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TML / Studies / Guides
Studies - Guides
IRC basic commands
IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is real-time, multi-user chatting network. Computing Centre's general purpose UNIX computers IRC starts by command:
irssi
Irssi is a full-screen utility. It takes over the screen, with the bulk of activity happening in the top (N-2) lines, a status line on the next to last line, and your input being entered on the last line. Commands begin with a slash, for example: /join.
NOTE! If you use SSH Tectia Client to connect to unix computer, you should probably change the background color of the window to black and foreground color to white. Otherwise some text that Irssi highlights with white color will not be shown.
Connecting TKK's IRC server
You connect by following command:
/server irc.cs.hut.fi
Irssi outputs server's welcome message and some other information to the screen.
Nicknames
Users are identified by nicknames. Your nickname will be the same as your login by default. Nickname can be changed by command:
/nick name
If your intended nickname clashes with someone else's, Irssi will notify you. You can then change it to something else.
Joining to a channel
When you first get on IRC, you are put into a dead place where nobody is talking. To join in the conversation on a certain channel you may use the command:
/join #channel
Normal messages from other users appear with the originating nickname in <angle brackets>.
Example:
<pete> How about badminton?
<mary> Today?
<lisa> Hi, long time no see!
<pete> Yes, today evening.
You can join to as many channels as you like. Just issue /join command again.
Moving between channels
Irssi opens each channel to a new "window" and also a window for IRC server's welcome and other messages. Usually you move between windows by pressing meta+[window number]. Meta key is usually ALT on unix computers. If this does not work (if you have, for example, connected to unix computer using SSH's Tectia Client), you can change window by pressing first ESC and then window number. If that does not work either, you can use command /window. For example:
/window 3
Send message
You can send a message to the channel or send someone a private message that only that person can read. Message can contain several lines. Press enter at the end of whole message. To send a message to a channel you simply type your message and press enter. To send private message you use /msg or /query command:
/msg nick text
Difference between /msg and /query is that /query opens a new window for private conversation. Incoming private message is also shown in new window automatically.
Messages you send to everyone appear just as everyone else's, except that your nick is highlighted.
Information about others
Once in a channel, you may wish to get a detailed list of the people IRC 'ing inside. You get listing of users by command:
/who #channel
For example listing of channel #media:
12:34 [IRCnet] -!- #media ursula_ H@ 1 ^ursula@vipunen.hut.fi [Ursula Holmström] 12:34 [IRCnet] -!- #media Kaer H@ 1 ~khenriks@ice-age.cs.hut.fi [Karl Mikael Henriksson] 12:34 [IRCnet] -!- #media kiravuo H@ 1 ~kiravuo@morphine.tml.hut.fi [Timo Kiravuo] 12:34 [IRCnet] -!- #media proche H@ 1 pakoivis@kekkonen.cs.hut.fi [Pyry Koivisto] 12:34 [IRCnet] -!- #media juuso G@ 1 juuso@dob2.kyla.fi [Juuso Mäyränen] 12:34 [IRCnet] -!- #media JLarja H@ 0 jlarja@hoas-fe2add00-93.dhcp.inet.fi [Jukka Larja]
Listing is by default shown in server window (window 1).
Information about someone:
/whois nick
This information is also shown in server window.
Leaving the channel
/leave #channel
Exiting Irssi
/quit
Help
You can get information about commands with command /help. Just typing /help lists all commands available. For more specific help on a command use /help [command], for example:/help join
If you cannot figure out how to get something done, it is probably a good idea to ask help from course's channel. Assistants and other course participants are usually happy to help.
Web interfaces outside of TKK
One possibility is http://webchat.xs4all.nl. Choose: irc network = IRCnet, choose some appropriate nickname. Then choose "Other" from Chatchannel menu, and write the name of the course channel to the field (channel names are on course websites. Channel names begin with #). Now choose "advanced options" and from Character set menu the first Western set so that special characters like ä and ö will work. Preferrably also write your name to real name field. Then just click go.
Another web irc is http://irc.felk.cvut.cz/cgi-bin/irc.cgi. It works mostly like the above one.
This page is maintained by the assistants of basic courses,
E-mail: perus@tml.tkk.fi
The page has last been updated 16.1.2008.
URL: http://www.tml.tkk.fi/Studies/Guides/irc_guide.html