Provided by: xpuzzles_7.7.1-1_amd64 bug

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}] [-tile {color}] [-face{0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7} {color}] [-{border|bd}
       {color}] [-[no]install] [-picture  {filename}]  [-delay  msecs]  [-[no]sound]  [-bumpSound
       {filename}]  [-moveSound {filename}] [-{font|fn} {fontname}] [-tiles {int}] [-faces {int}]
       [-[no]orient] [-[no]middle] [-base {int}]  [-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 "Z" or "z" keys, to randomize the puzzle (this must be  done
       first to set a new record).

       Press "R" or "r" keys to read a saved puzzle.

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

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

       Press "E" or "e" keys to redo a move.

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

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

       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).

       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 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 the missing link window on a color screen as if
               it were monochrome (resource name "mono").

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

       -{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").

       -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.

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

       -[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 for the sliding of (resource
               name "bumpSound").

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

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

       -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").

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

       -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, otherwise an assumption of  cheating
       is made if it is solved after a get.

SAVE FORMAT

       Here  is  the  format for the xmlink configuration, starting position, and the movement of
       its pieces.

              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, Bantam Books, New York, November
       1981, pp 16-23.

SEE ALSO

       X(1),  xcubes(6),   xtriangles(6),   xhexagons(6),   xbarrel(6),   xpanex(6),   xmball(6),
       xpyraminx(6), xoct(6), xrubik(6), xskewb(6), xdino(6), xabacus(6)

COPYRIGHTS

       ® Copyright 1994-2009, David A. Bagley

BUG REPORTS AND PROGRAM UPDATES

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

       The latest version is currently at:
              http://www.tux.org/~bagleyd/puzzles.html
              ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/games/strategy