Chibi Gopher was originally written in the early 2000s using mIRC scripting. It preserves both the style and limitations of programming during that era, including working within the constraints of mIRC’s scripting environment and TCP sockets.
The project demonstrates a hands-on implementation of RFC 1436 using raw sockets, highlighting legacy network programming challenges and the joy of building something under unique personal circumstances.
It remains functional and can still be used as a simple Gopher client within mIRC
The README below is preserved in its original form as a historical artifact, reflecting the documentation standards of the time.
A custom RFC 1436 compliant client using mIRC scripting. Implements the Gopher protocol for retrieving and displaying data, including binary and text transfers, featuring GUI dialogs, and favorites management.
Version 0.9a
Written by Kaitlin Murken
Gopher is an early internet protocol designed for distributing, searching, and retrieving documents. There's a good introduction at: gopher://gopher.floodgap.com/gopher/welcome
Try pasting the url into the Gopher client and pressing "go" :)
Unzip the files into your main mIRC directory. The files should end up in:
./script/gopher and ./script/gopher/cache
Then, load the script by typing the following command in mIRC:
//load -rs $mircdir $+ script\gopher\gopher.mrc
Make sure you include both forward slashes (//), or better yet, copy and paste the command directly.
/gopher— opens the client on a blank page./gopher server <port> <file to get>--opens the browser and launches a Gopher request.- Click on any
gopher://URL anywhere in mIRC to open it directly.
The Gopher client works similarly to a web browser; all buttons and menus should be self-explanatory.
The script implements caching of downloaded content to improve performance on repeated requests. It also uses a structured variable naming scheme to organize client state and data, effectively simulating object-oriented design within the limitations of mIRC scripting.
- No support for CSO phonebooks yet (if you have the RFC, please send it!).
- Large text files may take a while to load line by line (e.g., a 130k text file can take about 3 minutes).
Please send complaints, suggestions, and bug reports to:
iphinome@gmail.com