X-Chat Guide (Windows)
Obtaining X-Chat
Take a trip to
http://www.xchat.org/. From there, click "download" on the left side and select "Windows version" under "precompiled binaries." On the page it brings up, there are two versions of X-Chat. Versions 2.4.0 and up are 30-day shareware. The previous version, 2.0.10, is 100% free so I recommend you get that one.
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To the more tech-savvy: If you know how, I believe you can still use the latest version of XChat for Windows by obtaining the source which is available <a href="http://xchat.org/files/source/">here</a> and compiling it. Chances are, if you know how to compile the source yourself you don't need me to guide you through getting it, etc, so I won't spend time on that right now. There is also a free version of X-Chat 2.4.0 at
http://www.silverex.org which you may use. I have not tested this out yet, however, and I still recommend sticking with 2.0.10 for now since the silverex version is built from X-Chat developmental code as far as I'm aware.
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Installing X-Chat
When installing XChat, the default options should be fine. If you prefer to have black text on a white background, select that option. I don't know how to change this decision after the installation (without reinstalling) but I've also never tried.
Setting up X-Chat
Once XChat is installed, you will need to add Shadowfire to the servers list. If I remember correctly, the first time you run it the server list will be the first Window to pop up. Check the "edit mode" box on the bottom. On the left, click "add" next to "networks." You'll see "New Network" added to the list. Click twice on it (but DO NOT double click) to edit the name. Type in "Shadowfire." Now, on the right side, you should see "newserver/6667" listed under "servers." Click twice on it (but do not double click!) just like before to edit the entry. Change it to "us.shadowfire.org" and then click "add" at the top of the list. Now you should see another "newserver/6667." Change this one to "irc.shadowfire.org"
Now it is time to choose your chat nicknames. At the top you should see three fields after "Nick Names:" In the first field, enter in your preferred nickname. For example, I entered in "SecretMethod70." Now the next field tells X-Chat what nickname to use if my first choice is taken. In most cases, at least for me, the only time my first choice is taken is if I get disconnected from chat, reconnect, and the IRC server hasn't realized my nick disconnected yet. So, I set my second choice to "Secret|away." Some people like to use the same nickname as was listed in their first choice followed by a "_" - to be honest, it really doesn't matter what you use. Next, put something in for your third choice in the rightmost field. As far as "User Name" and "Real Name," I typically set these to be the same as my first choice for "Nick Name."
Lastly, in the center you should see a field called "Join Channels." In here, type "#tfp" You are now ready to click "connect" and begin chatting with us! See you there!
Next time you open X-Chat, all you will have to do is select Shadowfire from the list and then click connect.
Advanced Options
Now it's time to register your nick so that no one else can use it on ShadowFire. You want to type, in any tab (but I recommend the server tab for reasons that aren't important to get into), "/msg NICKSERV REGISTER (your password) (your e-mail address)" Do not include the parentheses. After you have done this, check your e-mail and follow the instructions to authenticate. Now open the server list back up by going to X-Chat > Server List and type "msg NickServ IDENTIFY (your password)" in the "Connect Command" field. Now, if you prefer, you can select "auto connect at startup" and "no server list on startup." I recommend this if you use IRC for nothing other than Shadowfire and TFP.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me!