MCABBER(1)

===========

Mikael BERTHE <mcabber@lilotux.net>

v0.6.9-dev, September 2005

NAME

----

mcabber - a simple Jabber console client

SYNOPSIS

--------

'mcabber' [ -f configfile ] [ --help | -h ]

DESCRIPTION

-----------

`mcabber(1)` is a small Jabber console client. +

For now it needs a configuration file to start, so please copy the sample

mcabberrc file and adapt your connection settings.

You also need to have an existing Jabber account to use this software, as

it cannot (un)register accounts yet.

The `mcabber(1)` screen is divided into 4 regions.

The 'roster', alias 'buddylist', is on the left.  The 'chat window', or chat

buffer, is on the right.  The 'input line' lies at the bottom of the screen,

under a small 'log window'.

To display buddies chat buffers, you will have to enter 'chat mode'.

You can enter chat mode by pressing enter, and leave chat mode with the ESC

key.  Simply sending a message will also enable chat mode.

Here are some of the features of `mcabber`:

- 'SSL support'.

- 'History logging:'  If enabled (see the CONFIGURATION FILE section),

  `mcabber` can save discussions to history log files.

- 'Commands completion:'  If possible, `mcabber` will try to complete your

  command line if you hit the Tab key.

- 'External actions:'  Some events (like receiving a message) can trigger an

  external action, for example a shell script (you need to enable it in your

  configuration file).  A sample events script ("eventcmd") is provided with

  `mcabber` source code, in the contrib directory.

OPTIONS

-------

--help, -h::

        Quick help usage message

-f configfile::

        Use configuration file 'configfile'

KEYS

----

Text typing occurs in the 'input line'; basic operations are supported

(left arrow, right arrow, home/end keys, insert, delete, backspace...).

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

To send a message, move to the choosen 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.

Here is a quick description of the key bindings:

Ctrl-a::        Go to the beginning of the input line

Ctrl-e::        Go to the end of the input line

Ctrl-l::        Force a resize

PgUp/PgDown::   Move inside the roster (buddylist)

Tab::           Complete current word, in the input line

Ctrl-g::        Cancel completion / ctrl-g

Ctrl-p/Ctrl-n:: Scroll up/down half a screen in the buffer window (chat mode)

Ctrl-u::        Delete from beginning of the line to the cursor

Ctrl-k::        Delete from the cursor to the end of line

Ctrl-w::        Backward kill word

Ctrl-t::        Transpose chars

Ctrl-o::        Accept line and put the next history line in the input line (accept-line-and-down-history)

Ctrl-q::        Jump to the next unread message

COMMANDS

--------

/add jid [nickname]::

        Add the 'jid' Jabber user to our roster (default group), and send a

        notification request to this buddy.  If no nickname is specified, the

        jid is used.

/alias name = command line::

        Add "name" as an alias for "command line". +

        Aliases are expanded only once, thus they can not be chained. +

        "/alias name" displays the value associated with the "name" alias;

        "/alias name =" unsets the "name" alias. +

        Example: "/alias away = status away".

/bind keycode = command line::

        Bind a command line to the key with the "keycode" code number. +

        Keycodes of unused keys are displayed by `mcabber` in the log window

        when pressing the key, for example "Unknown key=265". +

        "/bind keycode" displays the command line bound to the given keycode;

        "/bind keycode" unbinds the given keycode. +

        Note: aliases can be used in key bindings. +

        depend on your ncurses installation).

/buffer clear|top|bottom|search_backward|search_forward::

        The 'buffer' command manipulates the current buddy's buffer

        (chat window).

        'clear';;       clear the current buddy chat window                  

        'top';;         jump to the top of the current buddy chat buffer     

        'bottom';;      jump to the bottom of the current buddy chat buffer  

        'search_backward' text;; search for text in the current buddy chat buffer

        'search_forward'  text;; search for text in the current buddy chat buffer

/clear::

        The 'clear' command is actually an alias for "/buffer clear".

/connect::

        Establish connection to the Jabber server.

