Changeset 675ce49 for doc


Ignore:
Timestamp:
Jul 5, 2003, 12:41:08 PM (21 years ago)
Author:
James M. Kretchmar <kretch@mit.edu>
Branches:
master, barnowl_perlaim, debian, owl, release-1.10, release-1.4, release-1.5, release-1.6, release-1.7, release-1.8, release-1.9
Children:
f1e629d
Parents:
6873455
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*** empty log message ***
Location:
doc
Files:
1 added
1 edited

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  • doc/intro.txt

    r3969e3a r675ce49  
    88
    99Owl is a tty, curses-based instant messaging client.  This is a quick
    10 guide to learning how to use it.  Currently it supports only zephyr,
    11 but other messaging protocols, including AIM and Jabber, are on the
    12 way.  Some major features of owl include:
     10guide to learning how to use it.  Currently Owl supports AIM & zephyr,
     11but other messaging protocols, including Jabber, are on the way.  Some
     12major features of owl include:
    1313
    1414   o) As a tty client it can be run over telnet, rlogin or text ssh
    … …  
    2828==========================
    2929
    30 Owl will run happily without a configfile, so to get started just run
    31 the program.  Owl will take over the terminal window it is started in,
    32 so you may wish to have another terminal window available at the same
    33 time.
     30Owl will run happily without a configuration file, so to get started
     31just run the program.  Owl will take over the terminal window it is
     32started in, so you may wish to have another terminal window available
     33at the same time.
    3434
    3535On Athena you can find owl in the ktools locker.  To run it, type:
    3636
    37         add ktools
    38         owl
     37     add ktools
     38     owl
    3939
    4040at the Athena% prompt.  If you wish to run the latest beta release of
    4141owl use:
    4242
    43         add ktools
    44         owl-beta
    45 
    46 instead.
     43     add ktools
     44     owl-beta
     45
     46instead.  The beta release will often have newer features, but is not
     47as tried and true as the production release.  As a result it may be
     48less stable.
    4749
    4850The Screen Layout
    4951-----------------
    5052There are three main parts to the owl screen.  The large top portion
    51 of the screen is where zephyrs are displayed.  The status bar
     53of the screen is where messages are displayed.  The status bar
    5254separates this area from the one below and displays owl status
    5355information.  The space below that is used to type messages and is
    … …  
    7274arguments to the zwrite command as you normally would.
    7375
     76Sending an AIM message
     77----------------------
     78
     79Before sending an AIM message you must login to AOL Instant Messenger.
     80Use the 'aimlogin' command, with your screenname as an argument:
     81
     82     aimlogin <screenname>
     83
     84You will be prompted for your password, which you must enter.  Once
     85you are successfully logged in you can send an AIM message by pressing
     86the 'a' key, which will bring up an 'aimwrite' command:
     87
     88     aimwrite <screenname>
     89
     90Supply the screen name you wish to write to as an argument and then
     91send the message just as you would send a zephyr, as described above.
     92
    7493Manipulating Messages
    7594---------------------
    … …  
    7998messages:
    8099
    81         n               move to the next non-deleted message
    82         p               move to the previous non-deleted message
    83         C-n , down      move to the next message
    84         C-p , up        move to the previous message
    85         <               move to the first message
    86         >               move to the last message
    87         C-v             page down
    88         M-v             page up
    89         right           scroll the screen to the right
    90         left            scroll the screen to the left
    91         P               move to the next personal message
    92         M-P             move to the previous personal message
     100     n            move to the next non-deleted message
     101     p            move to the previous non-deleted message
     102     C-n or down  move to the next message
     103     C-p or up    move to the previous message
     104     <            move to the first message
     105     >            move to the last message
     106     C-v          page down
     107     M-v          page up
     108     right        scroll the screen to the right
     109     left         scroll the screen to the left
     110     P            move to the next personal message
     111     M-P          move to the previous personal message
    93112
    94113When you are ready to delete a message you can mark it for deletion
    95 and a 'D' will appear to the left of the message.  Messages will not
    96 actually be removed until you perform an expunge.  The following keys
    97 are used to delete, undelete and expunge messages:
    98 
    99         d               mark a message for deletion
    100         u               unmark a message for deletion
    101         x               expunge deleted messages
    102         T               mark all 'trash' messages for deletion
    103         M-D             mark all messages in the view for deletion
    104         M-u             unmark all messages in the view for deletion
    105 
    106 If you would like to respond to a zephyr sent to you there is a reply
     114with the 'd' key, and a 'D' will appear to the left of the message.
