I've decided to release Fixx'm and IRCKit under the GPL. Why? Well, when I first created Fixx'm in 1998 I had never intended it to be a shareware program, always freeware. Since I haven't done much more than bug fixes lately, I might as well go ahead and make the source code available.

Fixx'm was originally intended as a standards based "AIM replacement." Back in 1998 when I was working on building Full System, I was communicating with everyone involved over the internet. I researched the current IM protocols, looking to see what was documented and what was reverse engineered. I looked at Jabber, but it seemed far more complex than necessary so I went with IRC. But Fixx'm is not your ordinary IRC client. I made it so that IRC itself is mostly hidden beneath the interface. It looks very much like a modern IM client and is easy to use, even for a novice. I was able to get a functional IRC client going in about 4 hours, thanks to using OpenStep, now known as Cocoa. It was by no means complete, but it could join channels and communicate.

Towards the end of 2001 I had plans of revamping the whole thing and giving it an all new interface. I even had a graphic designer make me zillions of really nice icons. Unfortunately right at the same time I took on a full time job which took away all the free time I had been using to work on Fixx'm. I'm now in the same situation, looking for work and I'm probably not going to have the time again. (This is also another reason I am releasing it: In the past when I have made my source code available, people have seen my code style and I have received programming contracts.)

Fixx'm will compile under Mac OSX, OPENSTEP 4.2, and even GNUStep. It's been a while since I tested GNUStep, the last time the interface framework on GNUStep was still rather incomplete so Fixx'm didn't do anything.

You can download Fixx'm from

• FZBase - source
• IRCKit - source
• Fixx'm - source
• Fixx'm - precompiled for OSX
• Fixx'm - precompiled for OPENSTEP 4.2