Summary

The UbuntuLiveChatSupport aims to provide an interface to #ubuntu channel in freenode.org to get live support from ubuntu users right into the desktop menu, via "System > Help > Live Chat Support".

Rationale

The current way of getting help in Ubuntu requires the user to read and browse documentations, but what most users really want is getting the right answers to the questions straight. Browsing and reading documentations sometimes require one to research on a particular problem. But to get the right answer from an experience user is the most easiest way.

Scope

This will use Gaim as an IRC client, but will not alter the main Gaim configurations. It will add the IRC channels defined in InternetRelayChat in Gaim buddy list, namely, Localized Channels, Support Channels, and Team Collaboration Channels. #ubuntu will be the default channel that will automatically joined.

Design

Invocation and overall design

The software will be linked right into "System > Help > Live Chat Support" menu, and will have the stock people icon. It will have an intro screen, a freenode.org login screen, a register button. By registering to freenode.org, an information will be displayed about the advantages of registering their nick, and how to register.

Introduction Screen

attachment:ubuntu-live-chat-support-intro.png

The intro screen will tell the users about the process, and provide a brief introduction about the software.

Login screen

attachment:ubuntu-live-chat-support-login.png

The login screen will ask about their freenode.org username and password. However, if they are not yet registered, they will be prompted to click the "Register" button.

Introduction to registering to Freenode.org

attachment:ubuntu-live-chat-support-register-intro.png

This tells why it's good to register to Freenode.org

Texts taken from Freenode.org FAQ.

If you have any idea other than the Freenode.org FAQ, please send me a comment in this wiki.

Registering to Freenode.org

attachment:ubuntu-live-chat-support-register-login.png

This asks your desired username, and guide you how to register it.

Chatting to #Ubuntu

attachment:ubuntu-live-chat-support-chatting.png

The software automatically join you to #ubuntu channel and will add all the channels defined in InternetRelayChat in the Gaim buddy list.

Code

The code is written in GTK+ and C, with sh scripts as scripting backend.

Download

attachment:ubuntu-live-chat-support.tar.gz

This is the first release of the software, but it's quite stable, it can be installed via standard configure, make & make install.