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author | Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> |
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date | Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:43:36 +0000 |
parents | 0080e1e64a78 |
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\input texinfo @c %**start of header @setfilename ../../info/erc @settitle ERC Manual @c %**end of header @dircategory Emacs @direntry * ERC: (erc). Powerful, modular, and extensible IRC client for Emacs. @end direntry @syncodeindex fn cp @copying This manual is for ERC version 5.3. Copyright @copyright{} 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc. @quotation Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU Manual,'' and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation License''. (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have the freedom to copy and modify this GNU manual. Buying copies from the FSF supports it in developing GNU and promoting software freedom.'' All Emacs Lisp code contained in this document may be used, distributed, and modified without restriction. @end quotation @end copying @titlepage @title ERC manual @subtitle a full-featured IRC client @subtitle for GNU Emacs and XEmacs @c The following two commands @c start the copyright page. @page @vskip 0pt plus 1filll @insertcopying @end titlepage @c So the toc is printed at the start @contents @ifnottex @node Top, Introduction, (dir), (dir) @comment node-name, next, previous, up @top ERC @insertcopying @end ifnottex @menu * Introduction:: What is ERC? * Obtaining ERC:: How to get ERC releases and development versions. * Installation:: Compiling and installing ERC. * Getting Started:: Quick Start guide to using ERC. * Keystroke Summary:: Keystrokes used in ERC buffers. * Modules:: Available modules for ERC. * Advanced Usage:: Cool ways of using ERC. * Getting Help and Reporting Bugs:: * History:: The history of ERC. * Copying:: The GNU General Public License gives you permission to redistribute ERC on certain terms; it also explains that there is no warranty. * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation. * Concept Index:: Search for terms. @detailmenu --- The Detailed Node Listing --- Obtaining ERC * Releases:: Released versions of ERC. * Development:: Latest unreleased development changes. Getting Started * Sample Session:: Example of connecting to the #emacs channel * Special Features:: Differences from standalone IRC clients Advanced Usage * Connecting:: Ways of connecting to an IRC server. * Sample Configuration:: An example configuration file. * Options:: Options that are available for ERC. @end detailmenu @end menu @node Introduction, Obtaining ERC, Top, Top @comment node-name, next, previous, up @chapter Introduction ERC is a powerful, modular, and extensible IRC client for Emacs. It comes with the following capabilities enabled by default. @itemize @bullet @item Flood control @item Timestamps @item Join channels automatically @item Buttonize URLs, nicknames, and other text @item Wrap long lines @item Highlight or remove IRC control characters @item Highlight pals, fools, and other keywords @item Detect netsplits @item Complete nicknames and commands in a programmable fashion @item Make displayed lines read-only @item Input history @item Track channel activity in the mode-line @end itemize @node Obtaining ERC, Installation, Introduction, Top @comment node-name, next, previous, up @chapter Obtaining ERC @menu * Releases:: Released versions of ERC. * Development:: Latest unreleased development changes. @end menu Note that some ERC files are not included with Emacs due to copyright or dependency issues. If desired, they may be found at the following locations, or from your local GNU mirror. @itemize @bullet @item @uref{http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/erc/erc-5.3-extras.tar.gz} @item @uref{http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/erc/erc-5.3-extras.zip} @end itemize The rest of this chapter may be skipped if you are using the version of ERC that comes with Emacs. @node Releases, Development, Obtaining ERC, Obtaining ERC @comment node-name, next, previous, up @section Releases Choose to install a release if you want to minimize risk. Errors are corrected in development first. User-visible changes will be announced on the @email{erc-discuss@@gnu.org} mailing list. @pxref{Getting Help and Reporting Bugs}. @cindex