NAME

     xmlink - Missing Link X widget


SYNOPSIS

     /usr/games/xmlink    [-geometry     [{width}][x{height}][{+-
     }{xoff}[{+-}{yoff}]]] [-display [{host}]:[{vs}]] [-[no]mono]
     [-[no]{reverse|rv}]    [-{foreground|fg}     {color}]     [-
     {background|bg}   {color}]   [-{border|bd}  {color}]  [-tile
     {color}] [-face{0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7} {color}] [-tiles {int}]  [-
     faces  {int}]  [-[no]orient] [-[no]middle] [-[no]install] [-
     picture {filename}] [-delay msecs] [-[no]sound]  [-bumpSound
     {filename}]   [-moveSound   {filename}]   [-base  {int}]  [-
     {font|fn}  {fontname}]  [-userName   {string}]   [-scoreFile
     {filename}] [-scores] [-version]


DESCRIPTION

     Ideal's The Missing Link, a 4x4 puzzle, riding on  the  wave
     of  Rubik's  Cube  craze.  There are many variations on this
     theme, including the "6x6" puzzle and Babylon  Tower.   What
     makes  the Missing Link a harder puzzle to solve is that the
     2 center positions rotate together.


FEATURES

     Press "mouse-left" button to move a tile.   Release  "mouse-
     left" button in the same row would move the tile towards the
     space (unless there is no space in that row).  Release on  a
     different row will move the tiles up or down.

     Click "mouse-right", or press "R" or "r" keys  to  randomize
     the puzzle.

     Press "O" or "o" keys to toggle the orient  mode.   Slightly
     more challenging on (default is off).

     Press "M" or "m" keys to toggle the middle  mode.   All  the
     middle  tiles  rotate  together.   This is considerably more
     challenging on (default is on).

     "S" or "s" keys to start the auto-solver.  Only works on mxn
     where m = 4 and n = 4.

     Press "U" or "u" keys to undo a move.

     Press "G" or "g" keys to get a saved puzzle.

     Press "W" or "w" keys to write or save a puzzle.

     Press "C" or "c" keys to clear a puzzle.

     Press ">" or "." keys to speed up the movement of tiles.


     Press "<" or "," keys to slow down the movement of tiles.

     Press "@" key to toggle the sound.

     Press "Esc" key to hide program.

     Press "Q", "q", or "CTRL-C" keys to kill program.

     Use the key pad, "R" keys, or arrow keys to move without the
     mouse.
     Key pad is defined for Missing Link as:
       8     Up
       ^
     4< >6   Left, Right
       v
       2     Down

     Use the shift key and the up or down arrow  keys  to  rotate
     all the tiles.

     Use the control key and the keypad or arrow keys  to  reduce
     or enlarge the complexity of the puzzle.

     The title is in the following format (non-motif version):
          xmlink: <row>x<column> {norm|ind<control of movement of
          middle  tiles>} @ (<Number of moves>/{<Record number of
          moves>  <user  name>|"NEVER  noaccess"|"practice"})   -
          <Comment>
     Movement  of  middle  tiles  are  either  move  together  or
     independent.
     If there is no record of the  current  puzzle,  it  displays
     "NEVER noaccess".


OPTIONS

     -geometry {+|-}X{+|-}Y
             This option sets the initial position of the missing
             link window (resource name "geometry").

     -display host:dpy
             This option specifies the X server to contact.

     -[no]mono
             This option allows you to  display on a color screen
             as if monochrome (resource name "mono").

     -[no]{reverse|rv}
             This option allows you to see the missing link  win-
             dow in reverse video (resource name "reverse").

     -{foreground|fg} color
             This option specifies the foreground of the  missing
             link window (resource name "foreground").

     -{background|bg} color
             This option specifies the background of the  missing
             link window (resource name "background").

     -{border|bd} color
             This option specifies the border color of the  tiles
             in  the  missing  link window (resource name "order-
             Color").