     115Messages will not actually be removed until you perform an expunge.
     116The following keys are used to delete, undelete and expunge messages:
     117
     118     d            mark a message for deletion
     119     u            unmark a message for deletion
     120     x            expunge deleted messages
     121     T            mark all 'trash' messages for deletion
     122     M-D          mark all messages in the view for deletion
     123     M-u          unmark all messages in the view for deletion
     124
     125If you would like to respond to a message sent to you there is a reply
    107126shortcut:
    108127
    109         r               Reply.  Personal zephyrs get a personal reply,
    110                         class/instance zephyrs get a public reply.
    111         R               Reply to sender.  Always replies personally
    112                         to the user.
    113         M-r             Reply but allow editing of the command line.
    114         M-R             Reply to sender but allow editing of the
    115                         command line.
     128     r            Reply.  Personal messages get a personal reply,
     129                       group messages get a group reply.
     130     R            Reply to sender.  Always replies personally
     131                       to the sender.
     132     M-r          Reply but allow editing of the command line.
     133     M-R          Reply to sender but allow editing of the
     134                       command line.
    116135
    117136In the event that the current message is too large to fit on the
    118137screen, you can scroll within the message using the following keys:
    119138
    120         SPACE           page down
    121         b               page up
    122         RETURN          line down
    123         BACKSPACE       line up
     139     SPACE        page down
     140     b            page up
     141     RETURN       line down
     142     BACKSPACE    line up
    124143
    125144The message pointer will change to indicate that the message is not
    … …  
    128147Two other keys that relate to the current message:
    129148
    130         i               print detailed information about the message
    131         w               instruct netscape to visit a URL in the message
     149     i            print detailed information about the message
     150     w            instruct netscape to visit a URL in the message
    132151
    133152Other Functions
    … …  
    135154Some other functions that can be performed with a single keystroke:
    136155
    137         A               toggle zaway on or off
    138         C-l             refresh and resize the screen
    139         C-z             suspend
     156     A            toggle zephyr zaway on or off
     157     C-l          refresh and resize the screen
     158     C-z          suspend
    140159
    141160Command Mode
    142161------------
    143162Owl has a command mode from which you can enter more detailed commands
    144 for owl to process.  To enter command mode press the colon (':') key:
    145 
    146         :               begin command mode
     163for Owl to process.  To enter command mode press the colon (':') key:
     164
     165     :            begin command mode
    147166
    148167Owl will give you a command prompt and you can begin typing your
    … …  
    152171you can use the command:
    153172
    154         show commands
     173     show commands
    155174
    156175And for detailed information on the syntax and use of a command you
    157176can use:
    158177
    159         help <command>
     178     help <command>
    160179
    161180For example "help zwrite" will display all the options available when
    … …  
    169188variable.  For example:
    170189
    171         set personalbell on
    172 
    173 will set the value of the variable 'personalbell' to on.  The command:
    174 
    175         print personalbell
     190     set personalbell on
     191
     192will set the value of the variable 'personalbell' to 'on'.  The
     193command:
     194
     195     print personalbell
    176196
    177197will show you the current value.  The 'print' command with no
    178198arguments:
    179199
    180         print
     200     print
    181201
    182202Owl will show you the value of all variables.  You can also use
    183203
    184         show variables
    185         show variable <variable>
     204     show variables
     205
     206     show variable <variable>
    186207
    187208To display further information on owl variables.
    188209
    189 Views
    190 -----
     210
     211================
     212Section 3: VIEWS
     213================
     214
    191215Owl always displays a current "view" of messages.  The view describes
    192216which set of messages should be included on the display.  The default
    193217view is called "all" and includes every message.  However, you can
    194 narrow the view to a particular set of zephyrs:
    195 
    196         M-n             Narrow view to the selected conversation
    197         M-N             Narrow view to selected conversation by instance
    198         V               Return to the home view (the 'all' view)
    199         X               Expunge messages and return to home view
    200 
    201 If you press M-n while the pointer is on a personal zephyr, the view
     218narrow the view to a particular set of messages:
     219
     220     M-n          Narrow view to the selected conversation
     221     M-N          Narrow view to selected conversation by instance
     222     V            Return to the home view (the 'all' view)
     223     X            Expunge messages and return to home view
     224
     225If you press M-n while the pointer is on a personal message, the view
    202226will be narrowed to the conversation with that user only.  If used on
    203 a class zephyr the conversation will be narrowed to that class, with
    204 a few special exceptions like class MESSAGE.