releases, Debian package @cindex Debian package for ERC Debian users can get ERC via apt-get. The @file{erc} package is available in the official Debian repository. @cindex releases, from source Alternatively, you can download the latest release from @uref{http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/erc}, or your local GNU mirror. @node Development, , Releases, Obtaining ERC @comment node-name, next, previous, up @section Development @cindex development Choose the development version if you want to live on the bleeding edge of ERC development or try out new features before release. @cindex git version control system, using The git version control system allows you to keep up-to-date with the latest changes to the development version of ERC. It also allows you to contribute changes (via commits, if you are have developer access to the repository, or via patches, otherwise). If you would like to contribute to ERC development, it is highly recommended that you use git. If you are new to git, you might find this tutorial helpful: @uref{http://www.kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/tutorial.html}. Downloading ERC with git and staying up-to-date involves the following steps. @enumerate @item Install git. @itemize @bullet @item Debian and Ubuntu: @kbd{apt-get install git-core}. @item Windows: @uref{http://git.or.cz/gitwiki/WindowsInstall}. @item Other operating systems: download, compile, and install the source from @uref{http://www.kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/}, or find a git package for your operating system. @end itemize @item Download the ERC development branch. If you have developer access to ERC, do: @example git clone ssh://loginname@@git.sv.gnu.org/srv/git/erc.git @end example otherwise, do: @example git clone git://git.sv.gnu.org/erc.git @end example If you are behind a restrictive firewall, and do not have developer access, then do the following instead: @example git clone http://git.sv.gnu.org/r/erc.git @end example @item List upstream changes that are missing from your local copy. Do this whenever you want to see whether new changes have been committed to ERC. If you wish, you may skip this step and proceed directly to the ``update'' step. @example # Change to the source directory you are interested in. cd erc # Fetch new changes from the repository, but don't apply them yet git fetch origin # Display log messages for the new changes git log HEAD..origin @end example ``origin'' is git's name for the location where you originally got ERC from. You can change this location at any time by editing the @file{.git/config} file in the directory where the ERC source was placed. @cindex updating ERC with git @item Update to the latest version by pulling in any missing changes. @example cd erc git pull origin @end example git will show how many files changed, and will provide a visual display for how many lines were changed in each file. @end enumerate There are other ways to interact with the ERC repository. @itemize @item Browse git repo: @uref{http://git.sv.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=erc.git} @item Latest development snapshot: @uref{http://mwolson.org/static/dist/erc-latest.tar.gz} @item Latest development snapshot (zip file): @uref{http://mwolson.org/static/dist/erc-latest.zip} @end itemize The latest development snapshot can lag behind the git repo by as much as 20 minutes, but never more than that. For further information on committing changes to ERC and performing development, please consult @uref{http://emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/ErcDevelopment}. @node Installation, Getting Started, Obtaining ERC, Top @comment node-name, next, previous, up @chapter Installation ERC may be compiled and installed on your machine. This section may be skipped if you are using the version of ERC that comes with Emacs. @subsubheading Compilation This is an optional step, since Emacs Lisp source code does not necessarily have to be byte-compiled. It will yield a speed increase, though. A working copy of Emacs or XEmacs is needed in order to compile ERC. By default, the program that is installed with the name @command{emacs} will be used. If you want to use the @command{xemacs} binary to perform the compilation, you would need to edit @file{Makefile} in the top-level directory as follows. You can put either a full path to an Emacs or XEmacs binary or just the command name, as long