@cindex server
@cindex network
Contrary to most Instant Messenger (IM) systems, users usually don't
-connect to a central server. Instead, users connect to a random server
-in a network, and the servers share information between them.
+connect to a central server. Instead, users connect to a random
+server in a network, and servers relay messages from one to the next.
Here's a typical example:
@table @asis
@cindex server, connecting
@cindex Freenode network
-@item IRC server
+@item IRC Server
What server do you want to connect to? All the servers in a particular
network are equivalent. Some networks use a round-robin system where a
single server redirects new connections to a random server in the
@cindex port, connecting
@cindex 6667, default IRC port
-@item IRC port
+@item IRC Port
All network connections require a port. Just as web servers and clients
use port 80 per default, IRC uses port 6667 per default. You rarely
have to use a different port.
@cindex nick, connecting
@cindex changing nick
@cindex name changes
-@item IRC nick
+@item IRC Nick
@vindex user-login-name
Every users needs a handle on-line. You will automatically be assigned
a slightly different nick if your chosen nick is already in use. If
@cindex channels, connecting
@cindex initial channels
@cindex startup channels
-@item Channels
+@item IRC Channels
A space separated list of channels you want to join when connecting.
You don't need to join any channels, if you just want to have one-to-one
conversations with friends on the same network. If you're new to the
@kindex RET
@cindex talking
@cindex communicating
-To talk in a channel, just type in what you want to say in a channel
+To talk in a channel, just type what you want to say in a channel
buffer, and press @key{RET}.
@kindex C-c C-c
though. Generally, IRC users don't like people pasting more than around
four lines of code, so use with care.
-As soon as you have joined a channel, you probably want to be notified
-of any activity on the the channels you joined. All you need to do is
-switch channel tracking on using @kbd{M-x rcirc-track-minor-mode}. To
-make this permanent, add the following to your init file:
+@comment This section copied from the Channels section.
+@comment All index markers should point to the original!
+Once you are connected to multiple channels, or once you've turned you
+attention to other buffers in Emacs, you probably want to be notified
+of any activity in channels not currently visible. All you need to do
+is switch channel tracking on using @kbd{M-x rcirc-track-minor-mode}.
+To make this permanent, add the following to your init file:
@example
(rcirc-track-minor-mode 1)
@end example
+Use @kbd{C-c C-@key{SPC}} to switch to these buffers.
+
@node Reference, Fighting Information Overload, Basics, Top
@chapter Reference
@cindex reference
@cindex servers, configuration
@cindex initial servers, configuration
@cindex startup servers, configuration
-This variable contains an alist of servers to connect to by default and
-the keywords parameters to use. The keyword parameters are optional. If
-you don't provide any, the defaults as documented below will be used.
+This variable contains an alist of servers to connect to by default
+and the keywords parameters to use. The keyword parameters are
+optional. If you don't provide any, the defaults as documented below
+will be used.
-The most important parameter is the @code{:channels} parameter. It
+The most important parameter is the @code{:channels} parameter. It
controls which channels you will join by default as soon as you are
connected to the server.
This overrides @code{rcirc-default-full-name}.
@item :channels
-This describes which channels to join when connecting to the server. If
-absent, no channels will be connected to automatically.
+This describes which channels to join when connecting to the server.
+If absent, no channels will be connected to automatically.
@end table
@item rcirc-default-nick
@vindex rcirc-default-nick
-This variable is used for the default nick. It defaults to the login
+This variable is used for the default nick. It defaults to the login
name returned by @code{user-login-name}.
@example
@item rcirc-default-port
@vindex rcirc-default-port
@cindex port
-This variable contains the default port to connect to. It is 6667 by
+This variable contains the default port to connect to. It is 6667 by
default and rarely needs changing.
@item rcirc-default-user-name
@vindex rcirc-default-user-name
@cindex user name
-This variable contains the default user name to report to the server. It
-defaults to the login name returned by @code{user-login-name}, just like
-@code{rcirc-default-nick}.
+This variable contains the default user name to report to the server.
+It defaults to the login name returned by @code{user-login-name}, just
+like @code{rcirc-default-nick}.
@item rcirc-default-user-full-name
@vindex rcirc-default-user-full-name
@cindex full name
@cindex real name
@cindex surname
-This variable is used to set your ``real name'' on
-IRC. It defaults to the name returned by @code{user-full-name}. If you
-want to hide your full name, you might want to set it to some pseudonym.
+This variable is used to set your ``real name'' on IRC. It defaults
+to the name returned by @code{user-full-name}. If you want to hide
+your full name, you might want to set it to some pseudonym.
@example
(setq rcirc-default-user-full-name "Curious Minds Want To Know")
@cindex nickserv
@cindex login
This variable is an alist used to automatically identify yourself on
-networks. Each sublist starts with a regular expression that is compared
-to the server address you're connecting to. The second element in the
-list is a symbol representing the method to use, followed by the
-arguments this method requires.
