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IRC

( Internet Relay Chat )

Keeping in touch with RE enthusiasts



IRC is a internet chat system that's almost as old as the internet itself. Its a easy way to keep in touch with other people with similar interests, and there are thousands of IRC servers on the internet. All you need to get started is a IRC client, a bit of software that lets you connect to an IRC server.

There are two IRC servers of interest to us, both RE related, and open to the public,
irc.albury.net.au #aussiere and irc.otherpower.com #otherpower

Forum member Ross has put together a set of instruction on installing and setting up XChat, one of the easier to use IRC clients. In Ross's words....

 

   Installing and setting up XChat

Start by going to xchat.org - there's a big DOWNLOAD NOW button. File is 1 megabyte (so very modest!)

Install, run.

At first it will display the Network List page.

In the User Information section, give yourself a nick name, Fred Flintstone in this example.

In the Networks section it will come up with a list of servers, neither mine or otherpower are on the list.

Create a new one. It's not QUITE as simple as it looks... In the "Network List" box, click on the green "+ Add" button, create a new network entry and call it "Albury".

Now click "Edit..."

It brings up a new box with "Servers for albury" and lists newserver/6667.

Click Edit, change it to "irc.albury.net.au/6667"

Probably convenient to click "Auto connect to this network at startup" too.

In "Favourite channels" enter "#aussiere".

Click Close.

Now click "Connect" and you should join the server and log in to the channel

First time you come in, it'll connect and then open a (confusing, not shown ) dialog box about not having had a channel entered (which you already have). Just unclick the box that says "Always show this dialog after connecting" and hit OK.

 

That's pretty much it. You can add another network and server the same way for otherpower - irc.otherpower.com channel #otherpower

Thanks Ross.

There is another set of instructions here on setting up mIRC, this time connecting to the OtherPower IRC server.

You have a few IRC clients to choose from, depending on your operating system. XChat is one of the easiest to use, but others worth looking at are Chatzilla( an add on for Firefox ), mIRC and ViRC.

© TheBackShed 2011