I decided to try compiling ircII from source code. I got the current code with wget https://ircii.warped.com/ircii-current.tar.bz2. After unzipping and untarring, the default compile requires only a configure and a make.
For LESbians who haven't seen compiling yet, maybe you might be interested in seeing the source code file directory before and after compiling. Here's before:
Somehow I expected that answer but even you don't use Mosaic browser or even Netscape Navigator anymore. Or wait... do you?!
Out there are also a bit more advanced forks of ircII called Epic (https://www.epicsol.org/) and BitchX (https://bitchx.sourceforge.net/) but really don't be a masochist and stick with Irssi.
Ah, network, yes ... Another good reason to stick with something proven as InspIRCd or UnrealIRCd is that once you run an IRCd you may want to link it with someone in the future to create a network. And those people for sure won't run some obscure part-time half-baked personal project who will be abandoned once developer get tired of it, but proper actively developed IRC server, so most likely one of those two.
Linking IRC servers into the bigger network with friends is fun. I run voluntarily a pretty casual local non-tech IRC community (with soccer moms, random perverts and all in between) consisting 7 InspIRCd IRC servers (+Anope services) and it seems like a constant work ... in a good "hobby" way. I think you may enjoy with something similar.
Something as TheLounge or KiwiIRC (webchat interface linked to server) is almost a must as many people today won't bother with proper IRC client.
Somehow I expected that answer but even you don't use Mosaic browser or even Netscape Navigator anymore. Or wait... do you?!
I still use Lynx almost every day. I love how Lynx renders everything in one column, without distracting side panels. I love to Lynx the pages many pages today which render as mostly white space with a little text in tiny type.
I have to look at these! Thanks for mentioning them!
but really don't be a masochist and stick with Irssi.
What is it about ircII which is masochistic? It can't be the simplicity, because there are smarter people than me who use IRC clients way more simple than ircII. For example, the French guy from Yale who works at Google Brain has https://c9x.me/irc/ . As another example, the "hobbyist" programmer who politely responds to email, has https://github.com/mcpcpc/kirc and https://github.com/mcpcpc/irc2
I looked at the code for ircII and for irssi. There is more code in irssi, and a very contemporary build system (meson + ninja, the same as is used to compile Chromium browser). It seems possibly simpler and possibly easier to understand the ircII code than the irssi code. Besides, even if I do end up using irssi, playing with ircII helps satisfy my historical curiosity.
So, yeah, I don't get the "masochistic" part. Could you please explain that? What is masochistic about ircII? Thanks!
@Mumbly said:
Ah, network, yes ... Another good reason to stick with something proven as InspIRCd or UnrealIRCd is that once you run an IRCd you may want to link it with someone in the future to create a network. And those people for sure won't run some obscure part-time half-baked personal project who will be abandoned once developer get tired of it, but proper actively developed IRC server, so most likely one of those two.
Linking IRC servers into the bigger network with friends is fun. I run voluntarily a pretty casual local non-tech IRC community (with soccer moms, random perverts and all in between) consisting 7 InspIRCd IRC servers (+Anope services) and it seems like a constant work ... in a good "hobby" way. I think you may enjoy with something similar.
Something as TheLounge or KiwiIRC (webchat interface linked to server) is almost a must as many people today won't bother with proper IRC client.
What you say is helpful, that I should keep in mind possibly wanting someday to link with other servers.
Your comments above about ngircd led me to look at InspIRCd and UnrealIRCd. If you hadn't posted, I might have just gone ahead with ngircd. After reading the build and configure instructions for UnrealIRCd, it seems more complex than ngircd, but with more features. And UnrealIRCd has good documentation. I also liked that UnrealIRCd is programmed in C. I am still trying to understand a little bit of C. . . .
I love IRC. I am an old user of IRC, since 1999. Problem is that many people no longer use it. In my opinion projects can simply partner with an existing IRC network, instead of opening a new one.