as it is in the @env{PATH}. @example EMACS = xemacs SITEFLAG = -no-site-file @end example Running @code{make} should compile the ERC source files in the @file{lisp} directory. @subsubheading Installation ERC may be installed into your file hierarchy by doing the following. Edit the @file{Makefile} file so that @env{ELISPDIR} points to where you want the source and compiled ERC files to be installed and @env{INFODIR} indicates where to put the ERC manual. Of course, you will want to edit @env{EMACS} and @env{SITEFLAG} as shown in the Compilation section if you are using XEmacs. If you are installing ERC on a Debian system, you might want to change the value of @env{INSTALLINFO} as specified in @file{Makefile}. Run @code{make} as a normal user. Run @code{make install} as the root user if you have chosen installation locations that require this. @node Getting Started, Keystroke Summary, Installation, Top @comment node-name, next, previous, up @chapter Getting Started @cindex settings To use ERC, add the directory containing its files to your @code{load-path} variable, in your @file{.emacs} file. Then, load ERC itself. An example follows. @lisp (require 'erc) @end lisp Once ERC is loaded, the command @kbd{M-x erc} will start ERC and prompt for the server to connect to. If you want to place ERC settings in their own file, you can place them in @file{~/.emacs.d/.ercrc.el}, creating it if necessary. If you would rather use the Customize interface to change how ERC works, do @kbd{M-x customize-group RET erc RET}. In particular, ERC comes with lots of modules that may be enabled or disabled; to select which ones you want, do @kbd{M-x customize-variable RET erc-modules RET}. @menu * Sample Session:: Example of connecting to the #emacs channel * Special Features:: Differences from standalone IRC clients @end menu @node Sample Session, Special Features, Getting Started, Getting Started @comment node-name, next, previous, up @section Sample Session This is an example ERC session which shows how to connect to the #emacs channel on Freenode. Another IRC channel on Freenode that may be of interest is #erc, which is a channel where ERC users and developers hang out. @itemize @bullet @item Connect to Freenode Run @kbd{M-x erc}. Use ``irc.freenode.net'' as the IRC server, ``6667'' as the port, and choose a nickname. @item Get used to the interface Switch to the ``irc.freenode.net:6667'' buffer, if you're not already there. You will see first some messages about checking for ident, and then a bunch of other messages that describe the current IRC server. @item Join the #emacs channel In that buffer, type ``/join SPC #emacs'' and hit @kbd{RET}. Depending on how you've set up ERC, either a new buffer for ``#emacs'' will be displayed, or a new buffer called ``#emacs'' will be created in the background. If the latter, switch to the ``#emacs'' buffer. You will see the channel topic and a list of the people who are currently on the channel. @item Register your nickname with Freenode If you would like to be able to talk with people privately on the Freenode network, you will have to ``register'' your nickname. To do so, switch to the ``irc.freenode.net:6667'' buffer and type ``/msg NickServ register <password>'', replacing ``<password>'' with your desired password. It should tell you that the operation was successful. @item Talk to people in the channel If you switch back to the ``#emacs'' buffer, you can type a message, and everyone on the channel will see it. @item Open a query buffer to talk to someone If you want to talk with someone in private (this should usually not be done for technical help, only for personal questions), type ``/query <nick>'', replacing ``<nick>'' with the nickname of the person you would like to talk to. Depending on how ERC is set up, you will either see a new buffer with the name of the person, or such a buffer will be created in the background and you will have to switch to it. Begin typing messages, and you will be able to have a conversation. Note that if the other person is not registered, you will not be able to talk with them. @end itemize @node Special Features, , Sample Session, Getting Started @comment node-name, next, previous, up @section Special Features ERC has some features that distinguish it from some IRC clients. @itemize @bullet @item multiple channels and multiple servers Every channel is put in a separate buffer. Several IRC servers may be connected to at the