Our browser client allows you to easily take part in the conversation, but it lacks all of the customization options that you were promised existed within IRC. This issue is resolved by installing your own IRC client on your devices, or by using a more customizable web client.

There exists a huge number of IRC clients, each with their own features (or lack thereof). This page is going to suggest a few popular IRC clients for each platform / operating system. If the suggested ones don't fulfill your needs, feel free to look up alternatives, there is no client specific limitation in place on NoBleme's IRC server.

Regardless of which client you choose to use, you will need to input the following connection information in order to make it connect to NoBleme's IRC server:

Once connected to NoBleme's IRC server, you might want to browse the channel list in order to join all channels that could be of interest to you, and to register your username in order to gain ownership of your username on the server and have access to a few useful features.

If you get confused or stuck in the process of setting up your IRC client, feel free to ask for help using the browser client. If anyone is around, it is very likely that they will do their best to help you out. If not, be patient, someone will eventually show up.

Third party web clients

Web clients have the advantage of not requiring you to install anything on your computer. All you need to do is create an account on a website, which will then remember your customization options.

A major downside to this simplicity however is that these clients are hosted by third party websites, which might exploit your user data, or even monitor your conversations. On top of that, you are relying on their website to stay online at all times, any downtime of their platform will mean that you are unable to access IRC during that time - or even permanently if their platform ever shuts down.

IRCCloud is a solid web client with a highly customizable user experience and a lot of modern features. It also comes with partial bouncer capabilities and high quality mobile applications for Android and iOS. There is an optional paying service which acts as a full time bouncer, but worry not, the free tier gives you access to every other feature, there is no need to pay for anything.

KiwiIRC is a very simplistic web client with a few modern features. It is often used to embed onto websites: in fact we use it as our browser client on NoBleme. It also lets you register an account and can act as your regular IRC client - a simple yet efficient option.

Computer software

If you'd rather install an IRC client on your computer, there are a lot of options to choose from. Most of them tend to be cross platform and work at least on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.

HexChat is one of the most common IRC clients for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Despite its simplistic (and a bit outdated) interface, it is fairly easy to configure, customize, and use for chatting.

Quassel is another solution available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. It is much more complicated to configure and use, but comes with more flexibility in how you want your user experience to be.

WeeChat is a Linux only solution for the more technically inclined - avoid it if you are not versed in computer science. It is a purely command line client, which can be ran on a server and give you full bouncer capabilities. You can then access it through Glowing Bear for a better user experience.

Mobile applications

When away from your computer, or if you choose to use a mobile device instead of a computer as your main computing device, you will need to use an IRC client in the form of a mobile application.

IRCCloud has already been mentioned earlier as a third party web option, it also happens to come with high quality mobile applications for Android and iOS. Keep in mind that the downside of this solution is that you are using a third party service, which might collect and use your personal data.

HoloIRC is a minimalistic, simple, and efficient IRC client for Android. It has BNC support, which means it can be used to connect to a bouncer if you have access to one or are technically inclined enough to set one up.

Igloo IRC is a minimalistic, simple, and efficient IRC client for iOS. It has BNC support, which means it can be used to connect to a bouncer if you have access to one or are technically inclined enough to set one up.

A limitation of IRC is that while you are not connected to the server, you can not know which conversations are going on, and thus miss out on some chat history. To some people, this is actually a desirable thing. To others, it is an annoyance. If you are part of the latter, then bouncers are the solution you are looking for.

A bouncer is an IRC tool which, instead of being installed on your personal computer or device, is instead installed on a distant server. This allows it to be connected to IRC at all times, thus ensuring you never miss out on any chat history when your computer or devices are shut down or not connected to IRC.

Bouncers work in such a way that instead of using your IRC client to connect to NoBleme's IRC server, you would instead use your IRC client to connect to your IRC bouncer which is permanently connected to NoBleme's IRC server.

Sadly, there are no easy solutions to set up a bouncer. If you lack the technical knowledge required to do server administration, then you will not be able to install your own bouncer, and will need to use third party solutions or manage to find someone generous enough to lend you access to a bouncer on their own server.