I don't want to discourage you. I would want to open a new network myself too, for the fun of it, but I just don't see a good reason with so many networks out there.
I would want to open a new network myself too, for the fun of it, but I just don't see a good reason with so many networks out there.
It's not like I want to open a new network or take over IRC. I just thought it might be fun to take a look at it. And maybe try it. People say that IRC still is used in many Open Source projects. So maybe I might meet a few friends via IRC. Even just one would be fine. It's not a big deal for me. Not something I have to accomplish. Just a little fun!
I would want to open a new network myself too, for the fun of it, but I just don't see a good reason with so many networks out there.
It's not like I want to open a new network or take over IRC. I just thought it might be fun to take a look at it. And maybe try it. People say that IRC still is used in many Open Source projects. So maybe I might meet a few friends via IRC. Even just one would be fine. It's not a big deal for me. Not something I have to accomplish. Just a little fun!
Thanks again for your donation! Cheers!
Cheers. I hope you get a server up and running. I guess you intend to use IRC for chat support?
@root said: I guess you intend to use IRC for chat support?
Yes. Hopefully!
If you don't want to complicate your life too much you could also just open your own channel for it on libera.chat or oftc.net
Yeah, but I guess he wants it for support. Having the IRC Operator status helps him to kill or k-line IPs from server, as opposed to just banning from channel.
On the other hand, you could be right, a channel ban should be more than enough, while a k-line might be overkill.
IRCd offers this great flexibility to manage stuff and configure it as you want it, including allowing just one IP (on which some web application is hosted for customers to connect for support).
@carlin0 said:
Having your own IRC server gives you more power, but you also take the risk of receiving DDOS
DDoS attacks used to be a problem for IRC due to script kiddies attacking one another over IRC (or IRC servers directly). This was done to expose a victim's IP upon automated connection to a new IRC server from network, then use that exposed IP as target for a direct DDoS attack against their victim.
Nowadays many providers include IRCd in their terms since it was known for DDoS back in the good old days of IRC. However, this is no longer the case, as IRC has slowly decreased in popularity, while it evolved a lot in security (such as hashing IP automatically before establishing connection to avoid client exposure, clone detection, IP reputation detection, and much more). Basically the reason of DDoS is no longer there, while also enabling features which makes it harder to expose someone.
With this in mind, implementing IRC for support is a great and free self-hosted alternative.
@root said: DDoS attacks used to be a problem for IRC due to script kiddies attacking one another over IRC (or IRC servers directly)
Well, still is, unfortunately.
Was an oper on some networks over the years and I'm still here today chilling on EFnet with old friends, I can still see packet ninjas showcasing their abilities.
@root While today almost all networks allow the client to cover their real IP, the server absolutely cannot do such a thing... In fact I was talking about the server not the clients
@carlin0 said: @root While today almost all networks allow the client to cover their real IP, the server absolutely cannot do such a thing... In fact I was talking about the server not the clients
I've been on various IRC networks since '95
Server can not have IP covered or hidden. A server owner can only protect the network by discouraging war between clients. What I tried to underline is that most of attacks on IRC networks were executed to disconnect some users or to disturb a channel (community). The desired target might not be the actual network, but a client from the network, with the purpose of exposing client IP.
Usually the war is fuelled by clients fighting between one another and breaking the law like idiots. Forcefully hiding all IPs of all clients is just one of many ways of trying to discourage such conflict on server side. There are other ways too nowadays: like badword replacement (censoring) so clients don't feel so offended by bad expressions, or even kill on badwords (if server owner wants to be harsh). Examples can continue with geoblocking, but you get my point with regards to addressing the cause of DDoS, instead of addressing the actual DDoS.
What happens seems that I successfully connect to Libera in mode +Ziw, but it doesn't work to enter any commands. For example, if I enter "/join #libera" nothing happens. Also nothing happens if I enter "/quit."
Here is what I am seeing. What is my mistake?
[irc.libera.chat]
19:15 -
19:15 - Use of Libera Chat is governed by our network policies.
