Irc

Get started

Links

• irchelp.org

What to do

• get a client
• decide for a nickname
• select a server (example: irc.freenode.net)
• search for channels
• join channels
• talk to people
• if the channel seems good, add it to auto-join

Wanted features in client

1. connect to a certain server at startup
2. connect within the server to certain channels at startup
3. identify with NickServ at startup
4. show multiple channels at the same time
   1. show these channels as detached windows you can put where you want them
   2. show these channels as windows inside the main application

Clients

I found only one free irc client for Windows which supports 4.2 (show multiple channels as windows inside the main application at the SAME time): IceChat

• HexChat (looks more like a Unix Window, nice, simple, works)
• IceChat (default skin is like for kids who think they are hackers)

There are many other chat clients, but I tested these and they seemed ok. They are free, so they are more than ok :-)

If you are using Windows 10 you can just use

winget install IceChat

If you don't understand this, then read Winget.

HexChat

• Menu/HexChat/Network List
  • select your server
  • press "Edit..."
    • "Connect to this network automatically": √
    • Login method: Custom
      • "Connect commands": "msg NickServ IDENTIFY <your password>" or put your password into "Password:" and use %p in the command
    • select "Autojoiin channels"
      • Add the channels you would like to join automatically when you connect to this server

HexChat: Less trash in the chat window

• Menu/Settings/Preferences/General
  • "Hide join and part messages": √
  • "Hide nick change messages:" "Hide join and part messages": √

HexChat: "/Clear" for the chat window in the context menu for any user

• Menu/Settings/"User List Popup"
  • Add "Clear"/"Clear" (just the word "clear", without quotation marks, once in each of the two columns)
  • Save
• Right-click any user in the right user list
  • press "Clear"

IceChat

• Edit the server (right click the server name in the left most list)
  • Goto "Extra Settings"
    • "Connect on startup": √
    • "Nickserv password" will be used for IDENTIFY
  • Goto "AutoJoin"
    • insert into "Channel" your wanted channel and press "Add"

IceChat: /ClearAll

IceChat has one little nice extra command

/clearAll

This command will call "/clear" on each open window, meaning, each chat window AND the console window (which is the server's window). You can add this to the popup menu you get when you right click somewhere, for example into the large window when you look at a channel:

• Menu/Options/"IceChat Editor"
• PopupMenus
• Menu/Popuptype/Channel
• Add the following line: (no space behind ':', no space before "Clear", just copy paste as it is)

Clear All:/clearall

• Save
• Switch to an open channel
• right click into the large window where the chat history is seen

• When the above works and you understand it, do the same for

Clear:/clear

• Then copy/paste clear and clearAll from "Channel" to "Console"

IceChat: Chats as windows inside the app

You can unpin the normal chat windows and put them where you want on your desktop.

If you want to see multiple chat windows but not have to search them on your desktop but have all of them at the same time visible inside your chat app:

• Menu / Options / Program Settings / Display
  • Enable windowed mode: √
• restart the application

If you somehow end up with the original tabbed chats and want the windows back, IF the windowed mode has been enabled you will see a new icon in the top right corner of the application which will reactivate the windowed mode.

AND you will now have a new command:

• Menu / Windows / Tile Horizontal

IceChat: Less trash in the chat window

• Menu / Options / Program Settings ... / Events
  • Joins: HIDE
  • Quits: HIDE
  • Nick changes: HIDE

Others: not sure (yet)

Register nickname

If you are sure you will keep using irc you'll want to have "your" nickname and other should be able to be sure that it is in deed YOU they are talking to. So you have to register your nickname:

• switch to your nickname, if you didn't yet

/nick YourNickname

• register the nickname (replace "YourPassword" and "email@domain.net" with YOUR data)

/msg NickServ REGISTER YourPassword email@domain.net

• Check your mails and when it comes (sometimes it takes some time, don't stress about it) follow the instructions in the mail.