Need Multi-user Chat

[reith 0]

I've been searching for quite some time for a free multiple person chat. I run an RPG site where I need a somewhat fast responsive chat in order to correctly RP to my members, and I need to be able to log in multiple times from the same computer (since I commonly RP as 3-4 NPCs at a time) all with different names. Most chats I've found were either incredibly laggy/slow, or did not let me log in more than once, and sometimes did not even allow me to change my name. I used to use Parachat and had to pay roughly 5$ a month which is quite a lot on a tight college students budget. I was looking hard for a free solution, I can make my own network from home and have my friends within network range in order to create a LAN chat or something of that sort, but I have no idea how to do it, and also have no clue what sort of chat solution would work best for me. I'd greatly appreciate any help at all, I'd of posted this in the internet forum but I can't since I'm still being screened yet and not approved / member lvl1. If this is in the wrong area I apologize but software seemed to be correct to me. Anything that isn't full of trojans, bugs, or otherwise huge security loopholes I'd greatly appreciate input/links etc. I recall seeing a homestead type chat a very long time ago, but other users could easily log in and disrupt whatever was going on. Though maybe that would be an option now, but anything really would greatly help me, and thanks a lot in advance for any help or suggestions.

[jlhaslip 4]

google phpchat, an Open Source project.

[reith 0]

Thanks for the info on a free chat, << too bad I'm not that great with mysql and databases and the like. Having a heck of a time finding a guide for it, the install readme is really quite vague. And I can't try it out just yet since I don't have a site yet to test it out. There wouldn't happen to be anybody who can direct me to a good guide on mysql, and basically how to setup a database and all the things that phpchat would need would there? I need to change a few things around, and just in case somebody can help me I'll post the readme portion so that maybe somebody can make more sense of out it.

PHP-based chatserver and JAVA-client
Upload some special PHP-files to your PHP-website
and redistribute the client as standalone or
integrate it in a website as JAVA-Applet.
Then your visitors can use the livechat on
your homepage in an open room and the possibility
of user-to-user channels.

installing the server:
1. Change MYSQL_HOST, MYSQL_USER, MYSQL_PASS, MYSQL_DATABASE
in the files in the PHP folder so they fit to your server
settings.
2. Create the table
chat(xfrom,xto,message,timeo)
with PHPMyAdmin or another tool.
3. Copy the files in the PHP folder into a directory
on your server
4. Change the file server.ini
first line: the directory on your server
5. Pack everything new and put it on your site

The first I'm not even sure how to do at all <.<, I need multiple users to log in but I really don't want a bunch of passwords, or maybe they mean just for the chat pass, which would also be fine for me. The database I can't make and have no idea how to make it. And Table needs to be made, in which I downloaded phpmyadmin but have no clue how to use it but I'm going to read the documentation on it in depth more since it offers more help and more explanations than phpchat seems to. The 3rd sounds like i just copy the files that are in the php folder (it's one of the many folders that came with the phpchat download) and drop that into my directory on my site. But it doesn't say what to do with all the other files, and I'm not even sure how to code a page to make the chat show up on it, or if I can correctly get it to work, any help is greatly appreciated, and I apologize in advance if I'm asking for too much, any other possibilities I'm still open for.

Notice from jlhaslip:

Added Quote tags

[jlhaslip 4]

I need multiple users to log in but I really don't want a bunch of passwords, or maybe they mean just for the chat pass, which would also be fine for me.

The mysql pass is what they are talking about. Each user that signs in to the Chat room would have their own pass word stored into the database as they registered.

The database I can't make and have no idea how to make it. And Table needs to be made, in which I downloaded phpmyadmin but have no clue how to use it

On some Hosts (like the Trap) phpmyadmin is included in the cpanel. and you would use mySqladmin to actually create a new database here.

and I'm not even sure how to code a page to make the chat show up on it, or if I can correctly get it to work,

HTML is easy to learn. Try over at the w3schools site and see their Tutorials. tThey have a cool system for using a sample Editor to show samples and all that.

[reith 0]

I'm well versed in html and the like, it's just it lists nothing as to actually how I am supposed to log into the chat, or am I blind as a bat? And for the users, do I input passwords for each user there, or do I just put it up there as is and each user somehow configures it for themselves? Most of it is still murky to me on understanding and comprehension though. And does Xisto have a tutorial or something of the sort for their phpadmin? I just got approved and logged in and am very impressed with how well the cpanel is made up, I've never seen such clean and easy to use functions, I'm glad - very glad I stumbled upon Xisto. I hope uploading my site via ftp and working through there like I normally do will be easy and efficient as I foresee it to be. Now that I have a site though I'll try the php thing out, just still have no clue how to access the chat, and the various other things since the instructions heavily imply that the user already knows some php and coding of which I know very little. The extent of my php is using php to load the same background/layout for each page so only one page is the actual layout w/ fonts css etc, but the actual pages are only that, and aren't loaded down with code that is repasted on every single page, making the pages much easier to edit as they only have content on them, but most of all have much smaller size which helps as well. I wish I knew more php and how to do this so I wouldn't be such a bother, and I do thank you very much for taking your time to reply to me and help me in anyway possible.