19:15 -
19:15 - To reduce network abuses we perform open proxy checks
19:15 - on hosts at connection time.
19:15 -
19:15 - Please visit us in #libera for questions and support.
19:15 -
19:15 - Website and documentation: https://libera.chat
19:15 - Webchat: https://web.libera.chat
19:15 - Network policies: https://libera.chat/policies
19:15 - Email: [email protected]
19:15 End of /MOTD command.
19:15 MODE - Not_Oles +Ziw
19:15 This nickname is registered. Please choose a different nickname, or identify via /msg
NickServ IDENTIFY Not_Oles <password>
19:15 You are now identified for Not_Oles.
19:15 Last login from: ~bashvm@$IPv6_REDACTED on Mar 20 05:30:51 2024 +0000.
19:15 900 - Not_Oles You are now logged in as Not_Oles
19:15 396 - Not_Oles is now your hidden host (set by services.)
@Not_Oles said:
What is it about ircII which is masochistic? It can't be the simplicity, because there are smarter people than me who use IRC clients way more simple than ircII. For example, the French guy from Yale who works at Google Brain has https://c9x.me/irc/ . As another example, the "hobbyist" programmer who politely responds to email, has https://github.com/mcpcpc/kirc and https://github.com/mcpcpc/irc2
I looked at the code for ircII and for irssi. There is more code in irssi, and a very contemporary build system (meson + ninja, the same as is used to compile Chromium browser). It seems possibly simpler and possibly easier to understand the ircII code than the irssi code. Besides, even if I do end up using irssi, playing with ircII helps satisfy my historical curiosity.
So, yeah, I don't get the "masochistic" part. Could you please explain that? What is masochistic about ircII? Thanks!
IRC is more than just a quick jump into a channel, a few words, and then quitting. Most people on IRC idle for days, weeks, and even years. They often find themselves simultaneously active on multiple channels across several networks, while also managing private message queues.
Does ircII support window/split screen like Irssi, so that IRC user doesn't need to scroll through all channels and private queues like fool every few seconds?
Unlike ircII, Irssi also has great support for scripting through Perl scripts, which makes it easily customizable and adaptable to personal needs. Not to mention that there are a ton of already written Irssi scripts available.
Additionally, Irssi supports multiple IRC networks, eliminating the need to have several IRC clients open for visiting your favorite IRC networks.
Irssi is still actively developed and has a much larger and more active user community. There's way more documentation, support, tips, and tricks available for customization compared to ircII.
I actually started IRCing with ircII/Epic. However, once I tried Irssi, I felt it would be foolish to go back to the old, outdated IRC client that lacks any functionality and user-friendliness.
I am not forcing you into anything, of course One can even use Telnet to join IRC (I am not kidding). However, life on IRC, especially if you're a channel operator or even server operator (you want to see clones, you want to react quickly on spam, you want to do many things you can do efficently only with a good IRC client), is much, much easier with a decent IRC client.
@Mumbly said: Does ircII support window/split screen like Irssi, so that IRC user doesn't need to scroll through all channels and private queues like fool every few seconds?
@Mumbly Yeah, thanks to your enthusiasm for irssi, I also installed irssi. What I found immediately was that the Debian packaged irssi worked out-of-the box for secure connections to Libera, which I haven't yet accomplished with ircII.
@Mumbly I certainly didn't mean to say anything against irssi or against any other IRC client. Who knows, maybe I will end up using irssi like you and like @DP. I certainly liked irssi when I tried it. I haven't looked at the irssi source code except very quickly, and I haven't compiled it yet. All things in good time.
Thanks so much for taking time to explain some of the wonderful things you especially like about irssi!
@Mumbly said: One can even use Telnet to join IRC (I am not kidding).
There was a guy on #libera yesterday who said he was connecting with telnet. The guys were talking about telnet and about ircdog. ircdog looks like fun to me.
I haven't yet tried telnet for IRC, but I have sent emails with telnet. In the old days I used to telnet to the library to use Lynx with the library's fast connection.
