Distributors of the Linux Mint announced the development of a new application called Jargonaut. This application aims to create a simple implementation of a chat based on the IRC protocol, but with a unique approach. Jargonaut offers a straightforward interface for users to communicate in a chat setting abstracted by IRC. The project is coded in Python and distributed under the GPLV2 license. It utilizes the xApp library to build the interface, which provides a superstructure on GTK with elements for unification across various user environments.
The development of Jargonaut was motivated by the termination of the IRC client Hexchat, which was previously included in the main Linux Mint composition. Hexchat released version 2.16.2 in early February, transitioning the repository to an archival state and announcing the end of project support. The discontinuation was due to a lack of individuals available to maintain the project amid time constraints and a desire to focus on other projects.
The Linux Mint developers saw this as an opportunity to create a new lightweight communication application that aligned with their vision. They decided against continuing the development of Hexchat as the current technology required extensive work to adapt it to high pixel density screens using GTK3. Thus, Jargonaut was born as a new application that embodies the developers’ ideal chat platform.
Jargonaut plans to integrate features such as support for Pastebin, image insertion through IMGUR, error reporting capabilities, and other functions unrelated to traditional IRC functions. The aim is to provide users with a modern and user-friendly chat experience.
