Live IRC Chat - Info and How-to

[khalsa]

I've received a fair amount of questions regarding IRC so I decided to write up a little tutorial on how to get into the Tremulous IRC channel. You can read more about what IRC is over at IrcHelp
Quick Version for people who know what they are doing:

The channel is #tremulous on the freenode network (chat.freenode.net:6667) irc://chat.freenode.net/tremulous
Long Version + Tutorial

First we have to get an IRC client installed, personally I use irssi but most people prefer a gui client so for this tutorial I will use Xchat

Installation:

Linux - Most distributions have many irc clients in their repositories and installation is the same as any other package - some examples below:

Debian (Ubuntu):

Code: [Select]

apt-get install xchatCentos (Redhat):

Code: [Select]

yum install xchatArch:

pacman -S xchat

Apple Mac OS X - While there is a port of Xchat to Aqua, currently I recommend you use colloquy instead. Installation and setup instructions are near the bottom of this post, after the linux/windows instructions. Thanks much to Das-Iro for the tutorial.

Windows - Download the unofficial build (don't worry, it's just as good!) from Silverex Save the installer to your desktop, or run it directly. Run the file and accept all the defaults (click next->next->next etc. I'm sure you are used to this :-) )

Since I am currently booted into windows, the rest of this tutorial will show me doing the setup on Xchat in windows, but the principals and settings apply to all Operating systems and clients. The Mac How to is below this.

Windows/Linux Initial Setup and Configuration

When you first launch Xchat, the settings windows will pop up asking you some basic settings:

As you can see it is asking you for some basic settings.
Nick Name - We would appreciate it if you choose the same name as your Forum name
Second Choice - In case First is taken
Third Choice - ditto
User Name - Set it to the same as your Nick Name generally
Real Name - You can optionally set this to your real-life name if you would like interested people to know it, else just set it to something random.

Now scroll down the list until you get to Freenode and click the Edit key

and this window should pop up:

I've put in some recommended settings for you here you should use. You only need to put in the Nickserv password if you have registered with freenode which I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you do if you aim to spend any decent amount of time online with us :-) .

Click close on that window, and you are all done with the setup!

Click connect and xchat will launch and automatically put you into #tremulous to chat with us:

Mac OS X Initial Setup and Configuration

Traditionally, chat clients on the Mac have been anything but glamorous. Colloquy is an advanced IRC, SILC & ICB client which aims to fill this void. By adhering to Mac OS X interface conventions, Colloquy has the look and feel of a quality Mac application.

Here is the latest Colloquy version
Unzip the file by double clicking, if your Browser did not do that for you.
Place Colloquy to your other Applications.

When you start Colloquy the fist time you get 2 Windows
and

We are going to use the "New Connection" Window.
Open the details, in the lower left corner.

Change "Nickname" to your nickname.
Set "Chat Server" to irc.freenode.net .
Select the "Remember this connection" if you want to do that.
Change "Username" to your nickname.
Real Name: If you want to let others know your Real-Name enter it here, or just sth. random.
And add a new Room #tremulous using the + in the lower left corner.

Press "Connect", so you Connect to the network and join the channel automatically.

The "Connections" window shows the new connection now.

If you want to auto connect to this network when you start Colloquy:
Switch to the "Connections" Window, select the network and Click the "Info" button. Switch to the tab "Automatic" and select "Connect on launch".

If you do not have a "Connections" window go to the Window menu and reopen it or press ⌘ +1.

Lazy person version or 'Quick connect with no fuss'
http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=tremulous
^^ Click this link and you can chat straight from your browser!

There are hundreds of IRC clients out there, and while I only covered one, google will be able to help you in using and finding all the others!

Hope to chat with you guys soon!

Khalsa

[Lakitu7]

MIRC tutorial
mIRC is the most popular client for Windows. Because if you're new at IRC, you might as well use the client that all the other newbs use.

Installation:
Get it from http://www.mirc.com
Download the installer and install it (run the executable and hit "next" a bunch of times)
Run the program you just installed

Initial Setup and Configuration:

Yes, it's shareware. No, it never stops working. Press continue.


Choose a nickname, an alternate nickname, an "email address" and your "real name." Neither of the later two need to be real at all.

Next, use the "category" selector on the left to select "Servers"


Go through the list to find the "Freenode" folder and select "random server" underneath it.
Click "select"


Now you're back at the first screen, except now it says "Freenode: Random server" underneath "Server:" instead of quakenet.
Press "Connect"


Press "Unblock" since you do not need windows to protect you from doing what you just told it to do.