For anybody who might be interested in connecting to IRC with netcat and with the OpenSSL command line tool, check out Susam's https://susam.net/simplicity-of-irc.html
Here are the netcat and the OpenSSL commands that Susam shows connecting to Libera. The linked page also includes the output of these commands following the connections.
I just have to concur with @Mumbly here, save yourself a lot of time and just go with irssi.
I've been on irc since before it was even called irc so I have tried just about every client out there, and I always come back to irssi. There have been periods where I've used something else and even periods where I've run different clients in parallel, but after all this time irssi is still the one I use daily. Once you get used to always having that screen running somewhere with your irssi keeping track of things even when you are not connected, I just cant see anything else even coming close.
Comments
Irssi, finally on the right track...
ircII belongs to the museum 
I decided to try compiling ircII from source code. I got the current code with
wget https://ircii.warped.com/ircii-current.tar.bz2. After unzipping and untarring, the default compile requires only aconfigureand amake.For LESbians who haven't seen compiling yet, maybe you might be interested in seeing the source code file directory before and after compiling. Here's before:
And, here's after:
The file called
ircis the result. The files which end in.oare "object" files, which get linked together to make the finalircresult.The
ircfile and a few more files are installed withmake install.Probably I am going to compile irssi too.
I hope everyone gets the servers they want!
Luckily I already have ninja and meson lying around.
So do I!
I hope everyone gets the servers they want!
Somehow I expected that answer but even you don't use Mosaic browser or even Netscape Navigator anymore. Or wait... do you?!
Out there are also a bit more advanced forks of ircII called Epic (https://www.epicsol.org/) and BitchX (https://bitchx.sourceforge.net/) but really don't be a masochist and stick with Irssi.
@Not_Oles - you intend to start an IRC network?
Ah, network, yes ... Another good reason to stick with something proven as InspIRCd or UnrealIRCd is that once you run an IRCd you may want to link it with someone in the future to create a network. And those people for sure won't run some obscure part-time half-baked personal project who will be abandoned once developer get tired of it, but proper actively developed IRC server, so most likely one of those two.
Linking IRC servers into the bigger network with friends is fun. I run voluntarily a pretty casual local non-tech IRC community (with soccer moms, random perverts and all in between) consisting 7 InspIRCd IRC servers (+Anope services) and it seems like a constant work ... in a good "hobby" way. I think you may enjoy with something similar.
Something as TheLounge or KiwiIRC (webchat interface linked to server) is almost a must as many people today won't bother with proper IRC client.
I still use Lynx almost every day.
I love how Lynx renders everything in one column, without distracting side panels. I love to Lynx the pages many pages today which render as mostly white space with a little text in tiny type. 
I have to look at these! Thanks for mentioning them!
What is it about ircII which is masochistic? It can't be the simplicity, because there are smarter people than me who use IRC clients way more simple than ircII. For example, the French guy from Yale who works at Google Brain has https://c9x.me/irc/ . As another example, the "hobbyist" programmer who politely responds to email, has https://github.com/mcpcpc/kirc and https://github.com/mcpcpc/irc2
I looked at the code for ircII and for irssi. There is more code in irssi, and a very contemporary build system (meson + ninja, the same as is used to compile Chromium browser). It seems possibly simpler and possibly easier to understand the ircII code than the irssi code. Besides, even if I do end up using irssi, playing with ircII helps satisfy my historical curiosity.
So, yeah, I don't get the "masochistic" part. Could you please explain that? What is masochistic about ircII? Thanks!
I hope everyone gets the servers they want!
No present intention to take over the IRC world.
I think, maybe, just maybe, I might run an IRC server for MetalVPS. 
I hope everyone gets the servers they want!
What you say is helpful, that I should keep in mind possibly wanting someday to link with other servers.
