IRC Cheatsheet

IRC Cheatsheet¶

Overview¶

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a real-time text messaging protocol. It is designed for group communication in discussion forums, called channels, but also allows one-to-one communication via private message.

Key Concepts¶

Server: A computer that hosts an IRC network.
Network: A collection of IRC servers that are connected to each other.
Channel: A discussion forum on an IRC network.
Nickname: Your username on an IRC network.
Client: A program that you use to connect to an IRC network.

Common Commands¶

/join #channel: Join a channel.
/part #channel: Leave a channel.
/nick new_nickname: Change your nickname.
/msg nickname message: Send a private message to a user.
/query nickname: Open a private message window with a user.
/whois nickname: Get information about a user.
/away message: Set your status to away.
/back: Set your status to active.
/quit message: Disconnect from the IRC network.

IRC Clients¶

HexChat: A popular IRC client for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
mIRC: A popular IRC client for Windows.
irssi: A popular command-line IRC client for Linux and macOS.

Common Use Cases¶

Community Chat: Chat with people who share your interests.
Technical Support: Get help with technical problems.
Open Source Projects: Collaborate on open source projects.