General
You can play Bulls and Cows (= Cows and Bulls, MASTERMIND, SuperHirn) as browser-game (HTML5-game) or as download for DOS / DOSBox, Windows, Android, Apple Mac OS X / OS X / macOS, Linux, FreeBSD / PC-BSD / TrueOS / GhostBSD / NomadBSD and Solaris.Bulls and Cows or Cows and Bulls is a logic-game for two players.
Bulls and Cows at Wikipedia. *
MASTERMIND or SuperHirn is the commercial implementation of the game on a breadboard.
MASTERMIND at Wikipedia. *
My game-program is also listed at: Many thanks for that !
Many thanks also to the DOSBox-Crew * and the Free Pascal-Team * !
Rules and course of the game
The first player, the 'coder', thinks up a secret solution code,
a number-combination for Bulls and Cows, a colour-combination for MASTERMIND,
which the second player, the 'code-breaker', has to guess with as few attempts as possible.
To do this, the code-breaker thinks up his own combination and communicates it to the coder.
The encoder compares the two codes and informs the code-breaker of two numbers:
P indicates in how many Positions both codes match and
S indicates how many more Signs both codes have in common, but at a wrong position.
With the help of the coder's information, logical thinking and more attempts the code-breaker
tries to guess the solution code finally.
Example:
2934 and
2473
only match in one position, namely the first position ('2'). => P = 1.
In addition, both combinations once have the number '4' plus once the number '3' in common. => Z = 1 + 1 = 2.
The program cannot only provide a solution but also guess and thus becomes a real opponent for humans.
So you can learn strategy and tactics from the program very well, e.g. good start codes, combinations of moves,
or when it makes sense to consciously use incorrect codes, even with characters that cannot appear in the solution code.
Example: character set a,b; length of the code >= 4; with spaces vs. without spaces.
But you can also (for learning and demonstration purposes) let the program play against itself or
play 'normal' with a friend, as you used to do without a computer or smartphone.
The program then monitors the game and only allows entries that conform to the rules.
The program can be started several times simultaneously - in the download version as well as online -
and you can play several games at the same time.
Depending on the operating system, the DOSBox program can also be started several times.
So you can, for example, play moves of the program from one game instance
take over and play as own moves in a second game instance.
Compared to the two original games, the game-program offers the following extensions:
-
freely selectable length of the code and freely selectable character set ('colours');
option to allow or forbid repetitions - option to guess incomplete codes
-
option to play 'fair' or to 'cheat',
i.e. the coder changes his solution code during the course of the game
within the scope of the information he has already given,
to make it as difficult as possible for his opponent.
Note on this version:
The code-breaker determines by its attempts the solution.
Each game can be played again and again with always the same result.
The images in the DOSBox simulation are developed that way.
So there is an exchange between non-determinism and determinism
(or vice versa, depending on the perspective) and 'entanglement'.
In terms of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, or 'Schrödinger's cat's'
it is not clear when and where the solution comes from.
In the program itself in the main menu under point 6 there are short instructions and
detailed instructions can be found under point 7 (in both languages).
The differences between the individual game variants are clearly explained there.
These instructions are included in the download versions and in the online version,
but also in the simulation on this website.
On another paradox should be noted at this point:
Guessing strategy is to reduce the amount of allowed solutions with each guessing process as much as possible,cheating strategy is to keep this quantity as large as possible.
The presumption is that a smaller amount of solutions will ever result in a faster solution,
surprisingly, the proof is wrong.
Both strategies, however, are still successful.
In the case of length of the code = 6 and 6 allowed characters ('colours') there is an anomaly:
If repetitions of characters are allowed, the computer needs 6 attempts to find the solution.
If repetitions of characters are not allowed, the computer needs 7 attempts to find the solution.
A tremendous reduction in the size of the initial solution set from 6 ^ 6 = 46 656 elements to 6! = 720 elements
increases the number of the required attempts from 6 to 7.
Using this variant the problem could only be solved by allowing generally no repetitions of characters,
when the Computer was 'cheating'.
