The interface is quite intuitive; the local file system is represented on the left-hand side of the main window, and the remote file system is on the right. Each file system window features a number of buttons for managing simple file and directory operations, such as rename, delete and view.

The main menu buttons are located at the bottom of the main window. In an unconnected state, pressing the Connect button brings up the Session Window, which allows the user to configure session profiles for different systems, and to initiate FTP connections. Application-wide settings can be managed via the Options menu, while pressing the Help button launches a Web browser at local HTML documentation.

Transferring files is a simple matter of selecting the file or files to be transferred then pressing the arrow button pointing to the destination system. A scrollable status area below the file system windows shows the FTP commands and responses as they occur during a session.

Spell checking is available through an interface to the standard Unix ispell program, which may be configured for a variety of different languages. The XFace system is also supported, allowing users to exchange images of each other via mail headers.

XCmail's POP capabilities make it very useful for dealing with multiple mail sources, and its support for the UIDL function can reduce time spent online with POP servers. The user interface is nicely implemented, allowing for easy management of email messages and folders. There's also a simple address book.

XCmail features a 'plug-in' API, providing a means for developers to implement handlers for different MIME types. Details of the API and a development kit are available from the Web site.

YagIRC is a small yet evolving X client that utilises the GTK libraries for the user interface and tackles a number of areas which are often lacking in screen-based clients. While the current command set is quite limited compared to a more fully developed application such as BitchX, YagIRC is still very usable, and perhaps even better for avoiding some of the feature bloat.

One its most useful features is support for multiple channels in the same or multiple windows, and for multiple servers. While this can be confusing, it is just what many users want to do, and probably simpler to manage via a GUI than a terminal screen.

The look and feel is superficially similar to some of the more popular GUI clients found on other platforms. YagIRC is being developed along Gnome user interface guidelines, and is thus generally easy to use, with the menu system providing an efficient way to navigate the application.

A programming interface is provided via Perl bindings, which allows for Perl scripts to be run as extensions of the application. These may override or extend IRC actions, providing a powerful scripting environment.

Utilising the TCL/Tk development environment, Andrew Wilson has created a very slick application which may be used as a simple interface to MUDs, or to make use of advanced features offered by some MOOs such as shared whiteboards and other graphical extensions.

TkMOO-light is highly configurable, allowing the user to customise the application on a per 'world' basis and to extend functionality via powerful TCL scripts. Given the flexibility and advanced nature of the application, TkMOO-light is remarkably simple to use. It also has a very useful built-in help system.

TkMOO-light is easy to set up under Linux, but it does require that TCL/Tk 8.0 or better is installed on the system. Newer versions of RedHat, for example, may have the required packages. If not, check for vendor updates or download directly from http://sunscript.sun.com/TclTkCore/. Mailing list details and information about making use of TkMOO-light's advanced features and are available at the Web site.

Installation involves running 'make', then launching the program. After prompting for an initial NNTP server, Simplenews then allows the user to configure details such as email address, organisation and signature file. Multiple news servers may also be added.

After connecting to a news server, the user may subscribe to newsgroups, then read and post to them. The interface is simple yet effective, and help for each page is available through the 'H' key.