IRC Basics

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is a forum like way to converse with other people on the internet. It is particularly useful for following open source projects. The basic premise is that each user has a nickname and they can connect to servers which often host multiple channels which discuss specific topics.

IRC Clients

There are multiple IRC clients available including HexChat which is one of the most popular graphical client.

Commands

Commands are entered in at the same field as messages and begin with a /.

To change your nick, you can use

/nick mynickname

Nicknames can also be registered. This ensures that nobody else can use your nickname. This is done on a per server basis.

/msg nickserv register mypassword [email protected]

You will receive a confirmation email which contains a message to enter to confirm the registration. To logon you can then use:

/msg nickserv identify mypassword

To join a server/network (like MadIRC)

/server irc.madirc.net +6697

To join a channel (like #Randland. All channels begin with a #)

/join #Randland

To leave a channel

/part

To leave the entire server/network

/quit

You can check who a user is by using:

/whois username

You can send private messages using:

/msg username Lets talk in private

All in all that are all needed basics to participate in the IRC community.

You’re welcome to join us!