
Eteria IRC Client, an RFC 1459 compliant client program written in Java.
Copyright (C) 2000  Javier Kohen <jkohen at tough.com>


This is the README file for EIRC, I'd appreciate if you read your way through this file, but if you are eager for some action, just jump to the "Quick Start" section below.


Getting EIRC
------------

EIRC is kindly hosted by SourceForge at:
 http://eirc.sourceforge.net/


What is EIRC?
-------------

It's a short for Eteria IRC Client. It's an RFC 1459 compliant client program written entirely in Java using only version 1.1.x Java API, for compliance with current mainstream web browsers, without the need to download the Swing classes.

It was written because it was needed a *free* Java IRC client at Eteria <http://www.eterialab.com/> that was at the same time flexible and easy to extend, and that had a simple -yet complete- GUI. After searching the net, we found out that what was available at the time wouldn't comply with more than just one of these requirements, it was specially evident the lack of good GUIs.


Requirements
------------

This program requires a version 1.1.x compatible Java Virtual Machine. See "Compatibility" section below. Read docs/INSTALL for further information on how to set your JVM to connect to external servers.
If you want to build your own EIRC JAR after you modified any resource (ie, images, default configuration, windows' layout, etc.) you need a jar tool. JDK's bring their own; in case you don't have one, you can grab a replacement tool from Internet. A free and fine one is fastjar <http://fastjar.sourceforge.net/>.


Quick Start
-----------

make dist
appletviewer index.html
 -or-
netscape index.html
Type 'help' for a list of local commands.
Type 'help <command>' for a description of <command>.
Try double-clicking on other users' nicks at the nick list to open a private query window to that user.
PLEASE read INSTALL if you have ANY kind of problems. Note that the default JAR has debug information compiled in, and that makes it bigger.


How Can I Help?
---------------

Read docs/TODO for a list of the topmost needs. Of course, you are free to work on whatever you want; if you do any modification, please let me know, I'll include your changes in the main codebase as long as they don't conflict with the program's principles (see "What is EIRC?" section above). Non-programmers can always submit new ideas, suggestions, art or updated translations.
Testing is always welcomed, if you think you've found a bug which is not listed in docs/BUGS or docs/TODO, please don't hesitate in reporting it (see "Contact Ino" below).
I appreciate any kind of feed back, even undiscriminated flaming (I have to keep /dev/null fed somehow).


Compatibility
-------------

EIRC has been successfully tested in the following environments:
 * Sun's JDK 1.2.2 Applet Viewer for Linux.
 * Sun's JDK 1.3.x Applet Viewer for Linux.
 * Netscape Navigator 6 and Mozilla nightly builds with JVM from Netscape Navigator 6 for Linux.
 * Netscape Navigator 4.7x with JVM 1.1.5 for Linux. Note that this JVM has never been stable.
 * Netscape Navigator 4.7x with JVM 1.1.5 for Microsoft Windows.
 * Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x for Microsoft Windows.
 * Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x for MacOS.

It's also known to fail in the following environments:
 * Netscape Navigator 4.0x for MacOS.
 * Netscape Navigator 4.5 for MacOS.


Contact Info
------------

If you are interested in contacting me, the author of this software, you are encouraged to drop me an e-mail to <jkohen@users.sourceforge.net>.
There have been set up two mailing lists related to this project. Follow the links to browse the archives or to get subscribed to them:

 * Eirc-Devel <http://lists.sourceforge.net/mailman/listinfo/eirc-devel>
 This list is where bug reports, suggestions and other development related discussions should go.
 * Eirc-Help <http://lists.sourceforge.net/mailman/listinfo/eirc-help>
 This list is where you should ask for help on installing, deploying or using the client.


3rd Party classes
-----------------

Colored text canvas code has been written by the NFCChat <http://nfcchat.sourceforge.net/> team for their own (non-IRC) chat system.
The HTML-inspired LayoutManager, HtmlLayout <http://braindamage.org/HtmlLayout/>, has been written by Paul Buchheit.


Unnecessary babble
------------------

This software was developed with GNU EMACS and Sun's JDK 1.3.0_01 on a GNUized Linux system put together by me; built over at what some time in the past (199711xx) happened to be a Slackware distro.
This system has suffered anything from a newbie's libc to glibc conversion (before any distribution had done that publicly); Linux kernel releases ranging from 2.0.0 up to 2.4.0-test11; a few miraculously hand-recovered file system corruptions; and even a defective motherboard/CPU. Nowadays it resides happily -at least as happy as a computer system can be- on a faulty Quantum FIREBALL hard drive controlled by an AMD K6-2/350 CPU with 128 MB of RAM and a wonderful Matrox G400 video card; this box talks to the world with a 5-year old USRobotics Sportster 33600 internal modem.

The user (me) was born in Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina -where he currently lives- on 19810924; but he actually hates human conventions like dates, flags and frontier lines. He's finished high-school at Escuela Tcnica ORT, where he got the Electronics Technician title. He thinks he'll begin the Licensee on Computer Sciences career at the faculty of Exact Sciences from Universidad of Buenos Aires next year.
He loves true friendship, playing the bass, playing RPGs and listening to music, specially old-school punk, black/thrash/death metal, and electronic. He speaks Spanish fluently, and has a good grasp on English; he'd like to learn other languages, too, being German topmost in his list. He has also learnt very little hebrew at school.


License
-------

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.


(Non) Warranty
--------------

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