This "useful" window pops up once you've connected. No, #tremulous is not on the list. You need to
type #tremulous into the box at the top and
press "Join".
Optionally, you can use the box at the bottom to tell it not to show that window in the future. With that window disabled, you will simply type /join #tremulous in the future instead. Alternately, you could add #tremulous to that list with the "add" button.


Wow, now you're on IRC.

The box on the right tells you who's there. The big box in the center is what people are saying. The small box at the bottom is where you type stuff.

Read my soon-to-follow post about how to not look like a giant nub / annoy everyone.

Coming Back:
When you return in the future, most of these steps will be skipped because it's already set up. You will be able to just press "connect" to join Freenode, and then use the channel selector (or type '/join #tremulous' if you disabled that).

[Lakitu7]

IRC is awesome and it saddens me that even somewhat technophile/internet-type kids these days frequently don't really use it anymore. As a result, this guide is sadly necessary as well:

How to not be an annoying newb on IRC
A brief list

• PEOPLE IDLE ON IRC

This means that most people there will not be talking. Most people on irc do not ever disconnect. If you speak to them, they may not respond right away. They may respond next week. That's how it works. If you'd like to IRC like a pro, don't ever leave, and you're halfway there. Don't be that guy that joins and says "ANYONE WANT TO CHAT???" and then leaves in 10 seconds. We all make fun of guys like that by waiting for them to leave, then making fun of them. Don't be that guy. You can find out how long someone has been idle by doing /whois theirname theirname.

• Do not use color or formatting inappropriately

Only newbs use color ever. Only newbs use formatting inappropriately. You can use bold and such like you would in correct english, but do not bold every line you type. You're not more important than anyone else is.

• Do not flood/spam the channel with text

This will likely get you kicked or banned from the channel

• Do not use lame bots/scripts

This will likely get you kicked or banned from the channel, in addition to the usual mockery. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you're better off that way.

• People are less nice on IRC than they are on the forums

If you're an idiot, someone will probably call you an idiot. Don't expect the moderators to ban them for "flaming."

• People on the name list with '@' in front of their name can kick you out or ban you

You shouldn't anger those people

• Register your name

As Khalsa said, this stops other people from stealing your name and kicking you off it all the time. Also, If your name is unregistered, some people will not recieve private messages that you may try to send to them. See http://freenode.net/faq.shtml#nicksetup

• Saying peoples' names tends to get their attention

Many people have their clients set up to "highlight" them when someone says their name. This usually does something like flash their screen or make a sound, in addition to turning the line some bright color. If you are trying to get someone in particular's attention, you can likely say their name once to aid you with this if they are idle. Do not abuse this fact or they are likely to ignore you. Generally peoples' clients will do the same thing if you private message them, so sending a private message with their name is never necessary.

• If you have a question, just ask it

Don't join and say "Can I ask a question?" or "I have a question" or "Who wants to chat?" or start frantically trying to get peoples' attention. Just say what you want to say, then stick around for the answer. Someone will answer eventually, if they know. Being annoying makes people less likely to help you.

• Do not ask when 1.2 is coming out

[Paradox]

Might I mention a few things:

• Don't spam scripts. We all can get them, they are stupid if overused. If you use them at particular times, they can be quite useful, however.
• Don't EVER bring a bot to the channel. Bots are forbidden and will be banned, with a possibility of you being banned too.
• Same rules that apply on forum apply on IRC, except doubly so. Assbagglery is not tolerated.

[mooseberry]

Just thought it would be helpful to have this here too:

A permanent forum ban earns a permanent IRC ban.

[lavacano201014]

Please note that people can see your IP address in a /whois.

No, this isn't haxxery or anything, this is how IRC was created (used for banning and stuff). A large number of networks offer IP masking to all but the people who run said networks. With some, it's automatically applied on connecting. With most, it's log into the services (NickServ etc) and type a command. With freenode, you do this:

0) Register/Identify into NickServ
1) Go into #freenode (use /join #freenode)
2) Ask to have your "unaffiliated cloak" turned on.
3) Patience, young Skywalker. But feel free to repeat in 15 minutes if it doesn't get filled out.
4) When they turn it on, you will receive a notice from the server, as well as whoever turned it on saying "your_nick_here: Done." (or something to that effect).
5) Remember to say thank you! And go ahead and leave #freenode (just X it out)

If you do this, when people whois you, they'll see your nick again. Heh.

Examples:

Me without cloak (under a fake IP): lavacano201014 is lava@pool-24-77-66-123.sttlwa.dsl-w.verizon.net
Me with cloak: lavacano201014 is lava@unaffiliated/lavacano201014