3 @setfilename ../info/erc
9 * ERC: (erc). Powerful, modular, and extensible IRC client for Emacs.
15 This manual is for ERC version 5.2.
17 Copyright @copyright{} 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
20 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
21 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or
22 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
23 Invariant Sections, Front-Cover texts, or Back-Cover Texts.
25 All Emacs Lisp code contained in this document may be used, distributed,
26 and modified without restriction.
32 @subtitle a full-featured IRC client
33 @subtitle for GNU Emacs and XEmacs
35 @c The following two commands
36 @c start the copyright page.
38 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
42 @c So the toc is printed at the start
46 @node Top, Introduction, (dir), (dir)
47 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
54 * Introduction:: What is ERC?
55 * Obtaining ERC:: How to get ERC releases and development
57 * Installation:: Compiling and installing ERC.
58 * Getting Started:: Quick Start guide to using ERC.
59 * Keystroke Summary:: Keystrokes used in ERC buffers.
60 * Modules:: Available modules for ERC.
61 * Advanced Usage:: Cool ways of using ERC.
62 * Getting Help and Reporting Bugs::
63 * History:: The history of ERC.
64 * Concept Index:: Search for terms.
67 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
71 * Releases:: Released versions of ERC.
72 * Development:: Latest unreleased development changes.
76 * Sample Session:: Example of connecting to the #emacs channel
77 * Special Features:: Differences from standalone IRC clients
81 * Connecting:: Ways of connecting to an IRC server.
82 * Sample Configuration:: An example configuration file.
83 * Options:: Options that are available for ERC.
88 @node Introduction, Obtaining ERC, Top, Top
89 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
92 ERC is a powerful, modular, and extensible IRC client for Emacs.
94 It comes with the following capabilities enabled by default.
99 @item Join channels automatically
100 @item Buttonize URLs, nicknames, and other text
101 @item Wrap long lines
102 @item Highlight or remove IRC control characters
103 @item Highlight pals, fools, and other keywords
104 @item Detect netsplits
105 @item Complete nicknames and commands in a programmable fashion
106 @item Make displayed lines read-only
108 @item Track channel activity in the mode-line
112 @node Obtaining ERC, Installation, Introduction, Top
113 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
114 @chapter Obtaining ERC
117 * Releases:: Released versions of ERC.
118 * Development:: Latest unreleased development changes.
121 Note that some ERC files are not included with Emacs due to copyright or
122 dependency issues. If desired, they may be found at the following
123 locations, or from your local GNU mirror.
126 @item @uref{http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/erc/erc-5.2-extras.tar.gz}
127 @item @uref{http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/erc/erc-5.2-extras.zip}
130 The rest of this chapter may be skipped if you are using the version of
131 ERC that comes with Emacs.
133 @node Releases, Development, Obtaining ERC, Obtaining ERC
134 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
137 Choose to install a release if you want to minimize risk.
139 Errors are corrected in development first. User-visible changes will be
140 announced on the @email{erc-discuss@@gnu.org} mailing list.
141 @pxref{Getting Help and Reporting Bugs}.
143 @cindex releases, Debian package
144 @cindex Debian package for ERC
145 Debian users can get ERC via apt-get. The @file{erc} package is
146 available in the official Debian repository.
148 @cindex releases, from source
149 Alternatively, you can download the latest release from
150 @uref{http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/erc}, or your local GNU mirror.
152 @node Development, , Releases, Obtaining ERC
153 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
157 Choose the development version if you want to live on the bleeding edge
158 of ERC development or try out new features before release.
162 ERC is developed using GNU Arch. Downloading ERC with Arch and staying
163 up-to-date involves the following steps.
166 @cindex GNU Arch, installing
170 @item Debian: @kbd{apt-get install tla}.
171 @item Other distributions: see @uref{ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/gnu-arch/}.
174 @cindex GNU Arch, downloading ERC
175 @item Register the archive.
177 tla register-archive -f http://arch.sv.gnu.org/archives/erc/erc
180 @item Download the ERC source code.
182 # Download ERC into the @file{erc} directory.
183 tla get erc@@sv.gnu.org/erc--main--0 erc
186 @item List upstream changes that are missing from your local copy.
187 Do this whenever you want to see whether new changes have been committed
191 # Change to the source directory you are interested in.
194 # Display the summary of changes
195 tla missing --summary
198 @cindex GNU Arch, updating ERC
199 @item Update to the latest version by replaying missing changes.
