IRC Connections: Clients

IRC clients take data, commands and text you type in, and filter it for actions they perform and server actions, which are then passed on to the server. IRC clients range from simple to complicated, purely text based to graphical interfaces. Some IRC networks offer "virtual" clients, javascript functions that allow you to access their network through a web browser. (Shadowfire for example, provides two javascript interfaces at their website)

The following are some samples of the popular IRC clients for different systems. Download instructions can be found at their respective websites. If you are using Windows, you should make sure you have a properly installed and functioning WINSOCK before installing an IRC client. It can generally be assumed if you have functioning internet programs that your WINSOCK is installed.

Windows Based:
XiRCON
LeafChat
mIRC
PIRCH98 :Pirch98

For Unix
ircII

For Mac
Ircle
Snak

After installation, IRC clients will generally require some sort of personal information to be entered into setup to be able to connect to a Network. This information is generally an email address and a nickname or username. The username is how you are identified upon the server. It is recommended that you do not use your real name in any of the fields in setup. For more information about nicknames on IRC, please see Simone Puterman's Extended Essay on IRC Nicks http://rucus.ru.ac.za/~simone/xessay.html. The setup also needs the address of the IRC network, or specific server on the network, to connect to. For Shadowfire, the network address is irc.shadowfire.org. Shadowfire's website lists the specific addresses for their servers, such as Caladan.Shadowfire.Org.

For more information on concerns about first connections, please see Tjerk Vonck's IRC introduction http://www.newircusers.com/ircintro.html.