same time. @cindex query buffers @item private message separation Private conversations are treated as channels, and are put into separate buffers in Emacs. We call these ``query buffers''. @item highlighting Some occurrences of words can be highlighted, which makes it easier to track different kinds of conversations. @item notification ERC can notify you that certain users are online. @item channel tracking Channels can be hidden and conversation continue in the background. You are notified when something is said in such a channel that is not currently visible. This makes it easy to get Real Work done while still maintaining an IRC presence. @item nick completion ERC can complete words upon hitting @kbd{TAB}, which eases the writing of nicknames in messages. @cindex history ring @item history Past actions are kept in history rings for future use. To navigate a history ring, hit @kbd{M-p} to go backwards and @kbd{M-n} to go forwards. @item multiple languages Different channels and servers may have different language encodings. In addition, it is possible to translate the messages that ERC uses into multiple languages. Please contact the developers of ERC at @email{erc-discuss@@gnu.org} if you are interested in helping with the translation effort. @item user scripting Users can load scripts (e.g. auto greeting scripts) when ERC starts up. It is also possible to make custom IRC commands, if you know a little Emacs Lisp. Just make an Emacs Lisp function and call it @code{erc-cmd-NEWCOMMAND}, where @code{NEWCOMMAND} is the name of the new command in capital letters. @item auto reconnect If the connection goes away at some point, ERC will try to reconnect automatically. If it fails to reconnect, and you want to try to manually reestablish the connection at some later point, switch to an ERC buffer and run the @code{/RECONNECT} command. @end itemize @node Keystroke Summary, Modules, Getting Started, Top @comment node-name, next, previous, up @chapter Keys Used in ERC @cindex keystrokes This is a summary of keystrokes available in every ERC buffer. @table @kbd @item C-a or <home> (`erc-bol') Go to beginning of line or end of prompt. @item RET (`erc-send-current-line') Send the current line @item TAB (`erc-complete-word') If at prompt, complete the current word. Otherwise, move to the next link or button. @item M-TAB (`ispell-complete-word') Complete the given word, using ispell. @item C-c C-a (`erc-bol') Go to beginning of line or end of prompt. @item C-c C-b (`erc-iswitchb') Use `iswitchb-read-buffer' to prompt for a ERC buffer to switch to. @item C-c C-c (`erc-toggle-interpret-controls') Toggle interpretation of control sequences in messages. @item C-c C-d (`erc-input-action') Interactively input a user action and send it to IRC. @item C-c C-e (`erc-toggle-ctcp-autoresponse') Toggle automatic CTCP replies (like VERSION and PING). @item C-c C-f (`erc-toggle-flood-control') Toggle use of flood control on sent messages. @item C-c TAB (`erc-invite-only-mode') Turn on the invite only mode (+i) for the current channel. @item C-c C-j (`erc-join-channel') Join channel. If point is at the beginning of a channel name, use that as default. @item C-c C-k (`erc-go-to-log-matches-buffer') Interactively open an erc-log-matches buffer @item C-c C-l (`erc-save-buffer-in-logs') Append buffer contents to the log file, if logging is enabled. @item C-c C-n (`erc-channel-names') Run "/names #channel" in the current channel. @item C-c C-o (`erc-get-channel-mode-from-keypress') Read a key sequence and call the corresponding channel mode function. After doing @kbd{C-c C-o}, type in a channel mode letter. @kbd{C-g} means quit. @kbd{RET} lets you type more than one mode at a time. If @kbd{l} is pressed, @code{erc-set-channel-limit} gets called. If @kbd{k} is pressed, @code{erc-set-channel-key} gets called. Anything else will be sent to `erc-toggle-channel-mode'. @item C-c C-p (`erc-part-from-channel') Part from the current channel and prompt for a reason. @item C-c C-q (`erc-quit-server') Disconnect from current server after prompting for reason. @item C-c C-r (`erc-remove-text-properties-region') Clears the region (start,end) in object from all colors, etc. @item C-c C-t (`erc-set-topic') Prompt for a topic for the current channel. @item C-c C-u (`erc-kill-input') Kill current input line using `erc-bol' followed by `kill-line'. @end table @node Modules, Advanced Usage, Keystroke Summary, Top @comment