0. Open IRC

#nerdsummit - New England Regional Developers (less local, more active, only questions no local folks can answer)

Clients (programs) for IRC

Browser-based:

• • Chatzilla is for Firefox.

  • CIRC is for Google Chrome.

Separate Apps:

• • Pidgin works on all platforms, and includes Google Talk and other messaging, not just IRC.

    • http://adammonsen.com/post/329 - detail

  • Adium works only on Mac, but like Pidgin, includes other messaging.

Set Up Your Client

• • 1. Specify the IRC server as chat.freenode.net

    2. Create a permanent, unique nickname (a "nick" - mine is "Bramface")

    3. Create a password for that nick.

Register with Freenode:

• 1. When you have time, Read the Primer - know what you're getting into. For now, just stick with the #techscouts channel. You'll be among friends. The purpose is to give you support (moral and technical) while you work, without requiring a lot of email reading and "hand-shaking".

  2. Connect to Freenode using your IRC client

  3. command line: /connect chat.freenode.net

  4. Register your email address on Freenode (just do this once):

  5. /msg NickServ REGISTER [password] [youremail@example.com]

     1. Use a secure, unguessable password that you keep secret.

  6. You will receive an email with a verification command that you will need to run to complete the registration process, something like:

• • 1. /msg NickServ VERIFY REGISTER [your nick] [somecharacters]

    2. Enter that command.

• 7. Register your nickname on Freenode:

  8. /nick [your nick]

  9. In the future, when you want to connect, either start up your client, or via command line:

  10. /connect chat.freenode.net 6667 [nick]:[password]

Logging In

• 1. Start up your client, or via command line:

  2. /connect chat.freenode.net 6667 [nick]:[password]

  3. Join Tech Scouts:

  4. /JOIN #techscoutsma

  5. See who else is there, say hello!

IRC Reference

2.7 Quick Reference Panel from http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/ircprimer.html

Keyword Action ------- ------ ! recalls previous commands for re-editing ADMIN displays information about a server AWAY leaves a message saying you're not paying attention CLEAR puts some white space on your screen CTCP performs certain client specific actions DATE shows server current date and time DCC handles direct connections to remote clients DESCRIBE sends anything about you to a person or channel HELP prints help on the given command HISTORY displays the command history IGNORE removes output from specific people off your screen INFO shows useless information about IRC INVITE sends an invitation to another user JOIN sets your current channel KICK gets rid of someone on a channel LASTLOG lists the most recent messages LEAVE leaves a channel LINKS shows servers on the IRC network LIST lists channels, number of users, topic LUSERS gives a brief listing of users, servers and operators ME sends anything about you to a channel or QUERY MODE changes channel mode MOTD displays the server message-of-the-day MSG sends a private message NAMES shows the nicknames of users on each channel NICK changes your nickname NOTICE sends a private message NOTIFY warns you of people logging in or out IRC QUERY starts a private conversation QUIT exits your IRC session SERVER switches your primary server STATS shows some irc server usage statistics TIME shows server current date and time TOPIC changes the topic of the channel TRACE shows the server connections of the given machine USERS prints users logged on the server machine VERSION shows client and server version number WHO gives a listing of users WHOIS displays information about someone WHOWAS displays information about someone who just left