In order that it is not so noticeable, I have chosen different start codes.
'Bulls and Cows' has a version number in the format 'Year-Month-Day' of the last change.
The actual version is:
To play, you can choose between:
Bulls and Cows as browser-game:
Start the browser-game (easy control)
Start the browser-game (complex control)
Browser-game on DOS Zone
*
Start the browser-game (easy control)
Start the browser-game (complex control)
Browser-game on DOS Zone
-
The most universal, flexible and simple method:
Runs on any device and operating system in the web browser,
without installing other programs / apps (like DOSBox),
with only minimal configuration,
with built-in on-screen keyboard and / or with physical keyboard. - Automatically always the latest version.
-
In portrait and landscape format.
Screen size, content and appearance can be adjusted,
also in the middle of the game (see pictures below). -
In your usual Internet browser you can play several games in different
browser tabs / windows at the same time, e.g. game and revenge. -
Much faster browser-alternative especially for DOS-games:
DOS.Zone-Browser for Android (only 64 bit) * (however only one game-instance can be started),
DOS.Zone-Browser for Windows, Linux, macOS (each only 64 Bit) *.
- The browser-game uses the DOS-emulation js-dos *.
- More 1980+ DOS-browser-games on DOS Zone *.
Configuration of the browser-game
Use the control-bar on the left to configure the browser-game as shown in the pictures above.
You can then play the game with both your physical keyboard and
with the on-screen-keyboard and the additional control-buttons that are displayed:
- 4 cursor-keys
- BS = Backspace
- D = DEL / Delete
- ESC = Escape
- CR / Enter
- <, > = toggle between the 4 sets of control-buttons
-
F = Function-key F4 to stop the guessing process soon
and capital letters for colour-selection -
' ' = space character (when guessing or input of the player's names)
-
More control-buttons:
- 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
- Y(es), J(a), N(o) / N(ein), E(nglish), D(eutsch)
- F1 = Link to this page (for help) in German
- F2 = Link to this page (for help) in English
- F3 = Start another online-game simultaneously
- F4 = Stop the guessing process soon
this page and two open games.
Finally, you can switch to full-screen-mode and / or hide the control-bar on the left.
Here differently configured views on a smartphone in landscape format:
Landscape browser-game 1: full-screen-mode without side-control-bar without on-screen-keyboard
Landscape browser-game 2: window-mode with side-control-bar without on-screen-keyboard
Landscape browser-game 3: full-screen-mode with side-control-bar with on-screen-keyboard
DOS.Zone-browser
Installing the program DOSBox
(especially under Android and Windows)
and the DOS-versions of Bulls and Cows
(under Windows-32-bit also without DOSBox !!)
(especially under Android and Windows)
and the DOS-versions of Bulls and Cows
(under Windows-32-bit also without DOSBox !!)
- under Android, OS/2 and RISC OS mostly the only possibility of an installation
- advantages in the display (window size, graphic characters, line breaks)
- offers additional options through the DOSBox program itself
- language packs for DOS
- different keyboard layouts: best: 'auto' for automatic setting
- a great number of free DOS games for download on the Internet
-
possibility to install a DOSBox front end:
- for a graphical DOSBox configuration without a configuration file
-
to manage several games with different search criteria and descriptions
and also different configurations (e.g. graphics card, etc.) -
with additional functions
-
Installation:
-
For Android you need: the zipped file BC.zip, a program to unzip this file *
and a DOS-emulator for Android *, preferably Magic DOSBox *.
As a virtual keyboard is Hacker's Keyboard * optimal, with all the necessary special characters.
A useful helper is Total Commander * (with built-in editor).
As a service, the zipped file BC.zip contains the file BC.mgc, a profile for Magic DOSBox *
with virtual buttons for a smartphone in vertical and horizontal orientation.
