ProChess 102 A "doctor" released

[Edoardo Manino]

thankyou, a perfect description!

[Ajedrecista]

Hello again:

the GUI will ignore the .ini file, but ProChess not!
it's my program that reads the .ini file at the start.
if you change parameters you have simply to
unload and restart ProChess from the GUI

and please note that the "20" parameter is not in MB.
it is 16byte*2^20

I did not get the 20MB figure from your file. I got it from windows task manager as your exe was thinking. Task mgr. generally is correct. So it is only 20MB hash. So HOW do I get it off 20MB hash. How do I change parameters. It says you have none.

I was right according to Edoardo. Nice!

I am going to explain you a difficult way (the only I know) for manipulate *.ini files.

Go to ProChess102AD folder and you will see ProChess.ini file. Then you can exit the folder, right click over ProChess102AD folder and it should appear something like 'go to command prompt' (I am aware that this option is not available in all the computers; so if it is not present, my method is finished for you and other ways need to be found). If you are lucky and 'go to command prompt' (or something similar) is present, click it and you will get a command prompt where you must write the following:

Code: Select all

ren ProChess.ini ProChess.txt

Press Enter and this order will change the file extension of that *.ini file into *.txt, that is a Notepad (very easy to manipulate). Please do not close this command prompt. Now you can open ProChess.txt and you will find the following:

Code: Select all

# ProChess configuration file:
# comments begin with a # character

CONTEMPT 0

# Draw evaluation (centipawns):
# positive values may lead to early draws

HASHTABLE 20

# Hashtable size (power of two):
# high values can exceed the computer memory

PERSISTENCE true

# Keep old hashtable entries (false, true):
# set false mode for debugging purpose

VERBOSITY 1

# Engine output verbosity (0 minimal, 1 analysis, 2 debug):
# set minimal mode for very fast time controls

You can see HASHTABLE 20, so you have to replace 20 to your desired parameter according to the table I wrote in my other post (for example, 24 for getting 256 MB of hash). Then you save the changes in the Notepad and you have to undo the file extension change in this way: go to the command prompt again (which you should not close before) and type:

Code: Select all

ren ProChess.txt ProChess.ini

Press Enter and this order will change the file extension again, so the configuration file will have *.ini extension again and it will work again. You can close the command prompt now.

Then you can unload the engine from the GUI and reload it again, as Edoardo said before. I know that this way can be really difficult. I am sorry if you do not find 'go to command prompt' option. Good luck!

Regards from Spain.

Ajedrecista.

[geots]

Hello again:

the GUI will ignore the .ini file, but ProChess not!
it's my program that reads the .ini file at the start.
if you change parameters you have simply to
unload and restart ProChess from the GUI

and please note that the "20" parameter is not in MB.
it is 16byte*2^20

I did not get the 20MB figure from your file. I got it from windows task manager as your exe was thinking. Task mgr. generally is correct. So it is only 20MB hash. So HOW do I get it off 20MB hash. How do I change parameters. It says you have none.

I was right according to Edoardo. Nice!

I am going to explain you a difficult way (the only I know) for manipulate *.ini files.

Go to ProChess102AD folder and you will see ProChess.ini file. Then you can exit the folder, right click over ProChess102AD folder and it should appear something like 'go to command prompt' (I am aware that this option is not available in all the computers; so if it is not present, my method is finished for you and other ways need to be found). If you are lucky and 'go to command prompt' (or something similar) is present, click it and you will get a command prompt where you must write the following:

Code: Select all

ren ProChess.ini ProChess.txt

Press Enter and this order will change the file extension of that *.ini file into *.txt, that is a Notepad (very easy to manipulate). Please do not close this command prompt. Now you can open ProChess.txt and you will find the following:

Code: Select all

# ProChess configuration file:
# comments begin with a # character

CONTEMPT 0

# Draw evaluation (centipawns):
# positive values may lead to early draws

HASHTABLE 20

# Hashtable size (power of two):
# high values can exceed the computer memory

PERSISTENCE true

# Keep old hashtable entries (false, true):
# set false mode for debugging purpose

VERBOSITY 1

# Engine output verbosity (0 minimal, 1 analysis, 2 debug):
# set minimal mode for very fast time controls

You can see HASHTABLE 20, so you have to replace 20 to your desired parameter according to the table I wrote in my other post (for example, 24 for getting 256 MB of hash). Then you save the changes in the Notepad and you have to undo the file extension change in this way: go to the command prompt again (which you should not close before) and type:

Code: Select all

ren ProChess.txt ProChess.ini

Press Enter and this order will change the file extension again, so the configuration file will have *.ini extension again and it will work again. You can close the command prompt now.

Then you can unload the engine from the GUI and reload it again, as Edoardo said before. I know that this way can be really difficult. I am sorry if you do not find 'go to command prompt' option. Good luck!

Regards from Spain.

Ajedrecista.

Jesus, all this is fine- and I thank you. But there is already an ini file. The problem is Fritz 11 ignores it, and is not going to obey any commands from the engine folder. It is going to have to come from a command in the gui. I tried 4 different hash settings in his ini file- and it does not phase Fritz 11- he is not interested. Pays no attention. In all my use of chessbase guis, I have seen one or two times it obeyed a command from inside the folder of a UCI engine. Very rare. When you change a winboard to UCI with the adapters- a different story. It then will obey any commands from inside the folder. Again, I suppose it is possible it might obey one here. But I would be surprised. And again- I tried 4 diff. ini file parameter changes in about 5 diff. ways- Fritz obeyed nada on my end.


gts

[geots]

Hello again:

the GUI will ignore the .ini file, but ProChess not!
it's my program that reads the .ini file at the start.
if you change parameters you have simply to
unload and restart ProChess from the GUI

and please note that the "20" parameter is not in MB.
it is 16byte*2^20

I did not get the 20MB figure from your file. I got it from windows task manager as your exe was thinking. Task mgr. generally is correct. So it is only 20MB hash. So HOW do I get it off 20MB hash. How do I change parameters. It says you have none.

I was right according to Edoardo. Nice!

I am going to explain you a difficult way (the only I know) for manipulate *.ini files.

Go to ProChess102AD folder and you will see ProChess.ini file. Then you can exit the folder, right click over ProChess102AD folder and it should appear something like 'go to command prompt' (I am aware that this option is not available in all the computers; so if it is not present, my method is finished for you and other ways need to be found). If you are lucky and 'go to command prompt' (or something similar) is present, click it and you will get a command prompt where you must write the following:

Code: Select all

ren ProChess.ini ProChess.txt

Press Enter and this order will change the file extension of that *.ini file into *.txt, that is a Notepad (very easy to manipulate). Please do not close this command prompt. Now you can open ProChess.txt and you will find the following:

Code: Select all

# ProChess configuration file:
# comments begin with a # character

CONTEMPT 0

# Draw evaluation (centipawns):
# positive values may lead to early draws

HASHTABLE 20

# Hashtable size (power of two):
# high values can exceed the computer memory

PERSISTENCE true

# Keep old hashtable entries (false, true):
# set false mode for debugging purpose

VERBOSITY 1

# Engine output verbosity (0 minimal, 1 analysis, 2 debug):
# set minimal mode for very fast time controls

You can see HASHTABLE 20, so you have to replace 20 to your desired parameter according to the table I wrote in my other post (for example, 24 for getting 256 MB of hash). Then you save the changes in the Notepad and you have to undo the file extension change in this way: go to the command prompt again (which you should not close before) and type:

Code: Select all

ren ProChess.txt ProChess.ini

Press Enter and this order will change the file extension again, so the configuration file will have *.ini extension again and it will work again. You can close the command prompt now.

Then you can unload the engine from the GUI and reload it again, as Edoardo said before. I know that this way can be really difficult. I am sorry if you do not find 'go to command prompt' option. Good luck!

Regards from Spain.

Ajedrecista.