     -tile color
             This option specifies the tile color of the tiles in
             the missing link window (resource name "tileColor").

     -face{0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7} <color>
             This option allows you to change the color of a face
             (resource name "faceColorN"). In mono-mode, color is
             represented as the first letter of the  color  name.
             The  0th  face is the last face face on missing link
             because I wanted that one to remain white by default
             when there are more or less faces.

     -tiles <int>
             This option allows you to change the number of links
             in a row (resource name "tiles").

     -faces <int>
             This option allows you to change the number of faces
             in column (resource name "faces").

     -[no]orient
             This option allows you to  access  the  orient  mode
             (resource name "orient").

     -[no]middle
             This option allows you to  access  the  middle  mode
             (resource name "middle").

     -[no]install
             This option specifies  if  the  colormap  should  be
             installed or not (resource name "install").

     -picture filename
             This option  specifies  the  file  for  the  picture
             (resource name "picture").

     -delay msecs
             This option specifies the number of milliseconds  it
             takes  to  move a tile or a group of tiles one space
             (1-50) (resource name "delay").

     -[no]sound
             This option specifies if a sliding tile should  make
             a sound or not (resource name "sound").

     -bumpSound filename
             This option specifies the file for  the  bump  sound
             (resource name "bumpSound").

     -moveSound filename
             This option specifies the file for  the  move  sound
             (resource name "moveSound").

     -base int
             This option specifies the base used (default is base
             10) (resource name "base").

     -{font|fn} ontname
             This option specifies the font  that  will  be  used
             (resource name "font").

     -userName string
             This option specifies the user name for any  records
             made  or  else it will get your login name (resource
             name "userName").

     -scoreFile filename
             Specify an alternative  score  file  (resource  name
             "scoreFile").

     -scores This option lists all the recorded scores  and  then
             exits.

     -version
             This option tells you what  version  of  xmlink  you
             have.


RECORDS

     You must randomize the puzzle before a record is set, other-
     wise an assumption of cheating is made if it is solved after
     a get.


SAVE FORMAT

     The format is not standard.  The reason  for  this  is  that
     this is simple and I do not know what the standard is.

          tiles: 1-8 <number of tiles in a row>
          faces: 1-8 <number of tiles in a column>
          middle: 0-1 <0 false, 1 true; if 1 then middle moves as
          one unit>
          orient: 0-1 <0 false, 1 true; if 1 then chain linked in
          order>
          moves: 0-MAXINT <total number of moves>

          startingPosition: <array of tile positions where  0  is
          the empty space>

     This is then followed by the moves, starting from 1.
          move #: <direction> <tile> <shift>
     Direction is represented as 0 up, 1 right,  2  down,  and  3
     left.
     Tile is the column of tile.
     Shift is represented as 0 or 1, 1 if  the  whole  puzzle  is
     moved  at  once  (here Tile does not matter), 0 if not.  The
     xmlink record keeper does not count  a  control  move  as  a
     move, but here we do.


REFERENCES

     L.  E.  Horden,  Sliding  Piece  Puzzles   (Recreations   in
     Mathematics Series), Oxford University Press 1986, Plate X.

     you are about to find the solution: The Missing Link,  Ideal
     Toy Corporation, 1981.

     James G Nourse, The Simple Solutions to Cubic Puzzles,  Ban-
     tam Books, New York, November 1981, pp 16-23.


SEE ALSO

     X(1), xrubik(6), xskewb(6), xdino(6), xpyraminx(6), xoct(6),
     xmball(6),   xpanex(6),   xcubes(6),  xtriangles(6),  xhexa-
     gons(6), xabacus(6)


COPYRIGHTS

     (Reg.) Copyright 1994-2005, David Albert Bagley


BUG REPORTS AND PROGRAM UPDATES

     Send bugs (or their reports, or fixes) to the author:
          David Albert Bagley, <bagleyd@tux.org>

     The latest version is currently at:
          ftp://ftp.tux.org/pub/tux/bagleyd/xpuzzles
          ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/games/strategy