@ifinfo
-
-This file documents version @value{VERSION} of @value{NAME}.
-@value{NAME}
-is a graphical chessboard that can serve as a
-user interface to the GNU Chess and Crafty chess engines, the
-Internet Chess Servers,
-electronic mail correspondence chess, or your own collection of saved games.
-
-Copyright (C) 1991 Digital Equipment Corporation, Maynard, Massachusetts.
-
-All Rights Reserved.
-
-Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its
-documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted,
-provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that
-both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in
-supporting documentation, and that the name of Digital not be
-used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the
-software without specific, written prior permission.
-
-Digital disclaims all warranties with regard to this software, including
-all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall
-Digital be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages or
-any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data or profits,
-whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tortious action,
-arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of this
-software.
-
-Enhancements copyright (C) 1992-2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
-
-Published by the Free Software Foundation
-59 Temple Place - Suite 330
-Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
-
-Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
-this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
-are preserved on all copies.
-
-@ignore
-Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
-results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
-notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
-(this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
-
-@end ignore
-Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
-manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
-section entitled ``GNU General Public License,''
-is included exactly as in the original, and provided that the entire
-resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission
-notice identical to this one.
-
-Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
-into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions,
-except that the section entitled ``GNU General Public License,''
-and this permission notice, may be included in translations approved by
-the Free Software Foundation instead of in the original English.
+@format
+INFO-DIR-SECTION Games
+START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
+* xboard: (xboard). An X Window System graphical chessboard.
+END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
+@end format
@end ifinfo
@titlepage
-@title @value{NAME}
-@author Tim Mann
+@title XBoard
@page
@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
-Copyright @copyright{} 1991 Digital Equipment Corporation, Maynard, Massachusetts.
-
-All Rights Reserved
-
-Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its
-documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted,
-provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that
-both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in
-supporting documentation, and that the name of Digital not be
-used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the
-software without specific, written prior permission.
-
-Digital disclaims all warranties with regard to this software, including
-all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall
-Digital be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages or
-any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data or profits,
-whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tortious action,
-arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of this
-software.
-
-Enhancements copyright @copyright{} 1992-2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
-
-@format
-Published by the Free Software Foundation
-59 Temple Place - Suite 330
-Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
-@end format
-
-Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
-this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
-are preserved on all copies.
-
-@ignore
-Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
-results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
-notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
-(this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
-
-@end ignore
-Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
-manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
-section entitled ``GNU General Public License,'' is
-included exactly as in the original, and provided that the entire
-resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission
-notice identical to this one.
-
-Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
-into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions,
-except that the section entitled ``GNU General Public License,''
-and this permission notice, may be included in
-translations approved by the Free Software Foundation instead of in the
-original English.
+@include copyright.texi
@end titlepage
+@ifset man
+.TH xboard 6 "$Date: " "GNU"
+.SH NAME
+.PP
+xboard @- X graphical user interface for chess
+.SH SYNOPSIS
+.PP
+.B xboard [options]
+.br
+.B xboard -ics -icshost hostname [options]
+.br
+.B xboard -ncp [options]
+.br
+.B |pxboard
+.br
+.B cmail [options]
+@end ifset
@node Top
@top Introduction
@cindex introduction
-This manual documents version @value{VERSION} of @value{NAME}.
-@value{NAME}
-is a graphical chessboard that can serve as a
-user interface to the GNU Chess and Crafty chess engines, the
+@ifset man
+.SH DESCRIPTION
+@end ifset
+
+XBoard is a graphical chessboard that can serve as a
+user interface to chess engines (such as GNU Chess), the
Internet Chess Servers,
electronic mail correspondence chess, or your own collection of saved games.
+This manual documents version @value{VERSION} of XBoard.
+
@menu
-* Installation:: How to configure, compile and install @value{NAME}.
-* Invocation:: Command options supported by @value{NAME}.
-* Menus:: Menus, Buttons and Keys.
-* ICS:: Using @value{NAME} with an Internet Chess Server (ICS).
-* Firewalls:: Connecting to the ICS through a firewall.
+* Major modes:: The main things XBoard can do.
+* Menus:: Menus, buttons, and keys.
+* Options:: Command options supported by XBoard.
+* Chess Servers:: Using XBoard with an Internet Chess Server (ICS).
+* Firewalls:: Connecting to a chess server through a firewall.
* Environment:: Environment variables.
* Limitations:: Known limitations and/or bugs.
* Problems:: How and where to report any problems you run into.
-* Contributors:: People who have helped developing @value{NAME}.
-* CMail:: Using @value{NAME} for electronic correspondence chess.
-* Programs:: Other programs you can use with @value{NAME}.
+* Contributors:: People who have helped developing XBoard.
+* CMail:: Using XBoard for electronic correspondence chess.
+* Other programs:: Other programs you can use with XBoard.
+@ifnottex
+* Copyright:: Copyright notice for this manual.
+@end ifnottex
* Copying:: The GNU General Public License.
* Index:: Index of concepts and symbol names.
@end menu
-@ifset html
-@node What is it?
-@chapter What is it?
-@cindex What is it?
-@value{NAME}
-is a graphical chessboard that can serve as a
-user interface to the GNU Chess and Crafty chess engines, the
-Internet Chess Servers,
-electronic mail correspondence chess, or your own collection of saved games.
-These Web pages document version @value{VERSION} of @value{NAME}.
-@end ifset
+@node Major modes
+@chapter Major modes
+@cindex Major modes
-@node Installation
-@chapter How to configure, compile and install @value{NAME}
-@cindex Installation
+XBoard always runs in one of four major modes. You select the
+major mode from the command line when you start up XBoard.
+
+@table @asis
+@item xboard [options]
+As an interface to GNU Chess or another chess engine running on your
+machine, XBoard lets you play a game against the machine,
+set up arbitrary positions, force variations, watch a game between two
+chess engines, interactively analyze your stored games or set up and
+analyze arbitrary positions. (Note: Not all chess engines support
+analysis.)
+@item xboard -ics -icshost hostname [options]
+As Internet Chess Server (ICS) interface, XBoard
+lets you play against other ICS users, observe games
+they are playing, or review games that have recently finished. Most
+of the ICS "wild" chess variants are supported, including bughouse.
+@item xboard -ncp [options]
+XBoard can also be used simply
+as an electronic chessboard to play through games. It will read and
+write game files and allow you to play through variations
+manually. You can use it to browse games off the net or review games
+you have saved. These features are also available in the other modes.
+@item |pxboard
+If you want to pipe games into XBoard, use the supplied shell
+script @file{pxboard}. For example, from the news reader @file{xrn},
+find a message with one or more games in it, click the Save button,
+and type @samp{|pxboard} as the file name.
+@item cmail [options]
+As an interface to electronic mail correspondence chess, XBoard
+works with the cmail program. See @ref{CMail} below for
+instructions.
+@end table
+
+@node Menus
+@chapter Menus, buttons, and keys
+@cindex Menus
+
+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
+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
+title after the player's name; in addition, the piece menus show the
+number of pieces available of each type.
+
+All other XBoard commands are available from the menu bar. The most
+frequently used commands also have shortcut keys or on-screen buttons.
+
+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
+Iconize in @ref{Keys} below if you have problems getting this
+feature to work.
+
+@menu
+* File Menu:: Accessing external games and positions.
+* Mode Menu:: Selecting XBoard's mode.
+* Action Menu:: Talking to the chess engine or ICS opponents.
+* Step Menu:: Controlling the game.
+* Options Menu:: User preferences.
+* Help Menu:: Getting help.
+* Keys:: Other shortcut keys.
+@end menu
+
+@node File Menu
+@section File Menu
+@cindex File Menu
+@cindex Menu, File
+@table @asis
+@item Reset
+@cindex Reset, Menu Item
+Resets XBoard and the chess engine to the beginning of a new chess
+game. The @kbd{r} key is a keyboard equivalent. In Internet Chess
+Server mode, clears the current state of XBoard, then
+resynchronizes with the ICS by sending a refresh command. If you want to
+stop playing, observing, or examining an ICS game, use an
+appropriate command from the Action menu, not @samp{Reset}.
+@xref{Action Menu}.
+@item Load Game
+@cindex Load Game, Menu Item
+Plays a game from a record file. The @kbd{g} key is a keyboard equivalent.
+A popup dialog prompts you for the file name. If the file contains more
+than one game, a second popup dialog
+displays a list of games (with information drawn from their PGN tags, if
+any), and you can select the one you want. Alternatively, you can load the
+Nth game in the file directly, by typing the number @kbd{N} after the
+file name, separated by a space.
+
+The game file parser will accept PGN (portable game notation),
+or in fact almost any file that contains moves in algebraic
+notation.
+Notation of the form @samp{P@@f7}
+is accepted for piece-drops in bughouse games;
+this is a nonstandard extension to PGN.
+If the file includes a PGN position (FEN tag), or an old-style
+XBoard position diagram bracketed by @samp{[--} and @samp{--]}
+before the first move, the game starts from that position. Text
+enclosed in parentheses, square brackets, or curly braces is assumed to
+be commentary and is displayed in a pop-up window. Any other
+text in the file is ignored. PGN variations (enclosed in
+parentheses) are treated as comments; XBoard is not able to walk
+variation trees.
+The nonstandard PGN tag [Variant "varname"] functions similarly to
+the -variant command-line option (see below), allowing games in certain chess
+variants to be loaded. There is also a heuristic to
+recognize chess variants from the Event tag, by looking for the strings
+that the Internet Chess Servers put there when saving variant ("wild") games.
+@item Load Next Game
+@cindex Load Next Game, Menu Item
+Loads the next game from the last game record file you loaded.
+The shifted @kbd{N} key is a keyboard equivalent.
+@item Load Previous Game
+@cindex Load Previous Game, Menu Item
+Loads the previous game from the last game record file you
+loaded. The shifted @kbd{P} key is a keyboard equivalent.
+Not available if the last game was loaded from a pipe.
+@item Reload Same Game
+@cindex Reload Same Game, Menu Item
+Reloads the last game you loaded.
+Not available if the last game was loaded from a pipe.
+@item Save Game
+@cindex Save Game, Menu Item
+Appends a record of the current game to a file.
+A popup dialog
+prompts you for the file name. If the game did not begin with
+the standard starting position, the game file includes the
+starting position used. Games are saved in the PGN (portable
+game notation) format, unless the oldSaveStyle option is true,
+in which case they are saved in an older format that is specific
+to XBoard. Both formats are human-readable, and both can be
+read back by the @samp{Load Game} command.
+Notation of the form @samp{P@@f7}
+is accepted for piece-drops in bughouse games;
+this is a nonstandard extension to PGN.
+@item Copy Game
+@cindex Copy Game, Menu Item
+Copies a record of the current game to an internal clipboard in PGN
+format and sets the X selection to the game text. The game can be
+pasted to another application (such as a text editor or another copy
+of XBoard) using that application's paste command. In many X
+applications, such as xterm and emacs, the middle mouse button can be
+used for pasting; in XBoard, you must use the Paste Game command.
+@item Paste Game
+@cindex Paste Game, Menu Item
+Interprets the current X selection as a game record and loads it, as
+with Load Game.
+@item Load Position
+@cindex Load Position, Menu Item
+Sets up a position from a position file. A popup dialog prompts
+you for the file name. If the file contains more than one saved
+position, and you want to load the Nth one, type the number N
+after the file name, separated by a space. Position files must
+be in FEN (Forsythe-Edwards notation), or in the format that the
+Save Position command writes when oldSaveStyle is turned on.
+@item Load Next Position
+@cindex Load Next Position, Menu Item
+Loads the next position from the last position file you loaded.
+@item Load Previous Position
+@cindex Load Previous Position, Menu Item
+Loads the previous position from the last position file you
+loaded. Not available if the last position was loaded from a pipe.
+@item Reload Same Position
+@cindex Reload Same Position, Menu Item
+Reloads the last position you loaded.
+Not available if the last position was loaded from a pipe.
+@item Save Position
+@cindex Save Game, Menu Item
+Appends a diagram of the current position to a file.
+A popup dialog
+prompts you for the file name. Positions are saved in
+FEN (Forsythe-Edwards notation) format unless the @code{oldSaveStyle}
+option is true, in which case they are saved in an older,
+human-readable format that is specific to XBoard. Both formats
+can be read back by the @samp{Load Position} command.
+@item Copy Position
+@cindex Copy Position, Menu Item
+Copies the current position to an internal clipboard in FEN format and
+sets the X selection to the position text. The position can be pasted
+to another application (such as a text editor or another copy of
+XBoard) using that application's paste command. In many X
+applications, such as xterm and emacs, the middle mouse button can be
+used for pasting; in XBoard, you must use the Paste Position command.
+@item Paste Position
+@cindex Paste Position, Menu Item
+Interprets the current X selection as a FEN position and loads it, as
+with Load Position.
+@item Mail Move
+@itemx Reload CMail Message
+@cindex Mail Move, Menu Item
+@cindex Reload CMail Message, Menu Item
+See @ref{CMail}.
+@item Exit
+@cindex Exit, Menu Item
+Exits from XBoard. The shifted @kbd{Q} key is a keyboard equivalent.
+@end table
+
+@node Mode Menu
+@section Mode Menu
+@cindex Menu, Mode
+@cindex Mode Menu
+@table @asis
+@item Machine White
+@cindex Machine White, Menu Item
+Tells the chess engine to play White.
+@item Machine Black
+@cindex Machine Black, Menu Item
+Tells the chess engine to play Black.
+@item Two Machines
+@cindex Two Machines, Menu Item
+Plays a game between two chess engines.
+@item Analysis Mode
+@cindex Analysis Mode, Menu Item
+XBoard tells the chess engine to start analyzing the current game/position
+and shows you the analysis as you move pieces around.
+Note: Some chess engines do not support Analysis mode.
+
+To set up a position to analyze, you do the following:
+
+1. Select Edit Position from the Mode Menu
+
+2. Set up the position. Use the middle and right buttons to
+bring up the white and black piece menus.
+
+3. When you are finished, click on either the Black or White
+clock to tell XBoard which side moves first.
+
+4. Select Analysis Mode from the Mode Menu to start the analysis.
+@item Analyze File
+@cindex Analyze File, Menu Item
+This option lets you load a game from a file (PGN, XBoard format, etc.)
+and analyze it. When you select this menu item, a popup window appears
+and asks for a filename to load.
+If the file contains multiple games, another popup appears that lets
+you select which game you wish to analyze.
+After a game is loaded, use the XBoard arrow buttons to step
+forwards/backwards through the game and watch the analysis.
+Note: Some chess engines do not support Analysis mode.
+@item ICS Client
+@cindex ICS Client, Menu Item
+This is the normal mode when XBoard
+is connected to a chess server. If you have moved into
+Edit Game or Edit Position mode, you can select this option to get out.
+
+To use xboard in ICS mode, run it in the foreground with the -ics
+option, and use the terminal you started it from to type commands and
+receive text responses from the chess server. See
+@ref{Chess Servers} below for more information.
+
+XBoard activates some special position/game editing features when you
+use the @kbd{examine} or @kbd{bsetup} commands on ICS and you have
+@samp{ICS Client} selected on the Mode menu. First, you can issue the
+ICS position-editing commands with the mouse. Move pieces by dragging
+with mouse button 1. To drop a new piece on a square, press mouse
+button 2 or 3 over the square. This brings up a menu of white pieces
+(button 2) or black pieces (button 3). Additional menu choices let
+you empty the square or clear the board. Click on the White or Black
+clock to set the side to play. You cannot set the side to play or
+drag pieces to arbitrary squares while examining on ICC, but you can
+do so in @kbd{bsetup} mode on FICS. In addition, the menu commands
+@samp{Forward}, @samp{Backward}, @samp{Pause}, and @samp{Stop Examining}
+have special functions in this mode; see below.
+@item Edit Game
+@cindex Edit Game, Menu Item
+Allows you to make moves for both Black and White, and to change
+moves after backing up with the @samp{Backward} command. The clocks do
+not run.
-@value{NAME} is normally distributed as source, in a file with a name like
-@file{xboard-*.tar.gz}. You need to unpack this file and compile the results
-with a C compiler.
+In chess engine mode, the chess engine continues to check moves for legality
+but does not participate in the game. You can bring the chess engine
+into the game by selecting @samp{Machine White}, @samp{Machine Black},
+or @samp{Two Machines}.
-First, decide where you want to install the xboard executable program and
-documentation. The default is to put them under the @file{/usr/local}
-directory tree. If you want to put them somewhere else, such as under your
-home directory, change the value in the @samp{--prefix} option below.
+In ICS mode, the moves are not sent to the ICS: @samp{Edit Game} takes
+XBoard out of ICS Client mode and lets you edit games locally.
+If you want to edit games on ICS in a way that other ICS users
+can see, use the ICS @kbd{examine} command or start an ICS match
+against yourself.
+@item Edit Position
+@cindex Edit Position, Menu Item
+Lets you set up an arbitrary board position.
+Use mouse button 1 to drag pieces to new squares, or to delete a piece
+by dragging it off the board or dragging an empty square on top of it.
+To drop a new piece on a square, press mouse button 2 or 3 over the
+square. This brings up a menu of white pieces (button 2) or
+black pieces (button 3). Additional menu choices let you empty the
+square or clear the board. You can set the side to play next by
+clicking on the word White or Black at the top of the screen.
+Selecting @samp{Edit Position} causes XBoard to discard
+all remembered moves in the current game.
-Use the following commands:
+In ICS mode, changes made to the position by @samp{Edit Position} are
+not sent to the ICS: @samp{Edit Position} takes XBoard out of
+@samp{ICS Client} mode and lets you edit positions locally. If you want to
+edit positions on ICS in a way that other ICS users can see, use
+the ICS @kbd{examine} command, or start an ICS match against yourself.
+(See also the ICS Client topic above.)
+@item Training
+@cindex Training, Menu Item
+Training mode lets you interactively guess the moves of a game for one
+of the players. You guess the next move of the game by playing the
+move on the board. If the move played matches the next move of the
+game, the move is accepted and the opponent's response is autoplayed.
+If the move played is incorrect, an error message is displayed. You
+can select this mode only while loading a game (that is, after
+selecting @samp{Load Game} from the File menu). While XBoard is in
+@samp{Training} mode, the navigation buttons are disabled.
