How-to: Bitlbee - combines IRC and IM

[COiN3D]

How-to: Bitlbee - combines IRC and IM

Introduction

First of all: Bitlbee is not a new IM, instead it is something like an IRC-Gateway. That means, you connect with your favourite IRC-Client on a bitlbee server and on this server you can set up connections to your messenger-services. At the moment bitlbee supports ICQ, MSN, AIM, Yahoo and finally: Jabber.

Too hard to understand? Ok, I'll be more precise.

After you connected to a bitlbee irc-server you will be thrown into the channel #bitlbee. Then, as already said, you can set up connections to your favorite IM-services. When you finished, all people who are in your contact list will join the channel #bitlbee - you'll just have to open a query and then you can speak to the persons on your contact list similar like using an IM

Ok, I've told you enough. Still interested? Then follow the next step.

Go go go!

First, you can either emerge your own bitlbee server or you can just use a public server like me. Pick the nearest mirror from here: http://bitlbee.org/main.php/servers.html .. and connect with your irc-client to the server.

You will be auto-joined into the channel #bitlbee, now it's time to set up your account data. Afterwards you'll have to register your nickname with

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register your_password

. Then,

Choose what services you need / want and type the specific command:

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    * Jabber
          o account add jabber you@jabber.org your_password
    * MSN
          o account add msn you@hotmail.com your_password
    * ICQ
          o account add oscar your_icq_number your_icq_password login.icq.com
    * AIM
          o account add oscar your_aim_number your_aim_password login.oscar.aol.com
    * Yahoo
          o account add yahoo your_yahoo_screenname your_yahoo_password

Type

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account on

to connect to your IM-services. With

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account list

you can see what account has which number. If you want to delete an account, type

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account del ACCOUNT_NUMBER

.

The only problem which bitlbee has is it can't add IM-Contacts, which are stored on your contact-list automatically to the specific IM-Protocol, so when you try to add a new friend you will have to use your account number, which you can view with account list. So the syntax is:

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add ACCOUNT-NUMBER ICQ/MSN/YAHOO/AIM-NICK NICKNAME

When you want to speak to someone, just fire up a query

And don't forget to add

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identify your_password

to your server-autoconnect command to get authed each time you connect!

Screenshots

http://bitlbee.org/main.php/screenshots.html

Have fun!

[Dhaki]

Nice!
I'll try it very soon, thanks for the howto.

[ultraslacker]

First, you can either emerge your own bitlbee server or you can just use a public server like me.

I'd recommend running your own server, as account information is accessible on public servers - it's quite simple, just start bitlbeed and connect to localhost on 6667.

[bhappy]

Hi!

Bitlbee is grate ... I'm using it with ERC.
I wonder if it possible to send xml scripts to jabber server through bittlbee?

--
best,
bhappy.

[patroclo7]

I am sorry if my question is out of place. I have been using bitlbee as local server on a daily basis for 6 months... Now I wonder if it is still developed: the last news on their website is three months old. Do you know if it chance or not?

[Wi1d]

Is there anyway to make bitlbee beep or make any type of sound when you get a message? I'm supprised it doesn't do this out of the box. At least with irssi it doesn't seem to do this.

[COiN3D]

Bitlbee itself isn't able to do this - it's just a gateway and doesn't care about your client. Instead you'll have to configure your IRC-Client properly. I don't know how you can play sounds with Irssi, but I think there is a possibility to get your computer beeping. Try these irssi-settings:

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irssi

    "/set beep_when_window_active ON"
    "/set beep_when_away ON"
    "/set beep_msg_level MSGS NOTICES DCC DCCMSGS HILIGHT"
    "/set bell_beeps ON"

[Wi1d]

Thanks alot. I didn't have irssi setup properly. You can get /beep to play sound files by using a script like beep_beep.pl. It's working pretty good now.

[syouth]

Bitlbee rocks with irssi and screen, yeah!

[asdx]

jabber, bitlbee, irssi and screen ftw! it would be nice to run on a gp2x!

[HeXiLeD]

How about setting it with SSL ?
I 've been having a hard time doing that.
Using Xinet.d to try to load an SSL cert.pem seems not to work so i guess that the only option is with stunnel ?