Compiling xboard, getting a fully functional xboard

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Compiling xboard, getting a fully functional xboard

Postby velocidrom » 19 Apr 2014, 22:51

Hello,
I am wondering where to look to know what libraries I need to have in order to compile and install xboard in such a way to have it fully functional.
I have downloaded the latest dev version, compiled it with ./configure --with-gtk --enable-zippy, then make and make install.
I can run xboard without any apparent problem.
The problem is that the letters are so small that I'm guessing I'm missing some libraries. Not only the letters are small, but the words are abbreviated to letters. For example "File" becomes "F".
I attach a screenshot so that you can see the display.
My guess is that I'd need to install some libraries and recompile+reinstall it to get it work fully.
Image


Also when I close and restart xboard, the size is never saved. It starts very tiny and I have to expand it by dragging the mouse. I have "set settings on quitting" to true and even when I manually hit "save settings", every time I restart xboard, it starts tiny.

Thanks for any help.
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Re: Compiling xboard, getting a fully functional xboard

Postby H.G.Muller » 20 Apr 2014, 17:38

There is no feedback in XBoard yet from the size you give it by sizing the window with the mouse, and what it stores for board size in the persistent settings file. It just remembers the last -size option you have run it with, and uses the initial size and font that belongs to that. Apparently this was a very small size, which needed to abbreviate menu names to not make the menu bar wider than the board. If you want bigger font, you should start with the option "-size bulky" (or -size 72) or something like that.
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Re: Compiling xboard, getting a fully functional xboard

Postby velocidrom » 24 Apr 2014, 17:41

H.G.Muller wrote:There is no feedback in XBoard yet from the size you give it by sizing the window with the mouse, and what it stores for board size in the persistent settings file. It just remembers the last -size option you have run it with, and uses the initial size and font that belongs to that. Apparently this was a very small size, which needed to abbreviate menu names to not make the menu bar wider than the board. If you want bigger font, you should start with the option "-size bulky" (or -size 72) or something like that.

I see, thank you. I have tried -size 72, I can now fully read the settings, they aren't abbreviated anymore. However the clock font is still very small (did not change).
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Re: Compiling xboard, getting a fully functional xboard

Postby H.G.Muller » 24 Apr 2014, 17:53

As I think you are using the latest development version, you could try to adjust the font with the option

-clockFont "Sans 28"

(or an even bigger number). I think it should support that. Strange that it did not pick a bigger font by itself, though. It is supposed to remember the font for each board size separately.
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Re: Compiling xboard, getting a fully functional xboard

Postby velocidrom » 25 Apr 2014, 19:03

H.G.Muller wrote:As I think you are using the latest development version, you could try to adjust the font with the option

-clockFont "Sans 28"

(or an even bigger number). I think it should support that. Strange that it did not pick a bigger font by itself, though. It is supposed to remember the font for each board size separately.

Thank you, this did the trick! Woahhh beautiful font! :D
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