BGLightCE

A Free Open Source Backgammon for Windows Mobile

Downloads

If you're not sure, download the first Windows Mobile version, and run it from your Windows Mobile device:

[Download] BGLightCE for Windows Mobile.

[Download] BGLightCE for Windows Mobile (Installer).

[Download] BGLightCE for SH3 CPU (e.g.,HP Jornada).

[Download] BGLightCE for MIPS CPU (e.g., Casio Cassiopeia, Palmax PD-131, Symbol Technologies PPT 2700, or Compaq Aero 1500).

[Download] All source code, or [GoTo] SourceForge.

If you have problems with the CABs or EXEs, ZIP files are available from the BGLightCE SourceForge page. You can download these to your desktop and copy the contents to your mobile device.

Copyright

BGLightCE is released under the GPLv3 Licence. It may only be copied, modified, redistributed etc. under the terms of that licence.

About BGLightCE

BGLightCE is a backgammon game for the Pocket PC that is based on Gnu Backgammon. It features the strongest backgammon opponent available for the Pocket PC. Features include match play and different playing levels, various board and checker sets, and move evaluation and hints.

If you are bored and tired of beating other PocketPC backgammon games and are looking for more of a challenge, then BGLightCE is for you.

The move generation and evaluation engine for BGLightCE is ported from bglight. According to Joseph Heled, the author of bglight and a contributor to GNU Backgammon, its playing strength is equivalent to mgnu_zp playing on FIBS, which is around 1950.

About my hosting of BGLightCE

Note that currently I am simply hosting Andy Rudnitsky's "BGLightCE 0.9.5-beta" software here. I have not written so much as a (publishable) byte of code for this project yet; however, I think it is a shame that such an excellent project seems to have a dead homepage and seems to have been abandoned. I intend to release a new version of BGLightCE that will:

• Run on Windows as well as Windows Mobile (this is done at the moment, but not released yet - mail me if you want it!).
• Allow the human player to use real dice, and input the numbers rolled rather than rely on the applications pseudo-random rolls (many people accuse strong Backgammon programs of cheating - I certainly can't see anything in the source that looks like cheating, and this seems like a good "cheat-proof" option to silence the complainers!);
• Allow two human players to play each other.

I'm putting this page up now, rather than later, as it seems to take Google months to find new websites.

Although Andy's site itself is dead, archive.org currently maintains a mirror of the original BGLightCE site in case anyone is interested.

Features

• The strongest backgammon opponent available for the Pocket PC;
• Match play;
• Multiple board and checker sets;
• Move evaluatation and hints;
• Create your own boards and checker sets;
• Based on Gnu Backgammon;
• Free software licensed under the Gnu General Public License;
• Full sources and graphics are available.

Installation and How To Use

Just download the CAB onto your device (Windows Mobile (PDA, PocketPC, XDA, etc.) users may want to use ActiveSync) and double-click it to install. Alternatively, run the EXE on your Windows PC desktop, and it should install the the program to your mobile device the next time you perform a synchronisation via ActiveSync (I had problems getting this to work on newer devices).

Playing

For now, I'll just link Andy's original instructions for BGLightCE. Mail me if the link goes down and I will shift the info here. I intend to put up more info here when I get the chance.

Compiling

The source can be built using the the free eVC++4.0 compiler for Windows Mobile (and eMbedded Tools 3.0 for older WinCE3). Note that you will need the appropriate Microsoft SDK for your target device, e.g., SDK for Pocket PC 2003.

Note that I did not find the source compilable as-is, I am working on a new version (for Windows, as well as Windows Mobile) but it is not ready to publish yet.

Support

I can be contacted at 5thWheel@gmail.com, or through SourceForge; try not to trip gmail's spam filters:)

Cheating

Does BGLightCE Cheat? I don't think so, and I don't want to hear about it unless you can show me in the source where the cheating occurs and suggest a fix. There is endless discussion on the subject of whether computer backgammon programs cheat. Please do not add to it:p

Thankyou!

Andy Rudnitsky for BGLightCE. You seem to have vanished from the face of the internet, so I've picked this program and source up in order to add some things: please get in touch if you're unhappy about this! Andy's original BGLightCE site is still available at archive.org

Andy in turn quite rightly credited Joseph Heled, for his excellent work on the BGLight "lightweight" Open Source Backgammon Engine for Mobile Devices, and Giuseppe Govi for his STL for eMbedded Visual C++ - Windows CE, which is required if you use Microsoft eMbedded Tools (eVC++4.0 and later incorporate their own STL).