YoLinux Tutorial: IRC - Internet Relay Chat

This tutorial covers using IRC to get Linux help online. Linux client software, IRC chat sites, sample sessions and links are also presented.
Note: Due to the nature of hackers, if you plan on being highly controversial or opinionated, it is often safest to use a dial up connection with a randomly assigned IP address rather than a static IP which the offended hacker can target.

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°Firefox Configuration

°Linux Fonts

°YoLinux Tutorials Index

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IRC Linux clients:

ircII - (/usr/bin/irc) Text terminal based IRC client. Download and compile.
xchat - GTK+ based IRC client.
BitchX - (/usr/bin/BitchX) Text terminal
ChatZilla - Included in Mozilla browser to handle irc:// URL's.
irc://irc.openprojects.net/#sclug SCLUG (Wed 8:00 PM PST) - Example of an IRC URL acceptable by browsers like Mozilla. ChatZilla is built into Mozilla to handle irc:// URLs but it is not included in Firefox.

Sample session:

Example using ircII:

prompt$ /usr/bin/irc

/server irc.linux.com
/list                   - List channels
/join #linuxhelp        - or join #kernelnew, #linpeople, #livid (linux video), #java ...
/who *                  - List users in the current channel

Nick: bla bla bla...    - It's polite to address a person

/msg Nick               - This method will send a private message to Nick

/part #linuxhelp        - Close channel
/quit

Note: /usr/bin/irc comes with RPM ircii. (ircii was not included with RH 8.0 and later. You can still install an ircii RPM from RH 7.3 on 8.0/9.0.) RH 8.0/9.0 does not ship with any IRC clients. Fedora core 3 includes xchat and ChatZilla.

Helpful commands:

 /help

IRC Commands:

Command	Description
/HELP [optional-command]	Online help. Eg. `/help intro`
/SERVER server-hostname	Specify the IRC server to connect or to switch
/NICK new-nickname	Change/specify your own nick name. Nine character limit.
/LIST	List the IRC channels available on the server, the number of users and topics.
/JOIN #channel-name /PART #channel-name	Join a channel. Leave channel
/CTCP nickname PING /CTCP #channel-name PING	Ping to verify connection
/DCC CHAT nickname chat here /DCC CLOSE CHAT nickname	Direct Client Communications. Direct client to client communications by-passing the IRC server.
/DCC SEND nickname filename	File transfer
/MSG nickname	Send single message to specified user
/NAMES #channel-name	Show nick names of all users on the current channel
/WHO	List users in channel
/WHOIS nickname	Show user information
/AWAY away-message-here	Leave a message that you are not attending the channel. eg. `/away Back in 20 minutes`
/QUERY nickname	Start private conversation with specified user. Issue the "/QUERY" command to exit that conversation.
/QUIT	Exit all your IRC channels

IRC Linux sites:

irc.linux.com
irc-2.mit.edu
irc.openprojects.net
LA Linux Users Groups
FreeNode.net

Links:

IrcHelp.org
- IRC Networks and Server Lists
IRC daemon ircd:
- Ratbox
- IRCD-Hybrid
- RPM
FreeCode list of IRC software

Note IRC is NOT ICQ. For info on ICQ see ICQ.com and the Linux ICQ client home page, LICQ.org.

LinuxNetMag.com: ICQ-Clients for Linux

Books:

	"The Book of IRC: The Ultimate Guide to Internet Relay Chat" by Alex Charalabidis ISBN # 1886411298, No Starch Pr
	"Internet Messaging: From the Desktop to the Enterprise" by Marshall Rose, David Strom ASIN # 0139786104