diff --git a/pysollib/app.py b/pysollib/app.py
index ccd0ae32..a630476d 100644
--- a/pysollib/app.py
+++ b/pysollib/app.py
@@ -524,7 +524,6 @@ class Application:
                 id_, random = self.nextgame.id, self.nextgame.random
                 self.nextgame.id, self.nextgame.random = 0, None
                 try:
-                    print("fopako id_", id_)
                     self.runGame(id_, random)
                 except Exception:
                     # try Klondike if current game fails
diff --git a/pysollib/configobj/configobj.py b/pysollib/configobj/configobj.py
index dbef477d..9fa96caa 100644
--- a/pysollib/configobj/configobj.py
+++ b/pysollib/configobj/configobj.py
@@ -1149,7 +1149,6 @@ class ConfigObj(Section):
 
         ``ConfigObj(infile=None, options=None, **kwargs)``
         """
-        print('pink infile = ',infile)
         if infile is None:
             infile = []
         if options is None:
@@ -1237,7 +1236,6 @@ class ConfigObj(Section):
                             ' file like object, or list of lines.')
         #
         if infile:
-            print('infile flyt = ',infile)
             # don't do it for the empty ConfigObj
             infile = self._handle_bom(infile)
             # infile is now *always* a list
@@ -1439,7 +1437,6 @@ class ConfigObj(Section):
 
     def _parse(self, infile):
         """Actually parse the config file."""
-        print('aolk', infile)
         temp_list_values = self.list_values
         if self.unrepr:
             self.list_values = False
diff --git a/pysollib/hint.py b/pysollib/hint.py
index 4724dfb9..1563c4c8 100644
--- a/pysollib/hint.py
+++ b/pysollib/hint.py
@@ -27,12 +27,16 @@ import os
 import time
 import subprocess
 import re
+import sys
 
 # PySol imports
 from pysollib.settings import DEBUG, FCS_COMMAND
 from pysollib.mfxutil import destruct
 from pysollib.util import KING
 
+if sys.version_info > (3,):
+    unicode = str
+
 # ************************************************************************
 # * HintInterface is an abstract class that defines the public
 # * interface - it only consists of the constructor
@@ -884,7 +888,10 @@ class FreeCellSolver_Hint(Base_Solver_Hint):
             kw['close_fds'] = True
         p = subprocess.Popen(command, **kw)
         pin, pout, perr = p.stdin, p.stdout, p.stderr
-        pin.write(bytes(board, 'utf-8'))
+        bytes_board = board
+        if sys.version_info > (3,):
+            bytes_board = bytes(board, 'utf-8')
+        pin.write(bytes_board)
         pin.close()
         #
         stack_types = {
@@ -901,7 +908,7 @@ class FreeCellSolver_Hint(Base_Solver_Hint):
             states = 0
 
             for sbytes in pout:
-                s = str(sbytes, encoding='utf-8')
+                s = unicode(sbytes, encoding='utf-8')
                 if DEBUG >= 5:
                     print(s)
 
@@ -922,7 +929,7 @@ class FreeCellSolver_Hint(Base_Solver_Hint):
 
         hints = []
         for sbytes in pout:
-            s = str(sbytes, encoding='utf-8')
+            s = unicode(sbytes, encoding='utf-8')
             if DEBUG:
                 print(s)
             if self._determineIfSolverState(s):
diff --git a/pysollib/options.py b/pysollib/options.py
index 2b78b950..50225a74 100644
--- a/pysollib/options.py
+++ b/pysollib/options.py
@@ -564,12 +564,10 @@ class Options:
 
         # create ConfigObj instance
         try:
-            print(filename)
             config = configobj.ConfigObj(filename,
                                          configspec=configspec,
                                          encoding=self._config_encoding)
         except configobj.ParseError:
-            raise BaseException('foo')
             traceback.print_exc()
             config = configobj.ConfigObj(configspec=configspec,
                                          encoding=self._config_encoding)
diff --git a/pysollib/settings.py b/pysollib/settings.py
index 31749e0c..43ee9bdd 100644
--- a/pysollib/settings.py
+++ b/pysollib/settings.py
@@ -79,5 +79,5 @@ SELECT_GAME_MENU = True
 TRANSLATE_GAME_NAMES = True
 
 # debug
-DEBUG = 121                               # must be integer
+DEBUG = 0                               # must be integer
 CHECK_GAMES = False                     # check duplicated names and classes