This is GNU Go, a Go program. Development versions of GNU Go may be
found at http://www.gnu.org/software/gnugo/devel.html. Consult TODO if
you are interested in helping.
In short, './configure; make' will build GNU Go; optionally (running
as root) 'make install' will put it into /usr/local/bin and also
install the man page. You also will probably want to install CGoban.
User documentation can be obtained by running 'gnugo --help' or 'man
gnugo' from any terminal.
Texinfo documentation includes instructions for users as well as
documentation of GNU Go's algorithms and functions for programmers and
developers. Use an info reader or emacs to read the info files, or run
`make gnugo.dvi' or `make gnugo.ps' in the doc/ directory to get
printed documentation. You can also make html documentation from the
Texinfo files. One method of making html documentation is to run the
command 'makeinfo --html gnugo.texi' in the doc/ directory.
Contact us at gnugo@gnu.org if you are interested in helping to
Running GNU Go via CGoban
This is an extremely nice way to run GNU Go. CGoban provides a
beautiful graphic user interface under X Window System.
Start CGoban. When the CGoban Control panel comes up, select ``Go
Modem''. You will get the Go Modem Protocol Setup. Choose one (or
both) of the players to be ``Program,'' and fill out the box with the
path to gnugo. After clicking OK, you get the Game Setup window.
Choose ``Rules Set'' to be Japanese (otherwise handicaps won't work).
Set the board size and handicap if you want. Click OK and you are
In the Go Modem Protocol Setup window, when you specify the path to
GNU Go, you can give it command line options, such as --quiet to
suppress most messages. Since the Go Modem Protocol preempts standard
I/O other messages are sent to stderr, even if they are not error
messages. These will appear in the terminal from which you started
If you want to play with a komi, you should bear in mind that
the GMP does not have any provision for communicating the komi.
Because of this misfeature, unless you set the komi at the command
line GNU Go will have to guess it. It assumes the komi is 5.5 for
even games, 0.5 for handicap games. If this is not what you want,
you can specify the komi at the command line with the --komi
option, in the Go Modem Protocol Setup window. You have to set
the komi again in the Game Setup window, which comes up next.
Click OK and you are ready to go.
Other command line options can be listed by typing 'gnugo --help'
-or- 'man gnugo' from any terminal, or by consulting the Texinfo
Even if you do not have CGoban installed you can play with GNU Go
using its default Ascii interface. Simply type `gnugo' at the command
line, and GNU Go will draw a board. Typing `help' will give a list of
options. At the end of the game, pass twice, and GNU Go will prompt you
through the counting. You and GNU Go must agree on the dead groups--you
can toggle the status of groups to be removed, and when you are done,
GNU Go will report the score.
You can run GNU Go from Emacs. This has the advantage that you place
the stones using the cursor arrow keys. This requires Emacs 20.4 or
later. (Tested with Emacs 20.4. Does not work with 20.2.)
Load `interface/gnugo.el', either by `M-x load-file', or by adding a
(autoload 'gnugo "gnugo" "GNU Go" t)
in your `.emacs' file. Now you may start GNU Go by `M-x gnugo'. You
will be prompted for command line options *note Invoking GNU Go::.
Using these, you may set the handicap, board size, color and komi.
You can enter commands from the GNU Go ASCII interface after
typing `:'. For example, to take a move back, type `:back', or
to list all commands, type `:help'.
Here are the default keybindings:
Select point as the next move. An error is signalled for
invalid locations. Illegal locations, on the other hand,
show up in the GNU Go Console buffer.
Quit. Both Board and Console buffers are deleted.
Refresh. Includes restoring default window configuration.
Bury both Board and Console buffers (when the boss is near).
Pass; i.e., select no location for your move.
Extended command. Type in a string to be passed directly to
the inferior GNU Go process."
Jago, like CGoban is a client capable of providing GNU Go with a
graphical user interface. Unlike CGoban, it does not require
X Window System, so it is an attractive alternative under Windows.
You will need a Java Runtime Environment. Obtain Jago at
http://www.rene-grothmann.de/jago and follow the links there for the
Java Runtime Environment.
The Go Modem Protocol was developed by Bruce Wilcox with input from
David Fotland, Anders Kierulf and others, according to the history in
ftp://www.joy.ne.jp/welcome/igs/Go/programs/protocol.Z . Any Go
program *should* use this protocol since it is standard. Since CGoban
supports this protocol, the user interface for any Go program can be
done entirely through CGoban. The programmer can concentrate on the
real issues without worrying about drawing stones, resizing the board
and other distracting issues.
A few options are described here. A more complete list
may be found in the Texinfo documentation, or by running
Print a help message describing the options. This will also
tell you the defaults of various parameters, most importantly
the level and cache size. The default values of these
parameters can be set before compiling by `configure'. If
you forget the defaults you can find out using `--help'.
GNU Go can play with different strengths and speeds. Level 10
is the default. Decreasing the level will make GNU Go faster
but less accurate in its reading.
Don't print copyright and other messages. Messages
specifically requested by other command line options, such as
`--trace', are not supressed.
* `-l', `--infile FILENAME'
Stop loading just before the indicated move is played. MOVE
can be either the move number or location.
* `-o', `--outfile FILENAME'
Force the playing mode ('ascii', 'gmp' or 'gtp'). The
default is ASCII, but if no terminal is detected GMP (Go
Modem Protocol) will be assumed. In practice this is usually
what you want, so you may never need this option.
* `-M', `--cache-size MEGS'
Memory in megabytes used for hashing. The default size is 8
unless you configure gnugo with the command `configure
--enable-cache-size=SIZE' before compiling to make SIZE
Use Japanese Rules. This is the default unless you specify
`--enable-chinese-rules' as a configure option.
* `--copyright': Display the copyright notice
* `--version' or `-v': Print the version number
* `--printsgf FILENAME': Create an SGF file containing a diagram of
the board. Useful with `-L' to create diagrams from games.
All files Copyright 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,
2007, 2008 and 2009 by the Free Software Foundation except as noted below.
All files are under the GNU General Public License, which may be
found in the file COPYING, with the following exceptions.
* The files interface/gtp.c and gtp.h are copyright 2001 by
the Free Software Foundation. In the interests of promoting
the Go Text Protocol these two files are licensed under a less
restrictive license than the GPL and are free for unrestricted use.
The GTP license appears in each file.
* The files gmp.c and gmp.h are copyright Bill Shubert. These
are free for unrestricted use.
* The files regression/golois/* and the tests vie.tst, connect.tst,
capture.tst and global.tst are copyright Tristan Cazenave and are
* The SGF files in regression/games/handtalk are copyright Jessie Annala
and are used with permission.
* The SGF files in regression/games/mertin13x13 are copyright Stefan
Mertin and are used with permission.
* The remaining SGF files are either copyright by the FSF or are in
projects / sgk-go / blob