207 If you are new to Arch and want to learn more about developing ERC with
208 it, visit @uref{http://emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/ErcDevelopment} for
211 @subheading Development snapshots
213 @cindex development snapshot
214 Alternatively, the latest development snapshot may be downloaded in both
215 ``.tar.gz'' and ``.zip'' forms.
218 @item @uref{http://www.mwolson.org/static/dist/erc-latest.tar.gz}
219 @item @uref{http://www.mwolson.org/static/dist/erc-latest.zip}
223 @node Installation, Getting Started, Obtaining ERC, Top
224 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
225 @chapter Installation
227 ERC may be compiled and installed on your machine.
229 This section may be skipped if you are using the version of ERC that
232 @subsubheading Compilation
234 This is an optional step, since Emacs Lisp source code does not
235 necessarily have to be byte-compiled. It will yield a speed increase,
238 A working copy of Emacs or XEmacs is needed in order to compile ERC. By
239 default, the program that is installed with the name @command{emacs}
242 If you want to use the @command{xemacs} binary to perform the
243 compilation, you would need to edit @file{Makefile} in the top-level
244 directory as follows. You can put either a full path to an Emacs or
245 XEmacs binary or just the command name, as long as it is in the
250 SITEFLAG = -no-site-file
253 Running @code{make} should compile the ERC source files in the
254 @file{lisp} directory.
256 @subsubheading Installation
258 ERC may be installed into your file hierarchy by doing the following.
260 Edit the @file{Makefile} file so that @env{ELISPDIR} points to where you
261 want the source and compiled ERC files to be installed and
262 @env{INFODIR} indicates where to put the ERC manual. Of course, you
263 will want to edit @env{EMACS} and @env{SITEFLAG} as shown in the
264 Compilation section if you are using XEmacs.
266 If you are installing ERC on a Debian system, you might want to change
267 the value of @env{INSTALLINFO} as specified in @file{Makefile}.
269 Run @code{make} as a normal user.
271 Run @code{make install} as the root user if you have chosen installation
272 locations that require this.
275 @node Getting Started, Keystroke Summary, Installation, Top
276 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
277 @chapter Getting Started
280 To use ERC, add the directory containing its files to your
281 @code{load-path} variable, in your @file{.emacs} file. Then, load ERC
282 itself. An example follows.
288 Once ERC is loaded, the command @kbd{M-x erc} will start ERC and
289 prompt for the server to connect to.
291 If you want to place ERC settings in their own file, you can place them
292 in @file{~/.emacs.d/.ercrc.el}, creating it if necessary.
294 If you would rather use the Customize interface to change how ERC works,
295 do @kbd{M-x customize-group RET erc RET}. In particular, ERC comes with
296 lots of modules that may be enabled or disabled; to select which ones
297 you want, do @kbd{M-x customize-variable RET erc-modules RET}.
300 * Sample Session:: Example of connecting to the #emacs channel
301 * Special Features:: Differences from standalone IRC clients
304 @node Sample Session, Special Features, Getting Started, Getting Started
305 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
306 @section Sample Session
308 This is an example ERC session which shows how to connect to the #emacs
309 channel on Freenode. Another IRC channel on Freenode that may be of
310 interest is #erc, which is a channel where ERC users and developers hang
315 @item Connect to Freenode
317 Run @kbd{M-x erc}. Use ``irc.freenode.net'' as the IRC server, ``6667''
318 as the port, and choose a nickname.
320 @item Get used to the interface
322 Switch to the ``irc.freenode.net:6667'' buffer, if you're not already
323 there. You will see first some messages about checking for ident, and
324 then a bunch of other messages that describe the current IRC server.
326 @item Join the #emacs channel
328 In that buffer, type ``/join SPC #emacs'' and hit @kbd{RET}. Depending
329 on how you've set up ERC, either a new buffer for ``#emacs'' will be
330 displayed, or a new buffer called ``#emacs'' will be created in the
331 background. If the latter, switch to the ``#emacs'' buffer. You will
332 see the channel topic and a list of the people who are currently on the
335 @item Register your nickname with Freenode
337 If you would like to be able to talk with people privately on the
338 Freenode network, you will have to ``register'' your nickname. To do
339 so, switch to the ``irc.freenode.net:6667'' buffer and type ``/msg
340 NickServ register <password>'', replacing ``<password>'' with your
341 desired password. It should tell you that the operation was successful.
