# add libera-chat to your network list at hexchat # orcus - 2020-11-18 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ # If you struggle with the instructions - this video might help you a bit: # https://www.orcus.de/video/hexchat-add-libera-chat.mp4 # ========================================================================================= # The tutorial describes how to add a new network entry for libera.chat irc # network and how to configure hexchat to sign-in with an registered account. # # The tutorial will work without registering an account too ... but why should # you do things only half-way... # # To register a new account at libera.chat: https://libera.chat/guides/registration #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ # If you only want to connect once to libera.chat, you could as an alternative # just the irc-command: /newserver ircs://irc.libera.chat:6697 # After you are connected - give it some time to settle a bit - run the # /list irc-command to get a list of public available channels. #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ # ========================================================================================= Notes - some (un)important details to be aware of: # ========================================================================================= N1) HexChat behaves a bit unexpected when changing values, as you have to press ENTER/RETURN to finish any modifications of editfields or it wont accept/notice modifications otherwise. N2) With large irc-networks like libera.chat you will often face the situation that your beloved user- or nickname is already used/registered by someone else == you 'lost the race' and cant use the same identities there. To override your global setting coming from the "Network List" main dialog, you can turn OFF the "Use global user information" option at the libera.chat details dialog and pick some user- and nickname being still available instead to be used for libera.chat only. N3) If you are missing your added libera.chat entry at the Network List dialog later, you did likely forget to mark it as favorite: Turn OFF "Show favorites only"-option in the "Network List" dialog: This should now all available irc-networks. Select your "Libera.chat" entry and press the "Favor" button to mark it as favorite. After that you can turn the "Show favorites only" option ON again. N4) at some more libera-channels, only registered users are able to write/ask or even join => read: https://libera.chat/guides/registration # ========================================================================================= Adding a new Network list entry: # ========================================================================================= 1) to add a new entry open menu HexChat->Network List #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2) press the "Add" button at the shown dialog and enter a new name like libera.chat and press ENTER/RETURN to accept the change (end edit this way). #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3) Important: With the new libera.chat entry being selected - press the "Favor" button to mark it as favorite - read N3) if you cant see your libera.chat entry at a later time. #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4) with the new entry selected press the "Edit..." button to adjust the required details a) first change the required server connection information to: irc.libera.chat/6697 and press ENTER. b) turn ON "Connect to the network automatically" if you want to join the libera.chat irc network automatically on running hexchat c) I'm usually not using any proxy servers which is likely true for you too, so turn ON "Bypass proxy server" d) turn ON "User SSL for all the servers on this network" if you want to be sure that you are using an encrypted connection to the irc network (suggested). e) leave "Accept invalid SLL certificats" set to OFF unless you are facing any certificate related problems (happens rarely, but happens and turning it ON is a common workaround if an certificate expired for some reason). f) set "Use global user information" OFF to be able to define nickname and username for libera.chat only, which helps to avoid name-conflicts with other, already registered users at libera.chat - read N2) above. g) Nick name: prefer using some nickname which is likely not used by someone else (a common name like "bob" is likely already used by someone else on this planet) h) Second choice: this is technically used if your connection timed out and hexchat does auto-connect again while the irc-host didn't notice that your connection dropped == the host believes you being still around and will deny using your main nickname because of this. Hexchat will then simply pick this 2nd entry for your nickname then. Most people will just use the original nickname and append some trailing _ (underscrore to the end - but you could use any other nick to your liking as long it doesn't collide with other users nicknames). i) Real name: is only used for information purposes - you likely want to avoid entering any real name there if you want to keep your privacy... many people will just leave it empty. j) User name: this one is important not to collide with other users being registered at libera.chat. You will often use the same entry as with your nickname. The difference between the nickname and username is: a nickname is what gets displayed to others when writing at irc and can even be changed dynamically using the /nick command , while the username is sort of your account, which wont change. Steps k) + l) are only needed if you plan to register/claim your nickname/username at libra.chat: .... k) Login method: select there "SASL (username+password) l) Password: enter your password here - do yourself a favor and don't use anything stupid like 1234... m) Character set: just stick stick with the default UTF-8 (unicode) n) When you are done with your edits, use the "Close" button ot save your changes #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5) Back at the "Network List" main-dialg: You can test your new entry now: Select your new added network entry and press the "Connect" button. This will take some time and showing connection informations - just let it settle a bit. As you didn't define any channels to autojoin until now, you could run the irc-command /list to show a list of all public visible channels. Use the filter field to reduce the numer of listed channels as bit (and press ENTER after you added somthing there). With the filtered channel lists you should click two times onto the "Users" column heading to sort the output by number of attending users ... which helps to avoid channels with almost nobody being there ... If you found some channel of interest and joined it: you can right-click onto the according channel treenode/tab-entry and turn ON the "autojoin" option, so you would join there automatically on your next run of hexchat. #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ good luck - have fun, orcus