# TiK Client Setup
This guide explains how to install and configure **TiK** for Open OSCAR Server.
[TiK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TiK) is an open source instant messenger developed by AOL in the late 1990s. It
communicates with AIM servers using TOC, a text-based alternative to the OSCAR protocol.
Installation guides are available for the following operating systems:
* [Windows](#windows)
* [Linux](#linux)
* [macOS (Intel & Apple Silicon)](#macos-intel--apple-silicon)
## Installation
### Windows
1. **Install Tcl/Tk 8.x**
Download and install the latest 8.x version of the **Magicsplat Tcl/Tk distribution**
from [Sourceforge](https://sourceforge.net/projects/magicsplat/files/magicsplat-tcl/tcl-8.6.16-installer-1.16.0-x64.msi/download).
2. **Download TiK**
Download mk6i's [fork of TiK v0.90](https://github.com/mk6i/tik/archive/refs/heads/main.zip), which includes
compatibility fixes for modern systems.
3. **Create File Association**
The following instructions show how to make **.tcl** files open with the **wish** interpreter.
- Extract the downloaded archive in **File Explorer** and open the TiK folder.
- In the file listing, right-click **tik.tcl** → **Open with...**
- **Windows10**: → Click **More apps** → Click **Look for another app on this PC**.
- **Windows11**: → Click **Choose an app on your PC**.
- In the **Open with...** dialog, navigate to the following path:
```
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Apps\Tcl86\bin
```
- Select **wish.exe** and click **Open**.
- **Windows11**: Click the **Always** button.
4. **Launch TiK**
In the file listing, double-click **tik.tcl** to launch TiK. A setup window appears.
5. **Set Configuration**
Click the **Advanced** button in the setup prompt. This closes the setup window.
6. **Configure TOC Hostname**
From the login window, click the **Configure** button, which brings up the connection config window.
Enter the hostname and port of the TOC server you want to connect and click **OK**.
If running your own server, set the values that correspond to `TOC_HOST` and `TOC_PORT` in the **settings.env**
config file.
7. **Sign On**
Relaunch TiK and sign in!
### Linux
1. **Install Tcl/Tk 8.x**
Open a terminal and install Tcl/Tk 8.x. The following example works for Ubuntu. Install the analogous packages for
your distro of choice.
```shell
apt install tcl tk
```
2. **Download TiK**
Download mk6i's [fork of TiK v0.90](https://github.com/mk6i/tik/archive/refs/heads/main.tar.gz), which includes
compatibility fixes for modern systems.
In the terminal, extract the downloaded archive and **cd** into the **tik-main** directory.
```shell
tar xvf /path/to/downloads/tik-main.tar.gz
cd /path/to/downloads/tik-main
```
3. **Launch TiK**
Enter the following command in the terminal to launch TiK. A setup window appears.
```shell
./tik.tcl
```
4. **Set Configuration**
Click the **Advanced** button in the setup prompt. This closes the setup window.
5. **Configure TOC Hostname**
From the login window, click the **Configure** button, which brings up the connection config window.
Enter the hostname and port of the TOC server you want to connect and click **OK**.
If running your own server, set the values that correspond to `TOC_HOST` and `TOC_PORT` in the **settings.env**
config file.
6. **Sign On**
Now enter your **Screen Name** and **Password** and sign on to AIM!
### macOS (Intel & Apple Silicon)
1. **Install Tcl/Tk 8.x**
Open a terminal and install Tcl/Tk 8.x using [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/).
```shell
brew install tcl-tk@8
```
2. **Verify Tcl/Tk Version**
By default, macOS includes a Tcl/Tk version that does not support TiK. Verify that version 8.x installed in the
previous step is in your PATH. Run the following command in a new terminal:
```shell
echo 'puts $tcl_version' | tclsh
```
If the reported version **is not 8.x**, run `brew link tcl-tk@8` or `brew doctor` to fix the installation.
3. **Download TiK**
Download mk6i's [fork of TiK v0.90](https://github.com/mk6i/tik/archive/refs/heads/main.zip), which includes
compatibility fixes for modern systems.
In the terminal, extract the downloaded archive and **cd** into the **tik-main** directory.
```shell
unzip /path/to/downloads/tik-main.zip
cd /path/to/downloads/tik-main
```
4. **Launch TiK**
Enter the following command in the terminal to launch TiK. A setup window appears.
```shell
./tik.tcl
```
5. **Set Configuration**
Click the **Advanced** button in the setup prompt. This closes the setup window.
6. **Configure TOC Hostname**
From the login window, click the **Configure** button, which brings up the connection config window.
Enter the hostname and port of the TOC server you want to connect and click **OK**.
If running your own server, set the values that correspond to `TOC_HOST` and `TOC_PORT` in the **settings.env**
config file.
7. **Sign On**
Now enter your **Screen Name** and **Password** and sign on to AIM!