1. Overview
  2. Existing modules
    1. antispam
    2. avatar
    3. avv
    4. beep
    5. clock
    6. cmd
    7. commands (custom)
    8. comment
    9. disco
    10. env
    11. eventcmd
    12. eventcmd-ng
    13. extsay
    14. fifo
    15. info_msgcount
    16. ignore_auth
    17. jingle
    18. killpresence
    19. lastmsg
    20. lua
    21. marking
    22. mpd
    23. mucignore
    24. pep
    25. si
    26. streams
    27. templatecmd
    28. uptime
    29. urlopen
    30. xttitle
    31. yaubil
  3. Notes on modules, written by isbear, aka Mykhailo Danylenko

Overview

Starting from version 0.10.0, mcabber supports dynamic loading of modules. It introduces the command /module with subcommands to load, unload and obtain info on modules. This command is allowed during initialization time, so you can specify it in your mcabberrc. Modules are searched in the directory specified in mcabber variable modules_dir, that you should set before issuing these commands. Default module installation/loading directory is /usr/lib/mcabber.

The API is still experimental and likely to be changed, but there is a short HOWTO about writing your own modules in doc/ subdirectory of mcabber source. It contains up-to-date information on module-related routines that mcabber offers and some examples.

Existing modules

Right now the following modules are available (if you know of some other modules, feel free to add them to list below):

antispam

Enables simple question-based antispam-bot which asks predefined question to every unsubscribed buddy, expecting them to give the right predefined answer. Currently you may change the standard question/answer only by changing the source code.

avatar

This module implements avatar publishing/retrieving via pep/pubsub. It informs you when your buddies publish their avatars via pep and provides command /avatar to publish your own. But this is not all: It also will actually show you buddy's avatar! Yes, it is aalib :)

Note: this module should eventually merge with pep (at least partially)

avv

Advanced version verification (or something like that, I now cannot recollect initial meaning of this abbreviature). Alternative module loading system, that allows flexible module compatibility determination. It splits API, provided by mcabber into a set of smaller APIs. This allows to omit module update, when major API change have not changed used by this module mini-APIs. Also, module information is now stored separately, in usual text file, that may be adapted by hand to user environment. Fallback legacy module loading scheme is not yet implemented :(

beep

Simple module to beep on all messages. Available in mcabber 0.10.0. Serves the purpose of example for module writing HOWTO.

clock

This module uses the 'info' option to display the date and time in the status bar. This module is part of the mcabber-modules repository.

cmd

Provides command /cmd, that sends output of specified shell command to current buddy.

commands (custom)

Allows to add commands with dynamic completion lists, based on regexp-matching over incoming buddy messages (a bit similar to urlopen). Useful for microblogging.

comment

Trivial module; adds a command # to ignore a line. This module is part of the mcabber-modules repository.

disco

Module adds /disco command, that sends service discovery requests.

env

Tampering with mcabber's environment. This module can be useful for development and debugging, as well as for on-the-fly changing of some parameters, like AAOPTS for aalib, used in avatar module. Also provides way to change current working directory.

eventcmd

Modularization of legacy mcabber eventcmd script. Available in experimental version of mcabber.

eventcmd-ng

Another approach for eventcmd. It passes arguments to script as environment variables, so, you can use $jid instead of $1. Because of this it is more flexible for future changes (see hooks description in HOWTO). Though, it is not officially approved new interface for eventcmd - it is only my vision of it.

extsay

If you use the screen utility, this module will let you open your editor in a new screen window, and will send the message once you exit the editor. Check the README file! This module is part of the mcabber-modules repository.

fifo

Modularization of mcabber FIFO. Allows recreation of fifo in run-time by reloading module. This module has been merged into mcabber development tree (0.10.2-dev).

info_msgcount

Displays the number of unread messages (buffers) in the status bar. This module relies on the info option, so it cannot be used with the clock module described above. This module is part of the mcabber-modules repository.

