I can help with the gaim setup.
Set up your account:
1. Open Gaim...click on Accounts
2. Click on Add account.
3. Change the protocol to IRC
4. Enter a screen name...
5. Change the Server to irc.icq.net
6. Put a checkmark in Auto-Login if you want to go to the Puppy IRC Chat EVERY time you open Gaim. Otherwise, leave Auto-Login blank.
7. Click Save.
8. Click on your Buddy List...Buddies...Add Chat
9. Select your IRC (irc.icq.net) account
10. In the Channel Box add...#puppylinux
11. Click on Add.
12. Right Click on IRC-#puppylinux in the Buddy List window and set to Auto-Join. This will automatically join the #puppylinux channel anytime you connect to irc.icq.net
13. That should do it!
Hints and tips on using IRC:
1. When using Gaim across several networks (Yahoo, MSN, IRC, etc) simultaneously I find the Auto-login to every network rather cumbersome. My personal preference is to set all of my accounts so I have to manually log in.
2. When you open Gaim, instead of selecting a specific account and then clicking the sign in button, I click the ACCOUNTS button and then place a checkmark in the ONLINE button of each account I wish to use during that Gaim session. This way you only have one instance of Gaim with several network windows, rather than 3 instances of Gaim with 1network each.
3. When chatting on multiple channels, if someone types something, that channel tab text will turn red letting you know that someone is talking there.
4. You may hold a private conversation with someone by double clicking their name. This opens a new window where you and that person may chat "backchannel".
5. Gaim has a nice file-sharing system called DCC. If you want/need to share a file, it is nice to open a private conversation to discuss the file, then right click the recipients name and select send file. They will only receive the file if they accept it. IT IS NEVER A GOOD IDEA TO SET YOUR DCC TO AUTO-ACCEPT. Although probably safe on the Puppy IRC chat due to the excellent quality of people there, out on other channels you could invite something nasty onto your machine.
6. Some channels have "bots". Bots are applications that loiter on an IRC channel to keep it open, log visitors, play trivia games with you, etc. Don't chat with them...they don't talk back
Bots may be programmed to be malicious however, so be careful.
7. Some IRC clients parade you IP address for everyone to see by using a simple /whois command. Puppy is a nice OS in that if you have your firewall on, it appears relatively "invisible" and doesn't seem to respond to ping attempts. I don't know much about this so someone please add more about IRC safety
