RELEASE NOTES

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December, 1995

The latest version of SLICS is 2.2f, i.e., slics22f.exe .
Versions 2.2b-e, had bugs in the bughouse code!

TMSTAMP/TMSEAL CHANGE

* I changed the way the timestamp/timeseal variables work,
  in order to make it easier to setup.
  You can ignore this if you do not use TMSTAMP/TMSEAL,
  or if you only use the manual launch method of starting
  TMSTAMP/TMSEAL.

  If you are upgrading from a previous version of SLICS,
  and you use the automatic launch method of starting TMSTAMP/TMSEAL,
  you may have to change your "icsprofs.dat" file.

  In the old versions of SLICS (version 2.1e and earlier),
  the usage of the automatic launch method required you to set
  icshost=localhost or 127.0.0.1 , and tell TMSTAMP/TMSEAL
  the real server name thru the variable "icstmstampcmd" or
  "icsficstmstampcmd".  Similarly, the meaning of the icsport
  variable was the local port, and you had to use the
  "icstmstampcmd" or "icsficstmstampcmd" variable to use a
  different server portnumber.

  In the new version, you do NOT need to do this.  Simply set
  the icstmstampflag=1 (as in old versions) and let icshost=
  the real server name.  SLICS will now "do the right thing"
  by passing the icshost value to TMSTAMP/TMSEAL .  Similarly
  for icsport= .

  - The variables icstmstampcmd and icsficstmstampcmd are obsolete.
    delete them from your "icsprofs.dat" file.
  - In any entries that have icstmstampflag=1, change the
    setting of icshost= from localhost or 127.0.0.1 (which used
    to be required) back to the name of the real server.
  - If you were using the icstmstampcmd option to connect to
    a non-default client port (eg, -p 5001), add the port number
    as the value of the variable icstmstampport (eg, icstmstampport=5001).
  - If you were using the icstmstampcmd option to connect to
    a non-default server port (eg, tmseal eics.daimi.aau.dkk 5002),
    use this number as the value of icsport (eg, icsport=5002).

old:
	[E-FICS-TMSTAMP]
	icstmstampflag=1
	icsport=5001
	icsficstmstampcmd=-m . tmseal -p 5001 eics.daimi.aau.dk 5000
	icshost=127.0.0.1
	...

new:
	[E-FICS-TMSTAMP]
	icstmstampflag=1
	icshost=eics.daimi.aau.dk
	icsport=5000
	icstmstampport=5001
	...

BUGHOUSE CHESS SUPPORT

* I have added preliminary support for bughouse chess on FICS.
  Each side's "holdings" are shown in ascii next to the clock times.
  To drop a piece, click the right mouse button on the destination square.
  This will popup a piece selection dialog.

  I will add graphical support and other bughouse related features
  in a later release.

ICSPROFS.DAT CHANGE

* There is a new special variable you can use in your profiles file
  "icsprofs.dat".  If you specify a variable "defaults" in a profile
  entry, the settings in that entry are used in addition to any settings
  specified directly in the current entry.  Settings in the current
  entry take precedence over the defaults.  I added this feature because
  many entries tend to differ from each other by only 1 or 2 values.

Example:  In this example, the B-FICS profile entry gets default
values from the A-FICS entry.  If you select the B-FICS entry, the
program will load the values from the A-FICS entry, and then override
"icshost" and "icstmstampflag".

	[B-FICS]
	defaults=A-FICS
	icshost=crocus.csv.warwick.co.uk
	icstmstampflag=0
	[A-FICS]
	icsnoslip=0
	icshost=fics.onenet.net
	icshandle=dfong
	icsport=5000
	icsrcfile=_ics.rc
	icsficsmode=1
	icstmstampflag=1

REGISTRATION DATA

Future versions of CHESSBD/SLICS will have a "nag message" for unregistered
users.  To circumvent this message, you must have a valid registration key
in your chessbd.ini file.  If you have already registered an earlier
version, please send email to dfong@igc.apc.org in order to receive your
free registration key.

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