sirc 2.211 review
Downloadsirc is an IRC (Internet Relay Chat) client for Unix programmed and programmable in perl, by Roger Espel Llima (aka orabidoo)
|
|
sirc is an IRC (Internet Relay Chat) client for Unix programmed and programmable in perl,
by Roger Espel Llima (aka orabidoo). sirc is much smaller than most clients, and yet has most of their features.
It's divided in two parts, a dumb-mode (meaning, no full screen interface) client, dsirc, that can be used stand-alone, programmed in perl, and a separate split-screen front end in C, called ssfe.
The main point of running this client is that you can get a reasonable ircII-like interface on an account with a properly installed perl interpreter, with the perl client taking about 60k (and it's usable on its own if you don't have access to a C compiler) and with the interface, once compiled, taking just another 30 or 40k. The two together, while lacking the huge complexity of ircII, make a very usable client. You'll find that you can do many and complicated things with sirc.
Here are some key features of "sirc":
ircII-like user interface with command-line editing and history, and with enhancements like built-in "tabkey" handling, arrow keys, message redirection, and highlighting of private messages.
All the usual IRC features, including /notify, /ignore, a hold mode, /server, /help, /set ...
A number of functions which are usually defined as aliases are builtin in sirc, like /o to give ops or /w to do a /whois.
Support for connections through SOCKS proxies, including initiating DCC connections.
Compatible with all nets, including Undernet's, extensions like /map.
Full DCC (Direct Client-to-client Connections) support, to chat without going through the servers (DCC CHAT), and transmit files (DCC SEND and GET). DCC SEND is now 3x faster, and you can rename DCC CHATs.
Substitution aliases in the vein of /alias b msg BubbleBot
Possibility to make scripts for sirc, in perl, adding commands and their help, using hooks, userhost queries and timers, and adding new /set variables.
Example script included, which adds message logging, userhost-on-notify, delayed auto-ops, and a lot of time-saving aliases.
Possibility to make bots with sirc, and small included example.
The whole distribution takes just 170k, including the docs. Once installed it takes about 110k of disk space.
All the full-screen handling and command-line editing is done by a front-end in C which can be used with other programs than sirc, so you can (for example) read your mail with an IRC-like interface
Compatible with perl versions 4 and 5.
Quick and easy installation:
gunzip sirc-2.211.tar.gz ; tar -xvf sirc-2.211.tar ; cd sirc-2.211 ; ./install
What's New in This Release:
stripped anything after ^G from channel names, to be compatible with IRCnet.
a proper fix will come with the next version...
sirc 2.211 keywords