Winboard/Xboard 4.5 Released!

[Darklord42]

Available here http://www.open-aurec.com/wbforum/viewt ... 19&t=51528

If your a mac user, like me, I also made this lovely Xboard installer for Snow Leopard Users
http://www.open-aurec.com/wbforum/viewt ... 73#p191373

[Darklord42]

Now 4.5.1!

Same links.

[Darklord42]

Yes, rather than me repeating everything verbatim why don't you take a look for yourself?
http://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/whats_new/4.5.0/

http://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/whats_new/4.5.1/

Although one thing that I think will appeal to auto-chess people, is the built in ability to do matches . (although not full out round robins quite yet)

[Darklord42]

What do you mean sorry? I'm not trying to sell winboard to you. Take it or leave it. Although I do find it funny that you make it sound as if you are rejecting wb because I mentioned a single feature, among 50 or so in this release, that you wont use... Perhaps I should also mention it plays Makruk as well!

[matematiko]

What do you mean sorry? I'm not trying to sell winboard to you. Take it or leave it. Although I do find it funny that you make it sound as if you are rejecting wb because I mentioned a single feature, among 50 or so in this release, that you wont use... Perhaps I should also mention it plays Makruk as well!

an_imbecils has been acting menopausic lately(see his/her respond to this and you'll see what I mean) , I will just ignore him bud.

Thanks for the WinBoard updates.

Regards,

[Waldemar]

There is one difference in this version. We can't edit winboard.ini to use the commands we want in ICS window. I can't change I can't add:

/icsMenu={-
&Who,who,0,1
Playe&rs,players,0,1
&Games,games,0,1
&Sought,sought,0,1
| ,none,0,0
Open Chat &Box (name),chat,1,0
&Tell (name),tell,1,0
M&essage (name),message,1,0
-
&Finger (name),finger,1,1
&Vars (name),vars,1,1
&Observe (name),observe,1,1
&Match (name),match,1,1
Pl&ay (name),play,1,1
Mailstored (name),mailstor %s -1,1,1

[matematiko]

That's why I am sticking to an old version, many bugs that I suspect are related to the addition of support for variations I do not care about. I keep getting:
-Ilegal Moves, even when "test legality" is ticked off.
-Can not parse xxxx move.
-my polyglot ini files keep been overwritten.

I think version 4.3 is good for what we auto chess players need.

Regards,

P.S. Maybe someone with more time in his/hers hands can tell us how to overcome these issues.

[Darklord42]

@Supreme- In all honestly I have never tried configuring Ics menu stuff from the winboard.ini. Have you not tried doing what you need from within winboard itself in the ICS menu? The menu system is quite logically laid out and should have all the options available in winboard. Or is that for right-click options on the ICS screen? I guess I'm not sure what you are trying to do, exactly as I have never done that myself.

@mate If you want to configure settings for an engine, do so from within winboard, then press the save button. All the possible options that a specific engine has + polytglot options are all there in the Engine menu. Providing of course winboard is directed to the latest Polyglot in the /polyglotDir=""

How about you just keep a separate folder for 4.5 so it doesn't override you 4.3 settings? And if you like anything 4.5 offers, you can slowly move stuff over as you want to. Its only a couple megs after all.

As to legality test issues. Why not let HGM know? He is working his best on squashing all the bugs. I think there is a issue with parsing. I saw a branch on HGM's server for a fixed parser, so its in the works.

Of course if your all set with 4.3 then I say use that for most everything. but if you want to tinker around then 4.5 offers a lot of stuff. Personally, the improved chatboxes, background viewing of a second game for bughouse, and seekgraph are really needed for my own self.

Also there are things in xboard that are absolutely essential for my needs of running it on mac. Namely, a configuration file.

[Waldemar]

Or is that for right-click options on the ICS screen? I guess I'm not sure what you are trying to do, exactly as I have never done that myself.

Yes, Never mind I could add the commands just changing winboard.exe and keeping winboard.ini I had. But I faced a problem, when I right click in ICS screen to see all commands, it automaticly chooses the 1st command and closes the ICS screen I opened right clicking it, not giving me time to select a command.

[Darklord42]

Hmm, that is weird.
I just put in your data right into my winboard.ini and I had no such problem.
I am using 4.5.1

I trust, of course, you are able to right click in the windows OS, get the pop-up menu and not experience a similar problem?

