xmpp-client setup

go get github.com/agl/xmpp-client

xmpp-client use

xmpp-client is a simple XMPP client written in pure Go. It's a terminal program and so probably doesn't work on Windows.

xmpp-client expects a config file in ~/.xmpp-client. You can set the location of the config file with --config-file on the command line. If it fails to parse a config file, it'll enter enrollment: where it'll ask a series of questions to configure itself and will then write a config file from the answers.

The config file is just a JSON file and can be edited by hand. (Although xmpp-client will rewrite it, blowing away any comments or custom formatting.)

xmpp-client will prompt for a password each time it's run. If you want to save the password you have to edit the config file and insert a string element called Password. (This ensures that you understand that the password is stored in plaintext.)

Once the connection has been established, the commands are quite simple. Type /help for a listing.

Messages are sent by entering the JID of a contact and hitting tab to complete the address, followed by a colon. The message can then be entered after the colon, IRC style. Like this:

> [email protected]: Hi there!

On subsequent lines you don't have to enter their address again, unless you want to direct messages to someone else:

> [email protected]: Hi there!
> I was thinking
> about that thing
> [email protected]: I'll be right with you!
> [email protected]: back again

Messages from others are written in a similar fashion: the address is omitted for subsequent lines and replaced with a colon. The colon is red for unencrypted and green for encrypted.

If a contact name isn't recognised before a colon then it's ignored. Don't assume that you're sending a message to who you think you are unless you tab completed the address.

The client functions, but is very rudimentary.