HexChat facts for kids
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Screenshot of Hexchat 2.16.0
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| Developer(s) | Patrick Griffis |
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| Initial release | 6 July 2012 |
| Last release |
2.16.2 / 9 February 2024
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| Written in | C, Python, Perl, C++, C# |
| Operating system | Linux, Microsoft Windows |
| Platform | x86-64, ARM |
| License | GPL-2.0 only with OpenSSL linking exception |
HexChat was a special computer program. It was used for something called Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Think of IRC as a very old-school way to chat online in groups. HexChat was a "client," which means it was the software you used on your computer to connect to these chat rooms.
HexChat was also a "fork" of another program called XChat. This means it started as a copy of XChat, but then its developers added new features and made changes. It offered different ways to organize your chat windows, like using tabs or a tree structure. You could connect to many chat servers at once. It also had lots of settings you could change.
You could use HexChat on computers with Microsoft Windows or Unix-like operating systems, like Linux. Many Linux systems even had HexChat ready to install. The program was stopped in early 2024 because its creators could no longer work on it.
Contents
How HexChat Worked
HexChat was a program that helped people talk to each other online. It used a system called Internet Relay Chat, or IRC. Imagine IRC as a giant network of chat rooms. HexChat was the tool you used to join these rooms and talk to others.
Connecting to Chat Rooms
When you used HexChat, you would connect to a "server." This server was like a central hub for many chat rooms. Once connected, you could join different channels, which are like specific chat rooms for various topics. You could talk to many people at once in a channel.
Different Ways to See Your Chats
HexChat gave you choices for how your chat windows looked. You could use a "tabbed interface." This is like having many tabs in your web browser, where each tab is a different chat. Or, you could use a "tree interface." This shows your chats in a list, like folders on your computer.
Using Commands or Buttons
You could control HexChat in two main ways. One way was using a command-line interface. This means you typed special commands to make the program do things. The other way was using a graphical user interface. This is what most people are used to, where you click on buttons and menus with your mouse.
The Story of HexChat
HexChat started its journey in 2010. Back then, it was called XChat-WDK. The "WDK" stood for Windows Driver Kit. At first, it was only made for Windows computers.
From Fixing Bugs to New Features
The main goal of XChat-WDK was to fix problems in the original XChat program, especially for Windows users. But soon, the people working on it started adding new and exciting features. It became more than just a fix; it was a new and improved version.
Becoming HexChat
As the project grew, the developers realized it could be useful for more than just Windows. So, on July 6, 2012, XChat-WDK officially changed its name to HexChat. This new name showed that it was a separate project, ready to work on many different types of computers.
Why HexChat Stopped
HexChat was a popular program for many years. However, in early 2024, the project came to an end. The main reason was that the people who kept the program running no longer had enough time to work on it. It's a common challenge for projects run by volunteers.
See also
In Spanish: HexChat para niños
