Re: [Bug-XBoard] Xboard 4.5.1 install bug Mac OS X 10.6.6

[h.g. muller]

> hmm, seems as if that option is not doing much... I also did a quick
> grep across the source and can't find any place where it is used, apart
> from in StartChildProcess as a second argument, which seems to be always
> "". The second argument is used for the chdir HGM mentioned. But this
> doesn't seem to matter if polyglot will change it's directory again
> anyway. Can we get rid of this option (and the second argument to
> StartChildProcess)?

Most certainly not. For one, we don't ever get rid even of obsolete options
for reasons of backward compatibility.

But secondly, your logic is a bit flawed. This option is crucial when Polyglot
is not in the path even on Linux. And on Windows systems, it usually isn't.
Plus that Polyglot needs not really be Polyglot, but now is the adapter
specified in the -adapterCommand option, which could be an adapter
(like an old Polyglot version) that does need files (like polyglot.ini),
which it looks for in its startup directory, even if it changes to the
engine directory after opening them.

The second argument of StartChildProcess is normally used for setting
the engine directory (accordingto the -fd and -sd settngs) before running
the engine. Only UCI engines use Polyglot.

In fact it is very likely that I will 'proliferate' this option in future 
XBoard versions,
implementing -polyglotDir2, -polyglotDir3 options for similar use with 
(also new)
-adapterCommand2,  -adapterCommand3 options, to be invoked by new options
like -fUCCI / -sUCCI and -fUXI / -sUXI. Although it might be better to provide
synonyms -uciDir / -ucciDir / -uxiDir


> Anyway, we should update the manual, at the moment it says:
>
> -polyglotDir filename
>      Gives the name of the directory in which the Polyglot adapter for
>      UCI engines resides.  Default: "/usr/local/share/polyglot".