When everything is fully installed it looks like this on my smartphone (Huawei P30 Pro) in landscape-mode:
and in portrait-mode like this:
-
All other operating sytems:
Please download one of the following archives and unzip it:
BC.zip ---- BCunzip.exe (Windows, self-extracting) ---- BC.7z ---- BC.tar (Linux, Unix)
If this causes difficulties, the individual files can be downloaded here:
BC.EXE ---- BCR.EXE ---- README.EXE ---- RTM.EXE ---- DPMI16BI.OVL
Also install DOSBox *.
or make the appropriate settings in the graphical front end:
memsize=63 (or 64), core=auto, cputype=auto, cycles=auto, xms=true, ems=true, umb=true, keyboardlayout=auto.
Therefore the Windows configuration as described in the BC.EXE or README.EXE program is not required.
If you do not use a graphical frontend:
Start DOSBox and make the directory with the BC.EXE file accessible in the DOSBox using the mount command,
change to this directory and start Bulls and Cows with the command BC.EXE.
All DOSBox commands such as mount are explained in the DOSBox program itself.
Simulation with instructions of the game Bulls and Cows in the DOSBox version.
The DOS/DOSBox-version of Bulls and Cows was programmed and compiled with Borland Pascal 7.01.
-
For Android you need: the zipped file BC.zip, a program to unzip this file *
A suitable download for the respective operating system:
Android Windows Linux + FreeBSD macOS Solaris
Android Windows Linux + FreeBSD macOS Solaris
-
Just download, no installation effort,
only the user rights have to be set to executable:-
Windows:
-
Click away the warning messages:
'Allow' or 'Additional information' -> 'Execute anyway'
-
Click away the warning messages:
-
otherwise:
-
Change the program properties -> user rights
or
in the terminal with the command 'chmod 755 ...'
-
Change the program properties -> user rights
otherwise there may be problems with line breaks.
Start the program from the terminal and select option 8 for the configuration in the main menu.
-
Windows:
-
One version with graphic symbols and
one version without graphic symbols,
if the display causes difficulties. -
Each as a 32-bit version and as a 64-bit version.
The 64-bit version offers at minimum 16 GB RAM the (theoretical) advantage
of being able to play even more game variants,
but at the price of a disproportionately high storage requirement,
see comparison of operating systems.
Bulls and Cows for Android
Important!As a rule, you do not have root-rights on an Android-device.
Then you cannot install the Android-versions of Bulls and Cows.
The best option is the DOSBox version or the browser-game.
However, if you have root rights, e.g. on a rooted smartphone,
you can also install the Android version:
Install a terminal-emulator *.
As a virtual keyboard is Hacker's Keyboard * optimal, with all the necessary special characters.
A useful helper is Total Commander * (with built-in editor).
Choose the suitable program for your CPU (i386+x64 for Intel and AMD, arm+arm64 for most mobile phones).
- bc-android-i386.apk with graphic characters
- bc-android-i386-ascii.apk without graphic characters
- bc-android-x64.apk with graphic characters
- bc-android-x64-ascii.apk without graphic characters
- bc-android-arm.apk with graphic characters
- bc-android-arm-ascii.apk without graphic characters
- bc-android-arm64.apk with graphic characters
- bc-android-arm64-ascii.apk without graphic characters
- bc-android-mipsel.apk with graphic characters
- bc-android-mipsel-ascii.apk without graphic characters
set the user rights there to 'Executable' with the command 'chmod 755 ...'.
Start the program from the terminal and select option 8 for the configuration in the main menu.
The Android-versions of Bulls and Cows were compiled with Free Pascal *.
Bulls and Cows for Windows
Important!You can play Bulls and Cows also within DOSBox,
as browser-game or within a
virtual computer with the operating system Linux.
Linux is much faster and DOSBox offers more options.
Under 32-bit-Windows the DOS-versions of Bulls and Cows
also run without DOSBox.
- bc-windows.exe with graphic characters
- bc-windows-ascii.exe without graphic characters
- bc-windows64.exe with graphic characters
- bc-windows64-ascii.exe without graphic characters
respectively 'More informations' -> 'Still execute'.
Start the program from the terminal and select option 8 for the configuration in the main menu.
