Using Pradu's WBTM

[Roger Brown]

Dear All,

I have a vexed issue here.

I have updated my Winboard by using H.G.'s shiny install and after tweaking I am happy with it.

Now I want to run some games with UCI and Winboard engines.

The problem is that the TM needs a configuration file to use the engines and when I import the ini files the UCI engine paths get messed up. Below is an example of my Winboard ini followed by the TM's configuration file.

Winboard ini - "Rybka" /fUCI /fd="c:\program files\engines\rybkauci" /xreuse ; /name="Rybka"

engines.pswbtm - \Rybka.exe

The TM complains about a startup failure as it cannot find the file specified.

I was hoping that with the setup that once I imported that the format of the UCI engines would be seamless.

My real question is why this is happening and is there a painless way (not involving the copying, pasting and renaming of polyglot executables and writing individual polyglot ini files in each UCI engine folder) to get the TM to recognise the winboard ini file statement without truncuating it?

I know that the solution is probably quite simple so be gentle.

Later.


I know I ended the post but I wanted to continue on a theme.

My reasoning is this:

Once my Winboard ini works with Winboard then the WBTM should also work as the job of the TM is to start up the gui and manage a tournament - using the ini file. What happens is that TM's are converting the winboard ini file to their format which may lead to problems.

I beleieve that jori's WBTM comes closest to the pure idea I have but that is a command driven utility that only bright persons like Leo and Guenther can use with any degree of comfort.

I would rather not use that, a gui works for me but what to do?

Any ideas?

[Michel]

I am at work so I have no access to a windows computer and also I have never used
PSWBTM.

But what is the precise error message of PSWBTM?

I mean there are 4 programs involved: PSWBTM, WB, PG and finally the engine.
At each stage something can go wrong. It is not clear to me from your message at which
stage things break down.

Perhaps HGM understands this better?

[F. Bluemers]

I don't think you can import engines from the winboard.ini into pswbtm.
Pswbtm has its own format (and file) for storing them.
So you have to use the engine manager from pswbtm.
Now if you don't want to install too many engines this is a minor nuisance

PSWBTM uses a local copy of the winboard.ini,but does not change it
Best
Fonzy

[Pedro Castro]

I have used Alex Guerrero Winboard Manager to configure Winboard engines. Winboard Manager uses winboard.ini for it. I use a relative path (So I can move the entire pack on a pendrive)

Ex Engine Winboard --> "Dirty -hash 64 -degbb ..\egbb -dcache 4" /fd=".\motores\dirty099z" /debug ; /name="Dirty v0.99z" /author="Pradu Kannan y Andrés Valverde, España"

Ex Engine with PolyGlot --> "Polyglot Ayito.ini" /fd=".\motores\polyglot" /debug ; /name="Ayito v0.2.994" /author="Jaime Benito de Valle Ruiz, España" /uci

Then I can use the Import command of PSWBTM and winboard.ini and everything is correct.

[Roger Brown]

I have used Alex Guerrero Winboard Manager to configure Winboard engines. Winboard Manager uses winboard.ini for it. I use a relative path (So I can move the entire pack on a pendrive)

Ex Engine Winboard --> "Dirty -hash 64 -degbb ..\egbb -dcache 4" /fd=".\motores\dirty099z" /debug ; /name="Dirty v0.99z" /author="Pradu Kannan y Andrés Valverde, España"

Ex Engine with PolyGlot --> "Polyglot Ayito.ini" /fd=".\motores\polyglot" /debug ; /name="Ayito v0.2.994" /author="Jaime Benito de Valle Ruiz, España" /uci

Then I can use the Import command of PSWBTM and winboard.ini and everything is correct.

Hello Pedro,

I was so happy to read your message but then Alex's WBTM gives me the following error message:

Component "MSHFLXGD.OCX" or one of its dependencies not correctly registered: a file is missing or invalid.

Sigh.

Thanks for the assist though.

Do you have a copy that is working on Vista?

Later.

[Roger Brown]

I don't think you can import engines from the winboard.ini into pswbtm.
Pswbtm has its own format (and file) for storing them.
So you have to use the engine manager from pswbtm.
Now if you don't want to install too many engines this is a minor nuisance

PSWBTM uses a local copy of the winboard.ini,but does not change it
Best
Fonzy

Hello Fonzy,

That is my problem. In my universe, the WBTM should start Winboard and whatever importation is being done it should not break a previously working setup. I suspect that the /fUCI is what is creating the problem. I am going to experiment a bit....

Incidentally, in my case too many engines is quite a few....

Later.

[H.G.Muller]

PSWBTM is completely obivious of winboard.ini. I never install any engines in winboard.ini. That is only useful when you would want to run WinBoard from the startup dialog, which I almost never do. (Only for testing WB.) S I have about 200 engines on my Chess PC, and the winboard.ini only contains GNU Chess and Crafty (both of which I don't have ).

I think the WB 4.4.0 install comes with a pretty clear description of how to install engines in PSWBTM.
For UCI engines you can use in the Parameter field:

WBopt /%sIsUCI true

meaning that the engine should be run with the additional WinBoard option /firstIsUCI true or /secondIsUCI true, depending on if it is the first or second engine. That is all.

[Roger Brown]

PSWBTM is completely obivious of winboard.ini. I never install any engines in winboard.ini. That is only useful when you would want to run WinBoard from the startup dialog, which I almost never do. (Only for testing WB.) S I have about 200 engines on my Chess PC, and the winboard.ini only contains GNU Chess and Crafty (both of which I don't have ).

Hello H.G.

Ahhhhh, but some of us have been in this thing before gui driven WBTM's, when winboard ini's were all we had. I have used a command line WBTM which I think Leo uses to this day....



You were the smart one and I guess going forward it makes sense to set it up as you did. I mean, I can call winboard for a game against an engine through Pradu's WBTM as well.

I think the WB 4.4.0 install comes with a pretty clear description of how to install engines in PSWBTM.
For UCI engines you can use in the Parameter field:

WBopt /%sIsUCI true

meaning that the engine should be run with the additional WinBoard option /firstIsUCI true or /secondIsUCI true, depending on if it is the first or second engine. That is all.

You mean like some sort of readme or manual? Come on H.G., yourself included, who reads the (deleted word here) manual anyway?



It is much more fun this way, of frustration and then subsequent discovery. I will try your suggestion when I get to my machine.

Thanks!

Later.


EDIT: Later is now. Thanks H.G., works like a charm! This is sweet!