Jesus, I am running 2 tournaments on one of my Intel i5s. The same system I was trying ProChess on. Without actually going to the 2 usernames to check- I just checked task manager. It should show 50% usage- 25 for each on a 4 core box. But it had maxed out at 100%. I couldn't understand why, then I checked task mgr again, and in the list of processes were 6 or 7 ProChess exes that had appeared and had not left when I stopped, and they were interfering with my matches. I logged out in that name and back in and then the 6 ProChess exes were gone and things were back to normal- 50 % usage as it should be. The hell with this engine. Let others test it- I got too much to do already to attempt to solve the more than 1 problem that ails this engine.


gts

[Ajedrecista]

Hi again:

Hello again:

the GUI will ignore the .ini file, but ProChess not!
it's my program that reads the .ini file at the start.
if you change parameters you have simply to
unload and restart ProChess from the GUI

and please note that the "20" parameter is not in MB.
it is 16byte*2^20

I did not get the 20MB figure from your file. I got it from windows task manager as your exe was thinking. Task mgr. generally is correct. So it is only 20MB hash. So HOW do I get it off 20MB hash. How do I change parameters. It says you have none.

I was right according to Edoardo. Nice!

I am going to explain you a difficult way (the only I know) for manipulate *.ini files.

Go to ProChess102AD folder and you will see ProChess.ini file. Then you can exit the folder, right click over ProChess102AD folder and it should appear something like 'go to command prompt' (I am aware that this option is not available in all the computers; so if it is not present, my method is finished for you and other ways need to be found). If you are lucky and 'go to command prompt' (or something similar) is present, click it and you will get a command prompt where you must write the following:

Code: Select all

ren ProChess.ini ProChess.txt

Press Enter and this order will change the file extension of that *.ini file into *.txt, that is a Notepad (very easy to manipulate). Please do not close this command prompt. Now you can open ProChess.txt and you will find the following:

Code: Select all

# ProChess configuration file:
# comments begin with a # character

CONTEMPT 0

# Draw evaluation (centipawns):
# positive values may lead to early draws

HASHTABLE 20

# Hashtable size (power of two):
# high values can exceed the computer memory

PERSISTENCE true

# Keep old hashtable entries (false, true):
# set false mode for debugging purpose

VERBOSITY 1

# Engine output verbosity (0 minimal, 1 analysis, 2 debug):
# set minimal mode for very fast time controls

You can see HASHTABLE 20, so you have to replace 20 to your desired parameter according to the table I wrote in my other post (for example, 24 for getting 256 MB of hash). Then you save the changes in the Notepad and you have to undo the file extension change in this way: go to the command prompt again (which you should not close before) and type:

Code: Select all

ren ProChess.txt ProChess.ini

Press Enter and this order will change the file extension again, so the configuration file will have *.ini extension again and it will work again. You can close the command prompt now.

Then you can unload the engine from the GUI and reload it again, as Edoardo said before. I know that this way can be really difficult. I am sorry if you do not find 'go to command prompt' option. Good luck!

Regards from Spain.

Ajedrecista.

Jesus, I am running 2 tournaments on one of my Intel i5s. The same system I was trying ProChess on. Without actually going to the 2 usernames to check- I just checked task manager. It should show 50% usage- 25 for each on a 4 core box. But it had maxed out at 100%. I couldn't understand why, then I checked task mgr again, and in the list of processes were 6 or 7 ProChess exes that had appeared and had not left when I stopped, and they were interfering with my matches. I logged out in that name and back in and then the 6 ProChess exes were gone and things were back to normal- 50 % usage as it should be. The hell with this engine. Let others test it- I got too much to do already to attempt to solve the more than 1 problem that ails this engine.


gts

Just for the record, there is a much easier way of manipulating *.ini files: simply right click over the desired configuration file, then click in 'Open with...'\'Notepad'. I incredibly forgot it in my previous post! Well, I wrote a difficult alternative...

