1 GNU Go
2
3This is GNU Go, a Go program. Development versions of GNU Go may be
4found at http://www.gnu.org/software/gnugo/devel.html. Consult TODO if
5you are interested in helping.
6
7
8 Installation
9
10In short, './configure; make' will build GNU Go; optionally (running
11as root) 'make install' will put it into /usr/local/bin and also
12install the man page. You also will probably want to install CGoban.
13See INSTALL for details.
14
15
16 Documentation
17
18User documentation can be obtained by running 'gnugo --help' or 'man
19gnugo' from any terminal.
20
21Texinfo documentation includes instructions for users as well as
22documentation of GNU Go's algorithms and functions for programmers and
23developers. Use an info reader or emacs to read the info files, or run
24`make gnugo.dvi' or `make gnugo.ps' in the doc/ directory to get
25printed documentation. You can also make html documentation from the
26Texinfo files. One method of making html documentation is to run the
27command 'makeinfo --html gnugo.texi' in the doc/ directory.
28
29
30
31Contact us at gnugo@gnu.org if you are interested in helping to
32develop this program.
33
34
35 Running GNU Go via CGoban
36
37This is an extremely nice way to run GNU Go. CGoban provides a
38beautiful graphic user interface under X Window System.
39
40Start CGoban. When the CGoban Control panel comes up, select ``Go
41Modem''. You will get the Go Modem Protocol Setup. Choose one (or
42both) of the players to be ``Program,'' and fill out the box with the
43path to gnugo. After clicking OK, you get the Game Setup window.
44Choose ``Rules Set'' to be Japanese (otherwise handicaps won't work).
45Set the board size and handicap if you want. Click OK and you are
46ready to go.
47
48In the Go Modem Protocol Setup window, when you specify the path to
49GNU Go, you can give it command line options, such as --quiet to
50suppress most messages. Since the Go Modem Protocol preempts standard
51I/O other messages are sent to stderr, even if they are not error
52messages. These will appear in the terminal from which you started
53CGoban.
54
55If you want to play with a komi, you should bear in mind that
56the GMP does not have any provision for communicating the komi.
57Because of this misfeature, unless you set the komi at the command
58line GNU Go will have to guess it. It assumes the komi is 5.5 for
59even games, 0.5 for handicap games. If this is not what you want,
60you can specify the komi at the command line with the --komi
61option, in the Go Modem Protocol Setup window. You have to set
62the komi again in the Game Setup window, which comes up next.
63
64Click OK and you are ready to go.
65
66Other command line options can be listed by typing 'gnugo --help'
67-or- 'man gnugo' from any terminal, or by consulting the Texinfo
68documentation.
69
70
71 Ascii Interface
72
73Even if you do not have CGoban installed you can play with GNU Go
74using its default Ascii interface. Simply type `gnugo' at the command
75line, and GNU Go will draw a board. Typing `help' will give a list of
76options. At the end of the game, pass twice, and GNU Go will prompt you
77through the counting. You and GNU Go must agree on the dead groups--you
78can toggle the status of groups to be removed, and when you are done,
79GNU Go will report the score.
80
81
82 GNU Go mode in Emacs
83
84 You can run GNU Go from Emacs. This has the advantage that you place
85the stones using the cursor arrow keys. This requires Emacs 20.4 or
86later. (Tested with Emacs 20.4. Does not work with 20.2.)
87
88 Load `interface/gnugo.el', either by `M-x load-file', or by adding a
89line
90
91 (autoload 'gnugo "gnugo" "GNU Go" t)
92
93in your `.emacs' file. Now you may start GNU Go by `M-x gnugo'. You
94will be prompted for command line options *note Invoking GNU Go::.
95Using these, you may set the handicap, board size, color and komi.
96
97 You can enter commands from the GNU Go ASCII interface after
98typing `:'. For example, to take a move back, type `:back', or
99to list all commands, type `:help'.
100
101 Here are the default keybindings:
102
103 * `Return' or `Space'
104 Select point as the next move. An error is signalled for
105 invalid locations. Illegal locations, on the other hand,
106 show up in the GNU Go Console buffer.
