Can't get rid of Opera 12... no similar IRC client

[LigH]

The more I search for alternative software, the more reasons I find to keep using Opera 12.

Vivaldi was supposed to become the successor of the versatile web suite. But for years now, the only part of it which appears to be actively developed is the web browser. No more life signs of a mail or even IRC client.

So I was looking for alternative IRC clients, and I read a lot about several different clients working as Windows application or as web app, but there is one feature neither offers: An offline list of favourite networks and channels. I want to see a list of favourite channels in several IRC networks already before I connect to one of them. Just like in Opera 12. And I do not wish to automatically connect to all of these channels when connecting to a network.

:sly: Am I the only one who wants this feature?!
_

P.S.: Nicolas Kruse told me via email that Nettalk may be able to support such a feature via scripting; but I would not know how to implement that.

[Gser]

Personally running Irssi under Screen on a unix server and then accessing it through SSH is the only way to go. IRC is a very much going the way of the dinosaurs.
https://carina.org.uk/screenirssi.shtml

[LigH]

IRC may seem outdated. But I don't know any other alternative to instantly chat with people related to serious topics.

A TUI is no option for me as casual user.

[markanini]

IRC cloud is a service I like cause it solves issue like OP's among other things.

[Snap]

So I was looking for alternative IRC clients, and I read a lot about several different clients working as Windows application or as web app, but there is one feature neither offers: An offline list of favourite networks and channels. I want to see a list of favourite channels in several IRC networks already before I connect to one of them. Just like in Opera 12. And I do not wish to automatically connect to all of these channels when connecting to a network.


Hexchat (https://hexchat.github.io/) offers this via its addon ability. I use it myself and it adds a Bookmarks item to the main menu, that lists channels within server name sub-menus.

The addon is 'bookmarks.py' available here (https://raw.githubusercontent.com/TingPing/plugins/master/HexChat/bookmarks.py) via the main dev's Github repository. Save that file to Hexchat's config\addons directory and restart Hexchat to see it in action (one can also refresh addons while the program is open by going to the Window>Plugins and Scripts settings and clicking 'Reload' while the 'Bookmarks' item is highlighted).

Order of the servers/channels in the menu can be re-arranged arbitrarily as well by opening the addon_python.conf file found in Hexchat's config directory in a text editor and re-ordering the bookmark entries.

[LigH]

I'll try that... just need to discover:

Unknown file type C:\Users\***\AppData\Roaming\HexChat\addons\bookmarks.py. Maybe you need to install the Perl or Python plugin?

Does that mean installing "Python for Windows" at all, or some additional HexChat specific plugin? The documentation about plugins in general doesn't mention much about that.
_

Ah, I should have let the HexChat installer install Python with it. It supports Python 2.7 or 3.5, but not 3.6...

[Snap]

I'll try that... just need to discover:

Does that mean installing "Python for Windows" at all, or some additional HexChat specific plugin? The documentation about plugins in general doesn't mention much about that.

Ah yes, forgot to mention that aspect since I installed it years ago and skipped my mind.

So it's both. When installing Hexchat for the first time there's an optional list of 'extras' that can be installed, among them the Python and Perl plugins for Hexchat, which need to be checked in order for Hexchat to support such scripts. Unfortunately these plugins can't be installed after the fact so a re-install will probably be necessary.

https://i.imgur.com/UdcATMH.png

(Screenshot from my version of the installer. Either Python version can be chosen, I think I use the Python 3.4 variant.)

For the Windows Python installation I believe newer Hexchat versions automatically install the required Python version when the Hexchat extras have been checked during initial installation. In former Hexchat versions you would install Python for Windows via a separate installer manually.

[Havokdan]

I like Adiirc (http://adiirc.com)

[LigH]

Thanks for this tip, I will try this one.

[Gser]

A friend in uni softmodded an old gamecube to run as a linux server just so he could run IRC on that.