Author: Stefan Meyer-Kahlen
Date: 05:49:17 11/30/00
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On November 30, 2000 at 04:31:46, Andreas Stabel wrote: >I think that the only proper way to match two programs is to run them on two >different computers with some sort of communication between them. Today almost >all computer-computer communication is done with TCP/IP, so I think it is time >that we moved the standard chess interface between programs to this protocol. > >I have long experience of programming TCP/IP based systems, so my proposal is >to make a TCP/IP server which will work as a coordinator between two chess >programs. I will also program a simple client for this server which use the >Winboard interface and perhaps other interfaces too, so most of todays chess >programs wouldn't have to be rewritten. > >In future extentions it would be easy for the TCP/IP server to alow more than >two programs to connect and to run matches between all the programs and so on. > >The final system would be used in approximately the following way: > >On computer X - which doesn't have to be any of the computers running the > chess programs: > Here you start the server: > chesserver -port 1234 -games 10 > >On computer 1: > Here the first chess program is started: > chessclient -server computerX -port 1234 -engine crafty .... > >On computer 2: > Here the second chess program is started: > chessclient -server computerX -port 1234 -engine arasan .... > >Now 10 matches between the two engines on the two computers would be run >automatically. > >What do you all think about this suggestion and what features should this >system incorporate ? I think this is a very good idea, but I don't like the command line thing. This is what I suggest and how I do it in Shredder. It looks like a "normal" engine match, but each engine is using a different computer. Take one GUI only and make this the "master" of the thing. In this GUI you can load multiple engines, each running on a different computer in the network. The advantage of having one GUI only is that you don't have to run around in your network to find out what the other engines are doing and the advantage of having one GUI at all is that this is much easier to handle. If you are using UCI engines you just need a rsh demon installed on the engine's machines in the network, it doesn't matter if you run Windows or Linux or whatever there. This should also work using winboard engines and I think there is also a network play option in the winboard user interface. Another option which is already working well is to use the good old auto232 autoplayer with the extensions that you can use the network cable instead of the serial cable, but with you still have to run around your network from one machine to another. Stefan
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