Setting up mIRC with NNScript from scratch [56K Warning]

[MenZa]

Welcome to the wondrous world of IRC - or well, at least the new nnscript.
This guide was made for the IRC-newbie, but can be used by anyone else aswell.
Now let's start.

Start by download the mIRC 6.16 installer from here.
Launch the file. it should look something like the following - click next and install to the directory of your choice:



It should now extract all the files to the directory you chose. When you're done, this should display. Make sure the "Launch mIRC" isn't ticket, otherwise just quit mIRC:



Now download the nnscript installer from here.

When you run the file, a bit more modern installer than the mIRC one should appear, like the first image. Click next, and the second pops up:



As the image says, set up the second image as you wish - I recommend leaving it at at the default.

When you click next, it asks for the path to install to. Usually, it scans your directory for your mIRC install. If the path doesn't match the one you installed mIRC to, change it. This is very important When you're done, click OK and sit back. Nnscript is finally installing.



This should now pop up:



Click yes - that way you'll have more servers to choose from. It should download pretty fast.

Nnscript is now installed - you should be seeing this now:



Tick the box and click okay. Now leave your computer - nnscript is launching for the first time, and might take some time to set itself up. After about 20-30 seconds (depending on your ram, cpu and other hardware), you should get a small info box, asking you to set it up. You might be thinking "Uh oh" - don't. I'll lead you through the entire process.



You should get this:



I recommend that you start expanding all of the tables to your left. That'll give you an idea of how much need to set up.



Here are descriptions of all the categories and points:

Auth Settings:
C/NServ: For use if you have a ChanServ/NickServ account on a network (AusIRC, freenode, EnterTheGame etc.)
GameSurge: For use on the GameSurge IRC network (which also uses ChanServ, but in a different way)
QuakeNet: Ah, QuakeNet! To auth with Q/L. Be sure to check out #nnscript if you drop by
UnderNet: For use with the X-bot on UnderNet

It is recommend that you tick the "Identify automatically if connected to a [network] server

Awaysystem:
Log/Pager: If you ever go away, you can log your highlights, topicchanges and kicks in the channels you are opped in. You can also set your own triggers.
Messages: Public away messages. If you ever go away, a message (set here) will display in all of your channels (unless else is specified)
Misc.: Different away nicks on different networks. Contains miscellaneous options aswell.

Balloon tips:
Settings: Customize the balloon tips, enable then, disable them, etc.
Events: Choose which events you would like displayed in the balloon tips.

Bindings: Different bindings you can set - a really cool feature of nnscript.

Content filter: The content filter provides you with the ability to hide certain messages. If you are offended by certain words, just press the "Add" button and add them here. You won't see any of those messages

Favorite nets: Favorite nets is one of the most useful functions in nnscript. It lets you connect to certain networks on startup, with different nicks, emails and real names. It even lets you choose the exact server on the network you want to connect to!

Games: If you're a gamer, this function is incredible. Click the little plus button at the top of the dialog, put in the name of your game, which will let the other options become available. Add your file path (in modifications that run on Steam, such as Counter-Strike, note the following: the commandline is -applaunch <some number> -console - The most popular ones can be seen just below) and, if necessary, a command line. You can even specify favourite servers!



» Counter-Strike: -applaunch 110
» Day of Defeat: -applaunch 30
» Counter-Strike: Source: -applaunch 240
» Day of Defeat: Source: -applaunch 300
» Team Fortress Classic: -applaunch 20
» HL2DM: -applaunch 320
» Rag Doll Kung-Fu: -applaunch 1002
» Other Source Mods: -applaunch 220 -game "c:\program files\valve\steam\SteamApps\SourceMods\modname" (for example -applaunch 220 -game "c:\programmer\valve\steam\SteamApps\SourceMods\dy stopia" for Dystopia)
» Other GoldSrc Mods (Half-Life 1 mods): -applaunch 70 -game "two-letter-prefix" (for example -applaunch 70 -game "tt" for The Trenches)
» For Other Games on Steam: Make a shortcut on the desktop by right clicking on the game in your My Games browser and select "Create Icon on Desktop". Now right-click on your desktop icon and select properties/preferences. Now look at the path:



I think that about concludes games...

Lag/Toolbar:
General: The general toolbar options, allows you to dis/enable lagbar, type of lagbar, colors etc.
Customize: Lets you customize your toolbar. If you don't know what you're doing, don't mess about.

Mail-check: Allows you to activate mailcheck. If you have a new mail, it will be shown just underneath your lagbar. A succesful setup for my personal mailbox would look like this:



Note: Some free services, such as Gmail, require SSL authentication for their servers.
Unfortunately, nnscript doesn't support SSL at this stage.