/del::

        Delete the current buddy from our roster, unsubscribe from its presence

        notification and unsubscribe it from ours.

/disconnect::

        Terminate connection to the Jabber server.  Note: the roster is only

        available when the connection to the server is active, so the

        buddylist is empty when disconnected.

/group fold|unfold|toggle::

        The 'group' command changes the current group display.

        'fold';; fold (shrink) the current group tree in the roster

        'unfold';; unfold (expand) the current group tree in the roster

        'toggle';; toggle the state (fold/unfold) of the current tree

/info::

        Display info on the selected entry (user, agent, group...). +

        For users, resources are displayed with the status, priority and

        status message (if available) of each resource.

/move [groupname]::

        Move the current buddy to the requested group.  If no group is

        specified, then the buddy is moved to the default group.

        This command only works with users (not agents), at the moment.

/msay begin|verbatim|send|abort::

        Send a multi-line message.  To write a single message with several

        lines, the 'multi-line mode' should be used. +

        In multi-line mode, each line (except command lines) typed in the input

        line will be added to the multi-line message.  Once the message is

        The 'verbatim' multi-line mode disables commands, so that it is

        possible to enter lines starting with a slash.  Only the "/msay"

        command (with send or abort parameters) can be used to exit verbatim

        mode.

        'begin';; enter multi-line mode

        'verbatim';; enter verbatim multi-line mode

        'send';; send the current multi-line message to the currently selected buddy

        'abort';; leave multi-line mode without sending the message

/quit::

        Disconnect and leave `mcabber(1)`.

/rawxml send::

        'send' string: send string (raw XML format) to the Jabber server.  No check is done on the string provided.  BEWARE! Use this only if you know what you are doing, or you could terminate the connection.

/rename nickname::

        Rename current buddy to the given nickname.

        This command does not work for groups, at the moment (but you can move

/roster bottom|top|hide_offline|show_offline|toggle_offline::

/roster alternate|unread_first|unread_next::

/roster search bud::

        The 'roster' command manipulates the roster/buddylist.  Here are the available parameters:

        'bottom';;       jump to the bottom of the roster

        'top';;          jump to the top of the roster

        'up';;           move up in the roster

        'down';;         move down in the roster

        'hide_offline';; hide offline buddies

        'show_offline';; show offline buddies

        'toggle_offline';; toggle display of offline buddies

        'search' bud;;   search for a buddy with a name or buddy containing "bud" (only in the displayed buddylist)

        'alternate';;    jump to alternate buddy.  The "alternate" buddy is the last buddy left while being in chat mode (this command is thus especially useful after commands like "/roster unread_first")

        'unread_first';; jump to the first unread message

        'unread_next';;  jump to the next unread message

/say text::

        Send the text message to the currently selected buddy.  Can be useful

        if you want to send a message beginning with a slash, for example.

/status [online|avail|invisible|free|dnd|notavail|away [StatusMessage]]::

        Set the current status.  If no status is specified, display the

        current status. +

        If a status message is specified, it will overrride the message*

        variables.

CONFIGURATION FILE

------------------

See the provided sample configuration file, which should be self-documented.

FILES

-----

The following files can be used by `mcabber(1)`:

    $HOME/.mcabber/mcabberrc    Default configuration file

    $HOME/.mcabberrc            Configuration file used if no other has been found

    $HOME/.mcabber/histo/       Default directory for storing chat history files, if enabled

BUGS

----

Certainly.  Please tell me if you find one!  :-)

AUTHOR

------

Written by mailto:mcabber@lilotux.net[Mikael BERTHE]. +

Originally based on http://cabber.sourceforge.net[Cabber], please

consult the AUTHORS file for details.

RESOURCES

---------

http://www.lilotux.net/~mikael/mcabber/[Main web site]

COPYING

-------

Copyright (C) 2005 Mikael Berthe. +

Some portions are Copyright (C) 2002-2004 mailto:cabber@ajmacias.com[].

Free use of this software is granted under the terms of the GNU General Public

License (GPL).