GoVRec

Record Go Games on your linux PDA

Last edited: January 18, 2006

This program is designed to record Go-Games on any Linux platform, in particular on devices with little computing power.

Presently, GoVRec runs on Linux PCs, the Agenda VR3, and Motorola's Linux-based cellphones A780, E680 and E680i.

Download version 0.99b/c

In order to download the program enter the download area here.

Some screenshots

Intro Screen (with coordinates) A nine by nine game (in color as it looks on the desktop) A thirteen by thirteen game (with a ko situation) A nineteen by nineteen game (with variations for the next move) Counting a nineteen by nineteen game

Supported Platforms and Porting

This program is designed to run on every Linux platform, in particular on devices with little computing power.

Presently, GoVRec runs on Linux PCs, the Agenda VR3, and Motorola's Linux-based cellphones.

It is easy to port GoVRec: All the system-specific functions are contained in the GoGraphic class. It contains all the routines which have to do with system specific stuff (not only the graphics, also the sound). See also goVRec.doc, and don't hesitate to contact me if you are planning to port GoVRec.

In case you happen not to know the agenda vr3, here is a link to agendacomputing.
In order to buy an agenda, you may have to go to Softfield's website.

Note to Users of Motorola A780, E680 and E680i

Motorola provides Linux-based smartphones, and Wastl Sommer provided a patch that makes GoVRec run on these! With his consent, I included the patch in the downloadable source code. Unfortunately, I cannot provide binaries at the moment, but you can compile the program by saying "make ezx".

For information on the openEZX-platform, visit openezx.org, and for general information on Motorola's Linux-based smartphones, visit motorolafans.com.

Note to Zaurus and Yopy users

Unfortunately, I don't have a Zaurus or Yopy myself. That is why the makefile does not have a zaurus section. So if you compile the program for the zaurus or the yopy (which should be no problem if you run X11), please let me know how you did it. Also contact me if you experience problems compiling goVRec for your linux PDA.

For information on the sharp zaurus, visit myzaurus.com or the zauruszone.

For information on the yopy linux pda, visit www.yopy.com or yopy.palmopensource.com.

History

I wanted to buy a palm mainly in order to be able to record go-games and to toy around with it. Well, I found out about the agenda, and bought one. However, (according to my knowledge) there was no go-recording software available. So I simply wrote one.

Actually, the program is work in progress. The current version (0.94) is very usable. But some improvements are still to come. Give it a try, and come back for better versions! Instead of coming back time and again, you can tell me to inform you via email about new releases: Just send an email.

Needless to mention: The program is published under the GPL. After all, I have had a lot of advantages from the open source community, so it is time to give a little something back (at least to the go players :)

Feedback

Feel free to give any kind of comments on the program.
E-mail me at: a AT abalser . de
Copyright: Andreas Balser

Changelog

0.99c -- 0.99b; release date: January 17, 2006

I included a patch provided by Wastl Sommer in order to make GoVRec run on the Motorola A780.

0.99b -- 0.99; release date: December 25, 2004

I discovered an older bug, which disabled variations starting before the first move; this bug, obviously, came to light when I tried looking at problem files with a fixed problem, and then variations on how to attack the problem.

0.99 -- 0.98e; release date: December 22, 2004

Now, GoVRec can parse files containing a problem properly; well, almost properly. The way it does it is kind of a hack, but I think it should work and do no harm.
Also, you can now quit with "q" (if you have a keyboard), and you can go forward and backward in a game by pressing the right resp. middle mouse button (if you have a mouse).
Lastly, a minor bug involving conflicting stones was resolved.

0.98e -- 0.98d; release date: February 1, 2004

In case of a Jigo, the score was previously displayed as "White +0"; now, "Jigo!" is shown. Also, now an icon for launchpad is included.

0.98d -- 0.98c; release date: October 2, 2003

The default komi is now set to 6.5 (since this seems to be standard nowadays); also, the default komi can now be set in GoDefines.cc.

0.98c -- 0.98b; release date: January 2, 2003

The komi was written to the sgf-file incorrectly. (fixed)

0.98b -- 0.97c; release date: October 13, 2002

Now displaying coordinates around the board is enabled.

Last week-end, I found a bug in the counting routine (which made it hang in certain special circumstances); now it is fixed (but maybe, unplayed neutrals will now be counted wrongly in certain cases).

0.97c -- 0.97b; release date: September 29, 2002

0.97c fixes a little bug (involving a ko); and more importantly, it proves that the program is still evolving!

0.97b -- 0.96c; release date: April 11, 2002

There was a serious bug in 0.97 which is fixed in 0.97b! It occurs when reviewing games with passing moves. The bug is now fixed.
Comments enabled!
Now you can view comments (see the screenshots above). However, there is still no way to edit comments (and I am not sure whether I will add that feature at all, since I probably need to use some toolkit for that, which makes porting harder).
The next feature that is coming up is togglable coordinates around the board (to understand comments like "E12 would have been much better.").

Also, the makefile works now (the old one didn't, and nobody told me).

0.96c -- 0.96b; release date: March 25, 2002

0.96b -- 0.95; release date: March 13, 2002

One or two small bugs fixed. You can now toggle autosave during your games. Sound for moves added. You can toggle this feature during the game.

0.96b fixes one more small bug.

0.95 -- 0.94b; release date: February 06, 2002

Treatment of conflict-stones enhanced (in some unusual situations -- e.g. the program got stuck when you tried to load a file with a conflict; plus: stones which cannot be placed although the spot where they should be placed is empty are now marked on the board as well).

0.94b -- 0.93c; release date: February 04, 2002

Now the board background is in color! The color is customizable via GoDefines.cc; The precompiled binaries ship with what I consider sensible colors, but you are free to play around!
There was a bug in 0.94 which lead to a segmentation fault when you tried to create a new sgf-file. This should be fixed now.
Also, one more bug (from 0.93c) is fixed in this release.

0.93c -- 0.92; release date: January 20, 2002

Version 0.93c enhances the autosave-feature: I have recently experienced the problem that my agenda ran out of power and could not restore the game afterwards. My conclusion was that the power ran out while it was about to rewrite the file. Hence, I have now added the following feature: If working in auto-save mode, the program creates a copy named FILENAME~ of the file after it creates it. In this way, one should still have the safety copy of the file in case the original file is corrupted after you ran out of power. At the moment, the program does not check for an auto-save file; hence, you need to tell the program explicitly to use the ~-file if there is anything wrong with your original file.
0.93b was a bug-fix release. It fixes two bugs (one of them was really annoying; did nobody notice anything? :-) and one more, which was introduced by the original Version 0.93.
If YOU find any bugs, please report them!

0.92 -- 0.85

0.85 -- 0.8

0.8 -- 0.75

0.75 -- 0.7

0.7 -- 0.67

0.67 -- 0.5

0.5 -- 0.3

0.3 -- 0.25

0.25 -- 0.2

0.2 -- 0.1

My personal homepage

can be found at www.abalser.de
You can send me feedback at a AT abalser . de.