NetHirc

NetHirc is an IRC client written in Perl with the POE::Component::IRC modules from CPAN. It is a terminal-based client which is (unfortunately for most of the world) very UNIX-centric. Though I could rehash my reasons for writing such a silly IRC client with Nethack-inspired messages, I figure that's best left for files that are in the distribution.

What NetHirc lacks in prettiness, it makes up for with stability and ease of use (well, for ircII people). I use it exclusively, and it can stay up 24/7, modulo various DNS problems and system crashes. To learn more about NetHirc, browse the source code or download it and run it.

Besides, why should I go through all the work of creating some lousy bloody custom scripting language when I have Perl at my disposal? Yeah, I'm lazy, but this solves a lot of problems. And it lets the users shoot themselves in the foot if they so choose. (Hey, I'm not going to protect you from yourself.)

New Version, New Features

I got annoyed with the 0.7 version of NetHirc. That and I found POE to be mind-bogglingly cool. So I rewrote the darn thing to be more modern. And it kept most of its features, too:

• Line/word/byte counters
• IRCops wield artifact weapons and/or weapon-like quest items
• Improved support for multiple concurrent connections to different servers
• Better channel management
• Easy installation
• SSFE support with real-time updating status bar
• Stupid text tricks (mirror, reverse, yoda, pig latin)
• Process pipes can say things to channels or via private message

Unfortunately, some features disappeared along the way:

• Big Brother Is Watching When He Is Not Under Repair
• Dave's Happyslash

For a list of things that are not in NetHirc but probably should be, consult the TODO file in the distribution.

Obtaining NetHirc

The recommended version of NetHirc is 0.94. You can obtain NetHirc via FTP. Don't forget to verify the cryptographic signature!

Notes on version compatibility:

• If you have POE::Component::IRC 2.9 or earlier, you must run NetHirc 0.9.
• If you have POE::Component::IRC 3.0 or later, you can run NetHirc 0.91.
• If you have POE::Component::IRC 3.4 or later, you can run NetHirc 0.92 or later.