Your comments above about ngircd led me to look at InspIRCd and UnrealIRCd. If you hadn't posted, I might have just gone ahead with ngircd. After reading the build and configure instructions for UnrealIRCd, it seems more complex than ngircd, but with more features. And UnrealIRCd has good documentation. I also liked that UnrealIRCd is programmed in C. I am still trying to understand a little bit of C. . . .
Thanks for your comments! Have a good day!
I hope everyone gets the servers they want!
There are more than 480 IRC networks available. I did not know this.
Maybe you might be interested in https://susam.net/simplicity-of-irc.html . It's from 2022, but it drew 70 comments on HN six days ago, please see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39689090 .
I hope everyone gets the servers they want!
I love IRC. I am an old user of IRC, since 1999. Problem is that many people no longer use it. In my opinion projects can simply partner with an existing IRC network, instead of opening a new one.
I don't want to discourage you. I would want to open a new network myself too, for the fun of it, but I just don't see a good reason with so many networks out there.
Thanks! Good will is much appreciated!
It's not like I want to open a new network or take over IRC. I just thought it might be fun to take a look at it. And maybe try it. People say that IRC still is used in many Open Source projects. So maybe I might meet a few friends via IRC. Even just one would be fine. It's not a big deal for me. Not something I have to accomplish. Just a little fun!
Thanks again for your donation!
Cheers! 
I hope everyone gets the servers they want!
Cheers. I hope you get a server up and running. I guess you intend to use IRC for chat support?
Yes. Hopefully!
I hope everyone gets the servers they want!
If you don't want to complicate your life too much you could also just open your own channel for it on libera.chat or oftc.net
"How miserable life is in the abuses of power..."
F. Battiato ---
Yeah, but I guess he wants it for support. Having the IRC Operator status helps him to kill or k-line IPs from server, as opposed to just banning from channel.
On the other hand, you could be right, a channel ban should be more than enough, while a k-line might be overkill.
IRCd offers this great flexibility to manage stuff and configure it as you want it, including allowing just one IP (on which some web application is hosted for customers to connect for support).
Having your own IRC server gives you more power, but you also take the risk of receiving DDOS
"How miserable life is in the abuses of power..."
F. Battiato ---
@Not_Oles now you have garnered the Yeti's attention. I miss the old days and I think I have an idea now.
Let's see if I can find the time to get it off the ground now.
Free Hosting at YetiNode | Cryptid Security | URL Shortener | LaunchVPS | ExtraVM | Host-C | In the Node, or Out of the Loop?
DDoS attacks used to be a problem for IRC due to script kiddies attacking one another over IRC (or IRC servers directly). This was done to expose a victim's IP upon automated connection to a new IRC server from network, then use that exposed IP as target for a direct DDoS attack against their victim.
Nowadays many providers include IRCd in their terms since it was known for DDoS back in the good old days of IRC. However, this is no longer the case, as IRC has slowly decreased in popularity, while it evolved a lot in security (such as hashing IP automatically before establishing connection to avoid client exposure, clone detection, IP reputation detection, and much more). Basically the reason of DDoS is no longer there, while also enabling features which makes it harder to expose someone.
With this in mind, implementing IRC for support is a great and free self-hosted alternative.
Well, still is, unfortunately.
Was an oper on some networks over the years and I'm still here today chilling on EFnet with old friends, I can still see packet ninjas showcasing their abilities.
So yeah, "talk shit, get hit" is still a thing
@root While today almost all networks allow the client to cover their real IP, the server absolutely cannot do such a thing... In fact I was talking about the server not the clients
I've been on various IRC networks since '95
"How miserable life is in the abuses of power..."
F. Battiato ---
Server wise, it's just a config file, but it's not like everyone here has tried dozens of servers
ergo is the fastest to setup, with modern compatibility
unrealircd involves running "make/install" and thats it
they are never hard, just pay attention
Server can not have IP covered or hidden. A server owner can only protect the network by discouraging war between clients. What I tried to underline is that most of attacks on IRC networks were executed to disconnect some users or to disturb a channel (community). The desired target might not be the actual network, but a client from the network, with the purpose of exposing client IP.
