Discussion about Rybka Beta Node Count Patch

[rfadden]

I just posted a question on the Rybka Forum, and I want to repeat the discussion here... I posted it in the other forum first, thinking that maybe the author of Rybka would give a few thoughts on the idea.

If you don't mind I'll post the same text here:

I just completed my binary patch that takes a copy of the free Rybka 1.0 Beta .exe and it patches the file locally (on your own computer) to then display Node Counts in the traditional fashion.

I was writing with Bob Hyatt and others on CCC and I mentioned that I would develop this patch just for the fun of it. Over on that forum we took suggestions on what to count, and Bob suggested for an easy patch (instrumenting only one function) that a good entity to count is "Make_Move". So that's what I have working now, and I find the output is fascinating... interesting, whatever... (this was my idea, not Bob's, no one else suggested it, these guys were just answering my questions...)

I'm thinking that maybe I should ask Vas if anything about this technique upsets him in any way. I want to avoid upsetting Vas. For me this is a fun, and interesting thing.

I'm assuming that I could write email to Vas and see if he minds, but he probably is swamped with email, so I'm writing here first hoping maybe the community will start with me in a general discussion.

OK just to be clear, let me point out the way this patch would work (the intention)... The intention is that you can optionally take my small text file and feed it into a particular patch program (if you want) and this then would create a modified .exe file on your computer. The patch only works on one particular file which is: "Rybka v1.0 Beta.w32.exe"

Note that this is a free binary that was distributed to everyone over two years ago. This free Rybka sits unused on most of our computers. Few of us have any reason to run this program except to perhaps measure the performance of the program that got us all excited about Rybka in the first place.

So to dig up some of that fun and interest again, if we put the patch text here then you would have the option of patching your copy of the .exe to then see the actual Node Count numbers of Rybka. You also see a non-truncated PV, and the displays starts at depth of search 1, not 5 as in the original program.

The online community is a tough bunch of people... right? So note, some people may say some harsh stuff. Please... let's just chat about whether this is a fun or interesting thing to do with our free copy of Rybka. If you don't like the idea then let me know, but please don't yell because I'm sensitive...

Also note that my own patched .exe file stays on my computer and I do not give it out in any case. The idea of the patch is that I can give you a small pile of numbers and if you chose to apply the patch to your copy then you'll have your own modified version of Rybka 1.0 beta.

Also since this is the Internet, no I am not making patches for any other copy of a binary program. I don't want to get in trouble. I'm not even looking inside these other binary programs that I paid for. There's probably some legal statement somewhere that says I am not allowed to look at the bits. Well anyway this is just for the 1.0 beta and this is just an experiment for computer chess hobbyists like myself.

So this is the post where I ask you if you think this idea is OK.

What do you guys think?

[Matthias Gemuh]

The patch would revive the chess scene.
If I were you, I would have posted the patch before asking questions

Matthias.

[rfadden]

Ha! humor, you can't live without it, and you can't live without it.

[Matthias Gemuh]

Ha! humor, you can't live without it, and you can't live without it.

Humor ? No !!!
Drop me the patch for strictly private use at mgemuh_@_yahoo_._com (without underscores).

Thanks,
Matthias.