GAIM 2.0 is has been renamed by the-powers-that-be Pidgin
Step-by-Step Instructions for Setting Up GAIM(Pidgin) to join the IRC PacsLinux chat on Freenode.net
Windows Users Only – Download & Install GAIM(Pidgin)
(Ubuntu users will have GAIM [2.0 before the name change to Pidgin] pre-installed in their “Internet” Menu item skip down to “Run GAIM(Pidgin) for the first time):
1. Download GAIM for Windows at http://www.pidgin.im/pidgin/home/ (current version is 2.0 as of 05/19/2007), or download GAIM 1.5 for Windows by clicking here and save it in some folder where you can find it.
2. Run the program to install GAIM(Pidgin) on your computer.
3. Select “English” (the default) as your language and click “OK”.
4. On the next screen, click “Next” to continue.
5. On the next screen, click “Next” to accept the GNU license agreement and continue.
6. Check “Desktop” if you want an Icon for GAIM(Pidgin) on your Windows Desktop or leave it unchecked if you don’t want one and click “Next” to continue.
7. On the next screen, the default install directory should work for all users, so click “Install” to continue.
8. On the next screen, click “Finish” to complete the installation.
Run GAIM(Pidgin) for the first time:
1. Start GAIM(Pidgin):
• Windows Users – Start > All Programs (or Programs) > Gaim (or Pidgin) > Gaim (or Pidgin)
• Ubuntu Users – Applications > Internet > Gaim Internet Messenger
• Knoppix Users – Click the leftmost “K-gear” icon > select “Internet” > Gaim Internet Messenger (Internet Messenger)
2. Select the Add Account window (it will pop up automatically since you have no accounts set up, but it may not be the topmost window) click the dropdown arrow next to “Protocol:” and select “IRC”.
3. The dialog box will change:
• Click the Show more options button (the little plus sign).
• Type in a screen name of your choosing in the “Screen Name:” box.
• Type in “irc.freenode.net” in the “Server:” box.
• Leave the “Password:” box blank (you don’t need it for Freenode.net)
• If you want to log in to irc.freenode.net EVERY TIME you start GAIM check the “Auto-login” box.
• Click “Save” to close the dialog box.
4. Close the “Accounts” dialog box by clicking “Close”
5. Only the “Login” dialog box will be left open now and the IRC account on irc.freenode.net you just set up will be the only one showing in the “Account” drop box (unless you have other accounts set up from before).
Leave the password box blank and click on the “sign on” button. You will see the following dialog box:
Please note that it may take up to a minute to log in to freenode.net, so be patient.
6. The login window will go away and you and two (2) new dialog boxes will pop up a “freenode-connect” window and an empty buddy-list window. In the bottom box of the “freenode-connect” window type “/join #pacslinux” (without the quote signs, but otherwise EXACTLY as shown). Note that this is the ONLY IRC command string you will ever have to enter if you now save your current chat room setting (see below).
7. You will now have joined the “#pacslinux” chat “room” (yes we include the number sign). Unless you do this between 8:00 to 10:00 pm on a Monday evening, you will probably be the only person in the room. You can save your current chat room setting by clicking on “Conversation” and then selecting “+ Add”.
8. Leave the “Password:” box blank and type “PacsLinux Chat” into the “Alias:” box and click on the “Add” button (your default group will probably be “buddies,” just accept it).
9. You will now have the PacsLinux IRC chat room as a “Buddy” on your Buddy List that you can just double-click the next time you start GAIM and log in to easily join the PacsLinux IRC chat room on Monday evenings starting at 8:00 pm.
10. The Basics of using IRC chat in GAIM are this:
• Use the lower box to type in your “chatting” and it will appear in the middle-left box of all of the people logged in to the PacsLinux chat room.
• The middle-right box contains a list of everybody currently logged-in the chat room (the ones with green stars have control authority over the chat room, known as “ops” in IRC-speak).
• The top box allows any user to set a topic – we seldom use it in the PacsLinux chat room.
11. Right click on the GAIM icon in your System Tray (in the lower right corner by the clock in Windows, Ubuntu and Knoppix defaults) and select “Quit” to end your GAIM session.
12. The next time you start GAIM your freenode.net login will be ready to go by default (unless you have other accounts previously, then select it using the drop-down arrow). Just click “Sign on” and wait a bit for freenode to connect, then just double-click your PacsLinux Chat “Buddy” to connect to our chat room.
13. You are now set-up to log in and join the Pacslinux IRC chat sessions starting Mondays starting at 8pm on freenode.net and have a run-down of the basics on how to use IRC chat in GAIM – there is more that you can do but this will get you started with our chat group. Stop by and chat with us sometime.
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