IRC
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is [[Article description::one of the primary avenues of communication for those involved at all levels in the Gentoo project.]] Since chat messages are sent and received almost instantly, using IRC quickens collaboration processes by providing a real-time environment for communication. IRC is also well suited for user support, but should only be relied upon when clear answers cannot be found by using a search engine, on the forums, mailing lists, or here on the wiki. Most Gentoo subprojects have a specific channel on Freenode for inter-project communication. Project related channels are used for: tracking changes to source code, requesting and discussing (new) features, addressing various issues, real-time team meetings, internal support, and communication between Gentoo developers and the community.
The Gentoo IRC channels on Freenode have a code of conduct that should be reviewed by each user before connecting to any channel.
It is important to understand Gentoo IRC channels, like the mailing lists, are not encrypted; all discussion therein is entirely visible to the public in plain text and is most likely logged by every user present in the channel. It is unwise and unsafe to post private information inside IRC channels.
Available software
The following table contains some of the IRC software available in Gentoo. Discover which client works best by emerging each one or by visiting each homepage:
| Name | Package | Homepage | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pidgin | net-im/pidgin | https://pidgin.im/ | GTK Instant Messenger client. |
| Konversation | net-irc/konversation | https://konversation.kde.org/ | User friendly IRC Client based on KDE Frameworks. |
| HexChat | net-irc/hexchat | https://hexchat.github.io/ | Graphical IRC client based on XChat. |
| WeeChat | net-irc/weechat | https://weechat.org/ | Portable and multi-interface (text, web, and GUI) IRC client. |
| Irssi | net-irc/irssi | https://irssi.org/ | A modular text UI IRC client with IPv6 support. |
| ircii | net-irc/ircii | http://eterna.com.au/ircii/ | An IRC and ICB client that runs under most UNIX platforms. |
| kvirc | net-irc/kvirc | http://www.kvirc.net/ | A portable IRC client that uses the Qt GUI toolkit. |
| Quassel | net-irc/quassel | https://quassel-irc.org/ | Qt5 IRC client supporting a remote daemon for 24/7 connectivity |
| Polari | net-irc/polari | https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Polari | An IRC client for GNOME |
Usage
Learning can be especially challenging when attempting to use a text-mode (CLI) client like Irssi or WeeChat. For this reason the IRC guide has been written. Head over there for in-depth information on many IRC related topics.
Spam protection
In order to prevent private message spam on IRC from unregistered users, one can set user modes +g or +R.
Larry wants to ignore private messages from users who are not identified, but wants to get an information that someone wanted to send a message to Larry. Larry can decide to receive messages with the /accept command:
/mode larry +g
Larry wants to ignore private messages from users who are not identified totally:
/mode larry +R
External resources
- https://gentoo.org/get-involved/irc-channels/
- https://www.irchelp.org/ - A site dedicated to helping users understand IRC.
- https://freenode.net/ - The largest IRC network providing discussion facilities for the Free and Open Source Software communities, not-for-profit organizations, and related communities.
- https://freenode.net/kb/answer/usermodes - Freenode article on user modes