=====Welcome to ###opennic## - the IRC OpenNIC Lounge=====

>>===OpenNIC support===
If you come to ###opennic## for support, just [[http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html | ask your question]] (the smart way), but please remember that not everyone seemingly "present" in the channel may be actively paying attention: they may be at work or they may be asleep. Ask anyway, or make a suggestion! Don't run away if you don't get an immediate reply, people may be busy or on the phone and get back to you later: give us some time.

===When are the OpenNIC principals online?===
Please note that those of us who have active roles in OpenNIC have lives outside of OpenNIC, and may not always be present at times indicated, or may be online at other times. Also, some of us idle on the channel, so just because you see our nicks doesn't necessary mean we're around. Best way to get our attention is to just send a message with the nick at the start of your line. For example:
%%
brianko: you around?
%%

==Tentative online schedule==
~- BrianKoontz (freenode nick: **brianko**) Usually 1500-2300 GMT
~- JulianDeMarchi (freenode nick: **[julian]**) Usually 2200-0600 GMT
~- JeffTaylor (freenode nick: **Shdwdrgn** or **shdw_work**) Usually 1500-2300 GMT
~- AlexHanselka (freenode nick: **purrdeta**) Usually at random times

===IRC guide===
If you need help with using IRC, there are several online sites to assist, let Google be your guide. [[http://www.ircbeginner.com/ircinfo/ircc-commands.html | Here's one]] that seems to cover the basics fairly well.

===What if I don't do IRC?===
If you need help and don't want or don't know how to use IRC, you can subscribe to the [[MailingLists | various OpenNIC mailing lists]] to find support.
>>

An [[Wikipedia:IRC | IRC]] channel is available on [[http://freenode.net/ | Freenode.net]] for discussing OpenNIC, support..... and idling.

====How to connect to ###opennic##====
~1)Point your favorite IRC client to: **##irc.freenode.net##** --- or check the list of [[http://freenode.net/irc_servers.shtml | freenode servers]].
~1)Join the **###opennic##** channel

~& If you don't have an IRC client, never fear...You can use our [[http://www.opennicproject.org/irc/ | webchat]] to get there quickly!--

====About Freenode====
[[http://freenode.net | Freenode]] is a service of Peer-Directed Projects Center, a non-profit organization. Freenode hosts the OpenNIC IRC channel, along with hundreds of other channels and is the main IRC infrastructure for opensource development projects.

{{image src="images/freenode.png" alt="freenode logo" title="Freenode.net" link="http://freenode.net"}}
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====IRC Help====
See below for:
~-[[TheLounge#hn_Getting_an_IRC_client | Getting an IRC client]] (please add any others you know about)
~~-[[TheLounge#hn_Windows | Windows]]
~~-[[TheLounge#hn_Mac_OS_X | Mac OS X]]
~~-[[TheLounge#hn_GNULinux | GNU/Linux]]
~~-[[TheLounge#hn_more... | more...]]
~-[[TheLounge#hn_What_is_IRC_and_getting_more_help | What is IRC and getting (more) help]]
~-[[TheLounge#hn_Registering_your_IRC_nickname | Registering your IRC nickname]]
~-[[TheLounge#hn_Leaving_messages | Leaving messages]]

===Getting an IRC client===

''**Security Warning**: Some old and unmaintained clients are known for suffering of many threats, eg: some allowing remote access to your computer. To avoid such problems, prefer well known and maintained clients, like X-Chat which is available for any UNIX-like and Windows OS, or irssi for *nix.''

==Windows==
~-**X-Chat**: [[http://silverex.info/download/ | X-Chat 2 for Windows]] - the """SilvereX""" free distribution of the same program. See http://silverex.info/download/
~-**X-Chat**: [[http://xchat.org/windows/ | X-Chat for Windows]] - "shareware" - you pay a "build fee" because making a build on your own is very hard in Win; all versions after that are free. See also http://xchat.org/ ---''See **NOTE** below.''
~-**X-Chat**: [[http://www.scriptheaven.net/downloadview-details-396-XChat_Windows.html | X-Chat for Windows]] - another free ("unoffical") distribution
~-**X-Chat**: [[http://www.psyon.org/projects/xchat-win32/ | Another X-Chat for Windows]] - yet another free distribution of the same program, though it lags behind the "official" distribution a bit
~-**Chatzilla**: [[http://www.mozilla.org/projects/rt-messaging/chatzilla/ | ChatZilla]] - free IRC client entirely written in ""JavaScript"" and XUL. Requires a Mozilla based browser. Runs under Windows, Mac Os X, Linux.
~-**mIRC**: [[http://www.mirc.com/get.html | mIRC]] - Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, XP, NT etc. See also http://www.mirc.com/
~-**Trillian**: [[http://www.trillian.cc/downloads/ | Trillian]] also supports IRC (including the free 'Basic' version) but it is a rather limited implementation; unless you already have Trillian, you're probably better off with X-Chat or mIRC.
~-**Pidgin**: [[http://www.pidgin.im/]] (previously known as GAIM) supports a lot of protocols, including IRC; download from http://www.pidgin.im/download; see also http://www.pidgin.im/about/ for more details.
~-**eMule**: [[http://www.emule-project.net/home/perl/general.cgi?l=1&rm=download | eMule]] is actually a P2P client, but has support for IRC built-in as well. See also http://www.emule-project.net/home/perl/general.cgi?l=1. You can find the settings under Preferences/IRC.

