Sen:te Goban update ?

[darthmage]

I love this program and is currently my go-to SGF viewer on the mac.

Anyone know what the status of Sen:te Goban is ? It hasn't been updated since 2007 , and whenever I try to use any of the editing tools it crashes on my Mac OS X ML.

Related question : Are there any other good Mac OS X based go programs out there that I should check out ? (I have SmartGo Kifu on my iPhone)

[Boidhre]

Sen:te Goban is dead as a project I think. Your main options on OSX are the Java based Internet Go clients like the KGS one for SGF viewing and editing. SmartGo has been "coming to the Mac" for a fair bit now I think but no announcement has been made about it since March of 2012.

[bgrieco]

I also use sente's goban. Not only for viewing files, bt also as an igs client.
I believe I'm running mac osx lion though.
Both kgs and igs clients may run on a mac for that purpose.

[darthmage]

Thanks for the replies.

Sen:te Goban is dead as a project I think. Your main options on OSX are the Java based Internet Go clients like the KGS one for SGF viewing and editing. SmartGo has been "coming to the Mac" for a fair bit now I think but no announcement has been made about it since March of 2012.

Ah! That is sad to hear I don't mind the KGS client, but it looks really arcane and I have had some (minor) qualms about Java Of course to play on KGS that is the only option.. I am hoping SmartGo comes out soon with a Mac OS version.

I also use sente's goban. Not only for viewing files, bt also as an igs client.
I believe I'm running mac osx lion though.
Both kgs and igs clients may run on a mac for that purpose.

Same here. I used to play on IGS via Goban when I started learning go (but subsequently found KGS a much more conducive environment to learn from others).

Hmmmm...I am thinking Lion and ML should be similar enough to figure out if it's something specific to my installation. I don't have any issues viewing SGF files, but it always freezes whenever I try to edit an SGF file - like marking a position, marking a stone or adding a comment for a move. Have you encountered this issue on Lion ?

[pleiade67]

I am on Mac ML and I use the following programs:

natively under Mac OS X:
------------------------
Gowrite(java) is a full featured SGF viewer, editor and publishing tool
http://gowrite.net/

GoGui (java, SGF editor, also a GTP-engine gui) :
http://gogui.sourceforge.net/

Jacqueline go : GTP front-end including gnugo 3.8
http://www.informatrix.ch/informatrix/go/index.html

GoGrinder : java program for practicing problems
http://gogrinder.sourceforge.net/
-------------------------

The following Windows programs run smoothly using Wine under OS X ML:
----------------------------------
Drago (SGF editor, GTP engine front end)
http://www.godrago.net/index.htm

Go game asssitant 8.76 (shareware)
http://senseis.xmp.net/?GoGameAssistant

Kombilo : data base program
http://www.u-go.net/kombilo/
-----------------------------------

Installing Wine on Mac OS X:
http://www.davidbaumgold.com/tutorials/wine-mac/

It is of course also possible to run other Windows /linux softs using a virtual machine such as Virtualbox (but the above solutions should work).

[bgrieco]

Goban had problems editing sgf files since I've known it, running on PPC macs.

[darthmage]

I am on Mac ML and I use the following programs:

natively under Mac OS X:
------------------------
Gowrite(java) is a full featured SGF viewer, editor and publishing tool
http://gowrite.net/

GoGui (java, SGF editor, also a GTP-engine gui) :
http://gogui.sourceforge.net/

Jacqueline go : GTP front-end including gnugo 3.8
http://www.informatrix.ch/informatrix/go/index.html

GoGrinder : java program for practicing problems
http://gogrinder.sourceforge.net/
-------------------------

The following Windows programs run smoothly using Wine under OS X ML:
----------------------------------
Drago (SGF editor, GTP engine front end)
http://www.godrago.net/index.htm

Go game asssitant 8.76 (shareware)
http://senseis.xmp.net/?GoGameAssistant

Kombilo : data base program
http://www.u-go.net/kombilo/
-----------------------------------

Installing Wine on Mac OS X:
http://www.davidbaumgold.com/tutorials/wine-mac/

It is of course also possible to run other Windows /linux softs using a virtual machine such as Virtualbox (but the above solutions should work).

