#fpqrp Online IRC Chat How2 by KA5OAI, Sam Morgan
To access the #fpqrp channel on irc.freenode.net you must first install an IRC client.
For now we'll just install a simple one called ChatZilla, it's an addon for Mozilla based browsers.
Open your Mozilla browser (Mozilla, Firefox, or SeaMonkey will work) then click on this link:
ChatZilla addon
When it installs, you must restart the browser.
To start using ChatZilla from Firefox, look under Tools in the top menu bar and click on ChatZilla.
To start using ChatZilla from Mozilla or SeaMonkey, look under Window in the menubar and click on IIC Chat.
The following instructions are for ChatZilla version 0.9.78.1
When you start chatZilla for the first time there are a few entrys we can make to make life simpler later.
Click on ChatZilla in the top menu bar
click on preferences
click on Global Settings (on the left of the preferences screen that poped up)
- under the 'General' tab
- Description
- enter your name,qth, and flying pig number (name state #xxxx)
- Nickname
- enter your call sign (x5xxx)
- Nickname (away)
- enter call sign-afk (x5xxx-afk) (afk=away from keyboard)
- check the box for 'Log this view'
- under the 'Appearence' tab
- 'Timestamps' check the 'Enabled' box
- under the 'Lists' tab
- 'Command aliases'
- click on 'Add'
- in the popup window, enter the following line:
join #fpqrp
- click 'OK'
- under the 'Global' tab
- 'Scrollback size'
- put all the numbers up to 9999 (or more)
this is so you can leave your desk and come back a few hours later and still be able to scroll up and not have missed anything
- 'Sound Events'
- this is where you tell ChatZilla to make a sound for a chat event, if you want to keep from having to watch the screen,
to keep from missing anything while your backs turned burning some solder across the room
- under the 'Startup' tab
- 'Auto-connect URL's'
- click on 'Add'
- in the popup window, enter the following line:
irc://irc.freenode.net
- click 'OK'
now be sure to click on 'APPLY'
click on ok
Ok now we are ready to get on IRC with ChatZilla
Close ChatZilla and reopen it, so we can see if all we just did works.
Assuming it opened and logged you into one of irc.freenode.net servers.
you are now logged in with your callsign as your 'nickname' and have joined the #fpqrp channel.
Only a couple of details left to do and we are finished configuring ChatZilla so it will automagicly login, id, and join #fpqrp when we open it.
first get a piece of paper and write down a 7 letter password.
now in the text entry bar at the bottom of ChatZilla enter the following line:
/msg nickserv register < password >
using the password you wrote down in the place of < password > with out the <> brackets
Now everytime you log on the irc.freenode server it's going to want to be sure you are who yousay you are.
So lets automate that part of your logon
Click on ChatZilla in the top menu bar
click on preferences
click on irc.freenode.net under Global Settings (on the left of the preferences screen that poped up)
- Click on 'Lists'
- click on 'Add'
- in the popup window, enter the following line:
msg nickserv register < passwd >
with out the <> brackets
Note, yes you leave off the leading / that was used if you did it from the chat text entry bar
- NOTE
again please be sure you wrote down your password!
it's hell if you ever lose it, to get the server folks to delete the 1st one and give you a second chance
so write it down and then put it in this script in the place of the 'passwd' part.
- click 'OK'
under #fpqrp
- 'General' tab
- check 'Log this view' so you can have a log of the chats
- 'Apearance' tab
now be sure to click on 'APPLY'
click on ok
IRC Clients
If you want to know more about ChatZilla check out their ChatZilla FAQ
Another good irc client for both windows and linux is Xchat. It has more features than the plain jane ChatZilla.
Check http://www.xchat.org/ for more information and downloads.
the last Free Windows (98/ME/2000/XP) version xchat-2.0.10c and can be found here:
xchat-2.0.10c.exe ,
or here: xchat-2.0.10c
all newer windows versions are shareware.
More info on irc.freenode.net
For info on Freenode: http://freenode.net
Detailed info on the Freenode network here: http://searchirc.com/network/freenode
Tutorials and FAQ's in IRC
IRC Help.org
http://searchirc.com/links.php
http://searchirc.com