ignore_auth

Ignores subscription requests from every jid matching configurable regexs. Adds the command ignore_auth to add a regex to the list (/ignore_auth .*@icq). The option ignore_auth can be used to disable/enable this feature temporily (/set ignore_auth = 1). This module is part of the forked mcabber-modules repository from franky.

jingle

Jingle modules written by Alkino during the GSoC 2010. Contains a file transfer module (IBB support).

killpresence

Adds two commands, killpresence and killchatstates, that can be used repectively to ignore the current presence from a fulljid (e.g. to kill a "ghost") and to reset the chat state status of an online contact. This module is part of the mcabber-modules repository.

lastmsg

Stores highlighted messages received in MUC rooms while you are away. When you're back, you can use the command /lastmsg you display them. This module is part of the mcabber-modules repository.

lua

Lua interface module for mcabber. Adds /lua command (and much more in example scripts). Needs much more work, but already usable.

Example scripts for this module extensively use lua bindings for loudmouth, lua-lm. It can be found here:

marking

Adds ability to mark several buddies and do some command for each of these buddies. Provides commands /mark and /marked.

mpd

Provides information about currently playing song for modules like PEP.

mucignore

Simple plugin to ignore users in MUC conferences.

pep

Suite of modules to publish and process PEP (Personal Eventing Protocol) tune, mood, geoloc and activity events.

si

Stream initiation (file transfer profile) module. Uses streams module for its transfer methods, thus, it now supports both IBB and SOCKS5 Bytestreams. Provides command /si.

Note: Stalled in the process of rewrite/update, contact me, if you are interested in picking it up.

streams

In-Band and SOCKS5 Bytestreams implementation. Adds command /stream. It supports IBB native session initiation and bare SCOKS5 Bytestream requests and can send/receive files this way. Though, this module is, probably, the only implementation, that supports such file transfer methods, so you will be unable to use this module alone to exchange files with, other clients. However this module is designed with ability to be used by other modules as transfer pipe, so, there is si/file-transfer module to transfer files in more convenient way. This module should be considered still in beta stage, but yet already usable.

Note: Stalled in the process of rewrite/update, contact me, if you are interested in picking it up.

templatecmd

Allows to define alias-like commands with shell-like positional arguments substitution. Provides command /templatecmd. If you're searching for a way to define alias for /send_to -f <filename_here> . - this module is for you.

uptime

Module to show mcabber uptime. It can either determine full mcabber process uptime from linux /proc filesystem or just count time from module loading moment.

urlopen

Looks for urls in incoming messages and prints them to log and/or calls shell command to handle them.

xttitle

Displays the number of unread messages in the X Terminal Title. The option xttitle_short_format can be set to use a very short title.

yaubil

Yet Another Useless Built-In Language. Provides /eval, /if, /then, /else, /let and /multi commands. Probably most useful amongst them is /multi. If, breaking my expectations, this module becomes useful and famous (presence of beard may cause this), I promise, that I'll improve string/parentheses parsing, add loops and maybe even switch to tree-producing parser with operators precedence.

Notes on modules, written by isbear, aka Mykhailo Danylenko

  • I use cmake as build system, it allows me to quickly generate debian packages (not too accurate, but at least it is package). See README for a brief description how to build module.
  • Most modules need more work - to add flexibility, providing mcabber variables, that control module behaviour, to check for resource releasing in extreme situations, etc.
  • Most modules, that provide some command also include help file for them (in English). You may need to adjust variable help_dirs, if you have installed module with another prefix than mcabber itself to be able to use this help files.
  • Every module contains file modulename.rc (by default it will be installed into <install prefix>/share/doc/libmcabber-<modulename>/), that contains list of all mcabber variables introduced by this module with descriptions and load commands, necessary to get this module loaded (i.e. first load commands for modules, that are required for this module to work, then load command for this module itself).
  • If you have found a bug in module, please contact me by mail or jabber (both can be found in README file).
  • Unfortunately, most of the modules are now kinda unmaintained (if you need something - ping me, and I'll try to do something about that, but no guarantees). Adoption requests are warmly welcomed.