Arena 3.5.1 - Autoplayer

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

I sent a message.

[Nordlandia]

I have to disappoint you but i have tried both Arena 3.5.1 and Fritz 12 and without any communication between both laptops.

Can you remember the webshop link were you ordered Null Model Cable?

Maybe it's wrong type.

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

At the very beginning thanks for your help. I bought a second cable, but it still did not come home.

[hgm]

Well, the difference between a null-modem cable and a regular RS-232 cable is that it connects pin 2 of one end with pin 3 of the other, while normally all pins are connected to those with the same number. So if you have some electricity gear handy (like an ohm meter, or some copper wires a battery and a flash-light bulb) you can eaisly test what cable it is.

[Nordlandia]

H.G.Muller

It can't be that hard for Chessbase to overhaul that old autoplayer to something more fresh anno 2016.

Originally autplayer protocol is something originating from the early 90s.

[hgm]

But why would they want to? The auto-player served a function in the 902, when computers were isolated entities, and making two of themcommunicate was a techical miracle in itself. Anno 2016 a computer is considered worthless junk when it is not connected to the internet.

So communication between computers for whatever application nowadays is completely trivial, so that there is no need to design special solutionsfor it in Chess software. And in particular, there is no need to design special solutions that make use of obsolete nocomputer has anymore. If a GUI nowadays would want to support peer-to-peer connections, it would of course do it using TCP/IP connections that every computer anno 2016 has.

For playing inter-computer matches it is doubtful whether peer-to-peer is the proper solution, though. It seems that using GUIs on both machines just complicates matters. This is why I have different software for remote engine play (connect.exe), and a separate p2p.exe for remote human-human play (where it is essential that there is a GUI on both ends). Of course the p2p.exe pseudo-engine can also be used in engine-engine mode on one or both ends of the connection. But there are intrinsic problems to usuing two GUIs, like whose clock is decisive in cases of time lag. So it is better to avoid it if you can. But if you are willing tolive with the intrinsic disadvantages, using p2p.exe to connect a GUI of any type against a GUI of any other type on anothe rmachine, it would certainly be possible.

[Nordlandia]

So in according your experience and conjunction, it's not recommended using Fritz 15 on both computers in case running with Connect64.exe?

Today my router will be changed to wifi so i may be able to test it later today.

Wireless connection between my i7-5960X and i5-5200U.

[Nordlandia]

Now i'm connected wirelessly!

Regarding Connect64.exe

To use it, issue the command

connect2 -ec "ENGINECOMMAND" -ed "ENGINEFOLDER"

on the machine where you want to run the engine. This will run it as a server on the default port (27015) with the default password, which is normally good enough. (If not you could add -p PORTNUMBER -pw PASSWORD arguments.) A reason to use other ports than the default could be that you want to set up servers for several engines, which should then each be on a different port.

Then on the other machine 'install' connect2.exe as engine (in the GUI), with the startup command

connect2 HOST_IP_ADDRESS

This will then connect to the server you set up on the indicated machine through the default port using the default password. If you would have changed any of those, you would have to do that also here, by slipping in -p and/or -pw options before the host IP address. Running connect2 this way will make it a proxy for the engine on the indicated host.

That is all.

Can you provide some pictures if not video if you have time at disposal. This seems somewhat complicated.

[hgm]

You could already have connected them wirelessly with the old router, right? Computer A with the ethernet cable to the router, and computer B to computer A over the WiFi they both support, as in the link I gave.

I don't know what you expect screenshots of. I suppose you know how to start the Windows command prompt, and how to type a command there. Thatis all you have to do on the engine side, and what exactly you have to type depends on what engine it is, where you put it, and where you put connect2.exe. And what brand of firewall you use. None of which I could reproduce.

On the machine where you have the GUI you just have to install connect2.exe as an engine, with the I.P. address of the other computer as parameter. How exactly to do that depends on what GUI you want to use. I suppose you do know how to run an engine in your favorite GUI. And if that is not the same as what I use (i.e. if it is not WinBoard or XBoard) screen shots would not be of much use either.

If you don't know the I.P. addresses of yourcomputers you could type "ipconfig" in the command prompt, and it will tell them. Or you could log on to your router, and let it print the "DHCP client list". Again, how to do that and how the screen shots wouldlook depends entirely on your brand and type of router.

[Nordlandia]

Appreciate for replies!

Do i have to type the commands in cmd before i launch the gui or vice versa?

Also i'm quite sure i will type something wrong in cmd or gui for that matter.

connect2 -ec "ENGINECOMMAND" -ed "ENGINEFOLDER"

Then on the other machine 'install' connect2.exe as engine (in the GUI), with the startup command

connect2 HOST_IP_ADDRESS.

Code: Select all

connect64.exe -ec "ENGINECOMMAND" -ed "ENGINEFOLDER""

Not entire sure what enginecommand means. 

[quote]connect64.exe HOST_IP_ADDRESS "----?" with out without quotes?[/quote]