+@item Show Game List
+@cindex Show Game List, Menu Item
+Shows or hides the list of games generated by the last @samp{Load Game}
+command.
+@item Edit Tags
+@cindex Edit Tags, Menu Item
+Lets you edit the PGN (portable game notation)
+tags for the current game. After editing, the tags must still conform to
+the PGN tag syntax:
@example
-gzip -cd xboard-*.tar.gz | tar -xvf -
-cd xboard-*/
-configure --prefix=/usr/local
-make
-make install
+<tag-section> ::= <tag-pair> <tag-section>
+ <empty>
+<tag-pair> ::= [ <tag-name> <tag-value> ]
+<tag-name> ::= <identifier>
+<tag-value> ::= <string>
@end example
+@noindent
+See the PGN Standard for full details. Here is an example:
-If you have any problems with these steps,
-see the file @file{INSTALL} in the @value{NAME} distribution for
-detailed instructions on options you can give to @code{configure},
-and see the file @file{FAQ} for answers to frequently asked questions.
+@example
+[Event "Portoroz Interzonal"]
+[Site "Portoroz, Yugoslavia"]
+[Date "1958.08.16"]
+[Round "8"]
+[White "Robert J. Fischer"]
+[Black "Bent Larsen"]
+[Result "1-0"]
+@end example
+@noindent
+Any characters that do not match this syntax are silently ignored. Note that
+the PGN standard requires all games to have at least the seven tags shown
+above. Any that you omit will be filled in by XBoard
+with @samp{?} (unknown value), or @samp{-} (inapplicable value).
+@item Edit Comment
+@cindex Edit Comment, Menu Item
+Adds or modifies a comment on the current position. Comments are
+saved by @samp{Save Game} and are displayed by @samp{Load Game},
+@samp{Forward}, and @samp{Backward}.
+@item ICS Input Box
+@cindex ICS Input Box, Menu Item
+If this option is set in ICS mode,
+XBoard
+creates an extra window that you can use for typing in ICS commands.
+The input box is especially useful if you want to type in something long or do
+some editing on your input, because output from ICS doesn't get mixed
+in with your typing as it would in the main terminal window.
+@item Pause
+@cindex Pause, Menu Item
+Pauses updates to the board, and if you are playing against a chess engine,
+also pauses your clock. To continue, select @samp{Pause} again, and the
+display will automatically update to the latest position.
+The @samp{P} button and keyboard @kbd{p} key are equivalents.
-If everything works, you can delete the whole @file{xboard-*} directory after
-@samp{make install} is done.
+If you select Pause when you are playing against a chess engine and
+it is not your move, the chess engine's clock
+will continue to run and it will eventually make a move, at which point
+both clocks will stop. Since board updates are paused, however,
+you will not see the move until you exit from Pause mode (or select Forward).
+This behavior is meant to simulate adjournment with a sealed move.
-@node Invocation
-@chapter Command options supported by @value{NAME}
-@cindex Invocation
-@cindex Options
+If you select Pause while you are observing or examining a game on a
+chess server, you can step backward and forward in the current history
+of the examined game without affecting the other observers and
+examiners, and without having your display jump forward to the latest
+position each time a move is made. Select Pause again to reconnect
+yourself to the current state of the game on ICS.
-@value{NAME} always runs in one of four major modes:
+If you select @samp{Pause} while you are loading a game, the game stops
+loading. You can load more moves manually by selecting @samp{Forward}, or
+resume automatic loading by selecting @samp{Pause} again.
+@end table
+@node Action Menu
+@section Action Menu
+@cindex Menu, Action
+@cindex Action, Menu
@table @asis
-@item @value{LCNAME} [options]
-runs @value{NAME} as an interface to a chess engine running
-on your machine, such as GNU Chess or Crafty. In this mode,
-@value{NAME} lets you play a game against the chess engine, set up
-arbitrary positions, force variations, or watch a game between two
-chess engines.
-@item @value{LCNAME} -ics -icshost hostname [options]
-runs @value{NAME} as an interface to the Internet Chess Server
-(ICS). You can play against other ICS users, observe games they are
-playing, or review games that have recently finished. @xref{ICS}.
-All the ``wild'' chess variants on ICS are supported, including bughouse.
-@item @value{LCNAME} -ncp [options]
-lets you use @value{NAME} as a simple chessboard to play through
-games. It will read and write game files and allow you to play
-through variations manually. You can use it to browse games off the
-net or review games you have saved.
-These features are also available in the other modes.
-If you want to pipe games into @value{NAME}, use the supplied
-shell script @file{pxboard}. For example, from the news reader @file{xrn},
-find a message with one or more games in it,
-click the Save button, and type @samp{|pxboard} as the file name.
-@item cmail
-uses @value{NAME} as an interface to electronic mail
-correspondence chess.
-@xref{CMail}.
+@item Accept
+@cindex Accept, Menu Item
+Accepts a pending match offer. If there is more than one offer
+pending, you will have to type in a more specific command
+instead of using this menu choice.
+@item Decline
+@cindex Decline, Menu Item
+Declines a pending offer (match, draw, adjourn, etc.). If there
+is more than one offer pending, you will have to type in a more
+specific command instead of using this menu choice.
+@item Call Flag
+@cindex Call Flag, Menu Item
+Calls your opponent's flag, claiming a win on time, or claiming
+a draw if you are both out of time. You can also call your
+opponent's flag by clicking on his clock or by pressing the
+keyboard @kbd{t} key.
+@item Draw
+@cindex Draw, Menu Item
+Offers a draw to your opponent, accepts a pending draw offer
+from your opponent, or claims a draw by repetition or the 50-move
+rule, as appropriate. The @kbd{d} key is a keyboard equivalent.
+@item Adjourn
+@cindex Adjourn, Menu Item
+Asks your opponent to agree to adjourning the current game, or
+agrees to a pending adjournment offer from your opponent.
+@item Abort
+@cindex Abort, Menu Item
+Asks your opponent to agree to aborting the current game, or
+agrees to a pending abort offer from your opponent. An aborted
+game ends immediately without affecting either player's rating.
+@item Resign
+@cindex Resign, Menu Item
+Resigns the game to your opponent. The shifted @kbd{R} key is a
+keyboard equivalent.
+@item Stop Observing
+@cindex Stop Observing, Menu Item
+Ends your participation in observing a game, by issuing the ICS
+observe command with no arguments. ICS mode only.
+@item Stop Examining
+@cindex Stop Examining, Menu Item
+Ends your participation in examining a game, by issuing the ICS
+unexamine command. ICS mode only.
@end table
-Most of the @value{NAME} options have both a long name and a short
-name. To turn a boolean option on or off from the command line,
-either give its long name followed by the value @code{true} or
-@code{false} (@samp{-longOptionName true}), or give just the short
-name to turn the option on (@samp{-opt}), or the short name
-preceded by @samp{x} to turn the option off (@samp{-xopt}). For
-options that take strings or numbers as values, you can use the
-long or short option names interchangeably.
+@node Step Menu
+@section Step Menu
+@cindex Step Menu
+@cindex Menu, Step
+@table @asis
+@item Backward
+@cindex Backward, Menu Item
+@cindex <, Button
+Steps backward through a series of remembered moves.
+The @samp{[<]} button and the @kbd{b} key are equivalents.
+In addition, pressing the Control key steps back one move, and releasing
+it steps forward again.
+
+In most modes, @samp{Backward} only lets you look back at old positions;
+it does not retract moves. This is the case if you are playing against
+a chess engine, playing or observing a game on an ICS, or loading a game.
+If you select @samp{Backward} in any of these situations, you will not
+be allowed to make a different move. Use @samp{Retract Move} or
+@samp{Edit Game} if you want to change past moves.
+
+If you are examining an ICS game, the behavior of @samp{Backward}
+depends on whether XBoard is in Pause mode. If Pause mode is
+off, @samp{Backward} issues the ICS backward command, which backs up
+everyone's view of the game and allows you to make a different
+move. If Pause mode is on, @samp{Backward} only backs up your local
+view.
+@item Forward
+@cindex Forward, Menu Item
+@cindex >, Button
+Steps forward through a series of remembered moves (undoing the
+effect of @samp{Backward}) or forward through a game file. The
+@samp{[>]} button and the @kbd{f} key are equivalents.
+
+If you are examining an ICS game, the behavior of Forward
+depends on whether XBoard is in Pause mode. If Pause mode is
+off, @samp{Forward} issues the ICS forward command, which moves
+everyone's view of the game forward along the current line. If
+Pause mode is on, @samp{Forward} only moves your local view forward,
+and it will not go past the position that the game was in when
+you paused.
+@item Back to Start
+@cindex Back to Start, Menu Item
+@cindex <<, Button
+Jumps backward to the first remembered position in the game.
+The @samp{[<<]} button and the shifted @kbd{B} key are equivalents.
+
+In most modes, Back to Start only lets you look back at old
+positions; it does not retract moves. This is the case if you
+are playing against a local chess engine, playing or observing a game on
+a chess server, or loading a game. If you select @samp{Back to Start} in any
+of these situations, you will not be allowed to make different
+moves. Use @samp{Retract Move} or @samp{Edit Game} if you want to change past
+moves; or use Reset to start a new game.
+
+If you are examining an ICS game, the behavior of @samp{Back to
+Start} depends on whether XBoard is in Pause mode. If Pause mode
+is off, @samp{Back to Start} issues the ICS @samp{backward 999999}
+command, which backs up everyone's view of the game to the start and
+allows you to make different moves. If Pause mode is on, @samp{Back
+to Start} only backs up your local view.
+@item Forward to End
+@cindex Forward to End, Menu Item
+@cindex >>, Button
+Jumps forward to the last remembered position in the game. The
+@samp{[>>]} button and the shifted @kbd{F} key are equivalents.
+
+If you are examining an ICS game, the behavior of @samp{Forward to
+End} depends on whether XBoard is in Pause mode. If Pause mode
+is off, @samp{Forward to End} issues the ICS @samp{forward 999999}
+command, which moves everyone's view of the game forward to the end of
+the current line. If Pause mode is on, @samp{Forward to End} only moves
+your local view forward, and it will not go past the position
+that the game was in when you paused.
+@item Revert
+@cindex Revert, Menu Item
+If you are examining an ICS game and Pause mode is off, issues
+the ICS command @samp{revert}.
+@item Truncate Game
+@cindex Truncate Game, Menu Item
+Discards all remembered moves of the game beyond the current
+position. Puts XBoard into @samp{Edit Game} mode if it was not there
+already.
+@item Move Now
+@cindex Move Now, Menu Item
+Forces the chess engine to move immediately. Chess engine mode only.
+@item Retract Move
+@cindex Retract Move, Menu Item
+Retracts your last move. In chess engine mode, you can do this only
+after the chess engine has replied to your move; if the chess engine is still
+thinking, use @samp{Move Now} first. In ICS mode, @samp{Retract Move}
+issues the command @samp{takeback 1} or @samp{takeback 2}
+depending on whether it is your opponent's move or yours.
+@end table
+
+@node Options Menu
+@section Options Menu
+@cindex Menu, Options
+@cindex Options Menu
+@table @asis
+@item Always Queen
+@cindex Always Queen, Menu Item
+If this option is off, XBoard brings up a dialog
+box whenever you move a pawn to the last rank, asking what piece
+you want to promote it to. If the option is true, your pawns are
+always promoted to queens. Your opponent can still underpromote.
+@item Animate Dragging
+@cindex Animate Dragging, Menu Item
+If Animate Dragging is on, while you are dragging a piece with the
+mouse, an image of the piece follows the mouse cursor.
+If Animate Dragging is off, there is no visual feedback while you are
+dragging a piece, but if Animate Moving is on, the move will be
+animated when it is complete.
+@item Animate Moving
+@cindex Animate Moving, Menu Item
+If Animate Moving is on, all piece moves are animated. An image of the
+piece is shown moving from the old square to the new square when the
+move is completed (unless the move was already animated by Animate Dragging).
+If Animate Moving is off, a moved piece instantly disappears from its
+old square and reappears on its new square when the move is complete.
+@item Auto Comment
+@cindex Auto Comment, Menu Item
+If this option is on, any remarks made on ICS while you are observing or
+playing a game are recorded as a comment on the current move. This includes
+remarks made with the ICS commands @kbd{say}, @kbd{tell}, @kbd{whisper},
+and @kbd{kibitz}.
+Limitation: remarks that you type yourself are not recognized;
+XBoard scans only the output from ICS, not the input you type to it.
+@item Auto Flag
+@cindex Auto Flag, Menu Item
+If this option is on and one player runs out of time
+before the other,
+XBoard
+will automatically call his flag, claiming a win on time.
+In ICS mode, Auto Flag will only call your opponent's flag, not yours,
+and the ICS may award you a draw instead of a win if you have
+insufficient mating material. In local chess engine mode,
+XBoard
+may call either player's flag and will not take material into account.
+@item Auto Flip View
+@cindex Auto Flip View, Menu Item
+If the Auto Flip View option is on when you start a game, the board
+will be automatically oriented so that your pawns move from the bottom
+of the window towards the top.
+@item Auto Observe
+@cindex Auto Observe, Menu Item
+If this option is on and you add a player to your @code{gnotify}
+list on ICS, XBoard will automatically observe all of that
+player's games, unless you are doing something else (such as
+observing or playing a game of your own) when one starts.
+The games are displayed
+from the point of view of the player on your gnotify list; that is, his
+pawns move from the bottom of the window towards the top.
+Exceptions: If both players in a game are on your gnotify list, if
+your ICS
+@code{highlight}
+variable is set to 0, or if the ICS you are using does not
+properly support observing from Black's point of view,
+you will see the game from White's point of view.
+@item Auto Raise Board
+@cindex Auto Raise Board, Menu Item
+If this option is on, whenever a new game begins, the chessboard window
+is deiconized (if necessary) and raised to the top of the stack of windows.
+@item Auto Save
+@cindex Auto Save, Menu Item
+If this option is true, at the end of every game XBoard prompts
+you for a file name and appends a record of the game to the file
+you specify.
+Disabled if the @code{saveGameFile} command-line
+option is set, as in that case all games are saved to the specified file.
+@xref{Load and Save options}.
+@item Blindfold
+@cindex Blindfold, Menu Item
+If this option is on, XBoard displays the board as usual but does
+not display pieces or move highlights. You can still move in the
+usual way (with the mouse or by typing moves in ICS mode), even though
+the pieces are invisible.
+@item Flash Moves
+@cindex Flash Moves, Menu Item
+If this option is on, whenever a move is completed, the moved piece flashes.
+The number of times to flash is set by the flashCount command-line
+option; it defaults to 3 if Flash Moves is first turned on from the menu.
+@item Flip View
+@cindex Flip View, Menu Item
+Inverts your view of the chess board for the duration of the
+current game. Starting a new game returns the board to normal.
+The @kbd{v} key is a keyboard equivalent.
+
+If you are playing a game on an ICS, the board is always
+oriented at the start of the game so that your pawns move from
+the bottom of the window towards the top. Otherwise, the starting
+orientation is determined by the @code{flipView} command line option;
+if it is false (the default), White's pawns move from bottom to top
+at the start of each game; if it is true, Black's pawns move from
+bottom to top. @xref{User interface options}.
+@item Get Move List
+@cindex Get Move List, Menu Item
+If this option is on, whenever XBoard
+receives the first board of a new ICS game (or a different game from
+the one it is currently displaying), it
+retrieves the list of past moves from the ICS.
+You can then review the moves with the @samp{Forward} and @samp{Backward}
+commands
+or save them with @samp{Save Game}. You might want to
+turn off this option if you are observing several blitz games at once,
+to keep from wasting time and network bandwidth fetching the move lists over
+and over.
+When you turn this option on from the menu, XBoard
+immediately fetches the move list of the current game (if any).
+@item Highlight Last Move
+@cindex Highlight Last Move, Menu Item
+If Highlight Last Move is on, after a move is made, the starting and
+ending squares remain highlighted. In addition, after you use Backward
+or Back to Start, the starting and ending squares of the last move to
+be unmade are highlighted.
+@item Move Sound
+@cindex Move Sound, Menu Item
+If this option is on, XBoard alerts you by playing a sound
+after each of your opponent's moves (or after every
+move if you are observing a game on the Internet Chess Server).
+The sound is not played after moves you make or moves read from a
+saved game file. By default, the
+sound is the terminal bell, but on some systems you can change it
+to a sound file using the soundMove option; see below.
+
+If you turn on this option when using XBoard with the Internet
+Chess Server, you will probably want to give the
+@kbd{set bell 0}
+command to the ICS, since otherwise the ICS will ring the terminal bell
+after every move (not just yours). (The @file{.icsrc} file
+is a good place for this; see @ref{ICS options}.)
+@item ICS Alarm
+@cindex ICS Alarm, Menu Item
+When this option is on, an alarm sound is played when your clock
+counts down to the icsAlarmTime (by default, 5 seconds) in an ICS
+game. For games with time controls that include an increment, the
+alarm will sound each time the clock counts down to the icsAlarmTime.
+By default, the alarm sound is the terminal bell, but on some systems
+you can change it to a sound file using the soundIcsAlarm option; see
+below.
+@item Old Save Style
+@cindex Old Save Style, Menu Item
+If this option is off, XBoard saves games in PGN
+(portable game notation) and positions in FEN (Forsythe-Edwards
+notation). If the option is on, a save style that is compatible
+with older versions of XBoard is used instead.
+The old position style is more human-readable
+than FEN; the old game style has no particular advantages.
+@item Periodic Updates
+@cindex Periodic Updates, Menu Item
+If this option is off (or if
+you are using a chess engine that does not support periodic updates),
+the analysis window
+will only be updated when the analysis changes. If this option is
+on, the Analysis Window will be updated every two seconds.
+@item Ponder Next Move
+@cindex Ponder Next Move, Menu Item
+If this option is off, the chess engine will think only when it is on
+move. If the option is on, the engine will also think while waiting
+for you to make your move.
+@item Popup Exit Message
+@cindex Popup Exit Message, Menu Item
+If this option is on, when XBoard wants to display a message just
+before exiting, it brings up a modal dialog box and waits for you to
+click OK before exiting. If the option is off, XBoard prints the
+message to standard error (the terminal) and exits immediately.