Third party bouncer services

A few websites offer partial or full IRC bouncer services. Keep in mind however that these websites being third party services, they might collect or exploit your user data, or even monitor your conversations. On top of that, you are relying on their website to stay online at all times, any downtime of their platform will mean that you are unable to access IRC during that time - or even permanently if their platform ever shuts down.

Some free ZNC providers exist (ZNC is the most commonly used bouncer). Each of them require you to follow a unique and specific process to create your bouncer instance, which you can then connect to using any IRC client of your choice. Be aware that some of these are restricted to specific IRC networks, and thus might not allow you to create a bouncer instance connected to NoBleme's IRC server. It might be a bit of a pain to figure out how to go through the setup process, but at least once it is done you do not have to worry about it anymore and can focus on using IRC normally.

IRCCloud is a browser IRC client which also includes mobile applications for Android and iOS, aswell as a partial bouncer service (keeps tracking chat history for 2 hours after you log out). The service is free, but includes an optional paid solution which enables full bouncer capabilities, tracking full chat history no matter how long you are offline.

For the more technically inclined

If you already know how to setup a server, then you should not need advanced instructions on how to setup a bouncer - simply following the instructions in your bouncer of choice's documentation should be enough. Here are two common bouncers that are easy to setup and use.

ZNC is the most common bouncer choice, and has been the "standard" choice for a very long time. Its webadmin module allows you to easily administrate user accounts on your ZNC instance if you want to offer bouncer services to other people.

The Lounge is a two for one solution, being both a bouncer and a modern browser IRC client with an interface that works well on both computers and mobile devices. As with ZNC, you can add users to your installation of The Lounge if you want to offer bouncer services to other people.

Server

The server is the interface to which everyone is connected in order to chat on IRC. When you send a message on IRC, it is first sent to the server, which then redistributes it to the people who should see that message. In NoBleme's case, the server is software called UnrealIRCd.

Client

An IRC client is a computer program or application that serves as an interface between a user and an IRC server. Each client has their own interface, appearance, and settings, which means that everyone sees IRC differently.

Bouncer

A bouncer is a tool that allows you to retain full history of conversations which happen on IRC, even while you are offline. You can find out more about bouncers on the bouncer page of this FAQ.

Channel

An IRC server is comprised of an unlimited number of channels, which can be public or private. When a message is sent on an IRC channel, only the users present on that channel will be able to read the message. IRC channel names begin with the pound sign (#NoBleme, #english, #dev). You can find more information about IRC channels on the channel list.

Operator

A channel's founder can give some abilities to specific users (such as the ability to kick problematic users) by making them channel operators. Different operator types have different abilities, which are documented at the bottom of this page in the symbols section. There are also global operators, which have the power to shut down channels, issue server-wide bans, and possess a few more tools useful in extreme situations. In order to avoid tracking their absence to plan mischievous acts when none of them are online, the identity of global operators will remain a secret.

Kick / Ban

When a user misbehaves or breaks the code of conduct, a few measures can be taken by operators against them. A kick will remove them from the channel, but leave them the ability to rejoin it afterwards, acting as a warning that they should keep it cool. A ban will exclude them from the channel and prevent them from rejoining it, for a set amount of time (which can be forever).

Services: NickServ & ChanServ

All actions related to user accounts or channel administration are done through what are called Services, special users on the IRC network which go by the usernames NickServ (for users) and ChanServ (for channels). You can read more about them on the NickServ and ChanServ pages of this FAQ.

Command

On IRC, in order to do any action other than chatting, you must use commands. They are sent on the server the same way as normal chat messages, but begin with a slash / character. For example, joining a channel is done by typing /join #channel. You will find a guide of useful commands in the commands, NickServ, and ChanServ pages of this FAQ.

Mode

IRC channels have settings which are controlled by operators through changing what is called a "mode". It is materialized as a series of letters defining what can or cannot be done on that channel. For example, a channel with mode +m is in mute mode: only operators and voiced users can chat in that channel, others will not be able to send messages.