+networks. Each sublist starts with a regular expression that is
+compared to the server address you're connecting to. The second
+element in the list is a symbol representing the method to use,
+followed by the arguments this method requires.
Here is an example to illustrate how you would set it:
@cindex information overload
This is the section of the manual that caters to the busy person
-online. There are support channels with several hundred people in
-them. Trying to follow a conversation in these channels can be a
-daunting task. This chapters tells you how @code{rcirc} can help.
+online. There are support channels with several hundred people in
+them. Trying to follow a conversation in these channels can be a
+daunting task. This chapters tells you how @code{rcirc} can help.
@menu
* Channels::
@cindex channels
@cindex modeline
+@comment This section copied to the Getting started with rcirc section
@kindex C-c C-SPC
@vindex rcirc-track-minor-mode
@cindex switching channels
@cindex busy channels
If you've joined a very active support channel, tracking activity is
-no longer useful. The channel will be always active. Switching to
+no longer useful. The channel will be always active. Switching to
active channels using @kbd{C-c C-@key{SPC}} no longer works as
expected.
@kindex C-c C-l
@cindex low priority channels
The solution is to mark this channel as as a low priority channel.
-Use @kbd{C-c C-l} to make the current channel a low-priority
-channel. Low priority channels have the modeline indicator ``LowPri''.
+Use @kbd{C-c C-l} to make the current channel a low-priority channel.
+Low priority channels have the modeline indicator ``LowPri''.
@kbd{C-c C-@key{SPC}} will not switch to low priority channels unless
you use the @kbd{C-u} prefix.
@kindex C-c TAB
@cindex ignored channels
If you prefer a channel to never show up in the modeline, then you
-have to ignore it. Use @kbd{C-c @key{TAB}} to ignore the current
+have to ignore it. Use @kbd{C-c @key{TAB}} to ignore the current
channel.
@node People, Keywords, Channels, Fighting Information Overload
@cindex trolls
The most important command available to the discerning IRC user is
-@code{/ignore}. It's the big equalizer online: If people aggravate
+@code{/ignore}. It's the big equalizer online: If people aggravate
you, just ignore them.
This is of course a crude all-or-nothing solution. Fear not,
This command toggles the bright status of a nick, if you provide one.
If you don't provide a nick, the command lists all the ``brightened''
nicks. All messages by brightened nicks are---you guessed
-it---brightened. Use this for your friends. Example: @code{/bright
+it---brightened. Use this for your friends. Example: @code{/bright
rcy}.
@item /dim
This command toggles the dim status of a nick, if you provide one. If
you don't provide a nick, the command lists all the ``dimmed'' nicks.
All messages by dimmed nicks are---you guessed it---dimmed. Use this
-for boring people and bots. If you are tracking channel activity,
-messages by dimmed nicks will not register as activity. Example:
+for boring people and bots. If you are tracking channel activity,
+messages by dimmed nicks will not register as activity. Example:
@code{/dim fsbot}.
@end table
@cindex keywords
On a busy channel, you might want to ignore all activity (using
-@kbd{C-c @key{TAB}}) and just watch for certain keywords. The
+@kbd{C-c @key{TAB}}) and just watch for certain keywords. The
following command allows you to highlight certain keywords:
@table @code
@item /keyword
@cindex /keyword
This command toggles the highlighting of a keyword, if you provide
-one. If you don't provide a keyword, the current keywords are
-listed. Example: @code{/keyword manual}.
+one. If you don't provide a keyword, the current keywords are
+listed. Example: @code{/keyword manual}.
@end table
-A keyword is regular expression matching a word. Thus, if you add the
+A keyword is regular expression matching a word. Thus, if you add the
keyword @code{wikis?} then this will match the words ``wiki'' and
``wikis'' but not ``emacswiki''.
@kindex C-c C-o
@cindex low priority channels
In busy channels you might not be interested in all the joining,
-parting, quitting, and renaming that goes on. You can omit those
+parting, quitting, and renaming that goes on. You can omit those
notices using @kbd{C-c C-o}.
@vindex rcirc-omit-responses
@cindex away notices, how to omit
You can control which notices get omitted via the
-@code{rcirc-omit-responses} variable. Here's an example of how to omit
-away messages:
+@code{rcirc-omit-responses} variable. Here's an example of how to
+omit away messages:
@example
(setq rcirc-omit-responses '("JOIN" "PART" "QUIT" "NICK" "AWAY))
@vindex rcirc-omit-threshold
Notice that these messages will not be omitted if the nick in question
-has recently been active. After all, you don't want to continue a
-conversation with somebody who just left. That's why @code{rcirc}
+has recently been active. After all, you don't want to continue a
+conversation with somebody who just left. That's why @code{rcirc}
checks recent lines in the buffer to figure out if a nick has been
-active and only omits a message if the nick has not been active. The
+active and only omits a message if the nick has not been active. The
window @code{rcirc} considers is controlled by the
@code{rcirc-omit-threshold} variable.
HCoop / bpt / emacs.git / commitdiff