[Waldemar]

No problem right click in Windows OS. This is the winboard.ini I use, I can't see the commands when right click in ICS screen and pop-up menu appears, the 1st command is automaticly picked and the menu immediately closes. I am sure is something in my .ini that is closing the pop-up menu too fast without option to choose one command in newest versions of winboard.

[Prima]

There is one difference in this version. We can't edit winboard.ini to use the commands we want in ICS window. I can't change I can't add:

That's why I am sticking to an old version, many bugs that I suspect are related to the addition of support for variations I do not care about. I keep getting:
-Ilegal Moves, even when "test legality" is ticked off.
-Can not parse xxxx move.
-my polyglot ini files keep been overwritten.

@ XsupremeX: The reason current Winboard 4.5.0/4.5.1 ini file is NOT editable is because you're attempting to use the Master & non editable Winboard.ini File as your Winboard setting. This is no longer possible. In order to be able to edit your Winboard.ini File, you need to locate the editable Winboard.ini file of WB4.5.0/4.5.1. It is found in this path:

Code: Select all

C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Winboard.ini

So if you want to add preferred settings, it's going to be in this Winboard.ini file located in AppData\Roaming folders.

@ matematiko: Considering the new options, pertinent to book settings/moves etc, you're better-off with current Winboard, either v4.5.0 or 4.5.1. The reason your winboard.ini gets overwritten is because you're using the volatile setting.

Like XsupremeX & others who may encounter similar problems, if you want to maintain your desired settings, you can either do this in the path I pointed out to XsupremeX
OR;
preferably, in your Master Winboard.ini (non editable) File; put your preferred path you want your editable Winboard.ini file to be located in, found in this line of the Master Winboard.ini File:

Code: Select all

/saveSettingsFile=
/settingsFile=

Once you've created your editable or persistent Winboard.ini File, it cannot be edited by Winboard.exe itself. It can only be edited by you, the user.

In my case, I prefer putting the editable Winboard.ini File in my PolyGlot folder, along with my Master winboard.ini File:

Code: Select all

/saveSettingsFile=c:\PolyGlot\WinBoard_450b_January_01_2011-b.Ini
/settingsFile=c:\PolyGlot\WinBoard_450b_January_01_2011-b.Ini

This will prevent the "volatile setting" or the overwriting of your Winboard.ini file you currently experience.

So, persistent settings for Winboard must be filled out by the user. This is where the user puts the "path" to where s/he wants the non-volatile (or persistent) settings for Winboard to be. You can either use the default editable Winboard.ini file (located in AppData\Roaming\Winboard.ini) or make his/her "preferred path" using the /Save SettingsFile & /settingsFile option in Winboard.

If it helps, I've attached the path to my created & editable Winboard.ini, found in the /saveSettingsFile & /settingsFile line of the Master Winboard.ini File:

[Waldemar]

Thx Prima, I can use the editable .ini now. But when I go to ICS screen and right click to see the commands I have put in the menu, the program automaticly pick the 1st command in the menu (create w) and closes the menu immediately. No time for me to choose any other command.

But thx anyway, I think I have to type all commands I want in this version cuz the ones I put in menu I have no time to choose.

[Prima]

Thx Prima, I can use the editable .ini now. But when I go to ICS screen and right click to see the commands I have put in the menu, the program automaticly pick the 1st command in the menu (create w) and closes the menu immediately. No time for me to choose any other command.

But thx anyway, I think I have to type all commands I want in this version cuz the ones I put in menu I have no time to choose.

I think I have an idea what you're experiencing with the ICS menu situation. I experienced the same ICS-menu problem but found a way around it.

It has to do with the position of your mouse/cursor in your ICS screen at the time of opening up your ICS-menu. For example, if your mouse/cursor is any where at the top or middle of your ICS screen during your attempt to open the ICS menu, then what happens is, an ICS menu option is automatically highlighted and selected by an option that happens to be in the mouse's/cursor's way. Hence the auto-selection and immediate closing of your ICS menu.

Solution:
To avoid this, I point my mouse/cursor at the bottom of my ICS and open my ICS menu, then scroll to the ICS-option I want.

[matematiko]

Prima,

Thank you very much for taking the time to create such an elaborated answer. I will try your suggestions one of these days...too busy with other stuff right now.

Best regards,