And to 7im, the question "why would you want to change a CPU slot to a GPU slot?", the answer is that I did not WANT to try to do that.
I did not understand that I had selected the wrong slot (0 cpu) but when I saw I could select GPU and enter the "client-type = bigadv" using a GUI I thought it would be OK.
Having done that, the FAHControl became frozen and would not allow me to edit my configuration.
I attempted to edit by hand the config.xml file and restart FAHControl, but it did not resolve the problem because restarting the FAHControl did NOT cause the config.xml to be reloaded.

Again to Bruce, I re-read all your entries to this thread, but did NOT see where you asked me to post any portion of my log.
I assume you were thinking of another thread.
Also I gave you a step by step example that got me into this problem, however I did not see if you attempted to recreate my steps to determine if a bug report should be generated.

Again Thanks to both Bruce and 7im for taking interest in my problem and spending the time to post your thoughts to help me resolve this.

Chuck

[bruce]

Also I was confused that restarting FAHControl did NOT cause a reloading of the config.xml file.
So any changes I made to the file were NOT loaded simply by restarting FAHClient.

To reload config.xml. you need to restart FAHClient, not FAHControl. (An easy mistake to make.)