node-name, next, previous, up @chapter Modules @cindex modules One way to add functionality to ERC is to customize which of its many modules are loaded. There is a spiffy customize interface, which may be reached by typing @kbd{M-x customize-option erc-modules RET}. Alternatively, set @code{erc-modules} manually and then call @code{erc-update-modules}. The following is a list of available modules. @table @code @cindex modules, autoaway @item autoaway Set away status automatically @cindex modules, autojoin @item autojoin Join channels automatically @cindex modules, bbdb @item bbdb Integrate with the Big Brother Database @cindex modules, button @item button Buttonize URLs, nicknames, and other text @cindex modules, capab-identify @item capab-identify Mark unidentified users on freenode and other servers supporting CAPAB. @cindex modules, completion @cindex modules, pcomplete @item completion (aka pcomplete) Complete nicknames and commands (programmable) @cindex modules, fill @item fill Wrap long lines @cindex modules, hecomplete @item hecomplete Complete nicknames and commands (old). This is the old module---you might prefer the ``completion'' module instead. @cindex modules, identd @item identd Launch an identd server on port 8113 @cindex modules, irccontrols @item irccontrols Highlight or remove IRC control characters @cindex modules, log @item log Save buffers in logs @cindex modules, match @item match Highlight pals, fools, and other keywords @cindex modules, menu @item menu Display a menu in ERC buffers @cindex modules, netsplit @item netsplit Detect netsplits @cindex modules, noncommands @item noncommands Don't display non-IRC commands after evaluation @cindex modules, notify @item notify Notify when the online status of certain users changes @cindex modules, page @item page Process CTCP PAGE requests from IRC @cindex modules, readonly @item readonly Make displayed lines read-only @cindex modules, replace @item replace Replace text in messages @cindex modules, ring @item ring Enable an input history @cindex modules, scrolltobottom @item scrolltobottom Scroll to the bottom of the buffer @cindex modules, services @item services Identify to Nickserv (IRC Services) automatically @cindex modules, smiley @item smiley Convert smileys to pretty icons @cindex modules, sound @item sound Play sounds when you receive CTCP SOUND requests @cindex modules, spelling @item spelling Check spelling of messages @cindex modules, stamp @item stamp Add timestamps to messages @cindex modules, track @item track Track channel activity in the mode-line @cindex modules, truncate @item truncate Truncate buffers to a certain size @cindex modules, unmorse @item unmorse Translate morse code in messages @end table @c PRE5_3: Document every option of every module in its own subnode @node Advanced Usage, Getting Help and Reporting Bugs, Modules, Top @comment node-name, next, previous, up @chapter Advanced Usage @cindex advanced topics @menu * Connecting:: Ways of connecting to an IRC server. * Sample Configuration:: An example configuration file. * Options:: Options that are available for ERC. @end menu @node Connecting, Sample Configuration, Advanced Usage, Advanced Usage @comment node-name, next, previous, up @section Connecting to an IRC Server @cindex connecting The easiest way to connect to an IRC server is to call @kbd{M-x erc}. If you want to assign this function to a keystroke, the following will help you figure out its parameters. @defun erc Select connection parameters and run ERC. Non-interactively, it takes the following keyword arguments. @itemize @bullet @item @var{server} @item @var{port} @item @var{nick} @item @var{password} @item @var{full-name} @end itemize That is, if called with the following arguments, @var{server} and @var{full-name} will be set to those values, whereas @code{erc-compute-port}, @code{erc-compute-nick} and @code{erc-compute-full-name} will be invoked for the values of the other parameters. @example (erc :server "irc.freenode.net" :full-name "Harry S Truman") @end example @end defun @subheading Server @defun erc-compute-server &optional server Return an IRC server name. This tries a number of increasingly more default methods until a non-nil value is found. @itemize @bullet @item @var{server} (the argument passed to this function) @item The @code{erc-server} option @item The value of the IRCSERVER environment variable @item The @code{erc-default-server} variable @end itemize @end