XBoard / WinBoard 4.6.0 released

[zullil]

For those who can't build and install on their own, a good option is to use a port management system like MacPorts. (Unfortunately, their version of XBoard is 4.4.3; I've put in an update request.)

MacPorts version of XBoard updated to 4.6.0.

[zullil]

As to bundling XBoard with an engine: this is not really the Linux way for distributing software.

This seems silly. Other linux packages build/supply auxiliary programs. Scid used to come with several engines, including the built-in scidlet, if I recall correctly. Why would you want a new user to install xboard, type ./xboard and then have some kind of failure? That's just dopey. Include the fairymax source with xboard, and have it built and installed by default. Allow the user to disable that optional build with a configure switch. Just like you currently do with zippy.

[Michel]

Is it possible to change the default engine?

I tried the "load new engine" dialog and set my engine as "first engine". However the next time I get again fairymax as the default engine.

[hgm]

-fcp and -scp are volatile options. The default engine can be set by editing the master settings file at /etc/xboard.conf.

Be sure it is a WinBoard engine, though. When you specify a UCI engine using -fUCI in the master settings, selecting a WB engine later from the command line using -fcp will not work, unless you somehow overrule the -fUCI from the command line as well.

[hgm]

Include the fairymax source with xboard, and have it built and installed by default. Allow the user to disable that optional build with a configure switch. Just like you currently do with zippy.

The problem is that XBoard is a GNU project distributed under GPL, the copyrights owned by FSF. While Fairy-Max is non-GPL and the copyrights are owned by me. GNU is kind of allergic to software on their website to which FSF does not own the copyrights.

[Michel]

-fcp and -scp are volatile options. The default engine can be set by editing the master settings file at /etc/xboard.conf.

Why not provide a check box "Set as default engine" or "Load on start up" in the "Load New Engine" dialog?

[michiguel]

The long-awaited official release of XBoard 4.6.0 (formerly available as beta version under the name 4.5TM) has finally taken place! The sources are available from the GNU Savannah website as tar ball from their download section.

I prepared a binary installer for WinBoard; for those who want to test it: it is already available from http://hgm.nubati.net/WinBoard-4.6.0.exe . Tomorrow I will create a page for it in the download section of WinBoard forum.

For those that are still using 4.5.3, and have not experimented with the TM version: there is a page listing and explaining the new features at the GNU website, http://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/what ... ortal.html .

Also new is that we now have an on-line user guide for XBoard (but WinBoard would be practically the same, except for the screenshots), summarizing its most-important features: http://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/user ... Guide.html

Yesterday I could not load my engine and I think I found the problem. In .xboardrc it is saved ad -fcp "gaviota" rather than "./gaviota". So it works with engines that are in directories that are in the PATH, but for others, you need to go and edit the .xboardrc (I am sure that will fix it but I did not try yet, I was too sleepy). When I placed gaviota en /usr/local/bin/ it worked.

Miguel

[bnemias]

GNU is kind of allergic to software on their website to which FSF does not own the copyrights.

No.

Savaannah's focus is hosting free software, and as such, they care not about who owns the license, but that the license is free.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_FS ... e_licences

[smatovic]

Thanks.

Compiles and runs fine under Ubuntu 11.10.

--
Srdja

[hgm]

Yesterday I could not load my engine and I think I found the problem. In .xboardrc it is saved ad -fcp "gaviota" rather than "./gaviota". So it works with engines that are in directories that are in the PATH, but for others, you need to go and edit the .xboardrc (I am sure that will fix it but I did not try yet, I was too sleepy). When I placed gaviota en /usr/local/bin/ it worked.

I guess the whole idea of specifying an engine as -fd plus -fcp no longer works due to this silly suppression of execs on plain files in the current directory. (Note that . is in the PATH, or ./xxx would not work eiher!)

I guess you could install the engine by browsing to it, (which would put the full path name in the command field), and put "." for directory name (to prevent XBoard will split up the path name in a directory and file). But I guess that would not work if the engine looks for its files in the current directory. You would then have to copy the path name of the engine to the directory field, and strip off the file part. This indeed is a pain almost as bad as having to edit the .xboardrc file. But I guess you could use the browse button on the directory too. I am just not sure it would immediately start in the directory where you used the file browser last. (I am on Windows now, so I cannot check it.)

I guess that it would indeed be best if splitting up a path name obtained from browsing would always result in ./ being put in front of the file part.