🚀 go-pugleaf

Linares wrote:
> 
> 1. The GNU xboard for PalmOS. Would I be allowed to use such a
> name?

To call software "GNU xxxxx" it needs to be free software and
accepted into the GNU project, and adhere to GNU standards. The
guidelines are on www.gnu.org. Since GNU is a project to build a
free operating system and supply it with applications, I doubt a
specific port to a non-free OS would qualify. 

I suspect GNU Chess snook in because of the influence of people
at MIT AI's department, although we are committed to better
adherence to the GNU standards, and it does run on GNU/Linux and
other free operating systems.

"xboard" is Tim Mann's software, I expect he'd be happy to
receive well thought out patches, I doubt he'll be happy for you
to try reusing the name without permission.

AFAIK xboard is nothing to do with the GNU project (Although it
does use the GNU GPL v2 as it's licence).

The close relationship between 'xboard' and 'GNU Chess' is one
of mutual convenience. 

Tim can bundle a free chess program with xboard, we can bundle a
free chess interface with GNU Chess (free as in liberty). If Tim
needs to make some changes to GNU Chess to make it compile as he
likes for distribution, well the GNU GPL allows him to do that
for as long as he publishes his patch. Usually he sends them to
us, and we go "doh - why didn't we think of that".

> I have seen many
> commercial programs for PalmOS which are not very good (I am
> not talking about
> Chess players for PalmOS but interfaces!!)

> because I am a GNU volunteer

.. you meant to "proprietary" not "commercial" ;)

I'll be selling CD's with GNU Chess and other chess related
'free software' just as soon as I'm happy with the next major
release.

> GNU but for PalmOS as well. That means that I actually want to
> be as much close to the original xboard as possible. I think this would
> require some interaction
> with gnuchess people.

We can help with porting GNU Chess, but I don't know much about
xboard, Tim has done most that that himself AFAIK.

> my work while writting the conduit: creating the new option in
> the menu for launching the syncronization; updating data structures for
> creating the files that have to be sent/received to/from the PDA and things like that.

Again: xboard != GNU Chess

> Finally, I would like to know if there is any web page where
> the development of gnuchess is managed (something like Savannah or similar).

GNU Chess is on Savannah - latest source code is in the CVS head
- and unless you catch me in the middle of checking in a complex
change should be accessible via anonymous CVS, and build with
./configure ; make ; make install

I haven't tested cross compiling with the current code base, but
I'll be happy to commit changes that make cross compiling work
as needed, and other changes that are required for a Palm port
once it is working.

xboard appears as complete well tested and documented releases
on Tim Mann's website as if by magic. More the duck approach to
software release, calm and placid on the surface, with lots of
furious paddling underneath I suspect.