BOINC Flatpak Unable to Minimize to System Tray, Run in Background

[makeasnek]

Environment: Linux Mint 22, XFCE

Problems:

1. BOINC can only run tasks while the manager is open. If the manager is closed, there is no BOINC service which runs in the background continuing tasks. This is different from the behavior on other platforms or the deb package.
2. Minimizing or closing manager closes it entirely, and the BOINC manager never shows in the system tray. This means the BOINC app has to take up space in the taskbar all the time, which users may find annoying.

Solution:

Somehow enable BOINC manager to minimize to system tray. I'm not sure if this is something that needs to be changed in the BOINC code or the flatpak yml.

[ddouglas87]

This is a common complaint. I agree BOINC Manager should have a system tray option. It's a nicety I and many others would prefer.

Thankfully there is already a solution:

In BOINC Manager go to File Menu -> Exit BOINC. This will pop up with a window asking you to close the BOINC Client. Uncheck that, then close BOINC Manager. BOINC will continue rendering in the background.

Now next time you open and close BOINC Manager with the X on the top right of the window that setting will be remembered and BOINC will continue to run in the background.

The "bug" here is the default settings are to close the BOINC client, which no one wants, so why is it default? Please change this default behavior! It causes endless problems to new users.

[AenBleidd]

@ddouglas87, thank you for your suggestion

The "bug" here is the default settings are to close the BOINC client, which no one wants, so why is it default? Please change this default behavior! It causes endless problems to new users.

If we do this - then there will be a lot of complains like 'why after I closed the Manager, BOINC is still running'?
And this complain, as for me, is much worse.

[ddouglas87]

Folding At Home Control app defaults to running in the background on close (no system tray) and no one complains. Have people actually complained or are you assuming people will complain?

Also, if BOINC Manager it went to system tray like OP is suggesting no one would complain either.

[kotenok2000]

@ddouglas87, thank you for your suggestion

The "bug" here is the default settings are to close the BOINC client, which no one wants, so why is it default? Please change this default behavior! It causes endless problems to new users.

If we do this - then there will be a lot of complains like 'why after I closed the Manager, BOINC is still running'? And this complain, as for me, is much worse.

Why not make it work like this?

[mmattel]

Make a new option in the computing preferences - computing dialog with the choices shown from @kotenok2000
This would satisfy both sides.

[AenBleidd]

@mmattel, we try to keep our UI simple and without duplicating settings.
In general, this issue should be investigated more deep to provide a suitable solution.
Unfortunately adding a new setting to the computing preferences is not a good one.

[mmattel]

Fully understandable that an internal discussion is necessary.
I recently migrated fully away from W10 to Debian12. While on Windows, there is the possibility to continue run BOINC when closing it, which I was used to, this setting is currently not present in Linux. I was wondering for a while why my computations did not progress until I understood the reason for. Closing means stopping computations. From a users perspectice, this capability is missing in Linux and should be implemented - for userfiendlyness, via a BOINC setting (GUI + cmd option).

[AenBleidd]

If you install BOINC as a package (https://boinc.berkeley.edu/linux_install.php) it will be configured as a service (daemon) and will run without Manager to be running in parallel.

[mmattel]

This is not a solution 👎
The reason for installing as flatpak ist to avoid polluting the os with packages and libraries. A flatpak by nature prevents this. As other flatpaks continue to run after closing (element client from matrix, teams for linux, signal, bitwarden, just to name some), I expect as user the same capability for BOINC.

[AenBleidd]

You told that the solution you want is not present in Linux. That is not true, it's present.
Yes, it's currently doesn't obvious how to get it via Flatpak,but Flatpak is not the only solution for Linux

[mmattel]

This issue is about BOINC/flatpak, sorry if my comment missed this to mention.

[AenBleidd]

That is why we have this ticket open. When we come to the appropriate solution, it will be resolved.