Usually the war is fuelled by clients fighting between one another and breaking the law like idiots. Forcefully hiding all IPs of all clients is just one of many ways of trying to discourage such conflict on server side. There are other ways too nowadays: like badword replacement (censoring) so clients don't feel so offended by bad expressions, or even kill on badwords (if server owner wants to be harsh). Examples can continue with geoblocking, but you get my point with regards to addressing the cause of DDoS, instead of addressing the actual DDoS.
Been messing with the nice IRC client from https://c9x.me/irc/.
What happens seems that I successfully connect to Libera in mode +Ziw, but it doesn't work to enter any commands. For example, if I enter "/join #libera" nothing happens. Also nothing happens if I enter "/quit."
Here is what I am seeing. What is my mistake?
I hope everyone gets the servers they want!
Got it!
I hope everyone gets the servers they want!
IRC is more than just a quick jump into a channel, a few words, and then quitting. Most people on IRC idle for days, weeks, and even years. They often find themselves simultaneously active on multiple channels across several networks, while also managing private message queues.
Does ircII support window/split screen like Irssi, so that IRC user doesn't need to scroll through all channels and private queues like fool every few seconds?
One can even use Telnet to join IRC (I am not kidding). However, life on IRC, especially if you're a channel operator or even server operator (you want to see clones, you want to react quickly on spam, you want to do many things you can do efficently only with a good IRC client), is much, much easier with a decent IRC client.
Unlike ircII, Irssi also has great support for scripting through Perl scripts, which makes it easily customizable and adaptable to personal needs. Not to mention that there are a ton of already written Irssi scripts available.
Additionally, Irssi supports multiple IRC networks, eliminating the need to have several IRC clients open for visiting your favorite IRC networks.
Irssi is still actively developed and has a much larger and more active user community. There's way more documentation, support, tips, and tricks available for customization compared to ircII.
I actually started IRCing with ircII/Epic. However, once I tried Irssi, I felt it would be foolish to go back to the old, outdated IRC client that lacks any functionality and user-friendliness.
I am not forcing you into anything, of course
@Mumbly Yeah, thanks to your enthusiasm for irssi, I also installed irssi. What I found immediately was that the Debian packaged irssi worked out-of-the box for secure connections to Libera, which I haven't yet accomplished with ircII.
@Mumbly I certainly didn't mean to say anything against irssi or against any other IRC client. Who knows, maybe I will end up using irssi like you and like @DP. I certainly liked irssi when I tried it. I haven't looked at the irssi source code except very quickly, and I haven't compiled it yet. All things in good time.
Thanks so much for taking time to explain some of the wonderful things you especially like about irssi!
There was a guy on #libera yesterday who said he was connecting with telnet. The guys were talking about telnet and about ircdog. ircdog looks like fun to me.
I haven't yet tried telnet for IRC, but I have sent emails with telnet. In the old days I used to telnet to the library to use Lynx with the library's fast connection.
For anybody who might be interested in connecting to IRC with netcat and with the OpenSSL command line tool, check out Susam's https://susam.net/simplicity-of-irc.html
Here are the netcat and the OpenSSL commands that Susam shows connecting to Libera. The linked page also includes the output of these commands following the connections.
$ nc irc.libera.chat 6667$ openssl s_client -quiet -connect irc.libera.chat:6697 2> /dev/nullBest wishes!
I hope everyone gets the servers they want!
I just have to concur with @Mumbly here, save yourself a lot of time and just go with irssi.
I've been on irc since before it was even called irc so I have tried just about every client out there, and I always come back to irssi. There have been periods where I've used something else and even periods where I've run different clients in parallel, but after all this time irssi is still the one I use daily. Once you get used to always having that screen running somewhere with your irssi keeping track of things even when you are not connected, I just cant see anything else even coming close.
WeeChat in my opinion is even better
"How miserable life is in the abuses of power..."
F. Battiato ---