Sprints 2025 - timetable and projects selected

[UBT - wbiz]

Boinc policy appears to be go going the other way, using virtual machines on Windows running Linux through WSL. At least one project has been issuing tasks for that setup - I can't remember which project but I had a few tasks shortly after I configured Windows, I don't appear to have any now.

[UBT - Timbo]

Boinc policy appears to be go going the other way, using virtual machines on Windows running Linux through WSL. At least one project has been issuing tasks for that setup - I can't remember which project but I had a few tasks shortly after I configured Windows, I don't appear to have any now.

Hiya

Yes, understood.

But some volunteers might not have the latest hardware to install Windows 11 onto, so running Linux projects via WSL isn't possible unless you have upgraded your host(s).

That leaves Windows 10, which very soon will be EOL and WSL is available on this platform.

And some of us are still running older versions of Windows (self included for various reasons) and WSL is not available.

This BOINCstats webpage, showing which OS are being used is quite interesting !

https://www.boincstats.com/stats/-5/host/breakdown/os/


regards
Tim

[Tamagoch]

But some volunteers might not have the latest hardware to install Windows 11 onto, so running Linux projects via WSL isn't possible unless you have upgraded your host(s).

Hi Tim and everyone,

I don't know why are so many people concerned with the 'latest hardware' issue for running Windows 11. I am installing win11 right from the very first UEFI-systems, literally from Intel 2nd-gen. It shouldn't be an obstacle. Although from this year I am also trying to use more Linux on dedicated BOINC-machines. And it goes much better than years before.

Some projects still asking for Docker or VirtualBox even on Linux nodes, possibly just because it's a project setup to use a single stable pre-configured environment for all their work.

I just hope it's the sign of a new era of computing to come. The lack of bigger number of active projects makes me looking for such signs and hopes.


Best wishes

Dmytro aka Tamagoch

[UBT - Timbo]

Hi Tim and everyone,

I don't know why are so many people concerned with the 'latest hardware' issue for running Windows 11. I am installing win11 right from the very first UEFI-systems, literally from Intel 2nd-gen. It shouldn't be an obstacle. Although from this year I am also trying to use more Linux on dedicated BOINC-machines. And it goes much better than years before.

Some projects still asking for Docker or VirtualBox even on Linux nodes, possibly just because it's a project setup to use a single stable pre-configured environment for all their work.

I just hope it's the sign of a new era of computing to come. The lack of bigger number of active projects makes me looking for such signs and hopes.

Best wishes

Dmytro aka Tamagoch

Hi

Thanks for your post.

Take a look at this article:

https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/09/ ... ws_10_eol/

Microsoft previously revealed a total population of 1.4 billion Windows devices worldwide – consumers and businesses. Omdia calculates that 550 million of these machines are running in corporations and around half of those will not meet the end-of-life deadline to switch to Windows 11, analyst Kieren Jessop told The Register.

"Globally, 47 to 50 percent of commercial PCs are on Windows 11," he said, highlighting geographic differences. "In the US it's close to 60 percent now and in EMEA it may be 65 percent." The upgrade path is less well trodden in "emerging markets."

Omdia reached this figure by tracking market shipments, studying replacement cycles and net new purchases based on 25 years of data.

Jessop estimates that around 20 percent of those machines that don't upgrade in time do not meet the hardware requirements to install Windows 11, as specified by Microsoft: the requisite Trusted Platform Module and a relatively modern CPU.

So, out of 550 million "corporate machines" not running Windows 11, about 275 million, will not switch to Windows 11 by the time Windows 10 support ends (on 14th oct 2025).

And 20% of those (about 55 million) are not capable of running Windows 11.

And yes, there are work-arounds to install Windows 11 on machines that do not have the TPM facility on the motherboard. But it really is a drag.

Such a shame that Microshaft, no doubt working in cahoots with Intel/Dell/HP and other brands, decided that TPM was "required" and thereby forcing millions of PCs to be scrapped (and gave a big boost to those companies making hosts with TPM functions)!

regards
Tim

[UBT - wbiz]

Microsoft are threatening to close the door on the TPM workaround and equally annoyingly close the door on a Windows install without logging into a Microsoft account.

I've wondered if Microsoft will eventually dump Windows and go over to linux, they have put a lot of effort into WSL and WSL2 which would appear on the surface to be counter productive unless linux is the route they are heading. If they go to linux it wouldn't be a great amount of effort for them to produce the reverse ... LSW95, LSW98 LSW7, LSWNT, LSW10, LSW11 etc. and from then on their development and support costs would plummet.

I'm surprised one of the major computer manufacturers hasn't already slapped a Windows front end and compatibility layer onto linux, most of the work is already done for them.

Most, if not all linux distributions have got a long way to go before becoming mainstream, some of the recent innovations have been a backward step for user friendliness/usability, there has often been a priority on purity rather than user focus and certain component manufacturers have not helped by being distinctly hostile to linux.

[UBT - Timbo]

Microsoft are threatening to close the door on the TPM workaround and equally annoyingly close the door on a Windows install without logging into a Microsoft account.

Hiya

Yes, I've seen on other tech websites that Micro$oft are doing their best to ensure they can monetise their software as much as possible by of course moving to online software (like Office 365 and others) and no doubt spidering/collecting (anonimised?) cookie data from users hardware, so that no doubt they can either train their AI software or "pushing it" into Bing or their advertising partners.

I've wondered if Microsoft will eventually dump Windows and go over to linux, they have put a lot of effort into WSL and WSL2 which would appear on the surface to be counter productive unless linux is the route they are heading. If they go to linux it wouldn't be a great amount of effort for them to produce the reverse ... LSW95, LSW98 LSW7, LSWNT, LSW10, LSW11 etc. and from then on their development and support costs would plummet.

Well, Apple have done it, when they moved away from the original 68000 coded Macintosh software, to the later x86 version (running on IBM and Intel based CPUs) and more recently with their "Linux-based" version that is being used on multiple devices and using Apple CPUs.

Whether Micro$oft have enough of a "hold" on their relationships with software houses, and especially with PC manufacturers is another thing, as they do not control the latter, whereas Apple 100% control their hardware and "compatible" Apple hardware is no longer available.

I'm surprised one of the major computer manufacturers hasn't already slapped a Windows front end and compatibility layer onto linux, most of the work is already done for them.

Most, if not all linux distributions have got a long way to go before becoming mainstream, some of the recent innovations have been a backward step for user friendliness/usability, there has often been a priority on purity rather than user focus and certain component manufacturers have not helped by being distinctly hostile to linux.

I think the issue with computer manufacturers is that by NOT owning the OS, all the support stuff for Windows, is shouldered by Micro$oft. And until someone comes up with a "Windows-compatible" front end for Linux, that does not incur a massive legal challenge from Micro$oft, then I don't think anyone will spend any time trying to develop it.

And in the meantime, Linux distro's have steadily improved to give a more "Windows-like" interface, though many are still pretty "clunky"...and if Linux is in the background, it will still have all its own foibles and specific ways of doing things, which Windows users might not like.

And of course, we are less than 13 years away from "03:14:07 UTC on 19 January 2038" when many Linux systems running on 32-bit hardware will probably fail.

regards
Tim

[UBT - Timbo]

Hi all

The project for Sprint #19 has been randomly selected.

Edit: Project admin has now confirmed that the selected project will be online and have tasks available for this Sprint

regards

Tim