Highlight

In most IRC clients, when someone else writes your username, you will get notified in some way and see the line of text highlighted. Thus, highlighting someone is the term used for when you aim a message at a specific person on IRC by including their username in the message.

Lurk

A lurker is someone who idles in an IRC channel without sending any messages. Lurkers are as welcome as anyone else on NoBleme's IRC server, we have no issue with users who do not participate in the conversation.

Bot

Not every user on IRC is tied to a human person, some are automated computer programs which we call "Bots". They have different uses and abilities depending on the type of bot they are, you can find out more about them on the bots page of this FAQ.

Operator and user symbols

On IRC channels, some users can be given operator abilities, which allow them to manage the channel and handle problematic users. In most IRC clients, operator levels are represented through specific symbols, which appear before the user's username (for example, @Planeshift or ~Bad). These also correspond to a specific user mode, represented by a letter (for example, a channel operator will have +o mode on that channel).

You can find out more about operator rights and how to manage them on the ChanServ page of this FAQ. Below is a table of user modes and symbols, and their associated abilities.

title	Symbol	Mode	Abilities
User			Regular user
Voiced	+	+v	Can still send messages if the channel is set to mute (+m) mode.
Halfop	%	+h	Half operator. Can kick regular users.
Operator	@	+o	Can kick or ban anyone who is not an admin or channel founder.
Admin	&	+a	Can kick or ban anyone who is not channel founder, and can name or remove operators.
Founder	~	+q	Can kick or ban anyone and name or remove admins and operators. There can only be one founder per channel at any given time.

On IRC, any action other than chatting is done through what are called "commands". They are regular chat messages, with the only difference being that their first character must always be a / slash. It does not matter in which channel you send the commands, they will always be invisible to other users.

You will find a list of a few useful commands below. When a word is between [brackets], then it means that its value can be anything you want and you should replace it with something else. For example, if given the command /join #[channel], you should use it as /join #NoBleme or /join #english.

More commands relating to account management and channel management can be found in the NickServ and ChanServ pages of this FAQ.

/clear

Clears the currently visible chat messages by removing all text on your screen. Useful in case of clutter, or if you want to hide some history from view. This does not however permanently delete any archived chat logs, and does not clear the screens of other users' IRC clients (everyone else will still see the message history).

/quit

Disconnects you from the IRC server which you are currently using.

/server [server]

Connects to an existing IRC server. For example connecting to NoBleme's IRC server is done by typing /server irc.nobleme.com. You may be on more than one IRC server at once.

/list

Lists all public IRC channels on the server, along with the number of users currently using each of them.

/join #[channel]

Joins an existing IRC channel. Some channels are private and can not be joined unless you are specifically granted access to them. You can find out which channels exist on NoBleme's IRC server on our channel list, or by using the /list command.

/names #[channel]

Lists all users currently in the specified channel, even if you are currently not present in it. This will not work if used on a private channel.

/part #[channel]

Leaves an IRC channel on which you currently are. You will no longer be able to send messages to this channel (unless you rejoin it), and will stop receiving messages sent to this channel by other users.

/nick [username]

Changes your current username to the desired new username. If the desired username is already in use, it will not work. Your username is the same in every IRC channel on specific IRC server, there is no way to have a different username in different channels.

/whois [username]

Returns various elements of information about the specified user. The amount and nature of the returned elements depend on the user's IRC client and settings.

/whowas [username]

Returns various elements of information about a specified username, even if they are not present on the server anymore. This is a useful way to know when a person last used IRC.

/msg [username] [message]

Sends a private message to the specified user. Only you and the specified user will be able to see the contents of this message, it will not be shared on any channels and will be hidden even from the administrators of the IRC server. For example, if you were trying to initiate a private conversation with a user named SomeUser, you would send the following message: /msg SomeUser Hello, how are you doing?

/ignore [username]

Blocks all incoming messages from the specified user. Not only will you stop receiving their private messages, but you will also not see any further messages sent by them on IRC channels in which both of you are present. The ignored user will still be able to see your messages, there is no way to make your messages invisible to a specific user. The ignore command will automatically continue working on them even if they change username.

/unignore [username]

Stops blocking messages from a currently ignored user.

