'\" t

.\"     Title: mcabber

.\"    Author: Mikael BERTHE <mcabber@lilotux.net>

.\" Generator: DocBook XSL Stylesheets v1.78.1 <http://docbook.sf.net/>

.\"      Date: September 2020

.\"    Manual: \ \&

.\"  Language: English

.\"

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.\" http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/groff/2009-02/msg00013.html

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.nh

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.\" * MAIN CONTENT STARTS HERE *

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.SH "NAME"

mcabber \- a simple Jabber (XMPP) console client

.SH "SYNOPSIS"

.sp

\fImcabber\fR [ \-h | \-V | \-f configfile ]

.SH "DESCRIPTION"

.sp

mcabber(1) is a small Jabber (XMPP) console client\&. For now it needs a configuration file to start, so please copy the sample mcabberrc file and adapt your connection settings\&.

.sp

You also need to have an existing Jabber account to use this software, as it cannot (un)register accounts yet\&.

.sp

Here are some of the features of mcabber:

.sp

.RS 4

.ie n \{\

\h'-04'\(bu\h'+03'\c

.\}

.el \{\

.sp -1

.IP \(bu 2.3

.\}

\fISASL/SSL/TLS support\fR\&.

.RE

.sp

.RS 4

.ie n \{\

\h'-04'\(bu\h'+03'\c

.\}

.el \{\

.sp -1

.IP \(bu 2.3

.\}

\fIMUC support\fR

(Multi\-User Chat)\&.

.RE

.sp

.RS 4

.ie n \{\

\h'-04'\(bu\h'+03'\c

.\}

.el \{\

.sp -1

.IP \(bu 2.3

.\}

\fIPGP, OTR support\fR

.RE

.sp

.RS 4

.ie n \{\

\h'-04'\(bu\h'+03'\c

.\}

.el \{\

.sp -1

.IP \(bu 2.3

.\}

\fIChat States\fR

support (typing notifications)

.RE

.sp

.RS 4

.ie n \{\

\h'-04'\(bu\h'+03'\c

.\}

.el \{\

.sp -1

.IP \(bu 2.3

.\}

\fIHistory logging:\fR

If enabled (see the CONFIGURATION FILE section),

mcabber

can save discussions to text history log files\&.

.RE

.sp

.RS 4

.ie n \{\

\h'-04'\(bu\h'+03'\c

.\}

.el \{\

.sp -1

.IP \(bu 2.3

.\}

\fICommands completion:\fR

If possible,

mcabber

will try to complete your command line if you hit the Tab key\&.

.RE

.sp

.RS 4

.ie n \{\

\h'-04'\(bu\h'+03'\c

.\}

.el \{\

.sp -1

.IP \(bu 2.3

.\}

\fIInput line history:\fR

Any message or command entered is in the input line history and can be reused easily\&.

.RE

.sp

.RS 4

.ie n \{\

\h'-04'\(bu\h'+03'\c

.\}

.el \{\

.sp -1

.IP \(bu 2.3

.\}

\fIExternal actions:\fR

Some events (like receiving a message) can trigger an external action such as a shell script if you enable it in your configuration file\&. A sample events script ("eventcmd") is provided with

mcabber

source code, in the contrib directory\&.

.RE

.sp

.RS 4

.ie n \{\

\h'-04'\(bu\h'+03'\c

.\}

.el \{\

.sp -1

.IP \(bu 2.3

.\}

\fIModules:\fRmcabber

can load modules (a\&.k\&.a\&. plugins) at runtime that extend its features\&.

.RE

.SH "OPTIONS"

.PP

\-h

.RS 4

Quick help usage message

.RE

.PP

\-V

.RS 4

Displays

mcabber

version and compile\-time definitions\&.

.RE

.PP

\-f configfile

.RS 4

Use configuration file

\fIconfigfile\fR

.RE

.SH "WINDOWS/PANES"

.sp

The mcabber(1) screen is divided into 4 regions\&. The \fIroster\fR, alias \fIbuddylist\fR, is on the left\&. The \fIchat window\fR, or chat buffer, is on the right\&. The \fIinput line\fR lies at the bottom of the screen, under a small \fIlog window\fR\&.

.sp

Two status lines surround the log window\&. The bottom status line is the "main status line" and reflects mcabber general status\&. The other line is the "chat status line" and shows the status of the currently selected buddy\&.

.sp

To display buddies chat buffers, you will have to enter \fIchat mode\fR\&. You can enter chat mode by pressing enter (unless \fIvi mode\fR is enabled), and leave chat mode with the ESC key\&. Simply sending a message will also enable chat mode (unless \fIvi mode\fR is enabled)\&.

.sp

There are several advantages to the two\-mode implementation: first, it allows accurate "unread" message functionality, as described in the next section; without this, merely scrolling to a specific buddy will "read" the new messages of all buddies in\-between\&. Second, it allows quickly hiding the conversation with a single keystroke\&. Third, it allows jumping between the few buddies with whom you are conversing with the \fI/roster alternate\fR command described in another section, without having to manually scroll back and forth\&.

.SH "KEYS"

.sp

Text typing occurs in the \fIinput line\fR; basic operations are supported (left arrow, right arrow, home/end keys, insert, delete, backspace\&...)\&.

.sp

PageUp and PageDown keys are used to move in the roster\&.

.sp

Up and Down arrow keys can be used to move in the input line history; they jump to the previous/next line from the history beginning with the same string (from first column to the cursor column)\&.

