Macintosh Go

Table of contents Mac OS X Freeware Native Software Java programs Unix Software (including X11-based software) Macintosh Commercial Programs Mac OS 9 Go / Mac Classic WINE DOS BOX See also User comments

Mac OS X Freeware

Native Software

• Sabaki is a JavaScript? & HTML SGF-Viewer and GTP-Frontend packaged as a native Electron app. It looks beautifull and works very much like a native application. http://sabaki.yichuanshen.de/ .
• Leela is a freeware Go AI that plays at mid-high dan level on 19x19. As of version 0.10, it runs natively on Mac, as well as Windows and Linux. https://sjeng.org/leela.html
• Sen:te Goban See also the product web page. There is also an open source version (with substantially fewer features) available. As of 12/13/2013 the freeware version is unavailable, but version 3.2.1 is still available as a demo for version 4.x
  • rmsp: As of version 3.2.1, Goban is excellent. The best IGS client for OS X. (Out of date - as of 2020 the software no longer works).
  • SenteGoban can also be used to browse/edit SGF File games, not just to play against gnugo or on the Go Servers.

• SGF-Tools A free, open-source project of SGF file utilities for OSX. Currently has an SGF file Spotlight metadata importer that allows the user to quickly search for one or more SGF properties such as Event, Result, Winner, Handicap, etc. Also adds the most important properties to the More Info section of the OSX file Get Info window. Latest update includes a Quicklook view generator showing board positions in preview, coverflow, and large icon view. Latest Install Package Project Home

• Stones . . . . . see gostones.free.fr @ web.archive.org with a description and some screenshots
  • Scartol: The Stones website also features a nifty screensaver for OSX which replays SGF files. (And it comes with a collection of over 700 games)
  • nachtrabe: Development seems to have stopped on Stones, though it is still available and a more up-to-date version (that includes editing capabilities) is available from CVS.
  • Last version (0.7) does not run on OS X 10.6 or later

• StoneSaver
  • eluusive?: This screensaver version of Stones still seems to be active.

• Gomo (by Henk Eskes)
  • Scartol: this I like best for OSX. It's slim and quick and uses very intuitive keyboard navigation. It's still a bit OS9-like, but it's a great little app.
  • OS X version does not run on 10.9

• Go Widget For quick 9x9 games from the Dashboard. It includes GnuGo 3.6. See the product web page.

Java programs

• CGoban3 (KGS client)
• gGo (IGS client)
  • Scartol: It's very beautiful, but it is painfully slow (at least on my "ancient" G4).
• GoGrinder is for practicing Go problems.
• GoGui is especially for Go development. You can compile it from source for OS X.
• GoWind? was a Java computer player (the homepage http://www.geocities.com/shanleqi/index.html is gone)
• GoWrite
  • rmsp: The .jar version runs fine on OS X. This is an awkward program, but is the best I've found for making simple bitmapped figures.
  • LauriPaatero: There is Mac installation disk (.dmg) in download page. Current version produces also quite usable EPS graphics, and recent 2.3 versions add Quicklook preview generator.
• Jacqueline Go is a player and simple editor. It's shipped with GNUGo 3.8. You can download it from http://www.informatrix.ch/informatrix/go/index.html .
• MyGoGrinder (a fork from the GoGrinder) - exercise Go problems

Unix Software (including X11-based software)

• GNU Go can be played in the Terminal, or under Sente Goban and some of the interfaces mentioned here
• Fuego can be compiled for the Mac (if you can build the C++ Boost libraries it requires) and run under Sente Goban. An Intel build was posted to the computer Go mailing list in May 2009.
• Cgoban1 works on MacOS X and is still one of the best SGF editors despite having to work through an X11 interface. See also the product webpage].
• Uligo is a popular program for practicing problems.
• Kombilo is a database program for Go games.
  • See these instructions on how to get Kombilo, UliGo, and other python programs to work on OS X.
• sgf2misc is a Go diagram generator.
• sgf2dg converts SGF files into TeX diagrams.

rmsp: basically, these can be installed by following the instructions as if you were in linux. To make figures or print game records via tex files, you'll have to have tex. I installed iTexMac and teTeX -- the following links were helpful to me: http://www.rna.nl/tex.html, http://itexmac.sourceforge.net/ I just floundered around until it worked -- any expert advice on these matters would be invaluable!

nachtrabe: The directions on the TeXShop website are straightforward and will guide you through what you need. This guide also has a more complete set of instructions, but needs to be updated for the most recent version of i-Installer.

Macintosh Commercial Programs

• IgoSensei was a port of the Many Faces of Go engine, version 11, to Mac OS X for Power PC. It is no longer for sale. Windows Many Faces runs on Macs using Wine or Crossover.

Mac OS 9 Go / Mac Classic

• Go Intellect by Ken Chen is a strong kyu level program for the Macintosh which used to place at computer go competitions. It appears to be still available from Yutopian .

• Goliath by Mark Boon has a Mac version. (He has a free version which only plays 9x9 and 13x13). More information about it, along with a non-working link to Mark Boon's site and ordering information, can be found on the Het Paard website.

• Nemesis by Bruce Wilcox has a Mac(OS9) version, but it is very old.

WINE

The strongest commercial programs are written for Windows. Fortunately, there is a Windows compatibility layer called WINE which works on Mac OS X and Linux. It is hit-or-miss whether particular programs will work under WINE on the Mac. Here are some Windows Go programs which have been tested to work:

• Aya 6.34 is a Go player.

• Many Faces of Go v11 is a go player by David Fotland.
  • Igowin is a 9x9 player by David Fotland

• MultiGo is an SGF editor

• SmartGo 2.7 SGF editor and player works to some extent.

• TurboGo 5.0 Go player works to some extent.

• Wulu is a Go player from China.

These ones failed to run under WINE:

• Leela Lite: board is black (WINE 1.0, Mac)

• WinHonte trial: complains of missing MFC42.DLL (WINE 1.0, Mac)

DOS BOX

There is another emulation system called DOSBOX which can be used to run some of the oldest DOS Go programs.

See also

• An article explaining how to use CGoban with KGS on OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.

• MacOS 9 Go

• http://tactigo.free.fr/en/Mac.html an overview of Go software from TactiGo? for the Mac

• An article about playing go on the Mac, written in April 2009. Also discusses iPhone software.

User comments

Jago: Java Quick Start urged me not to install this program, due to some network issue. I went ahead and installed it anyway, and I'm less than impressed. The windows are clunky, there's no sound to indicate a play has been made, and finishing up a game is very counterintuitive. -- Scartol