+@item Popup Move Errors
+@cindex Popup Move Errors, Menu Item
+If this option is off, when you make an error in moving (such as
+attempting an illegal move or moving the wrong color piece), the
+error message is displayed in the message area. If the option is
+on, move errors are displayed in small popup windows like other errors.
+You can dismiss an error popup either by clicking its OK button or by
+clicking anywhere on the board, including downclicking to start a move.
+@item Premove
+@cindex Premove, Menu Item
+If this option is on while playing a game on an ICS, you can register
+your next planned move before it is your turn. Move the piece with
+the mouse in the ordinary way, and the starting and ending squares
+will be highlighted with a special color (red by default). When it is
+your turn, if your registered move is legal, XBoard will send it to
+ICS immediately; if not, it will be ignored and you can make a
+different move. If you change your mind about your premove, either
+make a different move, or double-click on any piece to cancel the move
+entirely.
+@item Quiet Play
+@cindex Quiet Play, Menu Item
+If this option is on, XBoard will automatically issue an ICS
+@kbd{set shout 0}
+command whenever you start a game and a
+@kbd{set shout 1}
+command whenever you finish one. Thus, you will not be distracted
+by shouts from other ICS users while playing.
+@item Show Coords
+@cindex Show Coords, Menu Item
+If this option is on, XBoard displays algebraic coordinates
+along the board's left and bottom edges.
+@item Show Thinking
+@cindex Show Thinking, Menu Item
+If this option is set, the chess engine's notion of the score and best
+line of play from the current position is displayed as it is
+thinking. The score indicates how many pawns ahead (or if negative,
+behind) the chess engine thinks it is. In matches between two
+machines, the score is prefixed by @samp{W} or @samp{B} to indicate
+whether it is showing White's thinking or Black's, and only the thinking
+of the engine that is on move is shown.
+@item Test Legality
+@cindex Test Legality, Menu Item
+If this option is on, XBoard tests whether the moves you try to make
+with the mouse are legal and refuses to let you make an illegal move.
+Moves loaded from a file with @samp{Load Game} are also checked. If
+the option is off, all moves are accepted, but if a local chess engine
+or the ICS is active, they will still reject illegal moves. Turning
+off this option is useful if you are playing a chess variant with
+rules that XBoard does not understand. (Bughouse, suicide, and wild
+variants where the king may castle after starting on the d file are
+generally supported with Test Legality on.)
+@end table
+
+@node Help Menu
+@section Help Menu
+@cindex Menu, Help
+@cindex Help Menu
+@table @asis
+@item Info XBoard
+@cindex Info XBoard, Menu Item
+Displays the XBoard documentation in info format. For this feature to
+work, you must have the GNU info program installed on your system, and
+the file @file{xboard.info} must either be present in the current
+working directory, or have been installed by the @samp{make install}
+command when you built XBoard.
+@item Man XBoard
+@cindex Man XBoard, Menu Item
+Displays the XBoard documentation in man page format. For this
+feature to work, the file @file{xboard.6} must have been installed by
+the @samp{make install} command when you built XBoard, and the
+directory it was placed in must be on the search path for your
+system's @samp{man} command.
+@item Hint
+@cindex Hint, Menu Item
+Displays a move hint from the chess engine.
+@item Book
+@cindex Book, Menu Item
+Displays a list of possible moves from the chess engine's opening
+book. The exact format depends on what chess engine you are using.
+With GNU Chess 4, the first column gives moves, the second column
+gives one possible response for each move, and the third column shows
+the number of lines in the book that include the move from the first
+column. If you select this option and nothing happens, the chess
+engine is out of its book or does not support this feature.
+@item About XBoard
+@cindex About XBoard, Menu Item
+Shows the current XBoard version number.
+@end table
+
+@node Keys
+@section Other Shortcut Keys
+@cindex Keys
+@cindex Shortcut keys
+@table @asis
+@item Iconize
+Pressing the @kbd{i} or @kbd{c} key iconizes XBoard. The graphical
+icon displays a white knight if it is White's move, or a black knight
+if it is Black's move. If your X window manager displays only text icons,
+not graphical ones, check its documentation; there is probably a way to
+enable graphical icons. If you are running the Motif window manager
+@file{mwm}, add these lines to your @file{.Xdefaults} file and
+restart mwm:
+
+@example
+Mwm*iconDecoration: activelabel label image
+Mwm*XBoard*iconImageBackground: White
+Mwm*XBoard*iconImageForeground: Black
+@end example
+@noindent
+The first line above enables graphical icons in mwm; you don't need it
+if you already have them. The next two lines force the white knights to
+come out white and the black knights black. Unfortunately these resources
+can't be set from inside XBoard; you have to set them in your
+@file{.Xdefaults} file.
+@end table
+
+You can add or remove shortcut keys using the X resources
+@code{form.translations}. Here is an example of what would go in your
+@file{.Xdefaults} file:
+
+@example
+XBoard*form.translations: \
+ Shift<Key>?: AboutGameProc() \n\
+ <Key>y: AcceptProc() \n\
+ <Key>n: DeclineProc() \n\
+ <Key>i: NothingProc()
+@end example
+@noindent
+Binding a key to @code{NothingProc} makes it do nothing, thus removing
+it as a shortcut key. The XBoard commands that can be bound to keys
+are:
+
+@example
+AbortProc, AboutGameProc, AboutProc, AcceptProc, AdjournProc,
+AlwaysQueenProc, AnalysisModeProc, AnalyzeFileProc,
+AnimateDraggingProc, AnimateMovingProc, AutobsProc, AutoflagProc,
+AutoflipProc, AutoraiseProc, AutosaveProc, BackwardProc,
+BlindfoldProc, BookProc, CallFlagProc, CopyGameProc, CopyPositionProc,
+DebugProc, DeclineProc, DrawProc, EditCommentProc, EditGameProc,
+EditPositionProc, EditTagsProc, EnterKeyProc, FlashMovesProc,
+FlipViewProc, ForwardProc, GetMoveListProc, HighlightLastMoveProc,
+HintProc, Iconify, IcsAlarmProc, IcsClientProc, IcsInputBoxProc,
+InfoProc, LoadGameProc, LoadNextGameProc, LoadNextPositionProc,
+LoadPositionProc, LoadPrevGameProc, LoadPrevPositionProc,
+LoadSelectedProc, MachineBlackProc, MachineWhiteProc, MailMoveProc,
+ManProc, MoveNowProc, MoveSoundProc, NothingProc, OldSaveStyleProc,
+PasteGameProc, PastePositionProc, PauseProc, PeriodicUpdatesProc,
+PonderNextMoveProc, PopupExitMessageProc, PopupMoveErrorsProc,
+PremoveProc, QuietPlayProc, QuitProc, ReloadCmailMsgProc,
+ReloadGameProc, ReloadPositionProc, RematchProc, ResetProc,
+ResignProc, RetractMoveProc, RevertProc, SaveGameProc,
+SavePositionProc, ShowCoordsProc, ShowGameListProc, ShowThinkingProc,
+StopExaminingProc, StopObservingProc, TestLegalityProc, ToEndProc,
+ToStartProc, TrainingProc, TruncateGameProc, and TwoMachinesProc.
+@end example
+
+@node Options
+@chapter Options
+@cindex Options
+@cindex Options
+
+This section documents the command-line options to XBoard. You can
+set these options in two ways: by typing them on the shell command
+line you use to start XBoard, or by setting them as X resources
+(typically in your @file{.Xdefaults} file). Many of the options
+cannot be changed while XBoard is running; others set the initial
+state of items that can be changed with the @ref{Options} menu.
+
+Most of the options have both a long name and a short name. To turn a
+boolean option on or off from the command line, either give its long
+name followed by the value true or false
+(@samp{-longOptionName true}), or give just the short name to turn the
+option on (@samp{-opt}), or the short name preceded by @samp{x} to
+turn the option off (@samp{-xopt}). For options that take strings or
+numbers as values, you can use the long or short option names
+interchangeably.
Each option corresponds to an X resource with the same name, so
if you like, you can set options in your @file{.Xdefaults} file
the corresponding X resource; the short name is not recognized.
To turn a boolean option on or off as an
X resource, give its long name followed by the value
-@code{true} or @code{false}:
-
-@example
-XBoard*longOptionName: true
-@end example
+true or false (@samp{XBoard*longOptionName: true}).
@menu
* Chess engine options:: Controlling the chess engine.
* ICS options:: Connecting to and using ICS.
-* I/O options:: Load and Save options.
-* User interface options:: Look and Feel options.
+* Load and Save options:: Input/output options.
+* User interface options:: Look and feel options.
* Other options:: Miscellaneous.
@end menu
@node Chess engine options
-@section Controlling the chess engine
+@section Chess Engine Options
@cindex options, Chess engine
@cindex Chess engine options
@table @asis
Default: 5 minutes.
The additional options @code{movesPerSession} and @code{timeIncrement}
are mutually exclusive.
-
@item -mps or -movesPerSession moves
@cindex mps, option
@cindex movesPerSession, option
When both players have made @code{movesPerSession} moves, a
new @code{timeControl} period is added to both clocks. Default: 40 moves.
-
@item -inc or -timeIncrement seconds
@cindex inc, option
@cindex timeIncrement, option
Use @samp{-inc 0} if you want to require the entire
game to be played in one @code{timeControl} period, with no increment.
Default: -1, which specifies @code{movesPerSession} mode.
-
-@item -clock/-xclock or -clockMode True/False
+@item -clock/-xclock or -clockMode true/false
@cindex clock, option
@cindex clockMode, option
Determines whether or not to display the chess clocks. If clockMode is
-@samp{false}, the clocks are not shown, but the side that is to play next
+false, the clocks are not shown, but the side that is to play next
is still highlighted. Also, unless @code{searchTime}
is set, the chess engine still keeps track of the clock time and uses it to
determine how fast to make its moves.
-
@item -st or -searchTime minutes[:seconds]
@cindex st, option
@cindex searchTime, option
searching for each of its moves. Without this option, the chess engine
chooses its search time based on the number of moves and amount
of time remaining until the next time control.
-Setting this option also sets clockMode to False.
-
+Setting this option also sets clockMode to false.
@item -depth or -searchDepth number
@cindex sd, option
@cindex searchDepth, option
engine chooses its search depth based on the number of moves and
amount of time remaining until the next time control. With the option,
the engine will cut off its search early if it reaches the specified depth.
-
-@item -thinking/-xthinking or -showThinking True/False
+@item -thinking/-xthinking or -showThinking true/false
@cindex thinking, option
@cindex showThinking, option
Sets the Show Thinking option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
-
-@item -ponder/-xponder or -ponderNextMove True/False
+@item -ponder/-xponder or -ponderNextMove true/false
@cindex ponder, option
@cindex ponderNextMove, option
-Sets the Ponder Next Move menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: True.
-
+Sets the Ponder Next Move menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
@item -mg or -matchGames n
@cindex mg, option
@cindex matchGames, option
Automatically runs an n-game match between two chess engines,
with alternating colors.
If the @code{loadGameFile} or @code{loadPositionFile} option is set,
-@value{NAME}
+XBoard
starts each game with the given opening moves or the given position;
otherwise, the games start with the standard initial chess position.
If the @code{saveGameFile} option is set, a move record for the
match is appended to the specified file. If the @code{savePositionFile}
option is set, the final position reached in each game of the match is appended
-to the specified file. When the match is over, @value{NAME}
+to the specified file. When the match is over, XBoard
displays the match score and exits. Default: 0 (do not run a match).
-
-@item -mm/-xmm or -matchMode True/False
+@item -mm/-xmm or -matchMode true/false
@cindex mm, option
@cindex matchMode, option
-Abbreviation for -matchGames 1.
-
+Setting @code{matchMode} to true is equivalent to setting
+@code{matchGames} to 1.
@item -fcp or -firstChessProgram program
@cindex fcp, option
@cindex firstChessProgram, option
Name of first chess engine.
Default: @file{gnuchessx}.
-
@item -scp or -secondChessProgram program
@cindex scp, option
@cindex secondChessProgram, option
Name of second chess engine, if needed.
A second chess engine is started only in Two Machines (match) mode.
Default: @file{gnuchessx}.
-
-@item -fb/-xfb or -firstPlaysBlack True/False
+@item -fb/-xfb or -firstPlaysBlack true/false
@cindex fb, option
@cindex firstPlaysBlack, option
-In games between two chess engines, firstChessProgram normally
-plays white. (This is a change from earlier versions of @value{NAME}.)
-If this option is True, firstChessProgram plays black.
-In a multi-game match, this option affects the colors only for
-the first game; they still alternate in subsequent games.
-
+In games between two chess engines, firstChessProgram normally plays
+white. If this option is true, firstChessProgram plays black. In a
+multi-game match, this option affects the colors only for the first
+game; they still alternate in subsequent games.
@item -fh or -firstHost host
@itemx -sh or -secondHost host
@cindex fh, option
@cindex sh, option
@cindex secondHost, option
Hosts on which the chess engines are to run. The default for
-each is @file{localhost}. If you specify another host, @value{NAME}
-uses @file{rsh} (1) to run the chess engine there. (You can substitute a
+each is @file{localhost}. If you specify another host, XBoard
+uses @file{rsh} to run the chess engine there. (You can substitute a
different remote shell program for rsh using the @code{remoteShell}
option described below.)
-
@item -fd or -firstDirectory dir
@itemx -sd or -secondDirectory dir
@cindex fd, option
@cindex secondDirectory, option
Working directories in which the chess engines are to be run.
The default is "", which means to run the chess engine
-in the same working directory as @value{NAME}
+in the same working directory as XBoard
itself. (See the CHESSDIR environment variable.)
This option is effective only when the chess engine is being run
on the local host; it does not work if the engine is run remotely
using the -fh or -sh option.
-
@item -initString string
@itemx -secondInitString string
@cindex initString, option
command; it is required by all chess engines to
start a new game.
-You can remove the @samp{random} command if you like;
-including it causes GNU Chess to randomize its move selection
-slightly so that it doesn't play the same moves in every game.
-Even without @samp{random}, GNU Chess randomizes its choice of moves
-from its opening book. Crafty
-ignores this command; it randomizes by default.
-
-You can also try adding other
-commands to the initString; see the GNU Chess or Crafty documentation for
-details.
+You can remove the @samp{random} command if you like; including it
+causes GNU Chess 4 to randomize its move selection slightly so that it
+doesn't play the same moves in every game. Even without
+@samp{random}, GNU Chess 4 randomizes its choice of moves from its
+opening book. Many other chess engines ignore this command entirely
+and always (or never) randomize.
+You can also try adding other commands to the initString; see the
+documentation of the chess engine you are using for details.
@item -firstComputerString string
@itemx -secondComputerString string
@cindex firstComputerString, option
computer chess engine. The default is @samp{computer\n}. Probably the
only useful alternative is the empty string (@samp{}), which keeps the
engine from knowing that it is playing another computer.
-
-@item -reuse/-xreuse or -reuseFirst True/False
-@itemx -reuse2/-xreuse2 or -reuseSecond True/False
+@item -reuse/-xreuse or -reuseFirst true/false
+@itemx -reuse2/-xreuse2 or -reuseSecond true/false
@cindex reuse, option
@cindex reuseFirst, option
@cindex reuse2, option
@cindex reuseSecond, option
If the option is false,
-@value{NAME} kills off the chess engine after every game and starts
+XBoard kills off the chess engine after every game and starts
it again for the next game.
If the option is true (the default),
-@value{NAME} starts the chess engine only once
+XBoard starts the chess engine only once
and uses it repeatedly to play multiple games.
-Some chess engines may not work properly when
-reuse is turned on, such as versions of Crafty earlier than 12.0,
-but otherwise new games will start faster if it is left on.
-
+Some old chess engines may not work properly when
+reuse is turned on, but otherwise games will start faster if it is left on.
@item -firstProtocolVersion version-number
@itemx -secondProtocolVersion version-number
@cindex firstProtocolVersion, option
@end table
@node ICS options
-@section Connecting to and using ICS
+@section Internet Chess Server Options
@cindex ICS options
@cindex Options, ICS
@table @asis
-@item -ics/-xics or -internetChessServerMode True/False
+@item -ics/-xics or -internetChessServerMode true/false
@cindex ics, option
@cindex internetChessServerMode, option
Connect with an Internet Chess Server to play chess against its
other users, observe games they are playing, or review games
that have recently finished. Default: false.
-To use @value{NAME} in ICS mode, run it in the foreground, and use the
-terminal you started it from to type commands and receive text
-responses from the chess server.
-@xref{ICS}. @xref{File Menu}. @xref{Step Menu}.
-@xref{Mode Menu}.
-
@item -icshost or -internetChessServerHost host
@cindex icshost, option
@cindex internetChessServerHost, option
The Internet host name or address of the chess server to connect
-to when in ICS mode. Default: @code{chessclub.com}. See the file
-@file{ics-addresses} in the @value{NAME}
-distribution for a list of other addresses to try.
+to when in ICS mode. Default: @code{chessclub.com}.
+Another popular chess server to try is @code{freechess.org}.
If your site doesn't have a working Internet name server, try
specifying the host address in numeric form.
You may also need
to specify the numeric address when using the icshelper option
with timestamp or timeseal (see below).
-At this writing
-@code{chessclub.com} is @samp{207.99.5.190} and
-@code{freechess.org} is @samp{164.58.253.13}.
-
@item -icsport or -internetChessServerPort port-number
@cindex icsport, option
@cindex internetChessServerPort, option
The port number to use when connecting to a chess server in ICS
mode. Default: 5000.
-
@item -icshelper or -internetChessServerHelper prog-name
@cindex icshelper, option
@cindex internetChessServerHelper, option
An external helper program used to communicate with the chess server.
You would set it to "timestamp" for ICC (chessclub.com) or
-"timeseal" for FICS (freechess.org, eics.daimi.aau.dk, etc.), after
+"timeseal" for FICS (freechess.org), after
obtaining the correct version of timestamp or timeseal for your
computer. See "help timestamp" on ICC and "help timeseal" on FICS.
This option is shorthand for @code{-useTelnet -telnetProgram program}.
-
-@item -telnet/-xtelnet or -useTelnet True/False
+@item -telnet/-xtelnet or -useTelnet true/false
@cindex telnet, option
@cindex useTelnet, option
This option is poorly named; it should be called useHelper.
