utility for testing tablebases integrity

[Victor Zakharov]

Hi, everybody!

Here is the beta version of the program for testing 6-men tablebases files. As well it can move, copy and delete endgame files.

http://158.250.18.123:4777/download/TB6 ... ckBeta.exe

No readme. Ask in this thread for details.
All comments, suggestions are welcome.

All the best, Victor

[alpha]

Hi Victor,

Thanks for your tool, run fine in my computer!

Best wishes,

[Kirill Kryukov]

Hi, everybody!

Here is the beta version of the program for testing 6-men tablebases files. As well it can move, copy and delete endgame files.

http://158.250.18.123:4777/download/TB6 ... ckBeta.exe

No readme. Ask in this thread for details.
All comments, suggestions are welcome.

All the best, Victor

I am sorry if I am missing anything. (I did not try the utility yet). Does this utility has some advantage over md5sum? For those who does not feel comfortable with running command-line md5sum, there are also interfaces like md5summer. So I am curious what is the strong point of this tool that md5sum or md5summer don't have?

BTW, thanks for your efforts in any case!

[Victor Zakharov]

with this utility you need not know something about md5, command line and lists of files.

You only need to run exe file and specify folders where you have tablebases. And the program will say what you have and what you don't have and then you can check untegrity of the files.

When managing 2500+ files it is a big time saving.

[guyhaw]

Always good to see a new utility - but WILHELM has all the DTM EGTs md5sums - and all the available DTC, DTZ and DTZ50 md5sums too.

g

[Victor Zakharov]

Thanks, tried to install Wilhelm using the following link
http://home.datacomm.ch/kruandr/Wilhelm.zip
But no luck to install it on my Vista64 system. Some error messages on German that I can't understand.

First one:

---------------------------
Wilhelm-Setup
---------------------------
Wilhelm-Setup wurde unterbrochen, bevor die Software vollstandig installiert werden konnte.

Sie konnen das Wilhelm-Setup spater vollstandig wiederholen, um die Installation zu abzuschlie?en.
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

And the second one:

---------------------------
Wilhelm-Setup
---------------------------
Setup startet nun das Programm zum Entfernen von Anwendungen, um temporare Installationsdateien zu entfernen.
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

The last one:

---------------------------
Anwendung entfernen
---------------------------
Programminstallation entfernt

---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

[Codeman]

---------------------------
Wilhelm-Setup
---------------------------
Wilhelm-Setup wurde unterbrochen, bevor die Software vollstandig installiert werden konnte.

Sie konnen das Wilhelm-Setup spater vollstandig wiederholen, um die Installation zu abzuschlie?en.
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

The setup was aborted before the software could finish to install itself.
You may repeat the Wilhelm-setup later in order to finish the installation.

---------------------------
Wilhelm-Setup
---------------------------
Setup startet nun das Programm zum Entfernen von Anwendungen, um temporare Installationsdateien zu entfernen.
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

Setup now starts the program for removing applications, in order to remove temporary installation files

---------------------------
Anwendung entfernen
---------------------------
Programminstallation entfernt

---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

Remove Application
---
Programinstallation removed


// So not really much information about the reasons for not installing the program

[Victor Zakharov]

Codeman, thanks!

After a few trials finally it works. It seems that it was esential to setup some files DLL before.

First imression is good. I will look more detailed later.

The first difference I see is that Wilhelm really shows that some file(s) in ending are missing but doesn't inform more detailed information like 5 of 7 files of some endgame are presented (and 2 are not presented). This was my problem after disk crash. Random TB files dissappeared at one moment. So it was essential to know exactly what files I need to restore from partial backup or to download from internet.

This was the reason for appearing the utility above. It contains a set of functions useful for random restoring and checking.

BTW, minor update (build 3) is done. Changes:
1) Checked TB files are opened in shared mode, i.e. they can be used in another programs during check now
2) Absense of files is shown visually clearly (large yellow question mark is added)
3) Checking tablebases is default mode when program is started (copying was before)

[Kirill Kryukov]

Hi Victor! Thanks for more details about your program, and for updated version! I think it can be very useful! Do you mind if I announce your program on EGTB Online project page? Thanks!

[Victor Zakharov]

Yes, Kirill, this will be good!

[Kirill Kryukov]

Hi Victor! I tried this program and it seems working. Is there a way to select only some files for checking in this program? Also is it possible to pause and resume the checking? Also I could not stop the checking and had to kill it via Task Manager. It would also be useful it it could check 3-4-5-men files, so that all checking can be done within one program. Does (will) this program have a homepage? Also, who should be named as its author - you, Michael Metlov, of both? (or Convekta Ltd)? To whom questions and support requests should be addressed, to you or Michael? Also under what license are you releasing this program?

