How to remotely disable Prime95 on a computer I no longer have access to?

[ixfd64]

An old work computer under my account recently started reporting results again, presumably after being taken out of storage. I want to remove that computer from GIMPS as I no longer work at that company and feel it's best to not have Prime95 running on computers I no longer have control over. However, I'm surprised to find that there was no "None" option under the work type drop-down menu. I tried dropping the assignments, but this only causes the computer to request new ones.

So does anyone know how to make a computer quit GIMPS remotely?

Thanks!

[kriesel]

Originally Posted by ixfd64

An old work computer under my account recently started reporting results again, presumably after being taken out of storage. I want to remove that computer from GIMPS as I no longer work at that company and feel it's best to not have Prime95 running on computers I no longer have control over. However, I'm surprised to find that there was no "None" option under the work type drop-down menu. I tried dropping the assignments, but this only causes the computer to request new ones.

So does anyone know how to make a computer quit GIMPS remotely?

Thanks!

My thoughts:

In https://www.mersenne.org/cpus/ note the system name. Gather any info you can about it. Consider the possible legal aspects of the situation.

_Phone_ that company's current network administrator. In his position, I'd want to know of such software running, and perhaps because it is unintentionally left over in some build process, disk image or backup. Present it as accidental and not hacking and you're trying to be helpful. Keep notes, perhaps including screen shots. (You did have permission to run on that computer and it's documented, and you still have a copy, right?)

Then "drop checked cpus"?

[Uncwilly]

The idea of a PrimeNet based equivalent of "NoMoreWork" sounds good. It is not as good as removing the software, but it won't do (much of) anything.

[irowiki]

I too would like the ability to select "none" if I have a machine that is going offline for a while.

[M344587487]

What happens if you assign it work it cannot do? AFAIK old versions cannot do PRP, can you try and assign it PRP?

[kriesel]

Originally Posted by irowiki

I too would like the ability to select "none" if I have a machine that is going offline for a while.

Set Options, Preferences, Days of work to queue up, to zero.
The queue will empty and prime95 will go idle.

[Runtime Error]

Originally Posted by kriesel

Set Options, Preferences, Days of work to queue up, to zero.
The queue will empty and prime95 will go idle.

This is a good solution, but unfortunately it can't be done without accessing the machine. If you try to do it via the Computer Properties page, it says that Workload Cache must be greater than or equal to 1.

[kriesel]

Originally Posted by Runtime Error

This is a good solution, but unfortunately it can't be done without accessing the machine. If you try to do it via the Computer Properties page, it says that Workload Cache must be greater than or equal to 1.

That seems like something the primenet powers that be could change, and without direct access to the client system.
I still say the correct thing to do is contact the current network administrator at the company that owns the wayward system, informally. Their computer is not in their control, and they don't know it. A quick phone call should get it resolved.
I once contacted a company in Switzerland because their printer was being exploited to saturate my little department's slow uplink in the US midwest. (Old HP printer network stack bug, that allowed a single spoofed packet to trigger an unremitting flood of "return" traffic.) In another case, there was a very slow motion drip of probing from a DOD site. The last packet before I notified them was the last packet.

[Madpoo]

Originally Posted by kriesel

That seems like something the primenet powers that be could change, and without direct access to the client system.
I still say the correct thing to do is contact the current network administrator at the company that owns the wayward system, informally. Their computer is not in their control, and they don't know it. A quick phone call should get it resolved.
I once contacted a company in Switzerland because their printer was being exploited to saturate my little department's slow uplink in the US midwest. (Old HP printer network stack bug, that allowed a single spoofed packet to trigger an unremitting flood of "return" traffic.) In another case, there was a very slow motion drip of probing from a DOD site. The last packet before I notified them was the last packet.

I'd be reluctant to do anything too drastic in terms of managing client activity remotely. If not done right, bad things could happen, and Primenet doesn't need that kind of hassle if/when someone complains about whatever.

We could block it's IP address from being able to reach the server, that's about it. To the original poster, if you can private message me with the details (your user login and the computer name in question) I can look for what IP address it uses when talking to the server and block it.

The net result of that though will be a client that's unable to send it's last result and unable to get more work, but otherwise it's technically running. At least when it finishes it's last work, it'll be running but not really using any cycles at all.

I suppose that's no different than if you had any other random piece of software installed (Chrome, Firefox, whatever) that leaves scheduled tasks in place that do auto updates, but otherwise doesn't do much.

That old company of yours should be in the habit of re-imaging machines in situations like that. If they don't, that's on them. I assume they don't have problem with people installing other software of their own (browsers, things like Notepad++, maybe their own wallpapers or whatever) so if they cared about such things, re-imaging before handing it to someone else is only commonsense.

[kriesel]

Originally Posted by Madpoo

I'd be reluctant to do anything too drastic in terms of managing client activity remotely. If not done right, bad things could happen, and Primenet doesn't need that kind of hassle if/when someone complains about whatever.

What I had in mind was permitting Computer Properties page, Workload Cache to be set to zero. (Perhaps only for the user in question, or for any user but after clicking on a button, yes, I know this means the computer's prime95 instance will go idle after finishing any current work.)
Your caution regarding not breaking things for the rest of us is appreciated.

That old company of yours should be in the habit of re-imaging machines in situations like that. If they don't, that's on them. I assume they don't have problem with people installing other software of their own (browsers, things like Notepad++, maybe their own wallpapers or whatever) so if they cared about such things, re-imaging before handing it to someone else is only commonsense.

What if the issue is with the image? It's not unusual for network admins to be overworked. The temptation to reuse an old image created by a predecessor is there. Which might include a prime95 install put in a standard image by the OP. The current admin needs to know what's there.