IRC client for DOS version 1.00 ------------------------------- by Peter R. Tattam Here are some quick notes to get started. It is assumed that one has used an IRC client before. Sorry about the brevity. 1. get a packet driver for your PC Packet drivers are available from the SIMTEL archive which is mirrored in several places around the world. The file to look for is drivers.zip. It's usually under the directory PKTDRVR IRC currently works with bluebook ethernet (type 1) and SLIP (type 6). 2. set up your network params. If you don't know what they are, I suggest speaking to someone who is network literate. It is important to get these right set ip=.... set netmask=.... set gateway=.... set dns=.... set domain=.... You can also provide the net params in the command line in the following manner. irc -ip=132.231.123.231 -netmask=255.255.0.0 3. Start IRC IRC When you first start IRC, the setup screen will appear. Fill in the following details. Use tab to choose OK a) IRC Host. an internet hostname or IP address with an optional port number. [ : ] e.g. irchat.utas.edu.au:6667 b) irc user name. This identifies what your real login name should be. Using a bogus name will make you unpopular and could result in you being regularly kicked off IRC. e.g. michaelg c) E-mail address. Not adding your e-mail address will make you unpopular with admins and result in you being kicked out of IRC. This is a must!!! Same comments apply for bogus or forged e-mail addresses. DON'T TRY IT IF YOU VALUE YOUR INTERNET PRIVILEGES. I'll discontinue work on this client. e.g. fred@this.host.edu d) Nick name. Whatever you care to call yourself. IRC limits you to 9 characters, and some characters can't be used. You will get an error message should it be incorrect. You'll get a rude message from the servers if there is someone else with the same nick name. 4. Now start using IRC choose from the menu. You will be asked for a channel You can find out which channels are available with /list To leave a channel, simply choose or close the window. The main channel window displays messages which don't go to a specific channel. Alternatively, you can choose to get a sorted list of channels and then pick the one that suits you best. Usual GUI commands are available now. It's a bit slow over SLIP though. 5. A lot of the IRC commands are available from the menus. 6. Choose to quit IRC. The following is a user manual for irc.exe I thank Russell Vincent from South Africa for this small manual. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Using IRC for DOS ----------------- Program: by Peter R. Tattam User manual: by Russell Vincent Internet Chat Relay (IRC) is a forum for online discussion of various topics via the use of channels. A channel represents a certain discussion topic. This IRC program provides an easy to use client to an IRC server. Some of the features are : 1) Windows for accessing multiple channels at once. 2) Hot-Keys for certain common functions. 3) Full command compatible with all servers. 4) Optional continuous display of current channel users. To run IRC, at the DOS prompt and in the correct directory, type IRC. If this is your first time, then a menu will appear asking for some details concerning yourself as an IRC user. A nickname is a name that you assign yourself that will be your identity to other users of IRC. If you don't know the name of your local IRC server, contact your local network administrator, or read the Usenet group alt.irc to find a list of servers that will accept your client. These parameters can be easily changed while in IRC. IRC will then automatically connect to your server and display the server welcome message. You are now an IRC user. If your nickname is currently in use by someone else, you will probably be told and should change it. (See below) At this point you will probably want to see what channels are available. So, just type : /LIST This will give you a list of the current channels with their topics and the number of users in each. Note that channel names begin with a "#". You can use the arrow keys and Pg-UP/Pg-Dn or the mouse to scroll back through the window. Next you will probably want to join a group. Press F3 (Join) or type : A prompt for the name of the channel will appear. Type in the channel name, remembering to put the "#" in front. You can also type : /JOIN If the channel does not exist, you will create the channel and be the only current user. If the channel exists, you will join the other users of the channel. At this point, any line you type (not starting with a "/") will be displayed on the screens of all the other users of that channel. The users will be displayed in a box on the right hand side of the screen. To exit from the current channel, use Alt-F3. You will be removed from th channel and the window will close. Use Alt-X to exit from the program. This will remove you from all channels you have joined and close your connection to the IRC server. That is it - you are now an IRC user. IRC Commands ------------ While in the IRC Client, you have the following hot-keys : Alt-X = Exit from IRC Alt-F = Sub menu of Setup = modify your setup settings (nickname, server, etc) Dos shell = Exit temporarily to DOS eXit = Exit from IRC Alt-W = Sub menu of commands to change your window layout Alt-J = Join a channel - you will be prompted for the channel name Alt-L = List all channels - pick the one you want. Alt-Q = Start a Query Session to a specific nickname Alt-S = Special sub menu of Nick = change your nickname for this session only Mode = change the channel mode settings (channel op only) Invite = Invite a user to your current channel Topic = Set the topic of your current channel Kick = Kick someone out of your channel (channel op only) inVite = Create a channel as invite-only Debug = Set debug mode Alt-F3 = Close the current window - removes you from the channel - quits program if you are in the server window F3 = Join a channel - you will be prompted for the channel name F4 = Toggle the display of nicknames of current channel users F5 = Enlarge/Reduce a window to full screen/normal size F6 = Swap to next window - next window in the sequence comes to front. Some common server commands --------------------------- Server commands are commands recognised by a server and allow control of most aspects of IRC. Some of the more useful and common commands are : /HELP = Show a list of server's commands /INFO = Get some info on current server /LIST = List all the current channels /WHOIS = Display more information on a nickname /WHOWAS = Display info. on someone who was connected to a channel. /WHO = different format to /WHOIS /MSG = send a private message to a user /IGNORE + = Don't display any public messages from a certain user in a channel /IGNORE - = Don't display any private messages from a user /NAMES = Display names of users in current channel /QUIT = End IRC session and exit program ------------------ End of include --------------------------