Archive:IRC with Pidgin

Introduction
This tutorial will show you how to join our IRC channel, #freeculture on irc.freenode.net.

For demonstration purposes:
 * Username: JohnDoe75
 * Password: asdf12345

If you haven't already installed Gaim please install Gaim, then continue.

Use Gaim to create an IRC account

 * 1) Select
 * 2) Click
 * 3) Drop-down select
 * 4) Type the screen name you wish to use as
 * 5) * (You can easily change this later if someone else has this screenname.
 * 6) Ensure that the  is specified.
 * 7) The  must be left blank, as irc.feenode.net is a public server.
 * 8) Click
 * 9) * Alias: and other options can be left blank for now.)
 * 10) In the Accounts window Select JohnDoe75@irc.freenode.net and check the checkbox for

Once you have connected you can begin to participate, however, we recommend that you register your nickname.

NOTE: If you get a prompt reading NickServ: (notice) This nickname is owned by someone else and you have not yet registered, you will need to choose a different nickname (screen name).

Join the #freeculture IRC channel

 * 1) Select  and make the name of the group IRC. Click.
 * 2) Check  to make the IRC group you just created visible.
 * 3) Alt-click on the IRC group select
 * 4) Select.
 * 5) In the first textbox type in.
 * 6) Select
 * 7) Click
 * 8) Alt-click on #freeculture in your buddy list and select

You're now in #freeculture, hang out and talk to us! Or leave a message, if we're not around. As we gain members in different time zones, we hope to eventually have the channel active 24/7!



Register your Nickname
If your identity is important to you or to others (partiularly if your nick has had special privileges given to it in certain chatrooms) you should register it (absolutely vital if you are admin or operator of a room).

For the purposes of this demonstration we'll prentend that the password is asdf12345.

NOTE: The following instructions are specific to irc.freenode.net and other servers using the same software.


 * 1) Select  and make the name of the group IRC. Click.
 * 2) Check  to make the IRC group you just created visible.
 * 3) Alt-click the new IRC group on your buddy list and select.
 * 4) In the first textbox type in.
 * 5) Select
 * 6) Select  at the bottom of the window that appears.
 * 7) Click
 * 8) Alt-click NickServ and select
 * 9) Send the message REGISTER asdf12345
 * 10) * You can also do this by sending /msg NickServ REGISTER asdf12345 from any chatroom.
 * 11) Now identify yourself with the message IDENTIFY asdf12345.
 * 12) * You can also do this by sending /msg NickServ IDENTIFY asdf12345 from any chatroom.

NOTE: For a list of generic commands send the message /help from any chatroom.

NOTE: For a list of NickServ commands send the message HELP to it.

WARNING: All of this information should only go to "NickServ", you should never be sending it to any IRC channel or any individual who is not NickServ.

Autojoin the #freeculture channel on login
Alt-click on #freeculture in your buddy list and select if you want to join the #freeculture IRC channel automatically every time you sign on to Gaim (most people will want to do this).

IDENTIFY automacitally NickServ on each login
So you've registered your name and you don't want to have to type "identify [password]" every time you log in? You can either use the GAIM IRC Helper plugin (for the more technically inclined user) or you can set a buddy pounce, which is a kinda like a beefy version of AIM's "alert me when user comes online" feature.


 * 1) Select.
 * 2) Select.
 * 3) Type.
 * 4) Select.
 * 5) Check.
 * 6) * (You may with to uncheck all other options)
 * 7) Check.
 * 8) Click.

Voil&agrave;! Automatic identification. You can use the same technique to automate other repetitive tasks.

NOTE: The buddy pounce won't activate unless NickServ is on your buddy list (described in the registration section).

WARNING: Of course, if you're the tinfoil hat type, you won't want to be saving your password in plain text on your hard drive (and right in the IM window!)... Then again, tinfoil hat types probably won't be using Gaim to connect to IRC in the first place.