Winboard Forum

Can the forum users give me an idea of the most stable and popular version of Winboard used on Windows platform and Ubuntu (Linux) ...I am developing an interface to create and change chess board tiles and engines etc.

I have found a portable version titled version 4.5.

I find this configuration the most user friendly and update-able.

Can people tell me what they think of this version in comparison with others.

Much obliged for any feedback

best wishes

Steveraymon

There has been no official release of a 4.5.x version yet. All 4.5.pre0 versions should have numbers like 4.20100917 derivedfrom a date, unless I messed upsome where. What was the link you obtained this version (and was it asource or binary distribution)?

Version 4.5.pre0 is what is now in the GNU Savanah (master branch) and hgm.nubati.net (hgm5 brach) repositories. Normally it is the most advanced an reliable version. But as it is being worked on, occasionally I mess something up, and the most recent commit has a bug, or even doesn't compile. This is then usually fixed quickly. There are no known bugs in the latest hgm.nubati.net snapshot today.

Hi HGM thanks for response, here is the link to the portable version boasting version number 4.5....

http://www.chess.com/download/view/portable-winboard-45b--houdini-103a

The executable doesnt sat version 4.5 in its properties so i a bit confused as to why this person calls it 4.5.

Any light shed would be appreciated...

Much obliged
Steve

On the page you gave the link to it says:

Portable setup of Winboard 4.5b(master build 07.08.2010.)

This means that it is indeed a 4.5.pre0 version, compiled from the GNU Savannah repository master branch, the snapshot tagged master-4.20100807. Probably it would say WinBoard 4.20100807 in the Help -> About.

This should be a good and reasonably up-to-date version. Main feature it would be missing compared to the current master versionis the internationalization (i.e. no possibility to switch it to Spanish or any other language than English). The winboard.exe in http://hgm.nubati.net/winbo_int.zip and http://hgm.nubati.net/WinBoard-SG.zip would be a little more recent, but do not come with an installer (and the latter unpacks in a configuration specifically set up for running my engine Shokidoki).

Mea culpa! I am "guilty" for posting that portable version at chess.com. I use the same portable setup myself so I thought why not share it with others and popularize this great and free chess GUI. My package includes Setup.cmd which easily configures board texture and pieces font by using sed.exe (win32 version of sed) to modify winboard.ini settings.
Maybe I should have been more clear about version (i did not know myself what to call it and 4.20100807 was too ambiguous for new users of Winboard).
I did mention it was master build 20100807 (07.08.2010.) and never claimed it was official 4.5 version. I used 4.5b ( b = beta ) so people can easily tell that this is newer version than 4.4.4 (how else can someone tell if 4.20100807 is newer version than 4.4.4?).
Sorry for creating confusion about version.

Hi thanks for both responses especially vsoljan (mia culpa ) I must say i find this portable version extremely tidy and nice for what i am doing. I willl try the executables that HGM points out too...

I am midway through creating a front-end engine manager, board tile creator and manager, and opening book manager.

I would love to make these available to all users shortly with the developers of Winboards permission, by that i mean HGM i think...

So thanks again for your responses I will post more news of my developments as they happen.

Best wishes

Steveraymon

Not sure what all the things you mention are intended to do, but I will await them with curiosity!