Xconvers User Guide: Introduction

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## 1. Introduction

Xconvers is a split screen convers client for amateur radio, written in C with the Gimp Toolkit (GTK+). Xconvers was developed with glade, a graphical user interface builder. The xconvers homepage is at http://xconvers.sourceforge.net.

## 1.1 About xconvers

After connecting a convers server with xconvers, the top section of the main window will display the server response. You can type your text in a one-line transmit window. Xconvers features color support, the possibility to record the session into a file and history for the connect dialog and the transmit window. The appearance of the main window can be changed by enabling or disabling the menu, scrollbar and statusbar and setting your own font and background for the received text. Finally, it is possible to automatically login to a convers server, by entering a default name and channel in a settings dialog.

Xconvers was originally written as a client to connect to the convers server shipped with wampes. The original motif version (still available as version 0.4.2) was written by Guido Vattrodt (DL3BZN) and maintained by me. I wanted to enhance xconvers and give it a more modern look, so I decided to write a new version, programmed with GTK+.

Please report any bugs you find in xconvers. I will try to fix them. If you need additional help with xconvers or if you have any suggestions, mail me. I sometimes hang around on channel 44 of the worldwide convers system.

## 1.2 The convers system

The convers system is an IRC-like network which uses port 3600 to connect. It is optimized for producing less traffic, because some of its servers are connected through the radio waves, where bandwidth is scarce. Convers is used primarily by ham-radio operators. Here is a list of servers which I have used in the past to check the behaviour if xconvers:

    Hostname                   Server  Version  Last Checked  Name
    -------------------------------------------------------------------
    pe1lxx.penguinpowered.com  htpp    1.22     Dec 10,2000   SHB_NL
    dxc.amprnet.org.br         htpp    1.22     Dec 10,2000
    radio-gw.cnuce.cnr.it      tnos    2.30     Dec 10,2000
    g0uje.ampr.org             htpp    1.22     Dec 10,2000
    irc.n1uro.ampr.org         htppu   1.3      Dec 10,2000
    qso.ka1rci.ampr.org        mfnos   1.28.4   Dec 10,2000
    hamgate.crb.org.br         htpp    1.22     Dec 10,2000
    blues.pspt.fi              htpp    1.22     Dec 10,2000   Kuopio_FI

    Please note: This list might be out of date and is not intended to be complete.

You can join a convers server by typing /name callsign channelnumber after you are connected. The channelnumber is optional. Type /help or /? to get an overview of the available commands after you are connected.

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