# Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing

> open source middleware system for volunteer and grid computing

**Wikidata**: [Q209563](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209563)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_Open_Infrastructure_for_Network_Computing)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/berkeley-open-infrastructure-for-network-computing

## Summary
Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC) is an open-source middleware system designed for volunteer and grid computing. It enables users to donate their computer resources to contribute to scientific research projects, such as galaxy simulations, gravitational wave detection, and climate modeling. Developed by David P. Anderson and the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, BOINC has been in use since 2002 and supports multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.

## Key Facts
- **Type**: Open-source middleware for volunteer and grid computing
- **Creator**: David P. Anderson and the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley
- **Inception**: April 10, 2002
- **License**: GNU General Public License, version 3.0 and GNU Lesser General Public License, version 3.0
- **Platforms**: Cross-platform, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and FreeBSD
- **Latest Stable Version**: 7.16.11 (as of September 2, 2020)
- **Related Projects**: Cosmology@Home, Einstein@Home, climateprediction.net, MilkyWay@home
- **Operating Systems**: Linux, FreeBSD, Android, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Solaris, Raspberry Pi OS
- **Programming Language**: C++

## FAQs
### Q: What is BOINC used for?
A: BOINC is used for volunteer computing, allowing users to donate their computer resources to scientific research projects. It supports various projects, including galaxy simulations, gravitational wave detection, and climate modeling.

### Q: Who developed BOINC?
A: BOINC was developed by David P. Anderson and the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, with contributions from Rom Walton and the University of California, Berkeley.

### Q: Which operating systems does BOINC support?
A: BOINC supports multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, FreeBSD, Solaris, and Raspberry Pi OS.

### Q: How does BOINC work?
A: BOINC works by allowing users to install a client software on their computers, which then connects to a server hosting scientific research projects. The client downloads tasks, processes them using the user's idle computing power, and returns the results to the server.

### Q: Is BOINC free to use?
A: Yes, BOINC is open-source software and is free to use. It is licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 3.0 and the GNU Lesser General Public License, version 3.0.

## Why It Matters
BOINC plays a crucial role in advancing scientific research by leveraging the collective computing power of volunteers. It enables projects that would otherwise be too computationally intensive to run on a single machine. By allowing users to contribute their idle computing resources, BOINC facilitates breakthroughs in fields such as astrophysics, climate science, and medicine. Its open-source nature ensures transparency and community-driven development, making it a cornerstone of volunteer computing. BOINC has been instrumental in projects like Einstein@Home, which detected gravitational waves, and climateprediction.net, which contributes to climate modeling. Its cross-platform compatibility and user-friendly interface make it accessible to a wide audience, fostering global participation in scientific research.

## Notable For
- **First to Implement Volunteer Computing**: BOINC was one of the first systems to successfully implement volunteer computing, allowing individuals to contribute their idle computing resources to scientific projects.
- **Support for Multiple Projects**: BOINC supports a wide range of scientific projects, including galaxy simulations, gravitational wave detection, and climate modeling, making it a versatile platform for volunteer computing.
- **Cross-Platform Compatibility**: BOINC is compatible with multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and FreeBSD, ensuring broad accessibility.
- **Open-Source Development**: BOINC's open-source nature encourages community-driven development and transparency, making it a reliable and adaptable platform for scientific research.
- **Significant Scientific Contributions**: BOINC has contributed to notable scientific discoveries, such as the detection of gravitational waves by Einstein@Home and climate modeling by climateprediction.net.

## Body
### Overview
Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC) is an open-source middleware system designed for volunteer and grid computing. It was developed by David P. Anderson and the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, and has been in use since 2002. BOINC enables users to donate their computer resources to contribute to scientific research projects, such as galaxy simulations, gravitational wave detection, and climate modeling.

### Development and History
BOINC was developed by David P. Anderson and the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. The project originated with a team based at the Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL) at the University of California, Berkeley, and was led by David Anderson. BOINC was first released on April 10, 2002, and has since evolved to support a wide range of scientific projects.

### Features and Functionality
BOINC supports multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, FreeBSD, Solaris, and Raspberry Pi OS. It is licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 3.0 and the GNU Lesser General Public License, version 3.0. BOINC's client software allows users to connect to a server hosting scientific research projects, download tasks, process them using the user's idle computing power, and return the results to the server.

### Related Projects
BOINC supports various scientific projects, including:
- **Cosmology@Home**: A volunteer computing project for galaxy simulations.
- **Einstein@Home**: A BOINC project that analyzes data from LIGO to detect gravitational waves.
- **climateprediction.net**: A BOINC-based volunteer computing project researching climate models.
- **MilkyWay@home**: A BOINC-based volunteer computing project researching astronomy.

### Technical Details
- **Latest Stable Version**: 7.16.11 (as of September 2, 2020)
- **Programming Language**: C++
- **Operating Systems**: Linux, FreeBSD, Android, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Solaris, Raspberry Pi OS
- **Platform**: Cross-platform
- **License**: GNU General Public License, version 3.0 and GNU Lesser General Public License, version 3.0

### Impact and Significance
BOINC has made significant contributions to scientific research by leveraging the collective computing power of volunteers. It has facilitated breakthroughs in fields such as astrophysics, climate science, and medicine. BOINC's open-source nature ensures transparency and community-driven development, making it a cornerstone of volunteer computing.

## Schema Markup
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  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "name": "Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing",
  "description": "Open-source middleware system for volunteer and grid computing",
  "url": "https://boinc.berkeley.edu",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189794",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_Open_Infrastructure_for_Network_Computing"
  ],
  "applicationCategory": "Distributed Computing Software",
  "operatingSystem": [
    "Linux",
    "FreeBSD",
    "Android",
    "Microsoft Windows",
    "macOS",
    "Solaris",
    "Raspberry Pi OS"
  ],
  "license": "GNU General Public License, version 3.0",
  "datePublished": "2002-04-10",
  "softwareVersion": "7.16.11",
  "programmingLanguage": "C++"
}

## References

1. [Source](https://boinc.berkeley.edu/trac/browser/boinc-v2/COPYING.LESSER)
2. [Source](https://boinc.berkeley.edu/download_all.php)
3. [Source](https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/releases/tag/client_release%2F7.10%2F7.10.1)
4. [Release 0.9. 2018](https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/releases/tag/server_release/0.9)
5. [Release 7.6.9. 2015](https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/releases/tag/client_release/7.6/7.6.9)
6. [Release 7.6.12. 2015](https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/releases/tag/client_release/7.6/7.6.12)
7. [Release 7.6.22. 2016](https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/releases/tag/client_release/7.6/7.6.22)
8. [2023](https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/releases/tag/client_release%2F7.22%2F7.22.0)
9. [2023](https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/releases/tag/server_release%2F1.4%2F1.4.2)
10. [2022](https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/releases/tag/client_release%2F7.22%2F7.22.2)
11. [2024](https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/releases/tag/client_release%2F8.0%2F8.0.1)
12. [2024](https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/releases/tag/client_release%2F8.0%2F8.0.2)
13. [2024](https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/releases/tag/client_release%2F8.0%2F8.0.4)
14. [Source](https://github.com/BOINC/boinc/releases/tag/client_release%2F8.2%2F8.2.4)
15. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
16. [Source](https://boinc.berkeley.edu)
17. [Source](https://api.github.com/repos/BOINC/boinc)
18. Quora