Notes on Voice -------------- Voice (Viperr's Own IRC Client) is an IRC (Internet Relay Chat) client. Internet Relay Chat is a worldwide multi-user chat system. To join, you connect to an IRC server using an IRC client. This program is that client (it is also possible to access IRC via telnet, but that is problem prone and not recommended). You do not need to be connected to configure Voice. I have three IRC clients in this directory, this one, IRC 1.01, and jpIRC. Of these three, I would say that jpIRC is the best, followed by Voice, with IRC 1.01 last, though each has its advantages and disadvantages. If you are familiar with ircII in Unix, Voice is a partial clone of it (as is jpIRC). Unlike IRC 1.01, Voice supports the /me command, if you're the type who likes to express your emotions :), and it supports a few /ctcp commands (IRC 1.01 responds to /ctcp ping, version, and clientinfo but does not have the /ctcp command itself). Voice does not support /dcc (jpIRC supports a few /dcc commands, but not /dcc put or /dcc chat). Also unlike IRC 1.01, Voice is not multiwindowed (you cannot - conveniently - be on more than one channel at a time), and it does not support scrollback. (jpIRC works with two windows, but not more.) Voice does support 50-line mode on VGA displays, though not 43-line mode on EGA. There is some online help with Voice, similar to what you would get with ircII, i.e., /help generally gives a brief description of the command. /help by itself gives a list of available commands. You need to be in the directory where you installed Voice to run it (it needs WATTCP.CFG, VOICE.PRM, and VOICE.HLP). The registered version of Voice also supports scripts (for experts - IRC 1.01 and jpIRC do not support scripts). To configure Voice, you need to edit two files in the directory where you installed it: WATTCP.CFG and VOICE.PRM. The documentation is fairly good on setup. Voice supports BOOTP if you have dynamic IP. First, WATTCP.CFG. This program only uses a few of the possible settings in WATTCP.CFG, so if you already have a working WATTCP.CFG for another program, or better yet a global WATTCP.CFG for all your WATTCP programs, you can just use that file by making WATTCP.CFG in the Voice directory a one-line file: include=e:\internet\wattcp.cfg Otherwise, edit the WATTCP.CFG supplied. If you have static IP (as on Agate), set my_ip to your static IP address: my_ip=204.117.9.33 (For me.) If you have dynamic IP, comment out that line and put this instead: include=e:\internet\ipaddr.cfg You will have to make a batch file to create IPADDR.CFG at connect time and give the pathname of the created file here; see my README in my Internet directory. If your gateway is static, give its address: gateway=199.191.1.70 If your gateway is dynamic, either give the gateway you *usually* get, or comment out that line and put this: include=e:\internet\gateway.cfg Again, you will have to arrange for GATEWAY.CFG to be created at connect time and give the pathname here; see README. Set netmask like this (do *not* use your real netmask): netmask=0.0.0.0 Set nameserver to your nameserver's IP address: nameserver=199.191.1.80 In VOICE.PRM, set nick to the nickname you want to be called on IRC; it can be anything you like (9 characters or less, one word), and if somebody is already using that nick you will be asked to change it when you connect to the server. e-mail doesn't really have to be your email address - it can be any reasonably short humorous string enclosed in quotes; making it an email address is a rather antiquated practice nowadays, but a few college IRC servers do require that it be one. (People will see the string when they do /whois on you in IRC.) user can be your user name as assigned by your provider (the part of your email address before the "@"), or it can be any single word you like. (If you put your real user name there, people will have your email address with /whois regardless of what you put for e-mail.) For server, you give the name of an IRC server. Get file irc101.txt for some sites to find servers. Note: Voice and IRC 1.01 are incompatible with some (many) IRC servers; if one server tells you that, try another one, or use jpIRC, which connects to almost every public server. finger is a reasonably short humorous string enclosed in quotes. People will get that string back when they do /ctcp finger on you. The default colors in VOICE.PRM should be fine if you have a color monitor. If you have monochrome, you might try these instead: normal-fg = 7 # Main window foreground color normal-bg = 0 # Main window background color underline-fg = 0 # Status bar foreground underline-bg = 7 # Status Bar background command-fg = 15 # Command-line foreground command-bg = 0 # Command-line background notice-fg = 15 # Notice foreground notice-bg = 0 # Notice background message-fg = 15 # Private Message foreground message-bg = 0 # Private Message background user-fg = 1 # Foreground color for everything you send user-bg = 0 # Background color for everything you send With monochrome: foreground background display 0 0 Invisible (black on black) 7 0 Normal white on black 7 8 Blinking normal white on black 15 0 High-intensity white on black 15 8 Blinking high-intensity white on black 0 7 Black on normal white 0 15 Blinking black on normal white 1 0 Underlined normal white on black 1 8 Blinking normal white on black 9 0 High-intensity underlined white on black 9 8 Blinking high-intensity underlined white on black Also look at the .txt file for IRC 1.01, in this directory. It tells how to find servers.