.sp

To send a message, move to the chosen buddy in the buddylist, type your message and hit enter\&. If the line begins with a slash, this will be interpreted as a command (see the COMMAND section below)\&. Hit escape to leave the chat mode\&.

.sp

Here is a quick description of the default key bindings:

.PP

Esc

.RS 4

Disable chat mode

.RE

.PP

Ctrl\-a

.RS 4

Go to the beginning of the input line

.RE

.PP

Ctrl\-e

.RS 4

Go to the end of the input line

.RE

.PP

Ctrl\-l

.RS 4

Force a refresh

.RE

.PP

Up/Down

.RS 4

Move in the input line history

.RE

.PP

PgUp/PgDown

.RS 4

Move inside the roster (buddylist)

.RE

.PP

Tab

.RS 4

Complete current word, in the input line

.RE

.PP

Ctrl\-g

.RS 4

Cancel completion

.RE

.PP

Ctrl\-c

.RS 4

Abort multi\-line messages and completions

.RE

.PP

Ctrl\-d

.RS 4

Send/terminate a multi\-line message

.RE

.PP

Ctrl\-p/Ctrl\-n

.RS 4

Scroll up/down half a screen in the buffer window (chat mode)

.RE

.PP

Ctrl\-Left

.RS 4

Move the cursor back to the start of the current or previous word

.RE

.PP

Ctrl\-Right

.RS 4

Move the cursor forward to the end of the current or next word

.RE

.PP

Ctrl\-u

.RS 4

Delete from beginning of the line to the cursor

.RE

.PP

Ctrl\-k

.RS 4

Delete from the cursor to the end of line

.RE

.PP

Ctrl\-w

.RS 4

Backward kill word

.RE

.PP

Ctrl\-t

.RS 4

Transpose chars

.RE

.PP

Ctrl\-o

.RS 4

Accept line and put the next history line in the input line (accept\-line\-and\-down\-history)

.RE

.sp

Additional key bindings may be specified using the \fI/bind\fR command described in the COMMANDS section\&.

.SH "VI MODE"

.sp

If the "vi_mode" option is set to 1, mcabber(1) accepts a few commands loosely based on those available in vi(1)\*(Aqs normal mode\&. In this case, chat mode is not entered by pressing enter, and messages cannot be composed outside of the chat mode\&. The following commands are accepted:

.PP

A

.RS 4

Call "/roster unread_first"\&.

.RE

.PP

a

.RS 4

Call "/roster unread_next"\&.

.RE

.PP

F

.RS 4

Call "/roster group_prev"\&.

.RE

.PP

f

.RS 4

Call "/roster group_next"\&.

.RE

.PP

G

.RS 4

Call "/roster bottom"\&.

.RE

.PP

gg

.RS 4

Call "/roster top"\&.

.RE

.PP

i

.RS 4

Enter chat mode\&.

.RE

.PP

[N]j

.RS 4

Call "/roster down [N]"\&.

.RE

.PP

[N]k

.RS 4

Call "/roster up [N]"\&.

.RE

.PP

n

.RS 4

Repeat the previous search (if any)\&.

.RE

.PP

O

.RS 4

Call "/roster unread_first" and open chat window\&.

.RE

.PP

o

.RS 4

Call "/roster unread_next" and open chat window\&.

.RE

.PP

ZZ

.RS 4

Call "/quit"\&.

.RE

.PP

zM

.RS 4

Call "/group fold" for all groups\&.

.RE

.PP

zR

.RS 4

Call "/group unfold" for all groups\&.

.RE

.PP

\*(Aq\*(Aq

.RS 4

Call "/roster alternate"\&.

.RE

.PP

!

.RS 4

Toggle attention flag for current buddy\&.

.RE

.PP

#

.RS 4

Toggle unread messages flag for current buddy\&.

.RE

.PP

<Space>

.RS 4

Call "/group toggle" for the current group\&.

.RE

.sp

A leading slash enables search mode:

.PP

/string

.RS 4

Call "/roster search string"\&.

.RE

.sp

A leading colon enabled command\-line mode:

.sp

.if n \{\

.RS 4

.\}

.nf

above commands)\&.

.fi

.if n \{\

.RE

.\}

.sp

Commands entered with a leading colon and searches are either submitted by pressing enter or aborted by hitting escape\&. In either case, mcabber(1) returns to the normal (non\-chat) mode\&. History editing is supported in command\-line mode and in search mode\&. In command\-line mode, tab completion is supported as well\&.

.SH "MCABBER\(cqS ROSTER"

.sp

The first listed item on the roster is \fI[status]\fR, which keeps a log of everything that appears in the short log window below the main chat area\&. While the log window was designed for showing the latest few elements, the dedicated \fI[status]\fR buffer allows more comfortable viewing of the log, as well as scrolling it in a standard manner\&.

.sp

Group names are displayed above the items that are within them, and are indicated by \fI\-\-\-\fR to the left of the name\&.

.sp

For every real Jabber contact, the roster displays four pieces of information: the buddy\(cqs name or alias, its online status, its authorization status, and whether there are unread messages from the buddy waiting for you\&.

.sp

The online status is one of the following:

.PP

\fIo\fR

.RS 4

online

.RE

.PP

\fIf\fR

.RS 4

free for chat

.RE

.PP

\fIa\fR

.RS 4

away

.RE

.PP

\fIn\fR

.RS 4

not available (labeled

\fIextended away\fR

in some clients)

.RE

.PP

\fId\fR

.RS 4

do not disturb

.RE

.PP

\fI_\fR

.RS 4

offline (or invisible to you)

.RE

.PP

\fI?\fR