IRC

Connect PRX to Internet Relay Chat (IRC) servers over TLS with support for channels, DMs, and multiple authentication methods.

Prerequisites

• An IRC server to connect to (e.g., Libera.Chat, OFTC, or a private server)
• A nickname for the bot
• TLS-enabled IRC server (port 6697 is the standard)

Quick Setup

1. Choose a Server and Register a Nickname (optional)

For public networks like Libera.Chat, you may want to register your bot's nickname with NickServ:

/msg NickServ REGISTER <password> <email>

2. Configure

[channels_config.irc]
server = "irc.libera.chat"
port = 6697
nickname = "prx-bot"
channels = ["#my-channel"]
allowed_users = ["mynick", "*"]

With NickServ authentication:

[channels_config.irc]
server = "irc.libera.chat"
port = 6697
nickname = "prx-bot"
channels = ["#my-channel", "#another-channel"]
allowed_users = ["*"]
nickserv_password = "your-nickserv-password"

3. Verify

prx channel doctor irc

Configuration Reference

Field	Type	Default	Description
server	String	required	IRC server hostname (e.g., "irc.libera.chat")
port	u16	6697	IRC server port (6697 for TLS)
nickname	String	required	Bot nickname on the IRC network
username	String	nickname	IRC username (defaults to the nickname if not set)
channels	[String]	[]	IRC channels to join on connect (e.g., ["#channel1", "#channel2"])
allowed_users	[String]	[]	Allowed nicknames (case-insensitive). Empty = deny all. "*" = allow all
server_password	String	null	Server password (for bouncers like ZNC)
nickserv_password	String	null	NickServ IDENTIFY password for nickname authentication
sasl_password	String	null	SASL PLAIN password for IRCv3 authentication
verify_tls	bool	true	Verify the server's TLS certificate

Features

• TLS encryption -- all connections use TLS for security
• Multiple authentication methods -- supports server password, NickServ IDENTIFY, and SASL PLAIN (IRCv3)
• Multi-channel support -- join and respond in multiple channels simultaneously
• Channel and DM support -- handles both channel PRIVMSG and direct messages
• Plain text output -- responses are automatically adapted for IRC (no markdown, no code fences)
• Smart message splitting -- long messages are split respecting IRC's line length limits
• Connection keepalive -- responds to server PING messages and detects dead connections (5-minute read timeout)
• Monotonic message IDs -- ensures unique message ordering under burst traffic

Limitations

• IRC is plain text only; markdown, HTML, and rich formatting are not supported
• Messages are subject to IRC line length limits (typically 512 bytes including protocol overhead)
• No built-in media or file sharing capability
• Connection may drop if the server does not receive a response to PING within the timeout
• Some IRC networks have anti-flood measures that may rate-limit the bot
• Nick changes and reconnection after network splits are handled but may cause brief interruptions

Troubleshooting

Cannot connect to IRC server

• Verify the server hostname and port are correct
• Ensure port 6697 (TLS) is not blocked by a firewall
• If using a self-signed certificate, set verify_tls = false

Bot joins channels but does not respond

• Check that the sender's nickname is in allowed_users (case-insensitive matching)
• Set allowed_users = ["*"] to allow all users for testing
• Verify the bot has permission to speak in the channel (not muted or banned)

NickServ authentication fails

• Ensure nickserv_password is correct
• The bot nickname must be registered with NickServ before it can identify
• Some networks require SASL authentication instead of NickServ; use sasl_password in that case