-If set to true, it instructs @value{NAME} to run an external
+If set to true, it instructs XBoard to run an external
program to communicate with the Internet Chess Server.
The program to use is given by the telnetProgram option.
If the option is
-false (the default), @value{NAME} opens a TCP socket and uses its own
+false (the default), XBoard opens a TCP socket and uses its own
internal implementation of the telnet protocol to communicate with the
ICS. @xref{Firewalls}.
-
@item -telnetProgram prog-name
@cindex telnetProgram, option
This option is poorly named; it should be called helperProgram.
@code{internetChessServerHost} as its first argument and the value
of @code{internetChessServerPort} as its second argument.
@xref{Firewalls}.
-
@item -gateway host-name
@cindex gateway, option
-If this option is set to a host name, @value{NAME} uses @file{rsh} (1) to run
-the @file{telnet} (1) program on the given host to communicate with the
-Internet Chess Server instead of using its own internal implementation
+If this option is set to a host name, XBoard communicates with the
+Internet Chess Server by using @file{rsh} to run
+the @code{telnetProgram} on the given host,
+instead of using its own internal implementation
of the telnet protocol. You can substitute a different remote shell
program for @file{rsh} using the @code{remoteShell} option described below.
@xref{Firewalls}.
-
@item -internetChessServerCommPort or -icscomm dev-name
@cindex internetChessServerCommPort, option
@cindex icscomm, option
-If this option is set, @value{NAME} communicates with the ICS through
+If this option is set, XBoard communicates with the ICS through
the given character I/O device instead of opening a TCP connection.
Use this option if your system does not have any kind of
Internet connection itself (not even a SLIP or PPP connection),
but you do have dialup access (or a hardwired terminal line) to
-an Internet service provider from which you can telnet to the
-ICS.
+an Internet service provider from which you can telnet to the ICS.
-The support for this option in @value{NAME} is minimal. You need to
+The support for this option in XBoard is minimal. You need to
set all communication parameters and tty modes before you enter
-@value{NAME}.
+XBoard.
Use a script something like this:
@example
stty raw -echo 9600 > /dev/tty00
-@value{LCNAME} -ics -icscomm /dev/tty00
+xboard -ics -icscomm /dev/tty00
@end example
Here replace @samp{/dev/tty00} with the name of the device that your
modem is connected to. You might have to add several more
-options to these stty commands. See the man pages for @file{stty} (1)
-and @code{tty} (4) if you run into problems. Also, on many systems stty
+options to these stty commands. See the man pages for @file{stty}
+and @code{tty} if you run into problems. Also, on many systems stty
works on its standard input instead of standard output, so you
have to use @samp{<} instead of @samp{>}.
Change it as necessary for your installation.
@example
-####################################################
#!/bin/sh -f
-# configure modem and fire up @value{NAME}
+# configure modem and fire up XBoard
# configure modem
(
stty ignbrk ; stty ignpar ; stty ixon ; stty ixoff
stty -iexten ; stty -echo
) < /dev/modem
-@value{LCNAME} -ics -icscomm /dev/modem
-####################################################
+xboard -ics -icscomm /dev/modem
@end example
@noindent
-After you start @value{NAME} in this way, type whatever commands are
+After you start XBoard in this way, type whatever commands are
necessary to dial out to your Internet provider and log in.
Then telnet to ICS, using a command like
-
-@example
-telnet chessclub.com 5000
-@end example
-@noindent
+@kbd{telnet chessclub.com 5000}.
Important: See the paragraph below about extra echoes,
in @ref{Limitations}.
-
@item -icslogon or -internetChessServerLogonScript file-name
@cindex icslogon, option
@cindex internetChessServerLogonScript, option
@cindex .icsrc
-Whenever @value{NAME} connects to the Internet Chess Server,
+Whenever XBoard connects to the Internet Chess Server,
if it finds a file with the name given in this option, it feeds the
file's contents to the ICS as commands. The default file name
is @file{.icsrc}.
Usually the first two lines of the file should be
your ICS user name and password.
-The file can be either in $CHESSDIR, in @value{NAME}'s working
+The file can be either in $CHESSDIR, in XBoard's working
directory if CHESSDIR is not set, or in your home directory.
-
@item -msLoginDelay delay
@cindex msLoginDelay, option
If you experience trouble logging on to an ICS when using the
of the logon script may help. This option adds @code{delay}
milliseconds of delay between characters. Good values to try
are 100 and 250.
-
-@item -icsinput/-xicsinput or -internetChessServerInputBox True/False
+@item -icsinput/-xicsinput or -internetChessServerInputBox true/false
@cindex icsinput, option
@cindex internetChessServerInputBox, option
Sets the ICS Input Box menu option. @xref{Mode Menu}. Default: false.
-
-@item -autocomm/-xautocomm or -autoComment True/False
+@item -autocomm/-xautocomm or -autoComment true/false
@cindex autocomm, option
@cindex autoComment, option
-Sets the Auto Comment menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: False.
-
-@item -autoflag/-xautoflag or -autoCallFlag True/False
+Sets the Auto Comment menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
+@item -autoflag/-xautoflag or -autoCallFlag true/false
@cindex autoflag, option
@cindex autoCallFlag, option
Sets the Auto Flag menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
-
-@item -autobs/-xautobs or -autoObserve True/False
+@item -autobs/-xautobs or -autoObserve true/false
@cindex autobs, option
@cindex autoObserve, option
Sets the Auto Observe menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
-
-@item -moves/-xmoves or -getMoveList True/False
+@item -moves/-xmoves or -getMoveList true/false
@cindex moves, option
@cindex getMoveList, option
Sets the Get Move List menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
-
-@item -alarm/-xalarm or -icsAlarm True/False
+@item -alarm/-xalarm or -icsAlarm true/false
@cindex alarm, option
@cindex icsAlarm, option
Sets the ICS Alarm menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
-
@item -icsAlarmTime ms
@cindex icsAlarmTime, option
Sets the time in milliseconds for the ICS Alarm menu option.
@xref{Options Menu}. Default: 5000.
-
-@item -pre/-xpre \fRor\fB -premove True/False
+@item -pre/-xpre \fRor\fB -premove true/false
@cindex pre, option
@cindex premove, option
Sets the Premove menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
-
-@item -quiet/-xquiet or -quietPlay True/False
+@item -quiet/-xquiet or -quietPlay true/false
@cindex quiet, option
@cindex quietPlay, option
Sets the Quiet Play menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
-
@item -colorizeMessages or -colorize
@cindex Colors
@cindex colorize, option
Setting colorizeMessages
-to True tells XBoard to colorize the messages received from
+to true tells XBoard to colorize the messages received from
the ICS. Colorization works only if your xterm
supports ISO 6429 escape sequences for changing text colors.
-
@item -colorShout foreground,background,bold
@itemx -colorSShout foreground,background,bold
@itemx -colorChannel1 foreground,background,bold
Here is an example of how to set the colors in your @file{.Xdefaults} file.
The colors shown here are the default values; you will get
them if you turn @code{-colorize} on without specifying your own colors.
+
@example
- xboard*colorizeMessages: true
- xboard*colorShout: green
- xboard*colorSShout: green, black, 1
- xboard*colorChannel1: cyan
- xboard*colorChannel: cyan, black, 1
- xboard*colorKibitz: magenta, black, 1
- xboard*colorTell: yellow, black, 1
- xboard*colorChallenge: red, black, 1
- xboard*colorRequest: red
- xboard*colorSeek: blue
- xboard*colorNormal: default
+xboard*colorizeMessages: true
+xboard*colorShout: green
+xboard*colorSShout: green, black, 1
+xboard*colorChannel1: cyan
+xboard*colorChannel: cyan, black, 1
+xboard*colorKibitz: magenta, black, 1
+xboard*colorTell: yellow, black, 1
+xboard*colorChallenge: red, black, 1
+xboard*colorRequest: red
+xboard*colorSeek: blue
+xboard*colorNormal: default
@end example
-
@item -soundProgram progname
@cindex soundProgram, option
@cindex Sounds
If this option is set to a sound-playing program that is installed and
-working on your system, @value{NAME} can play sound files when certain
+working on your system, XBoard can play sound files when certain
events occur, listed below. The default program name is "play". If
any of the sound options is set to "$", the event rings the terminal
bell by sending a ^G character to standard output, instead of playing
a sound file. If an option is set to the empty string "", no sound is
played for that event.
-
@item -soundShout filename
@itemx -soundSShout filename
@itemx -soundChannel filename
These sounds are triggered in the same way as the colorization events
described above. They all default to "", no sound. They are played
only if the colorizeMessages is on.
-
@item -soundMove filename
@cindex soundMove, option
This sound is used by the Move Sound menu option. Default: "$".
-
@item -soundIcsAlarm filename
@cindex soundIcsAlarm, option
This sound is used by the ICS Alarm menu option. Default: "$".
-
@item -soundIcsWin filename
@cindex soundIcsWin, option
This sound is played when you win an ICS game. Default: "" (no sound).
-
@item -soundIcsLoss filename
@cindex soundIcsLoss, option
This sound is played when you lose an ICS game. Default: "" (no sound).
-
@item -soundIcsDraw filename
@cindex soundIcsDraw, option
This sound is played when you draw an ICS game. Default: "" (no sound).
-
@item -soundIcsUnfinished filename
@cindex soundIcsUnfinished, option
This sound is played when an ICS game that you are participating in is
aborted, adjourned, or otherwise ends inconclusively. Default: "" (no
sound).
-Here is an example of how to set the sounds in your .Xdefaults file.
+Here is an example of how to set the sounds in your .Xdefaults file:
+
@example
- xboard*soundShout: shout.wav
- xboard*soundSShout: sshout.wav
- xboard*soundChannel1: channel1.wav
- xboard*soundChannel: channel.wav
- xboard*soundKibitz: kibitz.wav
- xboard*soundTell: tell.wav
- xboard*soundChallenge: challenge.wav
- xboard*soundRequest: request.wav
- xboard*soundSeek: seek.wav
- xboard*soundMove: move.wav
- xboard*soundIcsWin: win.wav
- xboard*soundIcsLoss: lose.wav
- xboard*soundIcsDraw: draw.wav
- xboard*soundIcsUnfinished: unfinished.wav
- xboard*soundIcsAlarm: alarm.wav
+xboard*soundShout: shout.wav
+xboard*soundSShout: sshout.wav
+xboard*soundChannel1: channel1.wav
+xboard*soundChannel: channel.wav
+xboard*soundKibitz: kibitz.wav
+xboard*soundTell: tell.wav
+xboard*soundChallenge: challenge.wav
+xboard*soundRequest: request.wav
+xboard*soundSeek: seek.wav
+xboard*soundMove: move.wav
+xboard*soundIcsWin: win.wav
+xboard*soundIcsLoss: lose.wav
+xboard*soundIcsDraw: draw.wav
+xboard*soundIcsUnfinished: unfinished.wav
+xboard*soundIcsAlarm: alarm.wav
@end example
@end table
-@node I/O options
-@section Load and Save options
-@cindex Options, I/O
-@cindex I/O options
+@node Load and Save options
+@section Load and Save Options
+@cindex Options, Load and Save
+@cindex Load and Save options
@table @asis
@item -lgf or -loadGameFile file
@itemx -lgi or -loadGameIndex index
@cindex loadGameFile, option
@cindex lgi, option
@cindex loadGameIndex, option
-If the @code{loadGameFile} option is set, @value{NAME} loads the specified
+If the @code{loadGameFile} option is set, XBoard loads the specified
game file at startup. The file name @file{-} specifies the standard
-input. If there is more than one game in the file, @value{NAME}
-pops up a menu of the available games, with entries based on their PGN tags.
+input. If there is more than one game in the file, XBoard
+pops up a menu of the available games, with entries based on their PGN
+(Portable Game Notation) tags.
If the @code{loadGameIndex} option is set to @samp{N}, the menu is suppressed
and the N th game found in the file is loaded immediately.
The menu is also suppressed if @code{matchMode} is enabled or if the game file
is a pipe; in these cases the first game in the file is loaded immediately.
-@ifset XBOARD
-Use the @file{pxboard} shell script provided with @value{NAME} if you
+Use the @file{pxboard} shell script provided with XBoard if you
want to pipe in files containing multiple games and still see the menu.
-@end ifset
-
@item -td or -timeDelay seconds
@cindex td, option
@cindex timeDelay, option
Time delay between moves during @samp{Load Game}. Fractional seconds
are allowed; try @samp{-td 0.4}. A time delay value of -1 tells
-@value{NAME} not to step through game files automatically. Default: 1
+XBoard not to step through game files automatically. Default: 1
second.
-
@item -sgf or -saveGameFile file
@cindex sgf, option
@cindex saveGameFile, option
-If this option is set, @value{NAME} appends a record of every game
+If this option is set, XBoard appends a record of every game
played to the specified file. The file name @file{-} specifies the
standard output.
-
-@item -autosave/-xautosave or -autoSaveGames True/False
+@item -autosave/-xautosave or -autoSaveGames true/false
@cindex autosave, option
@cindex autoSaveGames, option
Sets the Auto Save menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
Ignored if @code{saveGameFile} is set.
-
@item -lpf or -loadPositionFile file
@itemx -lpi or -loadPositionIndex index
@cindex lpf, option
@cindex loadPositionFile, option
@cindex lpi, option
@cindex loadPositionIndex, option
-If the @code{loadPositionFile} option is set, @value{NAME} loads the
+If the @code{loadPositionFile} option is set, XBoard loads the
specified position file at startup. The file name @file{-} specifies the
standard input. If the @code{loadPositionIndex} option is set to N,
the Nth position found in the file is loaded; otherwise the
first position is loaded.
-
@item -spf or -savePositionFile file
@cindex spf, option
@cindex savePositionFile, option
-If this option is set, @value{NAME} appends the final position reached
+If this option is set, XBoard appends the final position reached
in every game played to the specified file. The file name @file{-}
specifies the standard output.
-
-@item -oldsave/-xoldsave or -oldSaveStyle True/False
+@item -oldsave/-xoldsave or -oldSaveStyle true/false
@cindex oldsave, option
@cindex oldSaveStyle, option
Sets the Old Save Style menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
@end table
@node User interface options
-@section Look and Feel options
+@section User Interface Options
@cindex User interface options
@cindex Options, User interface
@table @asis
@cindex display, option
@cindex geometry, option
@cindex iconic, option
-These are just the standard Xt options accepted by @value{NAME}.
-
-@item -movesound/-xmovesound or -bell/-xbell or -ringBellAfterMoves True/False
+These and most other standard Xt options are accepted.
+@item -movesound/-xmovesound or -ringBellAfterMoves true/false
@cindex movesound, option
@cindex bell, option
@cindex ringBellAfterMoves, option
Sets the Move Sound menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
-
-@item -exit/-xexit or -popupExitMessage True/False
+For compatibility with old XBoard versions, -bell/-xbell are also
+accepted as abbreviations for this option.
+@item -exit/-xexit or -popupExitMessage true/false
@cindex exit, option
@cindex popupExitMessage, option
-Sets the Popup Exit Message menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: True.
-
-@item -popup/-xpopup or -popupMoveErrors True/False
+Sets the Popup Exit Message menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
+@item -popup/-xpopup or -popupMoveErrors true/false
@cindex popup, option
@cindex popupMoveErrors, option
-Sets the Popup Move Errors menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: False.
-
-@item -queen/-xqueen or -alwaysPromoteToQueen True/False
+Sets the Popup Move Errors menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
+@item -queen/-xqueen or -alwaysPromoteToQueen true/false
@cindex queen, option
@cindex alwaysPromoteToQueen, option
Sets the Always Queen menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
-
-@item -legal/-xlegal or -testLegality True/False
+@item -legal/-xlegal or -testLegality true/false
@cindex legal, option
@cindex testLegality, option
-If this option is true (the default),
-@value{NAME}
-tests whether moves you try to make with the mouse are legal, and
-refuses to let you make an illegal move. Moves loaded from a file
-with @samp{Load Game} are also checked.
-If the option is false, all moves are accepted.
-If GNU Chess, Crafty, or the ICS is active,
-they will still reject illegal moves. Turning off this option is
-useful if you are playing a chess variant with rules that
-@value{NAME}
-does not understand.
-
+Sets the Test Legality menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
@item -size or -boardSize (sizeName | n1,n2,n3,n4,n5,n6,n7)
@cindex size, option
@cindex boardSize, option
Medium 64x64, Moderate 58x58, Average 54x54, Middling 49x49, Mediocre
45x45, Small 40x40, Slim 37x37, Petite 33x33, Dinky 29x29, Teeny 25x25,
or Tiny 21x21.
-Pieces of all these sizes are built into @value{NAME}.
+Pieces of all these sizes are built into XBoard.
Other sizes can
be used if you have them; see the pixmapDirectory and bitmapDirectory
options.
All dimensions are in pixels.
If the border between squares is eliminated (0 width), the various
highlight options will not work, as there is nowhere to draw the highlight.
-If smallLayout is 1 and @code{titleInWindow} is True,
+If smallLayout is 1 and @code{titleInWindow} is true,
the window layout is rearranged to make more room for the title.
If tinyLayout is 1, the labels on the menu bar are abbreviated
to one character each and the buttons in the button bar are made narrower.
-
-@item -coords/-xcoords or -showCoords True/False
+@item -coords/-xcoords or -showCoords true/false
@cindex coords, option
@cindex showCoords, option
Sets the Show Coords menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
The @code{coordFont} option specifies what font to use.
-
-@item -autoraise/-xautoraise or -autoRaiseBoard True/False
+@item -autoraise/-xautoraise or -autoRaiseBoard true/false
@cindex autoraise, option
@cindex autoRaiseBoard, option
-Sets the Auto Raise Board menu option. Default: true.
-
-@item -autoflip/-xautoflip or -autoFlipView True/False
+Sets the Auto Raise Board menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
+@item -autoflip/-xautoflip or -autoFlipView true/false
@cindex autoflip, option
@cindex autoFlipView, option
-Sets the Auto Flip View menu option. Default: true.