Messages:
Kicks: Kick messages, to display if you use /k <nick> or /kick <nick>.
Quits: Random quit messages. Remember to follow the instructions at the top!
Slaps: Slaps, that can be accessed from right click -> slaps

Miscellaneous:
Part I: Contains settings for queries, nick completer and window options.
Part II: Contains settings for misc. stuff (duh), message formatting and window icons.
Part III: Contains settings for ban & ignore masks.

Newstickers: In my opinion, this one of the best things about nnscript. Select some feeds from the list, or add your own, by click "Add", inputting the name and the RSS (really simple syndication) feed for the site.

Pasting options: A lot of networks have protections against flooding. Meaning if you paste 100 lines in less than a second, you'll be disconnected, and perhaps even G-Lines (banned) from some. Use this menu to set the delay between line pasting, max number of lines etc.

Protections:
Channel: Setup the channel protections, from warn, to kick, to ban if certain things such as joinflood, advertising, textflooding (which brings us back to Pasting Options - some channels with hundreds of users would be totally trashed if everyone had just two lines per second), repeating and such.
Personal: If someone keeps flooding you, bans you or textfloods you - you can use this to ignore the user, or even unban yourself from the channel you were banned from - if you have the right permissions.
Excludes: Specify hostmasks your personal or channel protections should ignore.

Statusbar: This is to setup the statusbar. There are literally thousands of different setups to choose from.

Switchbar: Setup the colours, layout or even turn the switchbar off completely. Your choice.

Themes: The theme engine. Incredibly easy to use.

Titlebar: How the titlebar should display - it can display time, date, how much your down/uploading, your lag, your current network - you name it, the titlebar has it. You can see loads of identifiers to use in the little textbox.

Okay. You're done setting it up. You should now click ok - you will be met by this:



Now go File -> Select Server... (or press ALT+E)



Set your stuff up like this. You don't have to put in your real name or email if you don't want to. Just put in "John Doe" and "foo@bar.com" or something - it's up to you. Select the server you wish to connect to - remember to stop by #nnscript if you check out QuakeNet, the most popular IRC server.



Click "connect to server", sit back and be greeted by the same as before. Fear not, it should say "connecting to QuakeNet" or something like it in the main window.
When it gets inactive type in /j #channel,for example, /j #nnscript.

If you've followed this guide correctly, your IRC client should look similar to this:



When you get more acquainted to IRC, you might want more channels and networks, such as me. My client looks like the following today - with scripted toolbar and statusbar:



If you have further questions, ask them in #nnscript or here, on the forums. BUT: Read the FAQ before you do so. There is nothing worse than people asking questions that have already been answered in a FAQ entry - and you don't want the other kids laughing at you, now do you?

Cheers - and enjoy IRCing!

-MenZa

[IT-Pro]

Good tutorial MenZa
Would be very helpfull for those who doesn't understand everything

[MenZa]

Yeah, that was exactly what I thought. I found mIRC really challenging the first time I tried - so challenging I gave up (that was about 5 years ago ;\).

That's one of the reasons why I made this tutorials so newbie-friendly

[greeny]

Very nice, I'll make this a sticky. Thanks!

[voks]

very good work, menza! I hope the newbies will find the forum.

[MenZa]

Originally Posted by greeny

Very nice, I'll make this a sticky. Thanks!

Yay, sticky

[voks]

bug: you didn't implement the "+connect <ip> <pass>" part of the games command lines, and you don't have to list the steam games at all, because many are listed in the menu, when you click on the button right next to the command line editbox.

P.S.: Counter-strike is even listed twice. :P

[greeny]

Originally Posted by voks

very good work, menza! I hope the newbies will find the forum.

I even added a link to this thread on the downloads page. They can't miss it now ;P

[MenZa]

voks: I might fix that soon

[Spucek]

Very nice and good tutorial.

[Maverick]

very nice guide indeed!
windows language could be in english its all i can say

[MenZa]

Bah, don't think I'm installing on another HD just to finish a tutorial for setting up an application :mrgreen:

[septem]

I still cant use gmail

[IT-Pro]

Originally Posted by septem

I still cant use gmail

Gmail only allows secure connections (SSL)

[Esben]

super nice guide

GL Newbies

You know, if you use PNG instead of JPEG your image file sizes will be much smaller and easier to save bandwidth. JPEG is only for images with many different colours flowing into each other.

[aSphyxiation]

Originally Posted by IT-Pro

Gmail only allows secure connections (SSL)

you need to add :995 after the pop server address.

[Blak]

Originally Posted by RND

you need to add :995 after the pop server address.

No, the mail checker doesnt support SSL connections, thus you can't use it to check gmail...

[MenZa]

Originally Posted by dodo

You know, if you use PNG instead of JPEG your image file sizes will be much smaller and easier to save bandwidth. JPEG is only for images with many different colours flowing into each other.

I usually use PNGs, but the poor IE users won't parse them properly :P

[HowlinPsycho]

Isn't there something about not installing mirc into a folder with spaces in the foldername?
Like c:\program files\mirc ?