I'm somewhat puzzled by the behavior of the -hostfile in Open MPI. Based on the FAQ it is supposed to provide a list of resources to be used by the launcher (in my case ssh) to start the processes. Make sense so far.
However, if the configuration file contain a value for orte_default_hostfile, then the behavior of the hostfile option change drastically, and the option become a filter (the machines must be on the original list or a cryptic error message is displayed). Overall, we have a well defined [mostly] consistent behavior for parameters in Open MPI. We have an order of precedence of sources of MCA parameters, clearly defined which make understanding where a value comes straightforward. I'm absolutely certain there was a group discussion about this unique "eccentricity" regarding the hostfile option, but I fail to remember what was the reason we decided to go this way. Can I have a quick refresh please? Thanks, george.