343 @item Talk to people in the channel
345 If you switch back to the ``#emacs'' buffer, you can type a message, and
346 everyone on the channel will see it.
348 @item Open a query buffer to talk to someone
350 If you want to talk with someone in private (this should usually not be
351 done for technical help, only for personal questions), type ``/query
352 <nick>'', replacing ``<nick>'' with the nickname of the person you would
353 like to talk to. Depending on how ERC is set up, you will either see a
354 new buffer with the name of the person, or such a buffer will be created
355 in the background and you will have to switch to it. Begin typing
356 messages, and you will be able to have a conversation.
358 Note that if the other person is not registered, you will not be able to
363 @node Special Features, , Sample Session, Getting Started
364 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
365 @section Special Features
367 ERC has some features that distinguish it from some IRC clients.
371 @item multiple channels and multiple servers
373 Every channel is put in a separate buffer. Several IRC servers may be
374 connected to at the same time.
376 @cindex query buffers
377 @item private message separation
379 Private conversations are treated as channels, and are put into separate
380 buffers in Emacs. We call these ``query buffers''.
384 Some occurences of words can be highlighted, which makes it easier to
385 track different kinds of conversations.
389 ERC can notify you that certain users are online.
391 @item channel tracking
393 Channels can be hidden and conversation continue in the background. You
394 are notified when something is said in such a channel that is not
395 currently visible. This makes it easy to get Real Work done while still
396 maintaining an IRC presence.
398 @item nick completion
400 ERC can complete words upon hitting @kbd{TAB}, which eases the writing
401 of nicknames in messages.
406 Past actions are kept in history rings for future use. To navigate a
407 history ring, hit @kbd{M-p} to go backwards and @kbd{M-n} to go
410 @item multiple languages
412 Different channels and servers may have different language encodings.
414 In addition, it is possible to translate the messages that ERC uses into
415 multiple languages. Please contact the developers of ERC at
416 @email{erc-discuss@@gnu.org} if you are interested in helping with the
421 Users can load scripts (e.g. auto greeting scripts) when ERC starts up.
423 It is also possible to make custom IRC commands, if you know a little
424 Emacs Lisp. Just make an Emacs Lisp function and call it
425 @code{erc-cmd-NEWCOMMAND}, where @code{NEWCOMMAND} is the name of the
426 new command in capital letters.
430 If the connection goes away at some point, ERC will try to reconnect
431 automatically. If it fails to reconnect, and you want to try to
432 manually reestablish the connection at some later point, switch to an
433 ERC buffer and run the @code{/RECONNECT} command.
438 @node Keystroke Summary, Modules, Getting Started, Top
439 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
440 @chapter Keys Used in ERC
443 This is a summary of keystrokes available in every ERC buffer.
447 @item C-a or <home> (`erc-bol')
448 Go to beginning of line or end of prompt.
450 @item RET (`erc-send-current-line')
451 Send the current line
453 @item TAB (`erc-complete-word')
454 If at prompt, complete the current word.
455 Otherwise, move to the next link or button.
457 @item M-TAB (`ispell-complete-word')
458 Complete the given word, using ispell.
460 @item C-c C-a (`erc-bol')
461 Go to beginning of line or end of prompt.
463 @item C-c C-b (`erc-iswitchb')
464 Use `iswitchb-read-buffer' to prompt for a ERC buffer to switch to.
466 @item C-c C-c (`erc-toggle-interpret-controls')
467 Toggle interpretation of control sequences in messages.
469 @item C-c C-d (`erc-input-action')
470 Interactively input a user action and send it to IRC.
472 @item C-c C-e (`erc-toggle-ctcp-autoresponse')
473 Toggle automatic CTCP replies (like VERSION and PING).
475 @item C-c C-f (`erc-toggle-flood-control')
476 Toggle use of flood control on sent messages.
478 @item C-c TAB (`erc-invite-only-mode')
479 Turn on the invite only mode (+i) for the current channel.
481 @item C-c C-j (`erc-join-channel')
482 Join channel. If point is at the beginning of a channel name, use that
485 @item C-c C-k (`erc-go-to-log-matches-buffer')
486 Interactively open an erc-log-matches buffer
488 @item C-c C-l (`erc-save-buffer-in-logs')
489 Append buffer contents to the log file, if logging is enabled.
491 @item C-c C-n (`erc-channel-names')
492 Run "/names #channel" in the current channel.
494 @item C-c C-o (`erc-get-channel-mode-from-keypress')
495 Read a key sequence and call the corresponding channel mode function.
496 After doing @kbd{C-c C-o}, type in a channel mode letter.
498 @kbd{C-g} means quit.
