BOINC for MAC
Free, open-source Mac app that gives your computer's idle time to science projects studying diseases, climate change, pulsars and more.
BOINC Overview
BOINC lets you donate your Mac's idle time to scientific research. The app downloads computing jobs from the projects you choose and runs them in the background. About 30 science projects use it, including Climateprediction.net, Rosetta@home and GPUGrid, and they investigate diseases, study climate change, discover pulsars and do many other types of research.
When you first run BOINC you are asked to choose a project, and you can connect to as many as you like. If you prefer to pick science areas rather than projects, there is Science United. BOINC is free and open source under the GNU LGPL, version 3 or later. It is located at the University of California, Berkeley and supported by the National Science Foundation. This is the recommended Mac version, a universal download for Apple Silicon and Intel that needs macOS 10.13 or later; version 7.20.2 is offered for older systems. You may run it only on a computer you own or have the owner's permission to use.
Key Features
BOINC turns spare computer time into research.
- Volunteer computing: your idle computer time goes to science.
- About 30 projects: including Climateprediction.net, Rosetta@home and GPUGrid.
- Your choice: connect to as many projects as you like.
- Runs in the background: jobs download and run on their own.
- Science United: contribute by science area instead of by project.
- Competitions: choosing specific projects lets you take part in them.
- Universal: one download for Apple Silicon and Intel.
- Uninstaller included: the download has an Uninstall BOINC app.
What’s New in Version 8.2.11
BOINC 8.2.11 is a small maintenance release.
- Improved battery level validation
- Mac recovery mode fix
- No Docker cleanup when allow_multiple_clients is set
BOINC FAQ
Is BOINC free?
Yes. BOINC is free and open source under the GNU LGPL, version 3 or later.
What does BOINC do?
It downloads scientific computing jobs from the projects you choose and runs them in the background, using your computer's idle time.
Which projects can I help?
About 30 science projects use BOINC, including Climateprediction.net, Rosetta@home and GPUGrid.
Which macOS version does BOINC need?
BOINC 8.2.11 needs macOS 10.13 or later. Version 7.20.2 is offered for older systems.
Does BOINC work on Apple Silicon?
Yes. The recommended Mac download is universal, for Apple Silicon and Intel.
How do I start using BOINC?
Run the BOINC Installer from the download. When you first run BOINC, it asks you to choose a project.
What is Science United?
It is a way to contribute to science areas, such as biomedicine, physics or astronomy, instead of choosing projects yourself.
Can I run BOINC on any computer?
Only on a computer you own or have the owner's permission to use. The download page states this.
Can I install BOINC with Homebrew?
Yes. Run brew install --cask boinc.
Where does the BOINC download on boinc.FULLMAC.app come from?
The download button leads to the official BOINC download page at https://boinc.berkeley.edu/download.php. boinc.FULLMAC.app does not change or repackage the app.
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