Bitlbee-steam

Jul 20, 2023

Steam plugin for bitlbee

The Steam protocol plugin for bitlbee. This plugin uses the Steam Mobile API allowing it to run alongside the main Steam client.


If you’re a FreeBSD enthusiast and an inveterate lover of things internet and chat, then this article is definitely something you’ll find intriguing. Today, we dive into an illuminating exploration of one FreeBSD port in particular - the “bitlbee steam”. Part of the internet relay chat IRC category, this is no ordinary tool, but a wonderful concoction that gives you the ability to communicate with your friends on Steam chat directly from FreeBSD. Tag along with us as we demystify the process of using this software port, along with unpacking its myriad benefits.

What is Bitlbee Steam

Bitlbee Steam forms part of the Bitlbee project which is an amalgam of the world of IRC and other chat protocols. This specific port allows users to merge Steam chat into their IRC client. It’s a boon for all who have diverse chat protocols and wish to amalgamate these into a singular convenient container.

The Bitlbee Steam port ensures that you can enjoy Steam IM seamlessly, all while operating FreeBSD and the project make use of Steam’s OpenID feature along with the Steam Mobile API to ensure seamless operation on the IRC platform.

How to Install Bitlbee Steam

Installing Bitlbee Steam is akin to a walk in the park with FreeBSD’s powerful ports collection. By using simply $ pkg install bitlbee-steam in your terminal, you’ll be on your way. However, before getting to that point, there are two vital prerequisites

  1. You need to have an already installed Bitlbee instance
  2. You must have a running IRC client You might want to consider using irssi, another port that you can easily install through pkg install irssi.

Once these are installed and running, using $ pkg install bitlbee-steam will get Bitlbee Steam installed and prepped for use.

Setting Up Bitlbee For Steam

Now that Bitlbee steam and IRC client are installed, getting your login configured for Steam is the next crucial step. Here’s the simplification of the process

  1. Log into your IRC client.
  2. Key in irc//localhost + enter.
  3. Once inside Bitlbee, key in account add steam your_username your_password
  4. Then run account steam on

Kindly note that the last step only becomes effective if you have correctly installed two-factor authentication with your steam account. Hence prepare for this and be sure to have your mobile number linked and Steam Guard activated for the same.

Why Bitlbee Steam?

Working with Bitlbee Steam port on your FreeBSD keeps things conveniently organized. It brings all your disparate chat channels into one efficient container without causing needless complexity. Also, because this port tool integrates directly within your IRC client, there’s no need for constant alt-tabbing between different apps, resulting in a more fluent user experience.

Other considerable perks include

  • Enhanced security by having a single program to trust with your account details
  • Greater availability in situations where the official client may be blocked

And better yet, this tool is part of the extensive [FreeBSD ports collection]https//freebsdsoftware.org/index.html, meaning it’s integral to a much larger ecosystem and carries all the staple benefits of FreeBSD - consistency, stability, and scalability.

In the realms of FreeBSD, bitlbee-steam is not a lone soldier. There’s a host of other incredibly useful tools in the FreeBSD ports arsenal that you should definitely consider exploring. IT security enthusiasts, for instance, might find the FreeBSD port of [nmap]https//freebsdsoftware.org/security/nmap.html particularly useful.

In a nutshell, bitlbee-steam port efficiently deals with the dilemma of multiple platforms and boils it down into a single addressable entity, and on FreeBSD at that! So, if you haven’t tried it already, there is no better time than the now. Go ahead, install and immerse yourself in a new chat experience with Bitlbee Steam.

Happy chatting on FreeBSD!


Checkout these related ports:
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  • Znc-clientbuffer - Client specific buffers module for ZNC
  • Weechat - Lightweight and user friendly ncurses based IRC client
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  • Undernet-ircu - Undernet IRCU irc daemon
  • Tircproxy - IRC proxy server
  • Thales - IRC to MySQL gateway
  • Srvx - Services for ircu P10 protocol networks
  • Srain - Modern IRC client written in GTK
  • Soju - IRC bouncer
  • Smuxi - Smart MUltipleXed Irc
  • Smartirc4net - Multi-layered IRC library
  • Sirc - Small (150k), fast, perl-based IRC client
  • Simpleirc - Extremely simple IRC client