499 @kbd{RET} lets you type more than one mode at a time.
500 If @kbd{l} is pressed, @code{erc-set-channel-limit} gets called.
501 If @kbd{k} is pressed, @code{erc-set-channel-key} gets called.
502 Anything else will be sent to `erc-toggle-channel-mode'.
504 @item C-c C-p (`erc-part-from-channel')
505 Part from the current channel and prompt for a reason.
507 @item C-c C-q (`erc-quit-server')
508 Disconnect from current server after prompting for reason.
510 @item C-c C-r (`erc-remove-text-properties-region')
511 Clears the region (start,end) in object from all colors, etc.
513 @item C-c C-t (`erc-set-topic')
514 Prompt for a topic for the current channel.
516 @item C-c C-u (`erc-kill-input')
517 Kill current input line using `erc-bol' followed by `kill-line'.
522 @node Modules, Advanced Usage, Keystroke Summary, Top
523 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
527 One way to add functionality to ERC is to customize which of its many
530 There is a spiffy customize interface, which may be reached by typing
531 @kbd{M-x customize-option erc-modules RET}. Alternatively, set
532 @code{erc-modules} manually and then call @code{erc-update-modules}.
534 The following is a list of available modules.
538 @cindex modules, autoaway
540 Set away status automatically
542 @cindex modules, autojoin
544 Join channels automatically
546 @cindex modules, bbdb
548 Integrate with the Big Brother Database
550 @cindex modules, button
552 Buttonize URLs, nicknames, and other text
554 @cindex modules, capab-identify
556 Mark unidentified users on freenode and other servers supporting CAPAB.
558 @cindex modules, completion
560 Complete nicknames and commands (programmable)
562 @cindex modules, fill
566 @cindex modules, hecomplete
568 Complete nicknames and commands (old). This is the old module---you
569 might prefer the ``completion'' module instead.
571 @cindex modules, identd
573 Launch an identd server on port 8113
575 @cindex modules, irccontrols
577 Highlight or remove IRC control characters
583 @cindex modules, match
585 Highlight pals, fools, and other keywords
587 @cindex modules, menu
589 Display a menu in ERC buffers
591 @cindex modules, netsplit
595 @cindex modules, noncommands
597 Don't display non-IRC commands after evaluation
599 @cindex modules, notify
601 Notify when the online status of certain users changes
603 @cindex modules, page
605 Process CTCP PAGE requests from IRC
607 @cindex modules, readonly
609 Make displayed lines read-only
611 @cindex modules, replace
613 Replace text in messages
615 @cindex modules, ring
617 Enable an input history
619 @cindex modules, scrolltobottom
621 Scroll to the bottom of the buffer
623 @cindex modules, services
625 Identify to Nickserv (IRC Services) automatically
627 @cindex modules, smiley
629 Convert smileys to pretty icons
631 @cindex modules, sound
633 Play sounds when you receive CTCP SOUND requests
635 @cindex modules, spelling
637 Check spelling of messages
639 @cindex modules, stamp
641 Add timestamps to messages
643 @cindex modules, track
645 Track channel activity in the mode-line
647 @cindex modules, truncate
649 Truncate buffers to a certain size
651 @cindex modules, unmorse
653 Translate morse code in messages
657 @c PRE5_3: Document every option of every module in its own subnode
660 @node Advanced Usage, Getting Help and Reporting Bugs, Modules, Top
661 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
662 @chapter Advanced Usage
663 @cindex advanced topics
666 * Connecting:: Ways of connecting to an IRC server.
667 * Sample Configuration:: An example configuration file.
668 * Options:: Options that are available for ERC.
671 @node Connecting, Sample Configuration, Advanced Usage, Advanced Usage
672 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
673 @section Connecting to an IRC Server
676 The easiest way to connect to an IRC server is to call @kbd{M-x erc}.
677 If you want to assign this function to a keystroke, the following will
678 help you figure out its parameters.