defun @defopt erc-server nil IRC server to use if one is not provided. @end defopt @subheading Port @defun erc-compute-port &optional port Return a port for an IRC server. This tries a number of increasingly more default methods until a non-nil value is found. @itemize @bullet @item @var{port} (the argument passed to this function) @item The @code{erc-port} option @item The @code{erc-default-port} variable @end itemize @end defun @defopt erc-port IRC port to use if not specified. This can be either a string or a number. @end defopt @subheading Nick @defun erc-compute-nick &optional nick Return user's IRC nick. This tries a number of increasingly more default methods until a non-nil value is found. @itemize @item @var{nick} (the argument passed to this function) @item The @code{erc-nick} option @item The value of the IRCNICK environment variable @item The result from the @code{user-login-name} function @end itemize @end defun @defopt erc-nick Nickname to use if one is not provided. This can be either a string, or a list of strings. In the latter case, if the first nick in the list is already in use, other nicks are tried in the list order. @end defopt @defopt erc-nick-uniquifier The string to append to the nick if it is already in use. @end defopt @defopt erc-try-new-nick-p If the nickname you chose isn't available, and this option is non-nil, ERC should automatically attempt to connect with another nickname. You can manually set another nickname with the /NICK command. @end defopt @subheading Full name @defun erc-compute-full-name &optional full-name Return user's full name. This tries a number of increasingly more default methods until a non-nil value is found. @itemize @bullet @item @var{full-name} (the argument passed to this function) @item The @code{erc-user-full-name} option @item The value of the IRCNAME environment variable @item The result from the @code{user-full-name} function @end itemize @end defun @defopt erc-user-full-name User full name. This can be either a string or a function to call. @end defopt @node Sample Configuration, Options, Connecting, Advanced Usage @comment node-name, next, previous, up @section Sample Configuration @cindex configuration, sample Here is an example of configuration settings for ERC. This can go into your Emacs configuration file. Everything after the @code{(require 'erc)} command can optionally go into @file{~/.emacs.d/.ercrc.el}. @lisp ;;; Sample ERC configuration ;; Add the ERC directory to load path -- you don't need this if you are ;; using the version of ERC that comes with Emacs (add-to-list 'load-path "~/elisp/erc") ;; Load ERC (require 'erc) ;; Load authentication info from an external source. Put sensitive ;; passwords and the like in here. (load "~/.emacs.d/.erc-auth") ;; This is an example of how to make a new command. Type "/uptime" to ;; use it. (defun erc-cmd-UPTIME (&rest ignore) "Display the uptime of the system, as well as some load-related stuff, to the current ERC buffer." (let ((uname-output (replace-regexp-in-string ", load average: " "] @{Load average@} [" ;; Collapse spaces, remove (replace-regexp-in-string " +" " " ;; Remove beginning and trailing whitespace (replace-regexp-in-string "^ +\\|[ \n]+$" "" (shell-command-to-string "uptime")))))) (erc-send-message (concat "@{Uptime@} [" uname-output "]")))) ;; This causes ERC to connect to the Freenode network upon hitting ;; C-c e f. Replace MYNICK with your IRC nick. (global-set-key "\C-cef" (lambda () (interactive) (erc :server "irc.freenode.net" :port "6667" :nick "MYNICK"))) ;; This causes ERC to connect to the IRC server on your own machine (if ;; you have one) upon hitting C-c e b. Replace MYNICK with your IRC ;; nick. Often, people like to run bitlbee (http://bitlbee.org/) as an ;; AIM/Jabber/MSN to IRC gateway, so that they can use ERC to chat with ;; people on those networks. (global-set-key "\C-ceb" (lambda () (interactive) (erc :server "localhost" :port "6667" :nick "MYNICK"))) ;; Make C-c RET (or C-c C-RET) send messages instead of RET. This has ;; been commented out to avoid confusing new users. ;; (define-key erc-mode-map (kbd "RET") nil) ;; (define-key erc-mode-map (kbd "C-c RET") 'erc-send-current-line) ;; (define-key erc-mode-map (kbd "C-c C-RET") 'erc-send-current-line) ;;; Options ;; Join the #emacs and #erc channels whenever connecting to Freenode. (setq erc-autojoin-channels-alist '(("freenode.net" "#emacs" "#erc"))) ;; Interpret mIRC-style color