-
-@item -flip/-xflip or -flipView True/False
+Sets the Auto Flip View menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
+@item -flip/-xflip or -flipView true/false
@cindex flip, option
@cindex flipView, option
If Auto Flip View is not set, or if you are observing but not participating
in a game, then the positioning of the board at the start of each game
-depends on the flipView option. If flipView is False (the default),
+depends on the flipView option. If flipView is false (the default),
the board is positioned so that the white pawns move from the bottom to the
-top; if True, the black pawns move from the bottom to the top.
-In any case, the Flip menu option can be used to flip the board after
+top; if true, the black pawns move from the bottom to the top.
+In any case, the Flip menu option (see @ref{Options Menu})
+can be used to flip the board after
the game starts.
-
-@item -title/-xtitle or -titleInWindow True/False
+@item -title/-xtitle or -titleInWindow true/false
@cindex title, option
@cindex titleInWindow, option
-If this option is true, @value{NAME} displays player names (for ICS
+If this option is true, XBoard displays player names (for ICS
games) and game file names (for @samp{Load Game}) inside its main
window. If the option is false (the default), this information is
displayed only in the window banner. You probably won't want to
set this option unless the information is not showing up in the
banner, as happens with a few X window managers.
-
-@item -mono/-xmono or -monoMode True/False
+@item -buttons/-xbuttons or -showButtonBar True/False
+@cindex buttons, option
+@cindex showButtonBar, option
+If this option is False, xboard omits the [<<] [<] [P] [>] [>>] button
+bar from the window, allowing the message line to be wider. You can
+still get the functions of these buttons using the menus or their keyboard
+shortcuts. Default: true.
+@item -mono/-xmono or -monoMode true/false
@cindex mono, option
@cindex monoMode, option
-Determines whether @value{NAME} displays its pieces and squares with
+Determines whether XBoard displays its pieces and squares with
two colors (true) or four (false). You shouldn't have to
-specify @code{monoMode}; @value{NAME} will determine if it is necessary.
-
+specify @code{monoMode}; XBoard will determine if it is necessary.
@item -flashCount count
@itemx -flashRate rate
-@itemx -flash
-@itemx -xflash
+@itemx -flash/-xflash
@cindex flashCount, option
@cindex flashRate, option
@cindex flash, option
@code{xflash}
sets flashCount to 0.
Defaults: flashCount=0 (no flashing), flashRate=5.
-
-@item -highlight/-xhighlight or -highlightLastMove True/False
+@item -highlight/-xhighlight or -highlightLastMove true/false
@cindex highlight, option
@cindex highlightLastMove, option
-Sets the Highlight Last Move menu option. Default: false.
-
-@item -blind/-xblind or -blindfold True/False
+Sets the Highlight Last Move menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
+@item -blind/-xblind or -blindfold true/false
@cindex blind, option
@cindex blindfold, option
-Sets the Blindfold menu option. Default: false.
-
+Sets the Blindfold menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
@item -clockFont font
@cindex clockFont, option
@cindex Font, clock
The font used for the clocks. If the option value is a pattern
-that does not specify the font size, @value{NAME} tries to choose an
+that does not specify the font size, XBoard tries to choose an
appropriate font for the board size being used.
Default: -*-helvetica-bold-r-normal--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*.
-
@item -coordFont font
@cindex coordFont, option
@cindex Font, coordinates
The font used for rank and file coordinate labels if @code{showCoords}
is true. If the option value is a pattern that does not specify
-the font size, @value{NAME} tries to choose an appropriate font for
+the font size, XBoard tries to choose an appropriate font for
the board size being used.
Default: -*-helvetica-bold-r-normal--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*.
-
@item -font font
@cindex font, option
@cindex Font
The font used for popup dialogs, menus, comments, etc.
If the option value is a pattern that does not specify
-the font size, @value{NAME} tries to choose an appropriate font for
+the font size, XBoard tries to choose an appropriate font for
the board size being used.
Default: -*-helvetica-medium-r-normal--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*.
-
@item -fontSizeTolerance tol
@cindex fontSizeTolerance, option
In the font selection algorithm, a nonscalable font will be preferred
-over a scalable font if the nonscalable font's size differs by tol pixels
+over a scalable font if the nonscalable font's size differs
+by @code{tol} pixels
or less from the desired size. A value of -1 will force
a scalable font to always be used if available; a value of 0 will
use a nonscalable font only if it is exactly the right size;
a large value (say 1000) will force a nonscalable font to always be
used if available. Default: 4.
-
@item -bm or -bitmapDirectory dir
@itemx -pixmap or -pixmapDirectory dir
@cindex bm, option
@cindex bitmapDirectory, option
@cindex pixmap, option
@cindex pixmapDirectory, option
-These options control what piece images xboard uses. The @value{NAME}
+These options control what piece images xboard uses. The XBoard
distribution includes one set of pixmap pieces in xpm format, in the
-directory @file{pixmaps}, and two sets of bitmap pieces in xbm format,
-in the directories @file{bitmaps} and @file{bitmaps.xchess}. Pixmap
+directory @file{pixmaps}, and one set of bitmap pieces in xbm format,
+in the directory @file{bitmaps}. Pixmap
pieces give a better appearance on the screen: the white pieces have
dark borders, and the black pieces have opaque internal details. With
bitmaps, neither piece color has a border, and the internal details
are transparent; you see the square color or other background color
through them.
-If @value{NAME} is configured and compiled on a system that includes libXpm,
+If XBoard is configured and compiled on a system that includes libXpm,
the X pixmap library, the xpm pixmap pieces are compiled in as the
default. A different xpm piece set can be selected at runtime with
the @code{pixmapDirectory} option, or a bitmap piece set can be selected
with the @code{bitmapDirectory} option.
-If @value{NAME} is configured and compiled on a system that does not include
+If XBoard is configured and compiled on a system that does not include
libXpm (or the @code{--disable-xpm} option is given to the configure
program), the bitmap pieces are compiled in as the default. It is not
possible to use xpm pieces in this case, but pixmap pieces in another
@file{checkmark.bm}.
For more information about pixmap pieces and how to get additional
-sets, see @ref{zic2xpm}.
-
+sets, see @ref{zic2xpm} below.
@item -whitePieceColor color
@itemx -blackPieceColor color
@itemx -lightSquareColor color
@cindex highlightSquareColor, option
Colors to use for the pieces, squares, and square highlights.
Defaults:
+
@example
-whitePieceColor #FFFFCC
-blackPieceColor #202020
@end example
On a grayscale monitor you might prefer:
+
@example
-whitePieceColor gray100
-blackPieceColor gray0
-highlightSquareColor gray100
-premoveHighlightColor gray70
@end example
-
-@item -drag/-xdrag or -animateDragging True/False
+@item -drag/-xdrag or -animateDragging true/false
@cindex drag, option
@cindex animateDragging, option
-Sets the Animate Dragging menu option. Default: True.
-
-@item -animate/-xanimate or -animateMoving True/False
+Sets the Animate Dragging menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
+@item -animate/-xanimate or -animateMoving true/false
@cindex animate, option
@cindex animateMoving, option
-Sets the Animate Moving menu option. Default: True.
-
+Sets the Animate Moving menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
@item -animateSpeed n
@cindex -animateSpeed, option
Number of milliseconds delay between each animation frame when Animate
@end table
@node Other options
-@section Miscellaneous
+@section Other Options
@cindex Options, miscellaneous
@table @asis
-
-@item -ncp/-xncp or -noChessProgram True/False
+@item -ncp/-xncp or -noChessProgram true/false
@cindex ncp, option
@cindex noChessProgram, option
-If this option is true, @value{NAME} acts as a passive chessboard; it
+If this option is true, XBoard acts as a passive chessboard; it
does not start a chess engine at all. Turning on this option
also turns off clockMode. Default: false.
-
@item -mode or -initialMode modename
@cindex mode, option
@cindex initalMode, option
-If this option is given, @value{NAME} selects the given modename
+If this option is given, XBoard selects the given modename
from the Mode menu after starting and (if applicable) processing the
loadGameFile or loadPositionFile option. Default: "" (no selection).
Other supported values are
MachineWhite, MachineBlack, TwoMachines, Analysis,
AnalyzeFile, EditGame, EditPosition, and Training.
-
@item -variant varname
@cindex variant, option
-
Activates preliminary, partial support for playing chess variants
against a local engine or editing variant games. This flag is not
needed in ICS mode. Recognized variant names are:
@example
- normal Normal chess
- wildcastle Shuffle chess, king can castle from d file
- nocastle Shuffle chess, no castling allowed
- fischerandom Fischer Random shuffle chess
- bughouse Bughouse, ICC/FICS rules
- crazyhouse Crazyhouse, ICC/FICS rules
- losers Lose all pieces or get mated (ICC wild 17)
- suicide Lose all pieces including king (FICS)
- giveaway Try to have no legal moves (ICC wild 26)
- twokings Weird ICC wild 9
- kriegspiel Opponent's pieces are invisible
- atomic Capturing piece explodes (ICC wild 27)
- 3check Win by giving check 3 times (ICC wild 25)
- shatranj An ancient precursor of chess (ICC wild 28)
- unknown Catchall for other unknown variants
+normal Normal chess
+wildcastle Shuffle chess, king can castle from d file
+nocastle Shuffle chess, no castling allowed
+fischerandom Fischer Random shuffle chess
+bughouse Bughouse, ICC/FICS rules
+crazyhouse Crazyhouse, ICC/FICS rules
+losers Lose all pieces or get mated (ICC wild 17)
+suicide Lose all pieces including king (FICS)
+giveaway Try to have no legal moves (ICC wild 26)
+twokings Weird ICC wild 9
+kriegspiel Opponent's pieces are invisible
+atomic Capturing piece explodes (ICC wild 27)
+3check Win by giving check 3 times (ICC wild 25)
+shatranj An ancient precursor of chess (ICC wild 28)
+unknown Catchall for other unknown variants
@end example
In the shuffle variants, xboard does not shuffle the pieces, but
are not fully understood. In crazyhouse, xboard does not yet keep
track of offboard pieces. Shatranj is unsupported, but it may be
usable if you turn off Test Legality.
-
-@item -debug/-xdebug or -debugMode True/False
+@item -debug/-xdebug or -debugMode true/false
@cindex debug, option
@cindex debugMode, option
Turns on debugging printout.
-
@item -rsh or -remoteShell shell-name
@cindex rsh, option
@cindex remoteShell, option
Name of the command used to run programs remotely. The default
-is @file{rsh} or @file{remsh}, determined when @value{NAME} is
+is @file{rsh} or @file{remsh}, determined when XBoard is
configured and compiled.
-
@item -ruser or -remoteUser user-name
@cindex ruser, option
@cindex remoteUser, option
@code{remoteShell}. The default is your local user name.
@end table
-
-@node Menus
-@chapter Menus, buttons and keys
-@cindex Menus
-To move a piece, either drag it with the left mouse button,
-or 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 right mouse button over the square
-and select from the popup menu.
-
-All other @value{NAME} commands are available from the menu bar. The most
-frequently used commands also have shortcut keys or on-screen buttons.
-
-@menu
-* File Menu:: Accessing external games and positions.
-* Mode Menu:: Selecting @value{NAME}'s mode.
-* Action Menu:: Talking to the chess engine or ICS opponents.
-* Step Menu:: Controlling the game.
-* Options Menu:: User preferences.
-* Help Menu:: Getting help.
-* Keys:: Other shortcut keys.
-@end menu
-
-@node File Menu
-@section Accessing external games and positions
-@cindex File Menu
-@cindex Menu, File
-@table @asis
-@item Reset
-@cindex Reset, Menuitem
-Resets @value{NAME} and the chess engine to the beginning of a new chess
-game. The @samp{r} key is a keyboard equivalent. In Internet Chess
-Server mode, clears the current state of @value{NAME}, then
-resynchronizes with ICS by sending a refresh command. If you want to
-stop playing, observing, or examining a game on ICS, use an
-appropriate command from the Action menu, not @samp{Reset}. @xref{Action
-Menu}.
-
-@item Load Game
-@cindex Load Game, Menuitem
-Plays a game from a record file. The @samp{g} key is a keyboard equivalent.
-A popup dialog prompts you for the file name. If the file contains more
-than one game, a second popup dialog
-displays a list of games (with information drawn from their PGN tags, if
-any), and you can select the one you want. Alternatively, you can load the
-Nth game in the file directly, by typing the number @samp{N} after the
-file name, separated by a space.
-
-The game file parser will accept PGN (portable game notation),
-or in fact almost any file that contains moves in algebraic
-notation.
-Notation of the form @samp{P@@f7}
-is accepted for piece-drops in bughouse games;
-this is a nonstandard extension to PGN.
-If the file includes a PGN position (FEN tag), or an
-@value{NAME} position diagram bracketed by @samp{[--} and @samp{--]}
-before the first move, the game starts from that position. Text
-enclosed in parentheses, square brackets, or curly braces is assumed to
-be commentary and is displayed in a pop-up window. Any other
-text in the file is ignored. PGN variations (enclosed in
-parentheses) are treated as comments; @value{NAME} is not able to walk
-variation trees.
-The nonstandard PGN tag [Variant "varname"] functions similarly to
-the -variant command-line option (see below), allowing games in certain chess
-variants to be loaded. There is also a heuristic to
-recognize chess variants from the Event tag, by looking for the strings
-that the Internet Chess Servers put there when saving variant ("wild") games.
-
-@item Load Next Game
-@cindex Load Next Game, Menuitem
-Loads the next game from the last game record file you loaded.
-The shifted @samp{N} key is a keyboard equivalent.
-Not available if the last game was loaded from a pipe.
-
-@item Load Previous Game
-@cindex Load Previous Game, Menuitem
-Loads the previous game from the last game record file you
-loaded. The shifted @samp{P} key is a keyboard equivalent.
-Not available if the last game was loaded from a pipe.
-
-@item Reload Same Game
-@cindex Reload Same Game, Menuitem
-Reloads the last game you loaded.
-
-@item Save Game
-@cindex Save Game, Menuitem
-Appends a record of the current game to a file.
-A popup dialog
-prompts you for the file name. If the game did not begin with
-the standard starting position, the game file includes the
-starting position used. Games are saved in the PGN (portable
-game notation) format, unless the oldSaveStyle option is true,
-in which case they are saved in an older format that is specific
-to @value{NAME}. Both formats are human-readable, and both can be
-read back by the @samp{Load Game} command.
-Notation of the form @samp{P@@f7}
-is accepted for piece-drops in bughouse games;
-this is a nonstandard extension to PGN.
-
-@item Copy Game
-@cindex Copy Game, Menuitem
-Copies a record of the current game to an internal clipboard in PGN
-format and sets the X selection to the game text. The game can be
-pasted to another application (such as a text editor or another copy
-of @value{NAME}) using that application's paste command. In many X
-applications, such as xterm and emacs, the middle mouse button can be
-used for pasting; in @value{NAME}, you must use the Paste Game command.
-
-@item Paste Game
-@cindex Paste Game, Menuitem
-Interprets the current X selection as a game record and loads it, as
-with Load Game.
-
-@item Load Position
-@cindex Load Position, Menuitem
-Sets up a position from a position file. A popup dialog prompts
-you for the file name. If the file contains more than one saved
-position, and you want to load the Nth one, type the number N
-after the file name, separated by a space. Position files must
-be in FEN (Forsythe-Edwards notation), or in the format that the
-Save Position command writes when oldSaveStyle is turned on.
-
-@item Load Next Position
-@cindex Load Next Position, Menuitem
-Loads the next position from the last position file you loaded.
-Not available if the last position was loaded from a pipe.
-
-@item Load Previous Position
-@cindex Load Previous Position, Menuitem
-Loads the previous position from the last position file you
-loaded. Not available if the last position was loaded from a pipe.
-
-@item Reload Same Position
-@cindex Reload Same Position, Menuitem
-Reloads the last position you loaded.
-
-@item Save Position
-@cindex Save Game, Menuitem
-Appends a diagram of the current position to a file.
-A popup dialog
-prompts you for the file name. Positions are saved in
-FEN (Forsythe-Edwards notation) format unless the @code{oldSaveStyle}
-option is true, in which case they are saved in an older,
-human-readable format that is specific to @value{NAME}. Both formats
-can be read back by the @samp{Load Position} command.
-
-@item Copy Position
-@cindex Copy Position, Menuitem
-Copies the current position to an internal clipboard in FEN format and
-sets the X selection to the position text. The position can be pasted
-to another application (such as a text editor or another copy of
-@value{NAME}) using that application's paste command. In many X
-applications, such as xterm and emacs, the middle mouse button can be
-used for pasting; in @value{NAME}, you must use the Paste Position command.
-
-@item Paste Position
-@cindex Paste Position, Menuitem
-Interprets the current X selection as a FEN position and loads it, as
-with Load Position.
-
-@item Mail Move
-@itemx Reload CMail Message
-@cindex Mail Move, Menuitem
-@cindex Reload CMail Message, Menuitem
-See @ref{CMail}.
-
-@item Exit
-@cindex Exit, Menuitem
-Exits from @value{NAME}. The shifted @samp{Q} key is a keyboard equivalent.
-@end table
-
-
-@node Mode Menu
-@section Selecting @value{NAME}'s mode
-@cindex Menu, Mode
-@cindex Mode Menu
-@table @asis
-@item Machine White
-@cindex Machine White, Menuitem
-Forces the chess engine to play White.
-
-@item Machine Black
-@cindex Machine Black, Menuitem
-Forces the chess engine to play Black.
-
-@item Two Machines
-@cindex Two Machines, Menuitem
-Plays a game between two chess engines.
-
-@item Analysis Mode
-@cindex Analysis Mode, Menuitem
-XBoard with Crafty only.
-For information on getting Crafty, see @ref{Crafty}.
-
-XBoard tells Crafty to start analyzing the current game/position
-and shows you the analysis as you move pieces around.
-
-To setup a position to analyze, you do the following:
-
-1. Select Edit Position from the Mode Menu
-
-2. Setup the position (use the right and middle buttons to
-bring up the Black/White piece menus).
-
-3. When you are finished, click on either the Black or White
-clock to tell XBoard which side moves first.
-
-4. Select Analysis Mode from the Mode Menu to start the analysis.
-
-@item Analyze File
-@cindex Analyze File, Menuitem
-XBoard with Crafty only.
-For information on getting Crafty, see @ref{Crafty}.