~''**NOTE:** The legality of the "shareware" release of X-Chat (which is GPL) is being hotly debated; at least the free distributions //are// legal. The """SilvereX""" distribution seems to be the most used (and I use it myself); it supports plugins, too. More links to free versions here: http://forum.xchat.org/viewtopic.php?t=597 --JavaWoman''

==Mac OS X==
~-**X-Chat**: [[http://xchataqua.sourceforge.net/ | X-Chat Aqua]] Free X-Chat version for OS X
~-**Chatzilla**: [[http://www.mozilla.org/projects/rt-messaging/chatzilla/ | ChatZilla]] - free IRC client entirely written in ""JavaScript"" and XUL. Requires a Mozilla based browser. Runs under Windows, Mac Os X, Linux.
~-**Fire**: [[http://fire.sourceforge.net/ | FIRE]] A multi-protocol instant messaging client for Mac OS X ''**CAUTION**: Fire is no longer maintained.''

~''**NOTE:** Any open source client running under *nix can normally be installed under Mac OS X. See the [[http://fink.sourceforge.net/ | Fink Project]] for more info.''

==GNU/Linux==
~-**X-Chat**: [[http://xchat-gnome.navi.cx/downloads.shtml | X-Chat for GNOME]] - See also http://xchat-gnome.navi.cx/faq.shtml for a FAQ.
~-**Pidgin**: [[http://www.pidgin.im/]] (previously known as GAIM) supports a lot of protocols, including IRC; download from http://www.pidgin.im/download; see also http://www.pidgin.im/about/ for more details.
~-**Chatzilla**: [[http://www.mozilla.org/projects/rt-messaging/chatzilla/ | ChatZilla]] - free IRC client entirely written in ""JavaScript"" and XUL. Requires a Mozilla based browser. Runs under Windows, Mac Os X, Linux.
~-**irssi**: [[http://irssi.org/ | irssi]] - Command-line based client rich in features. See also http://irssi.org/beginner/ for more info.
~-**Konversation**: [[http://konversation.kde.org/ | Konversation]] - IRC client for KDE.

==more...==
~-Links to more clients can be found on the [[http://www.mirc.com/ircintro.html | mIRC FAQ]] - see (5) Where can I find an IRC client? on that page

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===What is IRC and getting (more) help===
~-For help about IRC (what is it and how do you use it), try any of these links (just a selection...):
~~-http://www.mirc.com/irc.html
~~-http://www.easynet.net.au/mirrors/newbie-u/irc/slash.html
~~-http://www.benzieshoreslibrary.org/fiug/irc_cmmnds.html
~~-http://www.chat.dm.net/irccom.html
~~-http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/irctutorial.html
~~-http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/ircprimer.html
~-For help using your IRC //client// try its built-in "help" feature first; many clients also have a FAQ or a user forum - look up the home page of your client.
~-Once connected to a channel with your client, you can also trTier2y joining the "pseudo channel" #help: %%/join #help%% or (for newbies) %%/join #irchelp%%

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===Registering your IRC nickname===
Your nick is how people on freenode know you. If you register it, you'll be able to use the same nick over and over. If you don't register, someone else may end up registering the nick you want. So, make sure you register your nickname with **""NickServ""**; see the [[http://freenode.net/faq.shtml#nicksetup | registration instructions]]. (Make sure you remember the password you choose!) It helps, of course, if your nickname on Freenode.net is the same as your Wikka username, but that is not required. You can only receive left messages (see below) if you have registered your nick.

Here's a **very** good FAQ about IRC Nicknames: ++[[http://www.tiscali.co.uk/help/chat/irc_nicknames.html | IRC CHAT- Nicknames]]++ //(dead link)//

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===Leaving messages===
The Freenode.net servers also provide a neat and useful service: we can leave messages for each other! That's very useful for a group like us with members around the globe, living and working in different timezones. This service is known as **""MemoServ""**.

For starters, make sure you register your nickname with **""NickServ""** - see above. In theory, you can leave a message for a channel, but in practice, most people can only leave a message for another person - and you have to know that person's **registered** nickname; if the intended recipient logs on with a different nickname, (s)he won't see the message.

You will only receive a notification you have a message intended for you (your **registered** nick) when you log on when you have your NOTIFY on (it seems to be on by default when you join Freenode.net). Leaving and reading messages is quite simple, and you can get instructions by typing %%/msg MemoServ help%% and follow further instructions from there. To make things a little simpler to learn, I've summarized the help info for **""MemoServ""** on a [[TheLoungeLeavingMessages | separate page]].

===Chat Bots===
The following commands can be issued on the #opennic channel to perform various functions:
|=| Command |=| Meaning |=| Example |=|
|| ow# || OpenNIC Wiki || ow#Tier2 ||
|| xkcd# || xkcd cartoon site || xkcd#979 ||
|| bofh# || ? || ? ||
|| deb# || ? || ? ||
|| xiph# || ? || ? ||
|| mapgic# || ? || ? ||
|| yt# || YouTube link || ? ||

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CategorySupport