107
108 * `q' or `Q'
109 Quit. Both Board and Console buffers are deleted.
110
111 * `R'
112 Resign.
113
114 * `C-l'
115 Refresh. Includes restoring default window configuration.
116
117 * `M-_'
118 Bury both Board and Console buffers (when the boss is near).
119
120 * `p'
121 Pass; i.e., select no location for your move.
122
123 * `:'
124 Extended command. Type in a string to be passed directly to
125 the inferior GNU Go process."
126
127
128
129 Running GNU Go via Jago
130
131Jago, like CGoban is a client capable of providing GNU Go with a
132graphical user interface. Unlike CGoban, it does not require
133X Window System, so it is an attractive alternative under Windows.
134You will need a Java Runtime Environment. Obtain Jago at
135http://www.rene-grothmann.de/jago and follow the links there for the
136Java Runtime Environment.
137
138
139 Go Modem Protocol
140
141The Go Modem Protocol was developed by Bruce Wilcox with input from
142David Fotland, Anders Kierulf and others, according to the history in
143ftp://www.joy.ne.jp/welcome/igs/Go/programs/protocol.Z . Any Go
144program *should* use this protocol since it is standard. Since CGoban
145supports this protocol, the user interface for any Go program can be
146done entirely through CGoban. The programmer can concentrate on the
147real issues without worrying about drawing stones, resizing the board
148and other distracting issues.
149
150
151 Options
152
153A few options are described here. A more complete list
154may be found in the Texinfo documentation, or by running
155gnugo --help.
156
157* `--help', `-h'.
158 Print a help message describing the options. This will also
159 tell you the defaults of various parameters, most importantly
160 the level and cache size. The default values of these
161 parameters can be set before compiling by `configure'. If
162 you forget the defaults you can find out using `--help'.
163
164* `--level LEVEL'
165 GNU Go can play with different strengths and speeds. Level 10
166 is the default. Decreasing the level will make GNU Go faster
167 but less accurate in its reading.
168
169* `--quiet', `--silent'
170 Don't print copyright and other messages. Messages
171 specifically requested by other command line options, such as
172 `--trace', are not supressed.
173
174* `-l', `--infile FILENAME'
175 Load the named SGF file
176
177* `-L', `--until MOVE'
178 Stop loading just before the indicated move is played. MOVE
179 can be either the move number or location.
180
181* `-o', `--outfile FILENAME'
182 Write sgf output to file
183
184* `--mode MODE'
185 Force the playing mode ('ascii', 'gmp' or 'gtp'). The
186 default is ASCII, but if no terminal is detected GMP (Go
187 Modem Protocol) will be assumed. In practice this is usually
188 what you want, so you may never need this option.
189
190
191* `-M', `--cache-size MEGS'
192 Memory in megabytes used for hashing. The default size is 8
193 unless you configure gnugo with the command `configure
194 --enable-cache-size=SIZE' before compiling to make SIZE
195 the default.
196
197
198* `--chinese-rules'
199 Use Chinese counting.
200
201
202* `--japanese-rules'
203 Use Japanese Rules. This is the default unless you specify
204 `--enable-chinese-rules' as a configure option.
205
206* `--copyright': Display the copyright notice
207
208* `--version' or `-v': Print the version number
209
210* `--printsgf FILENAME': Create an SGF file containing a diagram of
211 the board. Useful with `-L' to create diagrams from games.
212
213
214
215
216 Copyrights and License
217
218All files Copyright 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,
2192007, 2008 and 2009 by the Free Software Foundation except as noted below.
220
221All files are under the GNU General Public License, which may be
222found in the file COPYING, with the following exceptions.
223
224* The files interface/gtp.c and gtp.h are copyright 2001 by
225 the Free Software Foundation. In the interests of promoting
226 the Go Text Protocol these two files are licensed under a less
227 restrictive license than the GPL and are free for unrestricted use.
228 The GTP license appears in each file.
229
230* The files gmp.c and gmp.h are copyright Bill Shubert. These
231 are free for unrestricted use.
232
233* The files regression/golois/* and the tests vie.tst, connect.tst,
234 capture.tst and global.tst are copyright Tristan Cazenave and are
235 used with his permission
236
237* The SGF files in regression/games/handtalk are copyright Jessie Annala
238 and are used with permission.
239
240* The SGF files in regression/games/mertin13x13 are copyright Stefan
241 Mertin and are used with permission.
242
243* The remaining SGF files are either copyright by the FSF or are in
244 the public domain.
245