-
-This option lets you load a game from a file (PGN, XBoard format, etc.)
-and analyze it. When you select this menu item, a popup window appears
-and asks for a filename to load.
-If the file contains multiple games, another popup appears that lets
-you select which game you wish to analyze.
-After a game is loaded, use the XBoard arrow buttons to step
-forwards/backwards through the game and watch Crafty's analysis.
-
-@item ICS Client
-@cindex ICS Client, Menuitem
-ICS mode only. Takes @value{NAME} out of the Edit Game or
-Edit Position state.
-
-While you are examining a game on the ICS, you can issue the ICS
-position-editing commands with the mouse. Do this with @samp{ICS
-Client} selected on the Mode menu, not @samp{Edit Position}; the latter
-edits only your local copy of the position.
-
-To drop a new piece on a square, press mouse button 2 or 3 over
-the square. This brings up a menu of white pieces (button 2) or
-black pieces (button 3).
-Additional menu choices let you empty the square or clear the board.
-You cannot set the side to play or drag pieces to arbitrary squares
-while examining on ICS, however; the ICS permits only legal moves
-in this mode.
-
-If you are playing a bughouse game on the ICS, you can drop an offboard piece
-by pressing mouse button 2 or 3 over an empty square to bring up a piece menu.
-It makes no difference which button you use.
-A list of the offboard pieces
-each player has available is shown in the window title after the player's name.
-
-@item Edit Game
-@cindex Edit Game, Menuitem
-Allows you to make moves for both Black and White, and to change
-moves after backing up with the @samp{Backward} command. The clocks do
-not run.
-
-In GNU Chess mode, the chess engine continues to check moves for legality
-but does not participate in the game. You can bring the chess engine
-into the game by selecting @samp{Machine White}, @samp{Machine Black},
-or @samp{Two Machines}.
-
-In ICS mode, the moves are not sent to the ICS: @samp{Edit Game} takes
-@value{NAME} out of ICS Client mode and lets you edit games locally.
-If you want to edit games on ICS in a way that other ICS users
-can see, use the ICS examine command or start an ICS match
-against yourself.
-
-@item Edit Position
-@cindex Edit Position, Menuitem
-Lets you set up an arbitrary board position.
-Use mouse button 1 to drag pieces to new squares, or to delete a piece
-by dragging it off the board or dragging an empty square on top of it.
-To drop a new piece on a square, press mouse button 2 or 3 over the
-square. This brings up a menu of white pieces (button 2) or
-black pieces (button 3). Additional menu choices let you empty the
-square or clear the board. You can set the side to play next by
-clicking on the White or Black indicator at the top of the screen.
-Selecting @samp{Edit Position} causes @value{NAME} to discard
-all remembered moves in the current game.
-
-In ICS mode, changes made to the position by @samp{Edit Position} are
-not sent to the ICS: @samp{Edit Position} takes @value{NAME} out of
-@samp{ICS Client} mode and lets you edit positions locally. If you want to
-edit positions on ICS in a way that other ICS users can see, use
-the @samp{ICS examine} command, or start an ICS match against yourself.
-(See also the ICS Client topic above.)
-
-@item Training
-@cindex Training, Menuitem
-Training mode lets you interactively guess the moves of a game for one
-of the players. You guess the next move of the game by playing the
-move on the board. If the move played matches the next move of the
-game, the move is accepted and the opponent's response is autoplayed.
-If the move played is incorrect, an error message is displayed. You
-can select this mode only while loading a game (that is, after
-selecting Load Game from the File menu). While @value{NAME} is in Training
-mode, the navigation buttons are disabled.
-
-@item Show Game List
-@cindex Show Game List, Menuitem
-Shows or hides the list of games generated by the last @samp{Load Game}
-command.
-
-@item Edit Tags
-@cindex Edit Tags, Menuitem
-Lets you edit the PGN (portable game notation)
-tags for the current game. After editing, the tags must still conform to
-the PGN tag syntax:
-
-@example
-<tag-section> ::= <tag-pair> <tag-section>
- <empty>
-<tag-pair> ::= [ <tag-name> <tag-value> ]
-<tag-name> ::= <identifier>
-<tag-value> ::= <string>
-@end example
-@noindent
-See the PGN Standard for full details. Here is an example:
-
-@example
-[Event "Portoroz Interzonal"]
-[Site "Portoroz, Yugoslavia"]
-[Date "1958.08.16"]
-[Round "8"]
-[White "Robert J. Fischer"]
-[Black "Bent Larsen"]
-[Result "1-0"]
-@end example
-@noindent
-Any characters that do not match this syntax are silently ignored. Note that
-the PGN standard requires all games to have at least the seven tags shown
-above. Any that you omit will be filled in by @value{NAME}
-with @samp{?} (unknown value), or @samp{-} (inapplicable value).
-
-@item Edit Comment
-@cindex Edit Comment, Menuitem
-Adds or modifies a comment on the current position. Comments are
-saved by @samp{Save Game} and are displayed by @samp{Load Game},
-@samp{Forward}, and @samp{Backward}.
-
-@item ICS Input Box
-@cindex ICS Input Box, Menuitem
-If this option is set in ICS mode,
-@value{NAME}
-creates an extra window that you can use for typing in ICS commands.
-The input box is especially useful if you want to type in something long or do
-some editing on your input, because output from ICS doesn't get mixed
-in with your typing as it would in the main terminal window.
-
-@item Pause
-@cindex Pause, Menuitem
-Pauses updates to the board, and if you are playing against a chess engine,
-also pauses your clock. To continue, select @samp{Pause} again, and the
-display will automatically update to the latest position.
-The @samp{P} button and keyboard @samp{p} key are equivalents.
-
-If you select Pause when you are playing against a chess engine and
-it is not your move, the chess engine's clock
-will continue to run and it will eventually make a move, at which point
-both clocks will stop. Since board updates are paused, however,
-you will not see the move until you exit from Pause mode (or select Forward).
-This behavior is meant to simulate adjournment with a sealed move.
-
-If you select Pause while you are in
-@code{examine} mode on ICS, you can step backward and forward in the
-current history of the examined game without affecting the other observers
-and examiners. Select Pause again to reconnect yourself to the current state
-of the game on ICS.
-
-If you select @samp{Pause} while you are loading a game, the game stops
-loading. You can load more moves manually by selecting @samp{Forward}, or
-resume automatic loading by selecting @samp{Pause} again.
-@end table
-
-
-@node Action Menu
-@section Talking to GNU chess or ICS opponents
-@cindex Menu, Action
-@cindex Action, Menu
-@table @asis
-@item Accept
-@cindex Accept, Menuitem
-Accepts a pending match offer. If there is more than one offer
-pending, you will have to type in a more specific command
-instead of using this menu choice. ICS mode only.
-
-@item Decline
-@cindex Decline, Menuitem
-Declines a pending offer (match, draw, adjourn, etc.). If there
-is more than one offer pending, you will have to type in a more
-specific command instead of using this menu choice. ICS mode only.
-
-@item Call Flag
-@cindex Call Flag, Menuitem
-Calls your opponent's flag, claiming a win on time, or claiming
-a draw if you are both out of time. You can also call your
-opponent's flag by clicking on his clock or by pressing the
-keyboard @samp{t} key.
-
-@item Draw
-@cindex Draw, Menuitem
-Offers a draw to your opponent, accepts a pending draw offer
-from your opponent, or claims a draw by repetition or the 50-move
-rule, as appropriate. The @samp{d} key is a keyboard equivalent.
-Not available in GNU Chess mode.
-
-@item Adjourn
-@cindex Adjourn, Menuitem
-Asks your opponent to agree to adjourning the current game, or
-agrees to a pending adjournment offer from your opponent. ICS
-mode only.
-
-@item Abort
-@cindex Abort, Menuitem
-Asks your opponent to agree to aborting the current game, or
-agrees to a pending abort offer from your opponent. An aborted
-game ends immediately without affecting either player's rating.
-
-@item Resign
-@cindex Resign, Menuitem
-Resigns the game to your opponent. The shifted @samp{R} key is a
-keyboard equivalent.
-
-@item Stop Observing
-@cindex Stop Observing, Menuitem
-Ends your participation in observing a game, by issuing the ICS
-observe command with no arguments. ICS mode only.
-
-@item Stop Examining
-@cindex Stop Examining, Menuitem
-Ends your participation in examining a game, by issuing the ICS
-unexamine command. ICS mode only.
-@end table
-
-
-@node Step Menu
-@section Controlling the game
-@cindex Step Menu
-@cindex Menu, Step
-@table @asis
-@item Backward
-@cindex Backward, Menuitem
-@cindex <, Button
-Steps backward through a series of remembered moves.
-The @samp{[<]} button and the @samp{b} key are equivalents.
-In addition, pressing the Control key steps back one move, and releasing
-it steps forward again.
-
-In most modes, @samp{Backward} only lets you look back at old positions;
-it does not retract moves. This is the case if you are playing against
-a chess engine, playing or observing a game on the ICS, or loading a game.
-If you select @samp{Backward} in any of these situations, you will not
-be allowed to make a different move. Use @samp{Retract Move} or
-@samp{Edit Game} if you want to change past moves.
-
-If you are examining a game on ICS, the behavior of @samp{Backward}
-depends on whether @value{NAME} is in Pause mode. If Pause mode is
-off, @samp{Backward} issues the ICS backward command, which backs up
-everyone's view of the game and allows you to make a different
-move. If Pause mode is on, @samp{Backward} only backs up your local
-view.
-
-@item Forward
-@cindex Forward, Menuitem
-@cindex >, Button
-Steps forward through a series of remembered moves (undoing the
-effect of @samp{Backward}) or forward through a game file. The
-@samp{[>]} button and the @samp{f} key are equivalents.
-
-If you are examining a game on ICS, the behavior of Forward
-depends on whether @value{NAME} is in Pause mode. If Pause mode is
-off, @samp{Forward} issues the ICS forward command, which moves
-everyone's view of the game forward along the current line. If
-Pause mode is on, @samp{Forward} only moves your local view forward,
-and it will not go past the position that the game was in when
-you paused.
-
-@item Back to Start
-@cindex Back to Start, Menuitem
-@cindex <<, Button
-Jumps backward to the first remembered position in the game.
-The @samp{[<<]} button and the shifted @samp{B} key are equivalents.
-
-In most modes, Back to Start only lets you look back at old
-positions; it does not retract moves. This is the case if you
-are playing against GNU chess, playing or observing a game on
-the ICS, or loading a game. If you select @samp{Back to Start} in any
-of these situations, you will not be allowed to make different
-moves. Use @samp{Retract Move} or @samp{Edit Game} if you want to change past
-moves; or use Reset to start a new game.
-
-If you are examining a game on ICS, the behavior of @samp{Back to
-Start} depends on whether @value{NAME} is in Pause mode. If Pause mode
-is off, @samp{Back to Start} issues the ICS @samp{backward 999999}
-command, which backs up everyone's view of the game to the start and
-allows you to make different moves. If Pause mode is on, @samp{Back
-to Start} only backs up your local view.
-
-@item Forward to End
-@cindex Forward to End, Menuitem
-@cindex >>, Button
-Jumps forward to the last remembered position in the game. The
-@samp{[>>]} button and the shifted @samp{F} key are equivalents.
-
-If you are examining a game on ICS, the behavior of @samp{Forward to
-End} depends on whether @value{NAME} is in Pause mode. If Pause mode
-is off, @samp{Forward to End} issues the ICS @samp{forward 999999}
-command, which moves everyone's view of the game forward to the end of
-the current line. If Pause mode is on, @samp{Forward to End} only moves
-your local view forward, and it will not go past the position
-that the game was in when you paused.
-
-@item Revert
-@cindex Revert, Menuitem
-If you are examining a game on ICS and Pause mode is off, issues
-the ICS command @samp{revert}.
-
-@item Truncate Game
-@cindex Truncate Game, Menuitem
-Discards all remembered moves of the game beyond the current
-position. Puts @value{NAME} into @samp{Edit Game} mode if it was not there
-already.
-
-@item Move Now
-@cindex Move Now, Menuitem
-Forces the chess engine to move immediately. GNU Chess mode only.
-
-@item Retract Move
-@cindex Retract Move, Menuitem
-Retracts your last move. In GNU Chess mode, you can do this only
-after the chess engine has replied to your move; if the chess engine is still
-thinking, use @samp{Move Now} first. In ICS mode, @samp{Retract Move}
-issues the command @samp{takeback 1} or @samp{takeback 2}
-depending on whether it is your opponent's move or yours.
-@end table
-
-
-@node Options Menu
-@section User Preferences
-@cindex Menu, Options
-@cindex Options Menu
-@table @asis
-@item Always Queen
-@cindex Always Queen, Menuitem
-If this option is off, @value{NAME} brings up a dialog
-box whenever you move a pawn to the last rank, asking what piece
-you want to promote it to. If the option is true, your pawns are
-always promoted to queens. Your opponent can still underpromote,
-however.
-@item Animate Dragging
-@cindex Animate Dragging, Menuitem
-If Animate Dragging is on, while you are dragging a piece with the
-mouse, an image of the piece follows the mouse cursor.
-If Animate Dragging is off, there is no visual feedback while you are
-dragging a piece, but if Animate Moving is on, the move will be
-animated when it is complete.
-@item Animate Moving
-@cindex Animate Moving, Menuitem
-If Animate Moving is on, all piece moves are animated. An image of the
-piece is shown moving from the old square to the new square when the
-move is completed (unless the move was already animated by Animate Dragging).
-If Animate Moving is off, a moved piece instantly disappears from its
-old square and reappears on its new square when the move is complete.
-@item Auto Comment
-@cindex Auto Comment, Menuitem
-If this option is on, any remarks made on ICS while you are observing or
-playing a game are recorded as a comment on the current move. This includes
-remarks made with the ICS commands @kbd{say}, @kbd{tell}, @kbd{whisper},
-and @kbd{kibitz}.
-Limitation: remarks that you type yourself are not recognized;
-@value{NAME} scans only the output from ICS, not the input you type to it.
-@item Auto Flag
-@cindex Auto Flag, Menuitem
-If this option is on and one player runs out of time
-before the other,
-@value{NAME}
-will automatically call his flag, claiming a win on time.
-In ICS mode, Auto Flag will only call your opponent's flag, not yours,
-and the ICS may award you a draw instead of a win if you have
-insufficient mating material. In local chess engine mode,
-@value{NAME}
-may call either player's flag and will not take material into account.
-@item Auto Flip View
-@cindex Auto Flip View, Menuitem
-If the Auto Flip View option is on when you start a game, the board
-will be automatically oriented so that your pawns move from the bottom
-of the window towards the top.
-@item Auto Observe
-@cindex Auto Observe, Menuitem
-If this option is on and you add a player to your @code{gnotify}
-list on ICS, @value{NAME} will automatically observe all of that
-player's games, unless you are doing something else (such as
-observing or playing a game of your own) when one starts.
-The games are displayed
-from the point of view of the player on your gnotify list; that is, his
-pawns move from the bottom of the window towards the top.
-Exceptions: If both players in a game are on your gnotify list, if
-your ICS
-@code{highlight}
-variable is set to 0, or if the ICS you are using does not
-properly support observing from Black's point of view,
-you will see the game from White's point of view.
-@item Auto Raise Board
-@cindex Auto Raise Board, Menuitem
-If this option is on, whenever a new game begins, the chessboard window
-is deiconized (if necessary) and raised to the top of the stack of windows.
-@item Auto Save
-@cindex Auto Save, Menuitem
-If this option is true, at the end of every game @value{NAME} prompts
-you for a file name and appends a record of the game to the file
-you specify.
-Disabled if the @code{saveGameFile} command-line
-option is set, as in that case all games are saved to the specified file.
-@xref{I/O options}.
-@item Blindfold
-@cindex Blindfold, Menuitem
-If this option is on, @value{NAME} displays the board as usual but does
-not display pieces or move highlights. You can still move in the
-usual way (with the mouse or by typing moves in ICS mode), even though
-the pieces are invisible.
-@item Flash Moves
-@cindex Flash Moves, Menuitem
-If this option is on, whenever a move is completed, the moved piece flashes.
-The number of times to flash is set by the flashCount command-line
-option; it defaults to 3 if Flash Moves is first turned on from the menu.
-
-@item Flip View
-@cindex Flip View, Menuitem
-Inverts your view of the chess board for the duration of the
-current game. Starting a new game returns the board to normal.
-The @samp{v} key is a keyboard equivalent.
-
-If you are playing a game on the ICS, the board is always
-oriented at the start of the game so that your pawns move from
-the bottom of the window towards the top. Otherwise, the starting
-orientation is determined by the @code{flipView} command line option;
-if it is false (the default), White's pawns move from bottom to top
-at the start of each game; if it is true, Black's pawns move from
-bottom to top. @xref{User interface options}.
-
-@item Highlight Last Move
-@cindex Highlight Last Move, Menuitem
-If Highlight Last Move is on, after a move is made, the starting and
-ending squares remain highlighted. In addition, after you use Backward
-or Back to Start, the starting and ending squares of the last move to
-be unmade are highlighted.
-
-@item Move Sound
-@cindex Move Sound, Menuitem
-If this option is on, @value{NAME} alerts you by playing a sound
-after each of your opponent's moves (or after every
-move if you are observing a game on the Internet Chess Server).
-The sound is not played after moves you make or moves read from a
-saved game file. By default, the
-sound is the terminal bell, but on some systems you can change it
-to a sound file using the soundMove option; see below.
-
-If you turn on this option when using @value{NAME} with the Internet
-Chess Server, you will probably want to give the
-
-@example
-set bell 0
-@end example
-@noindent
-command to the ICS, since otherwise the ICS will ring the terminal bell
-after every move (not just yours). (The @file{.icsrc} file
-is a good place for this, @pxref{ICS options})
-
-@item ICS Alarm
-@cindex ICS Alarm, Menuitem
-When this option is on, an alarm sound is played when your clock
-counts down to the icsAlarmTime (by default, 5 seconds) in an ICS
-game. For games with time controls that include an increment, the
-alarm will sound each time the clock counts down to the icsAlarmTime.
-By default, the alarm sound is the terminal bell, but on some systems
-you can change it to a sound file using the soundIcsAlarm option; see
-below.