While using IRC, you might come to the realization that nothing is stopping other users from impersonating you by "stealing" your username. This can be avoided by sending messages to a special automated user called NickServ, which is always present on the server.

You will find a list of NickServ related commands below. When a word is between [brackets], then it means that its value can be anything you want and you should replace it with something else. For example, if given the command /msg NickServ identify [password], you should use it as /msg NickServ identify myPassword123.

Most of the commands listed on this page begin with /msg NickServ. Depending on your IRC client, you might be able to shorten any such command by using /ns instead. For example, /msg NickServ identify [password] would become /ns identify [password].

/nick [username]

Changes your current username to the desired new username. If the desired username is already in use, it will not work. Your username is the same in every IRC channel on specific IRC server, there is no way to have a different username in different channels.

/msg NickServ register [password] [email-address]

Registers your current username with NickServ, making you its owner. Even though you must specify an email address when registering your account, it will never be used. Make sure you remember your chosen password, as there is no way to recover it if you lose it. Do not register other people's usernames in order to annoy or impersonate them, this would only lead to getting permanently banned from NoBleme's IRC server and all your registered usernames being unregistered.

/msg NickServ identify [password]

Identifies you as the owner of the username you are currently using. You must execute this command every time you connect to NoBleme's IRC server, otherwise your username will be changed at random after one minute. Most IRC clients give you ways to automatically execute certain commands as you connect to an IRC server, adding the identify command to this automation will avoid having to type it manually every single time.

/msg NickServ password [password] [new-password]

Changes your current password to a new password of your choosing. Make sure you remember your chosen password, as there is no way to recover it if you lose it.

/msg NickServ recover [username] [password]

Disconnects from the IRC server anyone who is currently using your registered username. This is useful in case you have been disconnected and a ghost of you still lingers idly on the server under your username.

/msg NickServ ghost [username] [password]

If someone has been attempting to bruteforce your NickServ password (trying over and over to identify or recover in order to guess your password), the system might lock anyone out of using your username. In such a situation, the ghost command allows you to release your username, so that you can use it again.

/msg NickServ drop [username]

Unregisters your username, deleting it from NickServ's database.

During your usage of IRC, you might end up dealing with channel management - either because you want to create and administrate your own channel, or because you have been named operator in an already existing channel and are faced with a situation where you need to use your operator abilities. A lot of these actions are done by sending messages to a special automated user called ChanServ, which is always present on the server.

You will find a list of ChanServ related commands below. When a word is between [brackets], then it means that its value can be anything you want and you should replace it with something else. For example, if given the command /kick channel [username], you should use it as /kick channel SomeUser.

Most of the commands listed on this page begin with /msg ChanServ. Depending on your IRC client, you might be able to shorten any such command by using /cs instead. For example, /msg ChanServ aop #[channel] list would become /cs aop #[channel] list.

Hostmasks

Every user connected to an IRC server is identified not by their nickname (which can be changed at will), but rather by a unique string of characters called their hostmask. It uses the following format: username!user@host, where username is self-explanatory, user is a special name given by their IRC client, and host is a unique identifier for a specific person.

Based on the way hostnames work, if you are looking to identify someone (for example to permanently ban them from a channel), you should specifically look for the host part of their hostname, as the rest can be changed at will. Finding a user's hostname can be done by using the /whois [username] or /whowas [username] commands.

The asterisk * character can be used as a "wildcard" in a hostmask. For example, the hostmask SomeUsername!*@*.fr will match every user that goes by the username "SomeUsername" and has a host ending in ".fr". Here are more concrete examples that should help you better understand the concept:

SomeUsername!*@*
Matches every user that goes by the exact username SomeUsername

*SomeWord*!*@*
Matches every user whose username contains SomeWord

SomeWord*!*@*
Matches every user whose username begins with SomeWord

*!*@123-456-789.something.com
Matches every user whose host is precisely 123-456-789.something.com

*!*@*.something.com
Matches every user whose host ends in .something.com

*!*@*
Matches literally everyone, be very careful when using this

When you see the word [hostmask] between brackets later on this page, you should now hopefully understand what to input as a hostmask. If you don't get it, or if you are scared by the complexity, then don't hesitate to ask around: someone will surely help you out.