commands in IRC chats (setq erc-interpret-mirc-color t) ;; The following are commented out by default, but users of other ;; non-Emacs IRC clients might find them useful. ;; Kill buffers for channels after /part ;; (setq erc-kill-buffer-on-part t) ;; Kill buffers for private queries after quitting the server ;; (setq erc-kill-queries-on-quit t) ;; Kill buffers for server messages after quitting the server ;; (setq erc-kill-server-buffer-on-quit t) @end lisp @node Options, , Sample Configuration, Advanced Usage @comment node-name, next, previous, up @section Options @cindex options @c PRE5_3: (Node) Document every ERC option (module options go in @c previous chapter) This section has not yet been written. For now, the easiest way to check out the available options for ERC is to do @kbd{M-x customize-group erc RET}. @node Getting Help and Reporting Bugs, History, Advanced Usage, Top @comment node-name, next, previous, up @chapter Getting Help and Reporting Bugs @cindex help, getting @cindex bugs, reporting After you have read this guide, if you still have questions about ERC, or if you have bugs to report, there are several places you can go. @itemize @bullet @item @uref{http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/ERC} is the emacswiki.org page for ERC. Anyone may add tips, hints, or bug descriptions to it. @item There are several mailing lists for ERC. To subscribe, visit @uref{http://savannah.gnu.org/mail/?group=erc}. The mailing lists are also available on Gmane. (@url{http://gmane.org/}). Gmane provides additional methods for accessing the mailing lists, adding content to them, and searching them. @enumerate @item gmane.emacs.erc.announce: Announcements @item gmane.emacs.erc.discuss: General discussion @item gmane.emacs.erc.cvs: Log messages for changes to the ERC source code @end enumerate @item You can visit the IRC Freenode channel @samp{#emacs}. Many of the contributors are frequently around and willing to answer your questions. @end itemize @node History, Copying, Getting Help and Reporting Bugs, Top @comment node-name, next, previous, up @chapter History @cindex history, of ERC ERC was originally written by Alexander L. Belikoff @email{abel@@bfr.co.il} and Sergey Berezin @email{sergey.berezin@@cs.cmu.edu}. They stopped development around December 1999. Their last released version was ERC 2.0. P.S.: If one of the original developers of ERC reads this, we'd like to receive additional information for this file and hear comments in general. @itemize @item 2001 In June 2001, Mario Lang @email{mlang@@delysid.org} and Alex Schroeder @email{alex@@gnu.org} took over development and created a ERC Project at @uref{http://sourceforge.net/projects/erc}. In reaction to a mail about the new ERC development effort, Sergey Berezin said, ``First of all, I'm glad that my version of ERC is being used out there. The thing is, I do not have free time and enough incentive anymore to work on ERC, so I would be happy if you guys take over the project entirely.'' So we happily hacked away on ERC, and soon after (September 2001) released the next "stable" version, 2.1. Most of the development of the new ERC happened on #emacs on irc.openprojects.net. Over time, many people contributed code, ideas, bugfixes, and a lot of alpha/beta/gamma testing. See the @file{CREDITS} file for a list of contributors. @item 2003 ERC 3.0 was released. @item 2004 ERC 4.0 was released. @item 2005 ERC 5.0 was released. Michael Olson @email{mwolson@@gnu.org} became the release manager and eventually the maintainer. After some discussion between him and the Emacs developers, it was decided to include ERC in Emacs. @item 2006 ERC 5.1 was released. It was subsequently included in Emacs 22. ERC became an official GNU project, and development moved to @uref{http://sv.gnu.org/projects/erc}. We switched to using GNU Arch as our revision control system. Our mailing list address changed as well. @item 2007 We switched to using git for our version control system. @end itemize @node Copying, GNU Free Documentation License, History, Top @comment node-name, next, previous, up @include gpl.texi @node GNU Free Documentation License, Concept Index, Copying, Top @comment node-name, next, previous, up @include doclicense.texi @node Concept Index, , GNU Free Documentation License, Top @comment node-name, next, previous, up @unnumbered Index @printindex cp @bye @ignore arch-tag: cf9cfaff-fc12-4297-ad15-ec2493002b1e @end ignore