Please choose 'Use Legacy console' and the 'Raster Font'
only with the program version with graphic characters.
To enjoy the game really you need also suitable
Fonts from Uwe Sieber, OEM Codepage 850 *.
The Windows-versions of Bulls and Cows were compiled with Free Pascal *.
Bulls and Cows for Linux + FreeBSD
- bc-linux with graphic characters
- bc-linux-ascii without graphic characters
- bc-linux64 with graphic characters
- bc-linux64-ascii without graphic characters
- bc-linux-AArrch64 with graphic characters
- bc-linux-arm64-ascii without graphic characters
- bc-freebsd with graphic characters
- bc-freebsd-ascii without graphic characters
- bc-freebsd64 with graphic characters
- bc-freebsd64-ascii without graphic characters
Please start your terminal, increase it to maximum size of the window,
respectively choose the profile settings of the terminal and set the terminal size 80 coloums and 25 lines.
Start the program from the terminal and select option 8 for the configuration in the main menu.
The Linux- and FreeBSD-versions of Bulls and Cows were compiled with Free Pascal *.
Bulls and Cows for Apple Mac OS X / OS X / macOS
- bc-macos.dmg with graphic characters
- bc-macos-ascii.dmg without graphic characters
- Attention! 32-bit-versions (above) only until macOS Mojave 10.14.
From macOS Catalina 10.15 only the 64-bit-versions (below) ! - bc-macos64.dmg with graphic characters
- bc-macos64-ascii.dmg without graphic characters
Start the program from the terminal and select option 8 for the configuration in the main menu.
The macOS-versions of Bulls and Cows were compiled with Free Pascal *.
Bulls and Cows for Solaris
After download please set the user rights of bc-solaris respectively bc-solaris-ascii 'Executable'.Please start your terminal, increase it to maximum size of the window.
Start the program from the terminal and select option 8 for the configuration in the main menu.
The Solaris-versions of Bulls and Cows were compiled with Free Pascal *.
The installation within a virtual Linux operating system
(especially under Windows)
(especially under Windows)
Using VirtualBox (or VMware Workstation Player) as virtualization-software.
Please refer to the table below for the download-links suitable for your system.
Background:
-
The Linux-version of Bulls and Cows is much faster than the Windows-version
and therefore offers the most game variants.
It also offers advantages in terms of display (window size, graphic characters, fonts). -
I have the best experiences with Windows 10 with the following installation:
- Virtualization using VirtualBox (license and options are better than VMware Workstation Player).
-
As a guest operating system: Linux Mint, 64-bit if possible.
(Linux Mint Mate is faster and more stable than Cinnamon.) -
Bulls and Cows in the Linux-32-bit-version with graphic and special characters,
Please select the character encoding Western (IBM 850) in the terminal.
-
As a 'side effect', a completely new second operating system is available to you,
with a great number of games and other applications, that you only need to select
in the application management or in the package management.
with Linux as the operating system and 256 GiB main memory.
This was not feasible with either my physical computer or the virtual computers installed on it.
The solution to the problem was a virtual machine in the cloud: a Google Compute Engine.
A minimal installation of the virtual operating system (Linux Ubuntu in my case)
without a graphical interface, VNC, web server or other services/servers, just the console
is completely sufficient and most suitable.
The easiest way to establish the SSH connection is in the browser-window of the Chrome-browser.