Operator abilities

Operator abilities can only be used in a channel in which you are an operator, and require you to be registered with NickServ and identified. You can find more about operator names, abilities, and symbols at the bottom of the vocabulary and symbols section of this FAQ, and more about account management on the NickServ section of this FAQ.

/msg ChanServ topic #[channel] [text]

Changes a channel's topic. Each channel has a short piece of text which everyone will see when joining the channel (or might permanently see while using the channel, depending on their IRC client). In most IRC clients, this command can be shortened to simply /topic, for example /topic This is a topic should work.

/msg ChanServ kick #[channel] [username]

Removes a user from the channel. They are free to rejoin the channel after being kicked. In most IRC clients, this command can be shortened to simply /kick, for example /kick SomeUser should work. An optional justification can be added afterwards, for example /kick SomeUser Please chill out.

/msg ChanServ mode #[channel] set +b [hostmask]

Bans a hostmask from the channel. Once banned, any user matching the hostmask will not be able to join or send messages on the channel anymore. If you kick them, if they leave the channel, or if they disconnect from the server, they will not be able to rejoin the channel until they are unbanned.

/msg ChanServ mode #[channel] b

Lists all hostmasks currently banned from the channel. This command might not always work. If it doesn't work, try simply typing /mode #[channel] b in the channel instead of the full command.

/msg ChanServ mode #[channel] set -b [hostmask]

Lifts a ban on a hostmask from the channel. Once unbanned, users matching the hostmask are free to join the channel once again.

/msg ChanServ mode #[channel] set +m

Sets the channel to mute mode: only voiced users and operators will be able to send messages in this channel as long as it is in mute mode. This is the best way to deal with attemps to flood a channel in order to render it unusable.

/msg ChanServ mode #[channel] set +v [username]

Gives voice to a user: they will gain the ability to send messages in this channel even while it is in mute mode.

/msg ChanServ mode #[channel] set -m

Removes mute mode, everyone in the channel can once again send messages.

Channel management

This section will list commands that you can only use if you are the founder or administrator of a channel (or looking to register a new channel), and require you to be registered with NickServ and identified. You can find more about operator names, abilities, and symbols at the bottom of the vocabulary and symbols section of this FAQ, and more about account management on the NickServ section of this FAQ.

/msg ChanServ register #[channel]

Registers a channel, making you its founder. Once you start growing the channel and have regular users and conversations, you might want to get it added to NoBleme's channel list.

/msg ChanServ set founder #[channel] [username]

Transfers founder status to another user. As there can only be one founder at a time in a channel, you will lose your founder status in the process.

/msg ChanServ vop #[channel] add [username]

Permanently gives voiced status to a user (the user will still be able to chat if the channel is set to mute mode). You can revoke this status by replacing add by del in this command.

/msg ChanServ hop #[channel] add [username]

Permanently gives halfop status to a user (the user will be able to kick other users). You can revoke this status by replacing add by del in this command.

/msg ChanServ aop #[channel] add [username]

Permanently gives operator status to a user (the user will be able to kick and ban other users and manage the channel). You can revoke this status by replacing add by del in this command.

/msg ChanServ sop #[channel] add [username]

Permanently gives admin status to a user (the user will be able to kick and ban users, manage the channel, and name or revoke the operator status of other users). You can revoke this status by replacing add by del in this command.

Channel modes

Some elements of channel administration are done through setting or removing "modes", special channel settings which materialize through the form of a single letter.

A channel mode is set through the command /msg ChanServ mode #[channel] +[mode], where [mode] is a letter from the list of modes below. For example, forcing users to register before accessing a channel would look like this: /msg ChanServ mode #myChannel +R.

Removing a mode from a channel is done the same way as adding a mode, except that the plus + sign before the letter representing the mode is replaced by a minus - sign. For example, instead of using +R in the previous example, you would use -R.

