BitchX

BitchX was removed from Ubuntu 8.04 following problems with upstream security patches being applied. For this reason it is not currently installed on any RedBrick servers. Users are free to compile their own BitchX, but no support will be provided for this.

BitchX is another program that can be used to connect to RedBrick chat. Many of it's basic commands are the same as the default program, irssi. Here we'll tell you about some of the differences

An Extension to Navigation

This might seem of little use on RedBrick, mainly due to the fact that chat here is mainly revolved around one room (#lobby). However it is of essential use on other irc servers.

It is possible using BitchX to create another "invisible window" and switch between the two simultaniously. to do this type

[#lobby] /win new hide

This creates a new hidden window. Now to swtch between the two windows.

To go to Window 1, ie the one you should be in, hit Alt and 1. To switch to window 2, ie the hidden one, hit Alt and 2. This can be done for more windows obviously. This should aid you chat in two channels more easily. Detaching the window

This one is straight from ur sysadmin phil :0) While in chat using BitchX and you wish to leave for a short period like if you have to mail some one quickly. Type /detach at the prompt like so...

[#lobby] /detach

This detaches BitchX form the terminal but keep the session alive (Unlike Ctrl-Z). To return to chat type scr-bx.

Private Chat session

If you find yourself constantly messageing someone, especially if ye are having a good discussion using the /query function. To start a conversation with some-one type

[#lobby] /query "username"

So you wanted to start a converastion with me you would type...

[#lobby] /query mark

To end the conversation simply type /query. This works very well with the /win new hide function.

A little about set

It is possible to change some of the settings in BitchX (bah it's a *unx program what did you expect :0)) to see which variables there is in BitchX type /set. (Note: you might want to log your session first as the list scrolls up fairly fast

Now when you have picked out what variable you want to changing (Please note that there is a certain amount of these variables can only be changed by admins =))

I'll give you one concrete example and let ye all go and experiment with the rest yourself :0) there is a variable called LOGFILE. This is where the log's of chat are recorded. To change this variable (And most others) simlpy type

[#lobby] /set {NAME_OF_VARIABLE} [Value of Variable]

So here it would be

[#lobby] /set LOGFILE ~/irc/chat.log

This now means that chat's logfile is pointed to a text file called chat.log in a folder called irc in your home directory.i But you'll probally want to start the logging proccess as well :oP. To do so..

[#lobby] /set LOG on

This starts the logging service to the file we specified earlier on. There are a good few variables, so have fun experimenting :0)

Using .bitchxrc to make your life easier

As you probally noticed there is quite a large abount of variables to be set and so you can imagine that typing them out each time you login, is more than a pain. And it would be if there wasn't the .bitchxrc file to make your life easier :0)

Like all rc file the .bitchxrc file is a file that exectutes it's self each time the revelant program/shell is exectued. If you store these variable in you .bitchxrc file each time you login to chat it will start logging chat to the revelant file. I hope you can see why this is of huge help :0)