Or you can try out several of the options mentioned parallel:
| Installation options under the different operating systems (in each case in addition to the browser-version): | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Used operating sytem: |
DOS & Win 3.11 |
Windows 32 bit | Windows 64 bit | Android 32 bit | Android 64 bit | OS/2 RiscOS |
| Executable versions of Bulls and Cows: |
DOS (BC.EXE& BCR.EXE) |
DOS (BC.EXE & BCR.EXE) Windows 32 bit |
Windows 32 bit Windows 64 bit |
Android 32 bit*** *** !! only with root rights !! |
Android 32 bit*** Android 64 bit*** *** !! only with root rights !! |
--- |
| DOSBox: | --- | Download * | Download * | Download: selection * recommended: Magic DOSBox * |
Download: selection * recommended: Magic DOSBox * |
Download * |
| DOSBox- frontend: |
--- | Download: D-Fend Reloaded * |
Download: D-Fend Reloaded * |
integrated into: Magic DOSBox * |
integrated into: Magic DOSBox * |
--- |
| DOS.Zone- Browser |
--- | --- | Download * | --- | Download * | --- |
| VirtualBox: Linux-Download: |
--- | Version 5.2.x * Linux 32 bit * |
current version * Linux 64 bit * |
--- | --- | --- |
| VMware Player: Linux-Download: |
--- | --- | Download * Linux 64 bit * |
--- | --- | --- |
| Installation options under the different operating systems (in each case in addition to the browser-version): | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Used operating sytem: |
macOS until Mojave |
macOS from Catalina |
Linux 32 bit |
Linux 64 bit |
FreeBSD 32 bit |
FreeBSD 64 bit |
Solaris 32 bit |
Solaris 64 bit |
| Executable versions of Bulls and Cows: |
mac32 mac64 |
mac64 |
Linux32 | Linux32 Linux64 |
FreeBSD32 | FreeBSD32 FreeBSD64 |
Solaris32 | Solaris32 |
| DOSBox: | Download * | Download * | package manage- ment |
package manage- ment |
over ports | over ports | --- | --- |
| DOSBox- frontend: |
Download: boxer * or Dapplegrey * |
Download: boxer * |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| DOS.Zone- Browser |
Download * | Download * | --- | Download * | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| VirtualBox: Linux-Download: |
current version * Linux64 * |
current version * Linux64 * |
version 5.2.x * Linux32 * |
current version * Linux64 * |
--- | --- | version 5.2.x * Linux32 * |
current version * Linux64 * |
| VMware Player: Linux-Download: |
--- | --- | --- | Download * Linux64 * |
--- | --- | --- | --- |
Compare different operating systems
In order to guess, the computer has to request main memory (RAM), the more complex the task, the more memory.The table shows how powerful the individual operating systems are (regardless of the time required):
| Maximum size of the character set (number of 'colours'), depending on the operating system, RAM and the length of the code to be guessed (by the computer !). |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length of the code to be guessed: | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Maximum | RAM: |
| Operating system used: | ||||||||||
| DOS/DOSBox: DOS - Real Mode | 36 | 23 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3^9 = 19 683 | 640 KiB |
| DOS/DOSBox + browser-game: DPMI | 36 | 36 | 33 | 17 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 8^7 = 2 097 152 | 64 MiB |
| Windows+Solaris - Bulls and Cows 32 bit | 36 | 36 | 36 | 31 | 17 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 7^9 = 40 353 607 | 2 GiB |
| Linux+macOS+BSD - Bulls and Cows 32 bit | 36 | 36 | 36 | 31 | 18 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 13^7 = 62 748 517 | 2 GiB |
| Windows, Linux, macOS, FreeBSD - 64 bit 64-bit-version of Bulls and Cows needs much more memory than Bulls and Cows 32 bit |
36 | 36 | 36 | 29 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 29^5 = 20 511 149 | 2 GiB |
| 36 | 36 | 36 | 33 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 9^8 = 43 046 721 | 4 GiB | |
| 36 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 21 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 21^6 = 85 766 121 | 8 GiB | |
| 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 23 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 15^7 = 170 859 375 | 16 GiB | |
| 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 26 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 26^6 = 308 915 776 | 32 GiB | |
| 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 29 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 18^7 = 612 220 032 | 64 GiB | |
| 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 33 | 20 | 13 | 10 | 33^6 = 1 291 467 969 | 128 GiB | |
| 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 21 | 14 | 10 | 35^6 = 1 838 265 625 | 256 GiB | |
| For comparison: Original MASTERMIND | Length of code: 4, 6 colours with repetitions | 6^4 = 1 296 | ||||||||