You can check which modes your channel currently has set by running the following command: /msg ChanServ mode #[channel]. You will find a list of useful modes below, be warned that capitalization matters: mode +m is not at all the same thing as mode +M.

+i

Sets the channel to invite-only mode: the only way to join it is to be invited by someone who is already in it by using /msg ChanServ invite #[channel] [username], or to be on the invite list.

+I [hostmask]

Adds a hostmask to the invite list: they can freely join the channel even if it is set in invite-only mode.

+k [password]

Sets a password. The channel can only be joined by users who know the password, by adding it at the end of the /join command. For example: /join #myChannel somePass123.

+l [number]

Sets a maximum number of users who can be on the channel at any given time. Any extra users will be denied entry if they try to join once the channel has reached maximum capacity.

+m

Sets the channel to mute mode: only voiced users and operators can chat.

+M

Only users who have registered and identified their username with NickServ can chat in the channel.

+n

Prevents users who are not in the channel from sending messages into the channel. This mode is enabled by default in every new channel and it is recommended that you leave it that way.

+R

Only users who have registered and identified their username with NickServ can join the channel. Non-registered and/or non-identified users who are already in the channel will not get removed from it, but they would be unable to rejoin it if they were to leave or get kicked.

+s

Makes the channel secret: it will not appear in the /list command, and will not show when using the /whois command on a user who is currently in the channel.

+t

Only operators (including halfops) can change the channel's topic. This mode is enabled by default in every new channel, disabling it will allow any of the channel's users to change the topic at will.

+u

Sets the channel to "conference mode". The automated messages displayed when regular users (non operators) join or leave the channel will not be shown to other regular users. This drastically reduces the amount of join/leave spam seen by regular users in bigger and more active IRC channels.

Not every user on NoBleme's IRC server is a human being. Some of them are automated programs designed to serve a specific role on the server, which we call IRC bots.

Some of our IRC bots are an integral part of the server. Rather than acting like regular users, they will never be present in any public IRC channel. They are NickServ, which handles username management, and ChanServ, which handles channel management.

Other bots will be present in IRC channels and directly interact with users in various ways (depending on their purpose). NoBleme's most important IRC bots will be documented on this page, but there might be more of them on the server… keep an eye out for them!

The official NoBleme bot

NoBleme only has one official bot. It goes by the nickname NoBleme, and idles in a few channels. It is a non interactive bot : NoBleme will write content on IRC, but it will never reply to anyone's messages.

The official NoBleme bot will relay any activity coming from the website on the channels #english (in english), #NoBleme (in french), and #dev (development updates). Most content that appears on the recent activity page will also be shared on IRC by the official NoBleme bot, which allows you to keep in touch with what is happening on the website without having to check the website.

Non official bot

A non official bot can be found in every major channel of NoBleme's IRC server. It is an interactive bot, which has a variety of uses - observe how the regulars use it and you might find it useful for your own needs!

Nicknamed Chocolatine, its role is to give a few quality of life features missing on IRC: previews links, offers a translation service, converts timezones, gives the weather on demand, and more. It is an instance of Sopel maintained by a user nicknamed Exirel.

Can I run my own IRC bot on NoBleme's server?

You are free to use bots on the server, as long as they do not cause any disruption.

Do keep in mind however that bots might not be welcomed in individual channels. Consult with the local Operators before adding your own bot to an already established channel. For example, the two main channels (#english and #NoBleme) will not accept more than the two bots they each currently have.

If you add a bot on NoBleme's IRC server and believe it could be of public utility, contact the admins detailing your bot's purpose and where to find it. It might get added to this documentation page or maybe even welcomed in some of our official channels.

NoBleme's IRC server is comprised of different channels, some public and some private. There are two "main" public channels used for general conversations, #english for english and #NoBleme for french, from which separate channels split when a specific topic starts taking too much space in general conversations.

The table below acts as a list of NoBleme's public IRC channels. You can join them by typing the command /join #channelName in your IRC client, where #channelName is replaced by the desired channel's name.

If you have created your own channel on NoBleme's IRC server (using ChanServ) and want it included in this list, contact the administrative team with its name, its language, and a quick description of its purpose.