Other points. When I add tablebase folders, after I added one folder and I want to add another folder, it would be better if "Browse for Folder" dialog opened at the same place where you navigated last time, instead of having to navigate from the Desktop again.

When it sais "Wait..." it's better if some progress bar was shown. For example after choosing "Information" and adding folders then pressing "Next".

It creates a file "options.ini" which is very nice. However if the program is called "TB6Check", the ini file is better named "TB6Check.ini".

"Move endings" - is it any different (better?) than Move operation provided by an OS? (Like open a folder, select files, drag and drop to another location?). Same for "Delete endings"?

I did not use it enough yet. Looks promising! Thanks for your efforts!

[Victor Zakharov]

Hi, Kirill, thanks very much for your comments!

1) Checking only some files. I know that it is not fully transparent. Adding and deleting files is available on the last page before running the processes.
a) There are Add and Del butons. They use substring (specified in the box before the buttons) as a mask for operation. Use empty string to add or delete all files to/from the list.
b) as well you can work with files and lists on the previous screen in the Endings panel (right part). There is Add button under it. But main functionality is in the local menu of Endings panel

2) It is possible to Stop operation by pressing Cancel button. The problem can be with delaying in reaction. Process will be stopped after processing the current file (this can takes 10 seconds and more).

3) 3-4-5 men files will be added. It didn't look so essential for practical use. But it is essential for full picture.

4) I didn't plan a homepage a while for it. Writing the program was paid test work of Michael Metlov for Convekta Ltd. So all rights, future development and support is by Convekta responsiblity. A while there are a few remarks I can support it (victor@ldis.cs.msu.su). Program is fully free for copying and redistributing. The only limitation is for commercial use. We should to write this inside program.

5) >>It would be better if "Browse for Folder" dialog opened at the same place where you navigated last time

I agree this should be number 1 in to do list.

6) >>When it sais "Wait..." it's better if some progress bar was shown. For example after choosing "Information" and adding folders then pressing "Next".

Will think. A bit more work than it seems from the first look.

7) options.ini - agreed. But we need to give the program its final name

8 ) Move, Delete endings - the need for these operations is that you should not carefully select files (it is easily to miss one). You just should check endings you want to move.


Shurely this program is only beta (that was created for own needs), but we decided that it can be usefull for somebody else. If so we will posish it and write readme file soon

[Kirill Kryukov]

Thanks Victor! I am looking forward to the improved version with readme and license (and homepage). Yes, I think this is a useful program.

[Victor Zakharov]

Forget to mention one feature (it is hard to say good or bad). When you specify some folder as a path for endgames all subfolders are automatically used as a path too.

[Dhanish]

Thanks, Victor for the utility.

One question: What is the basis for classification Must be, High, Medium, Low?

For example, krpkpp is considered low, but other lists show this as the sixth most frequent!

Regards, Dhanish

[ZeroOne]

I'd also like to know the reasoning for the current classification. Could you add an alternative view mode, the tree just sorted alphabetically within the 33, 42P, etc categories?

You could also save and display the sizes of all tablebases in the program. That would help one to spot the small ones and the large ones without going online.

[Mark]

How did you finally get Wilhelm to work in Vista64?

Thanks!

Thanks, tried to install Wilhelm using the following link
http://home.datacomm.ch/kruandr/Wilhelm.zip
But no luck to install it on my Vista64 system. Some error messages on German that I can't understand.

First one:

---------------------------
Wilhelm-Setup
---------------------------
Wilhelm-Setup wurde unterbrochen, bevor die Software vollstandig installiert werden konnte.

Sie konnen das Wilhelm-Setup spater vollstandig wiederholen, um die Installation zu abzuschlie?en.
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

And the second one:

---------------------------
Wilhelm-Setup
---------------------------
Setup startet nun das Programm zum Entfernen von Anwendungen, um temporare Installationsdateien zu entfernen.
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

The last one:

---------------------------
Anwendung entfernen
---------------------------
Programminstallation entfernt

---------------------------
OK
---------------------------

[Sellig1947]

For the first error message it is simple : edit file "setup.lst" by replacing "PrivateGroup0=Wahr" with "PrivateGroup0=-1"
This problem was solved in versions 1.49 and 1.50 (I mentioned it to the author about 2 years ago )

The 2 other messages do not look like error messages, just comments.

G. Garrigues
Dunkerque, France

[Mark]

Thanks. I'll try that when I get back home tomorrow. I thought I was using version 1.50, but maybe not.

Mark

[Vegan]

I use quickpar, it can use md5, sfv, par and par2 files making it more versatile, and its free. http://www.quickpar.org.uk and its widely used. select options to enable sfv md5 and shell integration

[ernest]

http://158.250.18.123:4777/download/TB6 ... ckBeta.exe
http://www.computerskak.dk/

Victor's http://158... does not work

Concerning http://www.computerskak.dk/ are you saying that the checking is included in the Frenzee program?