Next: Options, Previous: Major modes, Up: Top @@ -38,18 +38,54 @@ To move a piece, you can drag it with the left mouse button, or you can click the left mouse button once on the piece, then once more on the destination square. To drop a new piece on a square (when applicable), press the middle or the right mouse button over the -square and select from the popup menu. In cases where you can drop +square and select from the pop-up menu. In cases where you can drop either a white or black piece, use the middle button (or shift+right) for white and the right button (or shift+middle) for black. When you are playing a bughouse game on an Internet Chess Server, a list of the -offboard pieces that each player has available is shown in the window +off-board pieces that each player has available is shown in the window title after the player's name; in addition, the piece menus show the number of pieces available of each type. From version 4.3.14 on, it is -also possible in crazyhouse, bughouse or shogi to dag and drop pieces -to the board from the holdings squares displayed next to the board. +also possible in crazyhouse, bughouse or shogi to drag and drop pieces +to the board from the holdings squares displayed next to the board. +This latter method for dropping pieces during a game is preferred, +and the piece-drop menu is now deprecated (except for editing a position). +Although the old behavior can still be selected through a command-line +option, the default function of the right mouse button is to display +the position the chess program thinks it will end up in, +while moving the mouse vertically with this button pressed will step +through the principal variation to show how this position will be +reached. +Lines of play displayed in the engine-output window an similarly +be played out on the board, by right-clicking on them. + +
When connected to an ICS, it is possible to call up a graphical +representation of players seeking a game in stead of the chess board, +when the latter is not in use +(i.e. when you are not playing or observing). +Left-clicking the display area will switch between this 'seek graph' +and the chess board. +Hovering the mouse pointer over a dot will show the details of the +seek ad in the message field above the board. +Left-clicking the dot will challenge that player. +Right-clicking a dot will 'push it to the back', +to reveal any dots that were hidden behind it. +Right-clicking off dots will refresh the graph. + +
Most other XBoard commands are available from the menu bar. The most +frequently used commands also have shortcut keys or on-screen buttons. +Some rarely used parameters can only be set through options on the +command line used to invoke XBoard. -
All other XBoard commands are available from the menu bar. The most -frequently used commands also have shortcut keys or on-screen buttons. +
XBoard uses a settings file, in which it can remember any changes to +the settings that are made through menus or command-line options, +so they will still apply when you restart XBoard for another session. +The settings can be saved into this file automatically when XBoard exits, +or on explicit request of the user. +The default name for the settings file is /etc/xboard/xboard.conf, +but in a standard install this file is only used as a master settings +file that determines the system-wide default settings, +and defers reading and writing of user settings to a user-specific +file like ~/.xboardrc in the user's home directory.
When XBoard is iconized, its graphical icon is a white knight if it is White's turn to move, a black knight if it is Black's turn. See @@ -58,12 +94,14 @@ feature to work.