Perfect ! Thank you ! Am trying them out now.

[Mage]

I still use Sen:te Goban for playing on IGS and to play an occasional game with GNU Go.

Had tried to contact the Sen:te developers sometime ago, to enquire about the status, without success. Sad to see a nice alternative for the Mac disappear

I have started using EidoGo for editing SGF lately.It's browser based, but I like it's spartan UI and feel. Do check it out.

[Soverain]

Sente Goban is so much nicer (visually) than the alternatives, so I still use it, almost exclusively (when not on the iPad). I still check for updates now and then, but I have pretty much given up. :p

[Bonobo]

http://www.sente.ch/?p=1206&lang=en now says "Coming soon on the App Store: Goban 4.0", so there seems to be hope.

<gasp>

[matthiasa]

It's available now for about EUR 9. Does anybody know what the improvements over the last version are?

[Bonobo]

It's available now for about EUR 9.

Thx for the information.

Does anybody know what the improvements over the last version are?

Well, I purchased and downloaded. Installed the necessary Extensions (http://www.sente.ch/pub/software/goban/ ... nsions.dmg, 2.5 MB, contains GnuGo and NNGS which are under GPL and therefore can’t be distributed together with Goban on the Appstore).

Then launched Goban. Goban asks me to install the necessary Extensions.

Installed the Extensions again, and again Goban asks for the Extensions. Rinse, repeat.

<shrug>

Since the Sen:te support link on the Appstore points to a rudimentary page with another link the product page but no support info I saw no other way than to leave a one star rating with comment about installation fail.

I hope Sen:te will do something about this, otherwise I’ll have to get my money back.


<update>

After a reboot still the same. Re-downloaded the Extensions DMG, reinstalled the Extensions (for the umpteenth time), and now it works (see comment below).

</update>


Greetings, Tom

[Mike Novack]

Installed the necessary Extensions (http://www.sente.ch/pub/software/goban/ ... nsions.dmg, 2.5 MB, contains GnuGo and NNGS which are under GPL and therefore can’t be distributed together with Goban on the Appstore).

Why not?

Is this some confusion (which appears common) about what the GPL license is and isn't? Anybody is supposed to be able to (re)distribute free software as long as they do not charge for it and make the source code available.

That's a do not charge for it (the free software) not a do not charge for something else (not free) being distributed at the same time. You should be able to offer software for sale (not free software) at the same time offering free software for no additional charge and that requirement is easy to comply with (offer two downloads, one with the free software on the same download, one without it, same price).

That's not all the details for compliance but what seems to be at issue here. I think a lot of the confusion because these days usually downloads but the language of the various free software licenses were from before when distribution would be on medium of some sort.

[Bonobo]

[..]

Is this some confusion (which appears common)

I for one am too uninformed to even be confused

about what the GPL license is and isn't? [..]

From Sen:te’s page “Goban Extensions”:

Goban Extensions

To play go against your computer, against an opponent on your local network, or to automatically score games you need to download and install this free package:

GobanExtension.dmg

This package contains GNU Go, a go playing program, and NNGS, a go server software. Both are released under the Free Software Foundation’ s GPL license and therefore could not be directly bundled with Goban on the App Store.

[skydyr]

Installed the necessary Extensions (http://www.sente.ch/pub/software/goban/ ... nsions.dmg, 2.5 MB, contains GnuGo and NNGS which are under GPL and therefore can’t be distributed together with Goban on the Appstore).

Is this some confusion (which appears common) about what the GPL license is and isn't? Anybody is supposed to be able to (re)distribute free software as long as they do not charge for it and make the source code available.

There's no prohibition against charging for GPL software. It's just that if you distribute it, you must also give/provide access to the source code, and you cannot prevent further distribution by the receiving party.