-
-@item Get Move List
-@cindex Get Move List, Menuitem
-If this option is on, whenever @value{NAME}
-receives the first board of a new game (or a different game from
-the one it is currently displaying), it
-retrieves the list of past moves from the ICS.
-You can then review the moves with the @samp{Forward} and @samp{Backward}
-commands
-or save them with @samp{Save Game}. You might want to
-turn off this option if you are observing several blitz games at once,
-to keep from wasting time and network bandwidth fetching the move lists over
-and over.
-When you turn this option on from the menu, @value{NAME}
-immediately fetches the move list of the current game (if any).
-
-@item Old Save Style
-@cindex Old Save Style, Menuitem
-If this option is off, @value{NAME} saves games in PGN
-(portable game notation) and positions in FEN (Forsythe-Edwards
-notation). If the option is on, a save style that is compatible
-with older versions of @value{NAME} is used instead.
-The old position style is more human-readable
-than FEN; the old game style has no particular advantages.
-
-@item Periodic Updates
-@cindex Periodic Updates, Menuitem
-If this option is off (or if
-you are using a chess engine that does not support periodic updates),
-the analysis window
-will only be updated when the analysis changes. If this option is
-on, the Analysis Window will be updated every two seconds.
-
-@item Ponder Next Move
-@cindex Ponder Next Move, Menuitem
-If this option is off, the chess engine will think only when it is on
-move. If the option is on, the engine will also think while waiting
-for you to make your move.
-
-@item Popup Exit Message
-@cindex Popup Exit Message, Menuitem
-If this option is on, when @value{NAME} wants to display a message just
-before exiting, it brings up a modal dialog box and waits for you to
-click OK before exiting. If the option is off, @value{NAME} prints the
-message to standard error (the terminal) and exits immediately.
-
-@item Popup Move Errors
-@cindex Popup Move Errors, Menuitem
-If this option is off, when you make an error in moving (such as
-attempting an illegal move or moving the wrong color piece), the
-error message is displayed in the message area. If the option is
-on, move errors are displayed in small popup windows like other errors.
-You can dismiss an error popup either by clicking its OK button or by
-clicking anywhere on the board, including downclicking to start a move.
-
-@item Premove
-@cindex Premove, Menuitem
-If this option is on while playing a game on ICS, you can register
-your next planned move before it is your turn. Move the piece with
-the mouse in the ordinary way, and the starting and ending squares
-will be highlighted with a special color (red by default). When it is
-your turn, if your registered move is legal, xboard will send it to
-ICS immediately; if not, it will be ignored and you can make a
-different move. If you change your mind about your premove, either
-make a different move, or double-click on any piece to cancel the move
-entirely.
-
-@item Quiet Play
-@cindex Quiet Play, Menuitem
-If this option is on, @value{NAME} will automatically issue an ICS
-
-@example
-set shout 0
-@end example
-@noindent
-command whenever you start a game and a
-
-@example
-set shout 1
-@end example
-@noindent
-command whenever you finish one. Thus, you will not be distracted
-by shouts from other ICS users while playing.
-
-@item Show Coords
-@cindex Show Coords, Menuitem
-If this option is on, @value{NAME} displays algebraic coordinates
-along the board's left and bottom edges.
-
-@item Show Thinking
-@cindex Show Thinking, Menuitem
-If this option is set, the chess engine's notion of the score and best
-line of play from the current position is displayed as it is
-thinking. The score indicates how many pawns ahead (or if negative,
-behind) the chess engine thinks it is. In matches between two
-machines, the score is prefixed by @samp{W} or @samp{B} to indicate
-whether it is showing White's thinking or Black's.
-@end table
-
-@node Help Menu
-@section Getting help
-@cindex Menu, Help
-@cindex Help Menu
-@table @asis
-@item Info @value{NAME}
-@cindex Info @value{NAME}, Menuitem
-Displays this info file in a new window. For this feature to work,
-you must have the GNU info program installed on your system,
-and the file @file{xboard.info} must either be present in the current
-working directory, or have been installed by
-the @samp{make install} command when you built @value{NAME}.
-@item Man @value{NAME}
-@cindex Man @value{NAME}, Menuitem
-Displays the @value{NAME} man page in a new window. For this feature to work,
-the file @file{xboard.6} must have been installed by
-the @samp{make install} command when you built @value{NAME}, and the
-directory it was placed in must be on the search path for your system's
-@samp{man} command.
-@item Hint
-@cindex Hint, Menuitem
-Displays a move hint from GNU Chess. GNU Chess mode only.
-@item Book
-@cindex Book, Menuitem
-Displays a list of possible moves from GNU Chess's opening book.
-The first column gives moves, the second column gives one possible
-response for each move, and the third column shows the
-number of lines in the book that include the move from the first
-column. If you select this option and nothing happens, GNU
-Chess is out of its book. GNU Chess mode only.
-
-@item About @value{NAME}
-@cindex About @value{NAME}, Menuitem
-Shows the current @value{NAME} version number.
-@end table
-
-
-@node Keys
-@section Other shortcut keys
-@cindex Keys
-@cindex Shortcut keys
-@table @asis
-@item Iconize
-Pressing the @samp{i} or @samp{c} key iconizes @value{NAME}. The graphical
-icon displays a white knight if it is white's move, or a black knight,
-if it is Black's move. If your X window manager displays only text icons,
-not graphical ones, check its documentation; there is probably a way to
-enable graphical icons. If you are running the Motif window manager
-@file{mwm} (1), add these lines to your @file{.Xdefaults} file and
-restart mwm:
-
-@example
-Mwm*iconDecoration: activelabel label image
-Mwm*@value{NAME}*iconImageBackground: White
-Mwm*@value{NAME}*iconImageForeground: Black
-@end example
-@noindent
-The first line above enables graphical icons in mwm; you don't need it
-if you already have them. The next two lines force the white knights to
-come out white and the black knights black. Unfortunately these resources
-can't be set from inside @value{NAME}; you have to set them in your
-@file{.Xdefaults} file.
-@end table
-
-You can add or remove shortcut keys using the X resources
-@code{form.translations}. Here is an example of what would go in your
-@file{.Xdefaults} file:
-
-@example
-@value{NAME}*form.translations: Shift<Key>?: AboutGameProc() \n\
-<Key>y: AcceptProc() \n\
-<Key>n: DeclineProc() \n\
-<Key>i: NothingProc()
-@end example
-@noindent
-Binding a key to @code{NothingProc} makes it do nothing, thus removing
-it as a shortcut key. The @value{NAME} commands that can be bound to keys
-are:
-
-@example
-AbortProc, AboutGameProc, AboutProc, AcceptProc, AdjournProc,
-AlwaysQueenProc, AnalysisModeProc, AnalyzeFileProc, AnimateDraggingProc,
-AnimateMovingProc, AutobsProc, AutoflagProc, AutoflipProc,
-AutoraiseProc, AutosaveProc, BackwardProc, BlindfoldProc, BookProc,
-CallFlagProc, CopyGameProc, CopyPositionProc, DebugProc, DeclineProc,
-DrawProc, EditCommentProc, EditGameProc, EditPositionProc, EditTagsProc,
-EnterKeyProc, FlashMovesProc, FlipViewProc, ForwardProc,
-GetMoveListProc, HighlightLastMoveProc, HintProc, Iconify, IcsAlarmProc,
-IcsAlarmProc, IcsClientProc, IcsInputBoxProc, InfoProc, LoadGameProc,
-LoadNextGameProc, LoadNextPositionProc, LoadPositionProc,
-LoadPrevGameProc, LoadPrevPositionProc, LoadSelectedProc,
-MachineBlackProc, MachineWhiteProc, MailMoveProc, ManProc, MoveNowProc,
-MoveSoundProc, NothingProc, OldSaveStyleProc, PasteGameProc,
-PastePositionProc, PauseProc, PeriodicUpdatesProc, PonderNextMoveProc,
-PopupExitMessageProc, PopupMoveErrorsProc, PremoveProc, QuietPlayProc,
-QuitProc, ReloadCmailMsgProc, ReloadGameProc, ReloadPositionProc,
-RematchProc, ResetProc, ResignProc, RetractMoveProc, RevertProc,
-SaveGameProc, SavePositionProc, ShowCoordsProc, ShowGameListProc,
-ShowThinkingProc, StopExaminingProc, StopObservingProc,
-TestLegalityProc, ToEndProc, ToStartProc, TrainingProc,
-TruncateGameProc, and TwoMachinesProc.
-@end example
-
-@node ICS
-@chapter Using @value{NAME} with an Internet Chess Server (ICS)
+@node Chess Servers
+@chapter Chess Servers
@cindex ICS
@cindex ICS, addresses
@cindex Internet Chess Server
-An @dfn{Internet Chess Server}, or @dfn{ICS}, is a place on the
-Internet where people can get together to play chess,
-watch other people's games, or just chat.
-You can use either @code{telnet} or
-a client program like @value{NAME} to connect to the server.
-ICS is getting more and more important for chess players:
-There are thousands of registered users on the different
-ICS hosts, and it is not unusual to meet 200 on both ICC and FICS.
-The number is increasing rapidly.
-
-Most people can just type
-
-@example
-@value{LCNAME} -ics
-@end example
-@noindent
-to start @value{NAME} as
-an ICS client. Invoking @value{NAME} in this way connects you to
-the Internet Chess Club (ICC), a commercial ICS. You can log in there as
-a guest even if you do not have a paid account. To connect to
-the largest Free ICS (FICS), use the command
-
-@example
-@value{LCNAME} -ics -icshost freechess.org
-@end example
-@noindent
+An @dfn{Internet Chess Server}, or @dfn{ICS}, is a place on the
+Internet where people can get together to play chess, watch other
+people's games, or just chat. You can use either @code{telnet} or a
+client program like XBoard to connect to the server. There are
+thousands of registered users on the different ICS hosts, and it is
+not unusual to meet 200 on both chessclub.com and freechess.org.
+
+Most people can just type @kbd{xboard -ics} to start XBoard as an ICS
+client. Invoking XBoard in this way connects you to the Internet
+Chess Club (ICC), a commercial ICS. You can log in there as a guest
+even if you do not have a paid account. To connect to the largest
+Free ICS (FICS), use the command @kbd{xboard -ics -icshost freechess.org}
instead, or substitute a different host name to connect to your
favorite ICS.
-The @file{ics-addresses} in the
-@value{NAME} distribution includes a list of ICS hosts.
For a full description of command-line options that control
the connection to ICS and change the default values of ICS options, see
@ref{ICS options}.
-While you are running @value{NAME} as an ICS client,
-you use the terminal window that you started @value{NAME} from
+While you are running XBoard as an ICS client,
+you use the terminal window that you started XBoard from
as a place to type in commands and read information that is
not available on the chessboard.
The first time you need to use the terminal is to enter your login name
and password, if you are a registered player. (You don't need to do
this manually; the @code{icsLogon} option can do it for you.
-@pxref{ICS options}) If you are not registered, enter any name.
-If someone has already registered under that name, you'll be
-asked for a password; just hit return and try again.
-Or on ICC, you can enter @samp{g} as your name, and ICC will pick a
-unique (but boring) name for you.
+@pxref{ICS options}.) If you are not registered,
+enter @kbd{g} as your name, and the server will pick a
+unique guest name for you.
Some useful ICS commands
include
is challenging you, or if your opponent offers both a draw and to adjourn the
game), you have to supply additional information, by typing something
like @kbd{accept <player>}, @kbd{accept draw}, or @kbd{draw}.
-
@item draw
@itemx adjourn
@itemx abort
@kbd{draw}.
@item finger <player>
@cindex finger, ICS command
-to get informations about the given <player>. (Default: yourself.)
+to get information about the given <player>. (Default: yourself.)
@item vars
@cindex vars, ICS command
to get a list of personal settings
to review a recently completed game
@end table
-Some special @value{NAME} features are activated when you are
+Some special XBoard features are activated when you are
in examine mode on ICS. See the descriptions of the menu commands
@samp{Forward}, @samp{Backward}, @samp{Pause}, @samp{ICS Client},
and @samp{Stop Examining} on the @ref{Step Menu}, @ref{Mode Menu}, and
@ref{Options Menu}.
@node Firewalls
-@chapter Connecting to the ICS through a firewall
-By default, @value{NAME} communicates with an Internet Chess Server
+@chapter Firewalls
+By default, XBoard communicates with an Internet Chess Server
by opening a TCP socket directly from the machine it is running on
to the ICS. If there is a firewall between your machine and the ICS,
this won't work. Here are some recipes for getting around common
-kinds of firewalls using special options to @value{NAME}.
+kinds of firewalls using special options to XBoard.
Important: See the paragraph in the below about extra echoes, in
@ref{Limitations}.
Suppose that you can't telnet directly to ICS, but you can telnet
to a firewall host, log in, and then telnet from there to ICS.
-Let's say the firewall is called @samp{fire.wall.com}. Set
+Let's say the firewall is called @samp{firewall.example.com}. Set
command-line options as follows:
@example
-xboard -ics -icshost fire.wall.com -icsport 23
+xboard -ics -icshost firewall.example.com -icsport 23
@end example
@noindent
Or in your @file{.Xdefaults} file:
@example
-XBoard*internetChessServerHost: fire.wall.com
+XBoard*internetChessServerHost: firewall.example.com
XBoard*internetChessServerPort: 23
@end example
@noindent
-Then when you run @value{NAME} in ICS mode, you will be prompted
-to log in to the firewall host. (This works because port 23 is the
-standard telnet login service.) Do so, then telnet to ICS, using a
+Then when you run XBoard in ICS mode, you will be prompted
+to log in to the firewall host. This works because port 23 is the
+standard telnet login service. Do so, then telnet to ICS, using a
command like @samp{telnet chessclub.com 5000}, or whatever command
the firewall provides for telnetting to port 5000.
-If your firewall lets you telnet (or rlogin) to remote hosts, but
-doesn't let you telnet to port 5000, you will have to find some
-other host outside the firewall that does let you do this, and
-hop through it. For instance, suppose you have an account at
-@samp{foo.edu}. Follow the recipe above, but instead of typing
-@samp{telnet chessclub.com 5000} to the firewall, type
+If your firewall lets you telnet (or rlogin) to remote hosts but
+doesn't let you telnet to port 5000, you may be able to connect to the
+chess server on port 23 instead, which is the port the telnet program
+uses by default. Some chess servers support this (including
+chessclub.com and freechess.org), while some do not.
+
+If your chess server does not allow connections on port 23 and your
+firewall does not allow you to connect to other ports, you may be able
+to connect by hopping through another host outside the firewall that
+you have an account on. For instance, suppose you have a shell
+account at @samp{foo.edu}. Follow the recipe above, but instead of
+typing @samp{telnet chessclub.com 5000} to the firewall, type
@samp{telnet foo.edu} (or @samp{rlogin foo.edu}), log in there, and
then type @samp{telnet chessclub.com 5000}.
-Exception: chessclub.com itself lets you connect to the chess server on the
-default telnet port (23), which is what you get if you don't specify a port
-to the telnet program. But the other chess servers don't allow this.
-
Suppose that you can't telnet directly to ICS, but you can use rsh
to run programs on a firewall host, and that host can telnet to ICS.
-Let's say the firewall is called @samp{rsh.wall.com}. Set
+Let's say the firewall is called @samp{rsh.example.com}. Set
command-line options as follows:
@example
-xboard -ics -gateway rsh.wall.com -icshost chessclub.com
+xboard -ics -gateway rsh.example.com -icshost chessclub.com
@end example
+
@noindent
Or in your @file{.Xdefaults} file:
@example
-XBoard*gateway: rsh.wall.com
+XBoard*gateway: rsh.example.com
XBoard*internetChessServerHost: chessclub.com
@end example
-Then when you run @value{NAME} in ICS mode, it will connect to
-the ICS by using @file{rsh} to run the command @samp{telnet
-chessclub.com 5000} on host @samp{rsh.wall.com}.
+
+Then when you run XBoard in ICS mode, it will connect to
+the ICS by using @file{rsh} to run the command
+@samp{telnet chessclub.com 5000} on host @samp{rsh.example.com}.
Suppose that you can telnet anywhere you want, but you have to
run a special program called @file{ptelnet} to do so.
@example
xboard -ics -telnet -telnetProgram ptelnet
@end example
+
@noindent
Or in your @file{.Xdefaults} file:
XBoard*useTelnet: true
XBoard*telnetProgram: ptelnet
@end example
+
@noindent
-Then when you run @value{NAME} in ICS mode, it will issue the
+Then when you run XBoard in ICS mode, it will issue the
command @samp{ptelnet chessclub.com 5000} to connect to the ICS.
Next, suppose that @samp{ptelnet chessclub.com 5000} doesn't work;
that is, your @file{ptelnet} program doesn't let you connect to
-alternative ports. In this case, you will have to find some other
-host outside the firewall that does let you do this, and hop
-through it. For instance, suppose you have an account at
-@samp{foo.edu}. Set command line options as follows:
+alternative ports. As noted above, your chess server may allow you to
+connect on port 23 instead. In that case, just add the option
+@samp{-icsport ""} to the above command, or add
+@samp{XBoard*internetChessServerPort:} to your @file{.Xdefaults} file.
+But if your chess server doesn't let you connect on port 23, you will have
+to find some other host outside the firewall and hop through it. For
+instance, suppose you have a shell account at @samp{foo.edu}. Set
+command line options as follows:
@example
xboard -ics -telnet -telnetProgram ptelnet -icshost foo.edu -icsport ""
@end example
+
@noindent
Or in your @file{.Xdefaults} file:
XBoard*internetChessServerHost: foo.edu
XBoard*internetChessServerPort:
@end example
+
@noindent
-Then when you run @value{NAME} in ICS mode, it will issue the
+Then when you run XBoard in ICS mode, it will issue the
command @samp{ptelnet foo.edu} to connect to your account at
@samp{foo.edu}. Log in there, then type @samp{telnet chessclub.com 5000}.
-ICC timestamp and FICS timeseal do not work through many
+ICC timestamp and FICS timeseal do not work through some
firewalls. You can use them only if your firewall gives a clean TCP
connection with a full 8-bit wide path. If your firewall allows you
to get out only by running a special telnet program, you can't use
through a host outside the firewall (foo.edu in the example),
but run timestamp or timeseal on that host instead of telnet.
