Starting and Leaving @gnubg

This chapter describes how to run @gnubg{}, and how to end it when you are finished.

Invoking @gnubg

Start GNU Backgammon by running the program gnubg. Once started, it will process commands from the terminal.

You can also instruct @gnubg{} to read an existing match from a file, to play or analyse. (FIXME actually you can't yet, but you should be able to.) To read the match from filename, specify gnubg filename.

@gnubg{} will give you a short summary of how to invoke it if given the option @option{--help} (@option{-h} for short), and report its version with @option{--version} (@option{-v}).

GNU Backgammon will normally use a graphical board window under the X Window System, if possible. To prevent this behaviour and use standard terminal output instead, you can specify the @option{--tty} option (which can be abbreviated to @option{-t}).

Leaving @gnubg

exit

quit

To exit @gnubg{}, use the exit or quit commands (they are synonymous). If you are currently playing a game, the match in progress will be lost, so @gnubg{} will ask you if you are sure you want to exit in this case. (FIXME it doesn't yet, but it should.)

@gnubg{} will also exit upon end-of-file; you can therefore exit by typing an end-of-file character (usually C-d, i.e. hold the CTRL key and press D).

If you send an interrupt sequence (often by pressing C-c), the current @gnubg{} command (if any) will be terminated. This can be useful if you do not want to wait for a slow command to complete.

Shell Commands

You can execute shell commands from @gnubg{} without leaving or suspending it.

!command

Invoke a subshell to execute command. The environment variable SHELL determines which shell to use (@gnubg{} defaults to `/bin/sh' if $SHELL is not set). If command is not specified, the shell will be invoked. FIXME not implemented yet.