    205 
    206 There are also some owl commands related to views:
    207 
    208         viewclass <class>     Narrow the view to the named class
    209         viewuser <user>       Narrow the view to the named user
     227a group message the conversation will be narrowed to that group.
     228
     229There are also some Owl commands related to views:
     230
     231     viewclass <class>     Narrow the view to the named zephyr class
     232     viewuser <user>       Narrow the view to the named user
    210233
    211234More information on views and how they work is included in the section
    212235on "FILTERS AND COLORS".
    213 
    214 ==========================================
    215 Section 3: KEYBINDINGS AND COMMAND ALIASES
    216 ==========================================
    217 
    218236
    219237=============================
    … …  
    221239=============================
    222240
    223 
     241Filters
     242-------
     243Owl will allow you to create custom message filters.  A message filter
     244is an expression that matches a set of messages based on certain
     245criteria.  Owl comes with a number of build-in filters already.  You can
     246view a list of them with the command:
     247
     248     show filters
     249
     250The default filters include:
     251
     252     all              Matches all messages
     253     none             Matches no messages
     254     personal         Only personal messages (no group messages)
     255     login            Login/Logout notifications
     256     auto             Messages generated by automated programs
     257     out              Messages sent from you to another user
     258     aim              AIM messages
     259     zephyr           Zephyr messages
     260     trash            "Trash" messages
     261     ping             Zephyr pings
     262     reply-lockout    Messages for which the reply commands
     263                          should not work
     264
     265If you wish to view the messages that match a particular filter, use
     266the 'view' command.  For example:
     267
     268     view personal
     269
     270This will display only personal messages on the screen.  You can
     271change back to the 'all' view by pressing the 'V' key (capitalized).
     272Note that the 'v' key (not capitalized) is a shortcut to bring up the
     273'view' command.
     274
     275You can also create your own filters.  For more information on this,
     276consult the Owl Advanced Users Guide.
     277
     278Colors
     279------
     280Every filter can have a color associated with it.  Messages matching
     281the filter will then be displayed in that color if your terminal
     282supports it.  The color for a filter can be set by using the '-c'
     283option to the filter command.  For example:
     284
     285     filter personal -c white
     286
     287This cause all messages in the 'personal' filter to be displayed in
     288white.  You can produce a list of the colors available to Owl with the
     289command:
     290
     291     show colors
     292
     293If a message matches more than one filter it will be displayed in the
     294color specified in the last filter listed in the 'show filters'
     295command.
     296
     297If you would like your color settings to persist, such that they are
     298preset every time you start Owl, please read the "Saving Your
     299Settings" section below.
     300
     301===============================
     302Section 5: SAVING YOUR SETTINGS
     303===============================
     304
     305Any changes you make to Owl are lost when the program is terminated,
     306unless you specify otherwise.  If you would like a setting to persist
     307such that it is available every time you start Owl you can use the
     308word 'startup' before any command.  For example:
     309
     310     startup filter personal -c white
     311
     312Will instruct Owl to color personal messages white both in the current
     313session and in any future Owl session.  You may revert this behavior
     314with the 'unstartup' command:
     315
     316     unstartup filter personal -c white
     317
     318which will not affect the current session, but will cause future
     319sessions not to take this action.
     320
     321Here is another example, this instructs Owl to display zephyr ping
     322messages:
     323
     324     startup set rxping on
    224325
    225326==========================
    226 Section 5: THE CONFIG FILE
     327Section 6: THE CONFIG FILE
    227328==========================
    228329
    … …  
    263364
    264365
     366==========================================
     367Section 4: KEYBINDINGS AND COMMAND ALIASES
     368==========================================
     369
     370
    265371==============================
    266372Section 6: FURTHER INFORMATION
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