-Suppose that you have a SOCKS firewall that requires you to go through
-some extra level of authentication, but after that will give you a
-clean 8-bit wide TCP connection to the chess server. In that case,
-you could make a socksified version of
-@value{NAME}
-and run that. If you are using timestamp or timeseal,
-you will to socksify it, not
-@value{NAME};
-this may be difficult seeing that ICC and FICS do not
-provide source code for these programs.
-Socksification is beyond the scope of this document, but
-see the SOCKS Web site at http://www.socks.nec.com/how2socksify.html.
+Suppose that you have a SOCKS firewall that will give you a clean
+8-bit wide TCP connection to the chess server, but only after you
+authenticate yourself via the SOCKS protocol. In that case, you could
+make a socksified version of XBoard and run that. If you are using
+timestamp or timeseal, you will to socksify it, not XBoard; this may
+be difficult seeing that ICC and FICS do not provide source code for
+these programs. Socksification is beyond the scope of this document,
+but see the SOCKS Web site at http://www.socks.permeo.com/.
+If you are missing SOCKS, try http://www.funbureau.com/.
@node Environment
@chapter Environment variables
Game and position files are found in a directory named by the
@code{CHESSDIR} environment variable. If this variable is not set, the
current working directory is used. If @code{CHESSDIR} is set,
-@value{NAME} actually changes its working directory to
-@code{$CHESSDIR}, so GNU Chess listing files will also be stored there
-as well.
+XBoard actually changes its working directory to
+@code{$CHESSDIR}, so any files written by the chess engine
+will be placed there too.
@node Limitations
-@chapter Known limitations and bugs
+@chapter Limitations and known bugs
@cindex Limitations
@cindex Bugs
-There is no way for two people running copies of @value{NAME} to play
-each other without going through the @code{Internet Chess Server}.
+There is no way for two people running copies of XBoard to play
+each other without going through an Internet Chess Server.
Under some circumstances, your ICS password may be echoed when you log on.
-If you are connecting to the ICS by running telnet on an Internet provider
-or firewall host, you may find that each line you type is echoed back an extra
-time after you hit Return. If your Internet provider is a Unix system, you can
-probably turn its echo off by typing
-
-@example
-stty -echo
-@end example
-@noindent
-after you log in, and/or typing @key{^E-Return} (@key{control-E} followed by
-the @key{Return} key) to the telnet program after you have logged into ICS.
-It is a good idea to do this if you can, because the extra echo can
-occasionally confuse @value{NAME}'s parsing routines.
+If you are connecting to the ICS by running telnet on an Internet
+provider or firewall host, you may find that each line you type is
+echoed back an extra time after you hit @key{Enter}. If your Internet
+provider is a Unix system, you can probably turn its echo off by
+typing @kbd{stty -echo} after you log in, and/or typing
+@key{^E}@key{Enter} (Ctrl+E followed by the Enter key) to the telnet
+program after you have logged into ICS. It is a good idea to do this
+if you can, because the extra echo can occasionally confuse XBoard's
+parsing routines.
The game parser recognizes only algebraic notation.
piece drops in bughouse and crazyhouse to see if you actually
hold the piece you are trying to drop.
However, if you attempt an illegal move when using
-GNU Chess (or the ICS), @value{NAME} will accept the error message
+a chess engine or chess server, XBoard will accept the error message
that comes back, undo the move, and let you try another.
Fischer Random castling is not understood. You can probably play
Interaction window, but they will not be animated correctly, and saved
games will not be loaded correctly if castling occurs.
-FEN positions saved by @value{NAME}
+FEN positions saved by XBoard
never include correct information about whether castling is legal or
how many half-moves have been made since the last irreversible move,
and sometimes may not correctly indicate when en passant capture is available.
The mate detector does not understand that non-contact mate is not
really mate in bughouse and crazyhouse. The only problem this causes
while playing is minor: a @samp{#} (mate indicator) character will show
-up after a non-contact mating move in the move list; @value{NAME} will
+up after a non-contact mating move in the move list; XBoard will
not assume the game is over at that point. However, if you are editing
a game, Edit Game mode will be terminated by a non-contact mate.
-Some @value{NAME} functions may not work with versions of GNU Chess earlier
-than 4.0, patchlevel 77,
-or with versions of Crafty earlier than 15.11.
-A few functions work with GNU Chess but not Crafty, or vice versa.
-
The menus may not work if your keyboard is in Caps Lock or Num Lock mode.
This seems to be a problem with the Athena menu widget,
-not an @value{NAME} bug.
+not an XBoard bug.
Also see the ToDo file included with the distribution for many other
possible bugs, limitations, and ideas for improvement that have been
@cindex Problems
@cindex Reporting problems
-Report bugs and problems with @value{NAME} to
-@example
-bug-xboard@@gnu.org
-@end example
+Report bugs and problems with XBoard to @code{<bug-xboard@@gnu.org>}.
Please use the @file{script} program to start a typescript, run
-@value{NAME} with the @samp{-debug} option, and include the typescript
+XBoard with the @samp{-debug} option, and include the typescript
output in your message.
Also tell us what kind of machine and what operating system version
you are using. The command @samp{uname -a} will often tell you this.
.
@end example
-If you improve @value{NAME}, please send a message about your changes,
+If you improve XBoard, please send a message about your changes,
and we will get in touch with you about merging them in
to the main line of development.
+Also see our Web site at http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/xboard/.
@node Contributors
-@chapter Authors and contributors to @value{NAME}
+@chapter Authors and contributors
@cindex Authors
@cindex Contributors
-@table @asis
-@item Tim Mann
-has been responsible for XBoard versions 1.3 and beyond, and for
-WinBoard, a port of XBoard to Microsoft Win32 (Windows NT and
-Windows 95)
-
-@item Mark Williams
-contributed the initial (WinBoard-only) implementation
-of many new features added to both XBoard and WinBoard in version 4.1.0,
-including copy/paste, premove, icsAlarm, autoFlipView, training mode,
-auto raise, and blindfold.
-
-@item Ben Nye contributed X copy/paste code for XBoard.
-@item Hugh Fisher
-added animated piece movement to XBoard, and
-Henrik Gram (henrikg@@funcom.com) added it to WinBoard.
+Tim Mann has been responsible for XBoard versions 1.3 and beyond, and
+for WinBoard, a port of XBoard to Microsoft Win32 (Windows NT and
+Windows 95).
-@item Frank McIngvale
-added click/click moving, the Analysis modes,
-piece flashing, ZIICS import, and ICS text colorization to XBoard.
+Mark Williams contributed the initial (WinBoard-only) implementation
+of many new features added to both XBoard and WinBoard in version
+4.1.0, including copy/paste, premove, icsAlarm, autoFlipView, training
+mode, auto raise, and blindfold. Ben Nye contributed X copy/paste
+code for XBoard.
-@item Jochen Wiedmann
-ported XBoard to the Amiga, creating AmyBoard, and converted the
-documentation to texinfo. He was responsible for AmyBoard versions through
-330.5 (based on xboard 3.3.pl0).
+Hugh Fisher added animated piece movement to XBoard, and Henrik Gram
+(henrikg@@funcom.com) added it to WinBoard. Frank McIngvale added
+click/click moving, the Analysis modes, piece flashing, ZIICS import,
+and ICS text colorization to XBoard. Jochen Wiedmann ported XBoard to
+the Amiga, creating AmyBoard, and converted the documentation to
+texinfo. Elmar Bartel contributed the new piece bitmaps introduced in
+version 3.2. John Chanak contributed the initial implementation of
+ICS mode. The color scheme and the old 80x80 piece bitmaps were taken
+from Wayne Christopher's @code{XChess} program.
-@item Elmar Bartel
-contributed the new piece bitmaps introduced in version 3.2.
+Chris Sears and Dan Sears wrote the original XBoard. They were
+responsible for versions 1.0 through 1.2.
-@item Evan Welsh
-wrote @code{CMail}.
-
-@item Patrick Surry
-helped with design, testing and documenting CMail.
-
-@item John Chanak
-contributed the initial implementation of ICS mode.
-
-@item Wayne Christopher
-created @code{XChess}; the color scheme and the old 80x80 piece bitmaps
-were taken from it.
-
-@item Chris Sears and Dan Sears
-wrote the original XBoard. They were responsible for versions 1.0
-through 1.2.
-@end table
+Evan Welsh wrote @code{CMail}. Patrick Surry helped in designing,
+testing, and documenting CMail.
@node CMail
-@chapter Using @value{NAME} for electronic correspondence chess
+@chapter CMail
@cindex cmail
-The @file{cmail} program will help you play chess by email with opponents of
-your choice using @value{NAME} as an interface.
+The @file{cmail} program can help you play chess by email with opponents of
+your choice using XBoard as an interface.
You will usually run @file{cmail} without giving any options.
@menu
-* CMail options:: Invoking CMail.
-* CMail game:: Starting a CMail game.
-* CMail answer:: Answering a move.
-* CMail trouble:: Known CMail problems.
+* CMail options:: Invoking CMail.
+* CMail game:: Starting a CMail game.
+* CMail answer:: Answering a move.
+* CMail multi:: Multiple games in one message.
+* CMail completion:: Completing a game.
+* CMail trouble:: Known CMail problems.
@end menu
-
@node CMail options
-@section Invoking CMail.
+@section CMail options
@table @asis
@item -h
Displays @file{cmail} usage information.
@xref{Copying}.
@item -v
@itemx -xv
-Provides or inhibits verbose output from @file{cmail} and @value{NAME},
+Provides or inhibits verbose output from @file{cmail} and XBoard,
useful for debugging. The
@code{-xv}
form also inhibits the cmail introduction message.
Invokes or inhibits the sending of a mail message containing the move.
@item -xboard
@itemx -xxboard
-Invokes or inhibits the running of @value{NAME} on the game file.
+Invokes or inhibits the running of XBoard on the game file.
@item -reuse
@itemx -xreuse
-Invokes or inhibits the reuse of an existing @value{NAME} to display the
+Invokes or inhibits the reuse of an existing XBoard to display the
current game.
@item -remail
Resends the last mail message for that game. This inhibits running
-@value{NAME}.
+XBoard.
@item -game <name>
The name of the game to be processed.
@item -wgames <number>
The PGN Round tag (default @samp{-}, not applicable).
@item -mode <mode>
The PGN Mode tag (default @samp{EM}, Electronic Mail).
-@item OTHER OPTIONS
-Any unrecognized flags will be passed to @value{NAME}.
-Those most relevant for use with Icmail\fP are
-@samp{-timeDelay}, @samp{-noChessProgram}, @samp{-searchTime},
-@samp{-searchDepth}, @samp{-saveGameFile}, @samp{-autosave},
-@samp{-savePositionFile} and @samp{-boardSize}. @xref{Invocation}.
+@item Other options
+Any option flags not listed above are passed through to XBoard.
+Invoking XBoard through CMail changes the default values of two XBoard
+options: The default value for @samp{-noChessProgram} is changed to
+true; that is, by default no chess engine is started. The default
+value for @samp{-timeDelay} is changed to 0; that is, by default
+XBoard immediately goes to the end of the game as played so far,
+rather than stepping through the moves one by one. You can still set
+these options to whatever values you prefer by supplying them on
+CMail's command line. @xref{Options}.
@end table
-
@node CMail game
-@section Starting a CMail game.
+@section Starting a CMail Game
Type @file{cmail} from a shell to start a game as white. After an opening
-message, you will be prompted for a game name, which is optional -- if you
-simply press return, the game name will take the form
+message, you will be prompted for a game name, which is optional---if you
+simply press @key{Enter}, the game name will take the form
@samp{you-VS-opponent}. You will next be prompted for the short name
of your opponent. If you haven't played this person before, you will also
be prompted for his/her email address. @file{cmail} will then invoke
-@value{NAME} in the background. Make your first move and select
+XBoard in the background. Make your first move and select
@samp{Mail Move} from the @samp{File} menu. @xref{File Menu}. If all is well,
@file{cmail} will mail a copy of the move to your opponent. If you select
@samp{Exit} without having selected @samp{Mail Move} then no move will be
made.
-
@node CMail answer
-@section Answering a move.
+@section Answering a Move
When you receive a message from an opponent containing a move in one of
your games, simply pipe the message through @file{cmail}. In some mailers
this is as simple as typing @kbd{| cmail} when viewing the message, while in
others you may have to save the message to a file and do @kbd{cmail < file}
at the command line. In either case @file{cmail} will display the game using
-@value{NAME}. If you didn't exit @value{NAME} when you made your first move
-then @file{cmail} will do its best to use the existing @value{NAME} instead
+XBoard. If you didn't exit XBoard when you made your first move
+then @file{cmail} will do its best to use the existing XBoard instead
of starting a new one. As before, simply make a move and select
@samp{Mail Move} from the @samp{File} menu. @xref{File Menu}. @file{cmail}
will try to use the
-@value{NAME} that was most recently used to display the current game. This
+XBoard that was most recently used to display the current game. This
means that many games can be in progress simultaneously, each with its own
-active @value{NAME}.
+active XBoard.
If you want to look at the history or explore a variation, go ahead, but
-you must return to the current position before @value{NAME} will allow you
+you must return to the current position before XBoard will allow you
to mail a move. If you edit the game's history you must select
@samp{Reload Same Game} from the @samp{File} menu to get back to the original
position, then make the move you want and select @samp{Mail Move}.
As before, if you decide you aren't ready to make a move just yet you can
either select @samp{Exit} without sending a move or just leave
-@value{NAME} running until you are ready.
+XBoard running until you are ready.
+
+@node CMail multi
+@section Multi-Game Messages
+
+It is possible to have a @file{cmail} message carry more than one game.
+This feature was implemented to handle IECG (International Email Chess
+Group) matches, where a match consists of one game as white and one as black,
+with moves transmitted simultaneously. In case there are more general uses,
+@file{cmail} itself places no limit on the number of black/white games
+contained in a message; however, XBoard does.
-Because @value{NAME} can now detect checkmate and stalemate, @file{cmail}
-now handles game termination sensibly. As well as resignation, the
-@samp{Action} menu now allows draws to be offered and accepted for
+@node CMail completion
+@section Completing a Game
+Because XBoard can detect checkmate and stalemate, @file{cmail}
+handles game termination sensibly. As well as resignation, the
+@samp{Action} menu allows draws to be offered and accepted for
@file{cmail} games.
For multi-game messages, only unfinished and just-finished games will be
when he or she pipes the final message through @file{cmail}. The archive
file name includes the date the game was started.
-It's possible to have a @file{cmail} message carry more than one game.
-This feature was implemented to handle IECG (International Email Chess
-Group) matches, where a match consists of 1 game as white and 1 as black,
-with moves transmitted simultaneously. In case there are more general uses,
-@file{cmail} itself places no limit on the number of black/white games
-contained in a message; however, @value{NAME} does.
-
-
@node CMail trouble
-@section Known CMail problems.
+@section Known CMail Problems
It's possible that a strange conjunction of conditions may occasionally
mean that @file{cmail} has trouble reactivating an existing
-@value{NAME}. If this should happen, simply trying it again should work.
-If not, remove the file that stores the @value{NAME}'s PID
+XBoard. If this should happen, simply trying it again should work.
+If not, remove the file that stores the XBoard's PID
(@file{game.pid}) or use the @samp{-xreuse} option to force
-@file{cmail} to start a new @value{NAME}.
+@file{cmail} to start a new XBoard.
Versions of @file{cmail} after 2.16 no longer understand the old file format
-that @value{NAME} used to use and so cannot be used to correspond with
+that XBoard used to use and so cannot be used to correspond with
anyone using an older version.
Versions of @file{cmail} older than 2.11 do not handle multi-game messages,
so multi-game correspondence is not possible with opponents using an older
version.
-@node Programs
-@chapter Other programs you can use with @value{NAME}
-@cindex Programs
+@node Other programs
+@chapter Other programs you can use with XBoard
+@cindex Other programs
-Here are some other programs you can use with @value{NAME}
+Here are some other programs you can use with XBoard
@menu
-* GNU Chess:: The GNU Chess engine
-* Crafty:: The Crafty chess engine
-* zic2xpm:: The program used to import chess sets from ZIICS
+* GNU Chess:: The GNU Chess engine.
+* Crafty:: The Crafty chess engine.
+* zic2xpm:: The program used to import chess sets from ZIICS.
@end menu
@node GNU Chess
pace of development is good, because it means Crafty is always
getting better. This can sometimes cause problems with
backwards compatibility, but usually the latest version of Crafty
-will work well with the latest version of @value{NAME}.
+will work well with the latest version of XBoard.
Crafty can be obtained from its author's FTP site:
ftp://ftp.cis.uab.edu/hyatt/.
ftp://ftp.freechess.org/pub/chess/DOS/ziics131.exe
-
To import ZIICS pieces, do this:
-
@table @asis
@item 1. Unzip ziics131.exe into a directory:
@example
unzip -L ziics131.exe -d ~/ziics
@end example
-
@item 2. Use zic2xpm to convert a set of pieces to XBoard format.
For example, let's say you want to use the
cd ~/fritz4
zic2xpm ~/ziics/fritz4.*
@end example
-
-@item 3. Now, either give XBoard the ``-pixmap'' option when starting up, e.g.:
+@item 3. Give XBoard the ``-pixmap'' option when starting up, e.g.:
@example
xboard -pixmap ~/fritz4
@end example
-Or, add this line to your .Xdefaults file:
+Alternatively, you can add this line to your .Xdefaults file:
@example
xboard*pixmapDirectory: ~/fritz4
@end example
@end table
-(*) ZIICS is a separate copyrighted work of Andy McFarland (Zek on ICS).
+(*) ZIICS is a separate copyrighted work of Andy McFarland.
The ``ZIICS pieces'' are copyrighted works of their respective
creators. Files produced by ``zic2xpm'' are for PERSONAL USE ONLY
and may NOT be redistributed without explicit permission from
the original creator(s) of the pieces.
+@ifnottex
+@node Copyright
+@unnumbered Copyright
+@include copyright.texi
+@end ifnottex
+
@node Copying
@unnumbered GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
@include gpl.texinfo
+@c noman
@node Index
@unnumbered Index
-
@printindex cp
@contents
-
+@c end noman
projects / xboard.git / blobdiff