681 Select connection parameters and run ERC.
682 Non-interactively, it takes the following keyword arguments.
689 @item @var{full-name}
692 That is, if called with the following arguments, @var{server} and
693 @var{full-name} will be set to those values, whereas
694 @code{erc-compute-port}, @code{erc-compute-nick} and
695 @code{erc-compute-full-name} will be invoked for the values of the other
699 (erc :server "irc.freenode.net" :full-name "Harry S Truman")
705 @defun erc-compute-server &optional server
706 Return an IRC server name.
708 This tries a number of increasingly more default methods until a non-nil
712 @item @var{server} (the argument passed to this function)
713 @item The @code{erc-server} option
714 @item The value of the IRCSERVER environment variable
715 @item The @code{erc-default-server} variable
720 @defopt erc-server nil
721 IRC server to use if one is not provided.
726 @defun erc-compute-port &optional port
727 Return a port for an IRC server.
729 This tries a number of increasingly more default methods until a non-nil
733 @item @var{port} (the argument passed to this function)
734 @item The @code{erc-port} option
735 @item The @code{erc-default-port} variable
741 IRC port to use if not specified.
743 This can be either a string or a number.
748 @defun erc-compute-nick &optional nick
749 Return user's IRC nick.
751 This tries a number of increasingly more default methods until a
752 non-nil value is found.
755 @item @var{nick} (the argument passed to this function)
756 @item The @code{erc-nick} option
757 @item The value of the IRCNICK environment variable
758 @item The result from the @code{user-login-name} function
764 Nickname to use if one is not provided.
766 This can be either a string, or a list of strings.
767 In the latter case, if the first nick in the list is already in use,
768 other nicks are tried in the list order.
771 @defopt erc-nick-uniquifier
772 The string to append to the nick if it is already in use.
775 @defopt erc-try-new-nick-p
776 If the nickname you chose isn't available, and this option is non-nil,
777 ERC should automatically attempt to connect with another nickname.
779 You can manually set another nickname with the /NICK command.
782 @subheading Full name
784 @defun erc-compute-full-name &optional full-name
785 Return user's full name.
787 This tries a number of increasingly more default methods until a
788 non-nil value is found.
791 @item @var{full-name} (the argument passed to this function)
792 @item The @code{erc-user-full-name} option
793 @item The value of the IRCNAME environment variable
794 @item The result from the @code{user-full-name} function
799 @defopt erc-user-full-name
802 This can be either a string or a function to call.
805 @node Sample Configuration, Options, Connecting, Advanced Usage
806 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
807 @section Sample Configuration
808 @cindex configuration, sample
810 Here is an example of configuration settings for ERC. This can go into
811 your Emacs configuration file. Everything after the @code{(require
812 'erc)} command can optionally go into @file{~/.emacs.d/.ercrc.el}.
815 ;;; Sample ERC configuration
817 ;; Add the ERC directory to load path -- you don't need this if you are
818 ;; using the version of ERC that comes with Emacs
819 (add-to-list 'load-path "~/elisp/erc")
824 ;; Load authentication info from an external source. Put sensitive
825 ;; passwords and the like in here.
826 (load "~/.emacs.d/.erc-auth")
828 ;; This is an example of how to make a new command. Type "/uptime" to
830 (defun erc-cmd-UPTIME (&rest ignore)
831 "Display the uptime of the system, as well as some load-related
832 stuff, to the current ERC buffer."
834 (replace-regexp-in-string
835 ", load average: " "] @{Load average@} ["
836 ;; Collapse spaces, remove
837 (replace-regexp-in-string
839 ;; Remove beginning and trailing whitespace
840 (replace-regexp-in-string
842 (shell-command-to-string "uptime"))))))
844 (concat "@{Uptime@} [" uname-output "]"))))
846 ;; This causes ERC to connect to the Freenode network upon hitting
847 ;; C-c e f. Replace MYNICK with your IRC nick.
848 (global-set-key "\C-cef" (lambda () (interactive)
849 (erc :server "irc.freenode.net" :port "6667"
852 ;; This causes ERC to connect to the IRC server on your own machine (if
853 ;; you have one) upon hitting C-c e b. Replace MYNICK with your IRC
854 ;; nick. Often, people like to run bitlbee (http://bitlbee.org/) as an
855 ;; AIM/Jabber/MSN to IRC gateway, so that they can use ERC to chat with
856 ;; people on those networks.
857 (global-set-key "\C-ceb" (lambda () (interactive)
858 (erc :server "localhost" :port "6667"
861 ;; Make C-c RET (or C-c C-RET) send messages instead of RET. This has
862 ;; been commented out to avoid confusing new users.