------------------------

the GUI will ignore the .ini file, but ProChess not!
it's my program that reads the .ini file at the start.
if you change parameters you have simply to
unload and restart ProChess from the GUI

I am glad to see that you managed to modify the configuration file. Edoardo already said that the GUI ignores the configuration file, but he also said that the engine reads it at the start. Maybe unload and reload the engine with the changes in ProChess.ini file can work, but nothing is sure. Please note that I do not use Fritz GUI so I am clueless, furthermore many people often say that Fritz GUI is complicated to use and it gives problems. Few help (if any) can be extracted from me in this post.

------------------------

Regarding the issue about multiple instances of ProChess, I am also clueless. Maybe ProChess have a problem and it does not restart when a game is finished, but opens other executable so after few games the PC is full of ProChess.exe files, disturbing your results. Please remember that I am not a programmer so I only speculate and of course better help is needed. Maybe Edoardo and/or someone else can solve these problems, but I am not smart enough to figure what is wrong. I am sorry.

I wish you good luck at the same time I request help for you.

Regards from Spain.

Ajedrecista.

[geots]

Hi again:

Hello again:

the GUI will ignore the .ini file, but ProChess not!
it's my program that reads the .ini file at the start.
if you change parameters you have simply to
unload and restart ProChess from the GUI

and please note that the "20" parameter is not in MB.
it is 16byte*2^20

I did not get the 20MB figure from your file. I got it from windows task manager as your exe was thinking. Task mgr. generally is correct. So it is only 20MB hash. So HOW do I get it off 20MB hash. How do I change parameters. It says you have none.

I was right according to Edoardo. Nice!

I am going to explain you a difficult way (the only I know) for manipulate *.ini files.

Go to ProChess102AD folder and you will see ProChess.ini file. Then you can exit the folder, right click over ProChess102AD folder and it should appear something like 'go to command prompt' (I am aware that this option is not available in all the computers; so if it is not present, my method is finished for you and other ways need to be found). If you are lucky and 'go to command prompt' (or something similar) is present, click it and you will get a command prompt where you must write the following:

Code: Select all

ren ProChess.ini ProChess.txt

Press Enter and this order will change the file extension of that *.ini file into *.txt, that is a Notepad (very easy to manipulate). Please do not close this command prompt. Now you can open ProChess.txt and you will find the following:

Code: Select all

# ProChess configuration file:
# comments begin with a # character

CONTEMPT 0

# Draw evaluation (centipawns):
# positive values may lead to early draws

HASHTABLE 20

# Hashtable size (power of two):
# high values can exceed the computer memory

PERSISTENCE true

# Keep old hashtable entries (false, true):
# set false mode for debugging purpose

VERBOSITY 1

# Engine output verbosity (0 minimal, 1 analysis, 2 debug):
# set minimal mode for very fast time controls

You can see HASHTABLE 20, so you have to replace 20 to your desired parameter according to the table I wrote in my other post (for example, 24 for getting 256 MB of hash). Then you save the changes in the Notepad and you have to undo the file extension change in this way: go to the command prompt again (which you should not close before) and type:

Code: Select all

ren ProChess.txt ProChess.ini

Press Enter and this order will change the file extension again, so the configuration file will have *.ini extension again and it will work again. You can close the command prompt now.

Then you can unload the engine from the GUI and reload it again, as Edoardo said before. I know that this way can be really difficult. I am sorry if you do not find 'go to command prompt' option. Good luck!

Regards from Spain.

Ajedrecista.

Jesus, I am running 2 tournaments on one of my Intel i5s. The same system I was trying ProChess on. Without actually going to the 2 usernames to check- I just checked task manager. It should show 50% usage- 25 for each on a 4 core box. But it had maxed out at 100%. I couldn't understand why, then I checked task mgr again, and in the list of processes were 6 or 7 ProChess exes that had appeared and had not left when I stopped, and they were interfering with my matches. I logged out in that name and back in and then the 6 ProChess exes were gone and things were back to normal- 50 % usage as it should be. The hell with this engine. Let others test it- I got too much to do already to attempt to solve the more than 1 problem that ails this engine.


gts

Just for the record, there is a much easier way of manipulating *.ini files: simply right click over the desired configuration file, then click in 'Open with...'\'Notepad'. I incredibly forgot it in my previous post! Well, I wrote a difficult alternative...

