Re: [XBoard-devel] test packages for parallel install

[h . g . muller]

>> It installed OK though, it also installed gnuchess as a dependancy.

I think dependency on a Chess engine is good, as XBoard by default tries
to start with one. Debian, however, refuses to include such a dependence,
because XBoard can also be used without engine, in ICS or game-viewer
mode. Apparrently other distros are more realistic in this respect.

It seems a bit strange to have a dependency on gnuchess, though, when in
reality the dependency is on fairymax.

I should add that the latest versions of xboard are much less dependent on
the engine than they used to be: it is no longer a fatal error when the
default engine refuses to start. It still prints the error popup, but then
simply continues running in -ncp mode. The user can then load another
engine he does have from the menu, if he wants. (This, btw, fixes one of
the feature-request 'bugs' in the bug-xboard list.)