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What programs can be used for IRC (=Internet Relay Chat)?

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1  
This question is probably too subjective. – WarriorIng64 Nov 27 '11 at 3:25

12 Answers

up vote 21 down vote accepted

XChat Install Xchat

XChat is a graphical IRC Client with a GTK+ GUI. It has a look and feel similar to AmIRC for the Amiga. Special features include the mIRC extension DCC RESUME and mIRC color, multiple server/channel windows, dialog windows, and a plugin API.

It does pretty much everything you could want an IRC client to do.

xchat

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This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks! – Mike Grace Nov 5 '10 at 7:18
up vote 0 down vote

KVIrc

KVIrc is one of the best as for me. Well configurable, tons of themes, strong community.

Install:

sudo apt-get install kvirc

Screenshots:

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enter image description here

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up vote 6 down vote

Quassel is another IRC client for Ubuntu and Debian based Linux distributions. It has a Qt interface. Its main feature is to be distributed, it means that you run a quassel "headless" in a server that has a permanent connection, and your desktop/mobile client connects to that server. Quassel is your best friend if you need to be always connected to IRC whenever you are!

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if you don't want to use irssi Quassel is great. I can run headless, and do a server/client setup where you just "connect" to your irc session that was running in your remote machine, or headless – csgeek Oct 18 '10 at 16:56
up vote 2 down vote

There is also Konversation from the KDE libraries. Available in the main repository like most of these.

Konversation

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up vote 0 down vote

I use Firefox browser or Empathy

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Firefox is usually seen as a web browser rather than an IRC client...? – fluteflute Oct 18 '10 at 17:10
I suppose he means the ChatZilla plugin for Firefox. – RobinJ Jul 28 '11 at 12:58
up vote 0 down vote

If you're looking for something dead simple, I'm becoming a fan of LostIRC.

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up vote 5 down vote

Smuxi is a nice GNOME IRC client, which features indicator support like xchat-gnome, and can be run in a client/server arrangement where the server is always connected to IRC, much like irssi+screen.

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up vote 1 down vote

I use Opera browser's built-in chat client. During Ubuntu Openweeks I just have to click the link to the classroom that is present on the openweek wiki page and the chat window opens in another tab.

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up vote 11 down vote

XChat-Gnome Install electric sheep

XChat-Gnome is very similar to XChat however it aims to have a more friendlier user interface and integrate better with your desktop. I find for starting out on IRC its much easier to get the hang off

sudo apt-get install xchat-gnome xchat-gnome-indicator

Screenshot:

Xchat-GNome

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up vote 0 down vote

I always liked pidgins irc but pidgin is another empathy. If you want a totally separate client for irc, I would recommend XChat. Both are available in the Ubuntu Software Center.

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up vote 6 down vote

Empathy!

Installed by default in Ubuntu. It really serves as a very easy to use IRC client. Don't expect very advanced features though ;)

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I think Empathy is OK. You can't expect many features on IRC. – DrKenobi Oct 17 '10 at 23:16
it's ugly. Don't really know why it's the default since there must be some work to integrate it. – Sean Houlihane Dec 28 '11 at 17:38
I have to uninstall Empathy because if you connect to more than a few channels it starts to lag - and if you leave it a while it's a real memory hog! – Greg Feb 16 '12 at 12:16
up vote 9 down vote

IRSSI is the way to go: http://www.irssi.org/

It was even in the TV show 'Numbers'; check out the video on the Irssi homepage. (P.S. That was supposed to be funny)

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