------------------------

the GUI will ignore the .ini file, but ProChess not!
it's my program that reads the .ini file at the start.
if you change parameters you have simply to
unload and restart ProChess from the GUI

I am glad to see that you managed to modify the configuration file. Edoardo already said that the GUI ignores the configuration file, but he also said that the engine reads it at the start. Maybe unload and reload the engine with the changes in ProChess.ini file can work, but nothing is sure. Please note that I do not use Fritz GUI so I am clueless, furthermore many people often say that Fritz GUI is complicated to use and it gives problems. Few help (if any) can be extracted from me in this post.

------------------------

Regarding the issue about multiple instances of ProChess, I am also clueless. Maybe ProChess have a problem and it does not restart when a game is finished, but opens other executable so after few games the PC is full of ProChess.exe files, disturbing your results. Please remember that I am not a programmer so I only speculate and of course better help is needed. Maybe Edoardo and/or someone else can solve these problems, but I am not smart enough to figure what is wrong. I am sorry.

I wish you good luck at the same time I request help for you.

Regards from Spain.

Ajedrecista.

Actually, chessbase guis are very uncomplicated. I am living proof- because it is all I use- basically, and I hate complicated stuff.

Secondly, he is dead-wrong about the gui buying his method of changing hash.

Lastly, seeing all those exes in task mgr. is nothing new. I do not remember exactly what causes it- I did once- but it comes from a problem in the engine- always! He needs to go back to the drawing board and do some work.


Best,

gts

[Edoardo Manino]

Secondly, he is dead-wrong about the gui buying his method of changing hash

a program that reads its own file and change its own parameter is wrong? I don't know what happens in your environment but in theory my way is sound.

Lastly, seeing all those exes in task mgr. is nothing new. I do not remember exactly what causes it- I did once- but it comes from a problem in the engine- always! He needs to go back to the drawing board and do some work.

sorry but I won't. my ProChess is not a commercial engine, I've programmed it for leisure. it works on 90% of computers and not 100%? yours is one of the 10%? no problem, you won't use ProChess...

[geots]

Secondly, he is dead-wrong about the gui buying his method of changing hash

a program that reads its own file and change its own parameter is wrong? I don't know what happens in your environment but in theory my way is sound.

Lastly, seeing all those exes in task mgr. is nothing new. I do not remember exactly what causes it- I did once- but it comes from a problem in the engine- always! He needs to go back to the drawing board and do some work.

sorry but I won't. my ProChess is not a commercial engine, I've programmed it for leisure. it works on 90% of computers and not 100%? yours is one of the 10%? no problem, you won't use ProChess...

Suits the hell out of me.The 90% ought to be thrilled to death. But I got money says task mgr. DOES NOT & WILL NOT show 128MB hash in ANY CHESSBASE GUI with what extracted for me in the download. And all the ProChess exes that appeared in task mgr. after I unloaded the program, trying to eat up CPUs, is a sign of a very unstable engine.

However, this is a first for me. I have never before seen a freeware author who doesn't feel that he has to get it right, just because people don't have to pay for it. That's a wakeup call.

I will say this in closing. If the roles were switched- and I was a relatively new programmer- I would listen to a tester who has been testing 3 or 4 times longer than I have been programming.

But even after all this bullshit, I still truly do wish the best for you. Just change your attitude and one day you might have one hell of a strong engine.

I will try not to bother you any longer.



gts

[Jimbo I]

Hello Edoardo,

Thank you for the nice engine. You call it a crap engine; Maybe it's crap compared to the elite engines, but then I'm far from an elite player.

It's working perfectly for me in Arena and Fritz 8, exactly as advertised. If there are any bugs, I haven't noticed them yet. I've had no problems changing the hash size (confirmed with the task manager), and I've observed no extra copies of the engine in the task manager during engine tournaments. I guess that makes me one of the lucky 90%.