IRC

 

Contents Introduction IRC Clients Ubuntu & Xubuntu (GTK+) Kubuntu (Qt) Console based Other operating systems Channels Bots LogBots ubottu Registration Operators DCC exploit

 

 

Introduction

 

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a form of realtime Internet chat. It is mainly designed for group (many-to-many) communication in discussion forums called channels, but also allows one-to-one communication via private message. On IRC you can talk to many other members using Ubuntu, on topics ranging from idle chit-chat to support with your Ubuntu. Though a channel might have many people in it at any one time, they might not always be at their keyboard; so if no-one responds, just wait around and someone will hopefully answer soon enough.

This page serves as an information base for users of the Ubuntu IRC channels. The Ubuntu channels can be found on the freenode network, irc.freenode.net. XChat in Ubuntu has this network preconfigured and the main channel, #ubuntu, will automatically be joined. Kubuntu also comes with Konversation, which is also pre-configured for the Kubuntu help channels. When participating in Ubuntu IRC channels, please abide by the Code of Conduct and channel guidelines .

 

IRC Clients

 

The following is just a list of programs that you can use to enter the Ubuntu channels listed below.

 

Ubuntu & Xubuntu (GTK+)

 

• Empathy - Default instant messaging software on Ubuntu since Karmic.

• Smuxi (Website ) - A cross-platform and user-friendly IRC client for GNOME.

• Pidgin - Popular instant messaging software but also supports IRC.

• XChat - GUI based IRC client.

• LostIRC - A simple GTK IRC client.

• Loqui - Another GTK client, with a range of features intermediate between XChat's and LostIRC's.

• ChatZilla as a Firefox add-on or as a part of SeaMonkey .

 

Kubuntu (Qt)

 

• Quassel - KDE4/Qt based, IRC client.

• Konversation - KDE GUI based IRC client.

• KvIRC - a more powerful, though less KDE-integrated, GUI client.

 

Console based

 

• Irssi - Popular command line/text based IRC client.

• WeeChat - Another popular command line/text based IRC client.

• ERC - an IRC client for the Emacs editor.

 

Other operating systems

 

Free or shareware IRC clients are available for most systems. For those users who would rather not search for and install an IRC client on their system, the freenode Webchat is suggested as a way to connect to the Ubuntu IRC channels.

 

Channels

 

There are many real-time discussion channels for the Ubuntu community via the freenode IRC service. A list of the channels, a brief description, and the channels contact is available on the Channel List page. The contact person mentioned in the list is the contact person for channel issues. For general support questions, please ask your question in the appropriate channel.

 

Bots

 

 

LogBots

 

The logging bot is ubuntulog. It maintains a log for both the main channels and LoCo channels. If you are interested in having ubuntulog in your channel, please contact <rt AT NO SPAM ubuntu DOT com> . The channel logs from this bot can be found online at:

• http://irclogs.ubuntu.com/

Please be aware that when you are on IRC you may be logged by bots or people other than these, sometimes without permission of channel operators. Please keep in mind that you are in a public place and even if it is not said explicitly others may be logging their conversations which include yours. The content of all Ubuntu channels, whether official logs or otherwise, are considered to be in the public domain.

 

ubottu

 

This bot sits in a channel and provides various types of information upon command.

It contains the facts database and is active in #ubuntu, #kubuntu, #kubuntu-devel, and many others. See Ubottu Usage for details on how to operate the bot. In #ubuntu-desktop, -devel, -bugs, -motu, -offtopic, #kubuntu-devel, #bzr and #launchpad, ubottu also listens for Launchpad/Malone/debbugs URLs and bug numbers and will give information about the requested bugs. In #ubuntu-offtopic a few fun-features are enabled as well.

 

Registration

 

If you intend to use the IRC service on a continued basis, you are advised to register an account . That will give you a unique IRC identity, and will also allow you to access channels where unregistered users have been locked out for technical reasons.

Ubuntu members can get an Ubuntu hostname cloak . See https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-irc-cloaks for information about obtaining one.

 

Operators

 

IRC operators can help you if there is a problem or disturbance in the channel. In most channels, saying « !ops » will alert operators, but this should only be done in response to serious channel emergencies. Channel operators and the IRC Team can be contacted in #ubuntu-irc for general enquiries.

 

DCC exploit

On IRC, there is a small group of abusive users that finds it funny to send invalid DCC commands causing certain vulnerable users to disconnect. This causes a somewhat large spamming of disconnect and reconnect messages and is generally disruptive to the chat room. By default, Feisty and newer versions of Ubuntu use port 8001 and should not need this fix, but Dapper and Edgy users may still be vulnerable. More on this is available here.