863 ;; (define-key erc-mode-map (kbd "RET") nil)
864 ;; (define-key erc-mode-map (kbd "C-c RET") 'erc-send-current-line)
865 ;; (define-key erc-mode-map (kbd "C-c C-RET") 'erc-send-current-line)
869 ;; Join the #emacs and #erc channels whenever connecting to Freenode.
870 (setq erc-autojoin-channels-alist '(("freenode.net" "#emacs" "#erc")))
872 ;; Interpret mIRC-style color commands in IRC chats
873 (setq erc-interpret-mirc-color t)
875 ;; The following are commented out by default, but users of other
876 ;; non-Emacs IRC clients might find them useful.
877 ;; Kill buffers for channels after /part
878 ;; (setq erc-kill-buffer-on-part t)
879 ;; Kill buffers for private queries after quitting the server
880 ;; (setq erc-kill-queries-on-quit t)
881 ;; Kill buffers for server messages after quitting the server
882 ;; (setq erc-kill-server-buffer-on-quit t)
885 @node Options, , Sample Configuration, Advanced Usage
886 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
890 @c PRE5_3: (Node) Document every ERC option (module options go in
893 This section has not yet been written. For now, the easiest way to
894 check out the available option for ERC is to do
895 @kbd{M-x customize-group erc RET}.
898 @node Getting Help and Reporting Bugs, History, Advanced Usage, Top
899 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
900 @chapter Getting Help and Reporting Bugs
901 @cindex help, getting
902 @cindex bugs, reporting
904 After you have read this guide, if you still have questions about ERC,
905 or if you have bugs to report, there are several places you can go.
910 @uref{http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/EmacsIRCClient} is the
911 emacswiki.org page for ERC. Anyone may add tips, hints, or bug
915 There are several mailing lists for ERC. To subscribe, visit
916 @uref{http://savannah.gnu.org/mail/?group=erc}.
918 The mailing lists are also available on Gmane.
919 (@url{http://gmane.org/}). Gmane provides additional methods for
920 accessing the mailing lists, adding content to them, and searching them.
923 @item gmane.emacs.erc.announce
926 @item gmane.emacs.erc.discuss
929 @item gmane.emacs.erc.cvs
930 Log messages for changes to the ERC source code
935 You can visit the IRC Freenode channel @samp{#emacs}. Many of the
936 contributors are frequently around and willing to answer your
942 @node History, Concept Index, Getting Help and Reporting Bugs, Top
943 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
945 @cindex history, of ERC
947 ERC was originally written by Alexander L. Belikoff
948 @email{abel@@bfr.co.il} and Sergey Berezin
949 @email{sergey.berezin@@cs.cmu.edu}. They stopped development around
950 December 1999. Their last released version was ERC 2.0.
952 P.S.: If one of the original developers of ERC reads this, we'd like to
953 receive additional information for this file and hear comments in
959 In June 2001, Mario Lang @email{mlang@@delysid.org} and Alex Schroeder
960 @email{alex@@gnu.org} took over development and created a ERC Project at
961 @uref{http://sourceforge.net/projects/erc}.
963 In reaction to a mail about the new ERC development effort, Sergey
964 Berezin said, ``First of all, I'm glad that my version of ERC is being
965 used out there. The thing is, I do not have free time and enough
966 incentive anymore to work on ERC, so I would be happy if you guys take
967 over the project entirely.''
969 So we happily hacked away on ERC, and soon after (September 2001)
970 released the next "stable" version, 2.1.
972 Most of the development of the new ERC happened on #emacs on
973 irc.openprojects.net. Over time, many people contributed code, ideas,
974 bugfixes, and a lot of alpha/beta/gamma testing.
976 See the @file{CREDITS} file for a list of contributors.
980 ERC 3.0 was released.
984 ERC 4.0 was released.
988 ERC 5.0 was released. Michael Olson @email{mwolson@@gnu.org} became
989 the release manager and eventually the maintainer.
991 After some discussion between him and the Emacs developers, it was
992 decided to include ERC in Emacs.
996 ERC 5.1 was released. It was subsequently included in Emacs 22.
998 ERC became an official GNU project, and development moved to
999 @uref{http://sv.gnu.org/projects/erc}. We switched to using GNU Arch as
1000 our revision control system. Our mailing list address changed as well.
1004 @node Concept Index, , History, Top
1005 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
1013 arch-tag: cf9cfaff-fc12-4297-ad15-ec2493002b1e