IRC Chat Room

Last updated 1 June 2021

What is this?

This is the information page for Zim Desktop Wiki's support IRC chat room.

Server:   irc.libera.chat
Port:     6697 (enable TLS/SSL)
Channel:  #zim-wiki

Zim Desktop Wiki is a graphical text editor used to maintain a collection of wiki pages in text files. The chat room is not about Kiwix, which uses an binary database format called "ZIM".

Zim is supported on GNU/Linux and BSD desktops, and also on Windows. It is reportedly possible to install it in OS X as well, but there is no official installer.

This chat room was previously hosted on chat.freenode.net, before June 2021.

How can I access the Zim chat room?

If you are already an expert IRC user, use your favorite IRC client to access the chat room with the parameters listed above. Libera Chat's web site has more details about connecting to the network.

If you are new to IRC, the easiest way to access the chat room is to go to
https://web.libera.chat/#zim-wiki
to run Libera Chat's instance of Kiwi IRC client directly in your browser. You don't have to configure or register anything; just pick a nickname no one else is using.

What kind of discussion is allowed in the chat room?

You can talk about anything related to Zim Dekstop Wiki:

• Ask questions
• Discuss ideas for customizing and enhancing Zim
• Get help solving a problem

If you want to share a large piece of text relevant to your question (such as a debug log), please post it on a site like Pastebin, and then share just the URL in the chat room. Don't forget to make sure there are no secrets (passwords, API keys, etc.) in your post!

Off-topic discussions are welcome whenever nothing else is happening. Please follow Libera Chat policies; no commercial advertising, unlawful behavior, or impolite topics.

May I be constantly logged into the chat room and offer help to others?

Please do!

Who is in charge?

Brendan Kidwell (bkidwell) is the channel owner. He is also the maintainer of the Windows installer package for Zim.

No one is responding to me.

bkidwell is almost always logged in and virtually lurking, but sometimes he is not actually at a computer or connected from a handheld. Try again later.

Where else can I get help?

• Zim's main web site.
• Read the manual.
• Read the public support wiki.
• Check the issue tracker and see if you're dealing with a known bug.
• Join the mailing list and/or read the mailing list archive.
• There is a Subreddit for Zim.

If you think you have encountered a bug but you're not sure, posting on the mailing list is a good way to find out. Make sure you explain your setup (your OS, your desktop environment, and whether you have a current or older version of Zim) and how to reproduce your problem.