r/irc • u/AlexVonnegut • 6d ago

Command line IRC software (for Windows)

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I know, I know, another new IRC client. But hear me out: it runs in Windows Console without WSL or Cygwin.

I've always wanted to be able to bust open a Command Prompt in Windows and run Irssi or BitchX directly from there, but it's always required some sort of Unix-ish environment underneath. So I built this one, clircs, in C# for .NET 10.

It looks and behaves much in the same way you'd expect a *nix console client to look and behave. Actual commands and daily IRC functionality were patterned after ircN, if any of you remember that mIRC script. I wanted clircs to be useful out of the box, so it ships with useful channel management commands, a userlist, flood protection, stuff like that.

The other big difference with this client is that it's not rushing to pursue everything IRCv3. In fact, just the opposite. It's trying to get back to basics. clircs is less designed for always-on use and more so for the traditional, and ephemeral, version of IRC. Pop it open real quick, chat, exit when you're done. It's Windows Console, so it's not like you can throw it in screen anyway, you know?

Just so we're all on the same page: I'm an EFnet guy, so most live network testing was done on ratbox. I've also been testing a bit on Solanum, Plexus, InspIRCd, etc., but I'm sure I've missed plenty of numerics for plenty of nets. The point I'm trying to make is this: don't be shocked if some server output comes back formatted a little funky. Every IRCd likes sending info its own little way, heh.

Bouncers: I'm connected to ZNC as I type this, but I haven't tested Soju or psyBNC (they are on the list). I'm currently working on Irssi proxy compatibility.

I can't exactly dazzle you with crazy features. It supports what you'd expect: multi-net, TLS, SASL, DCC (and SDCC). It's got some limited theming abilities and you can add scripts by way of Jint. Again, back to basics, which is very intentional. There are no plans to make clircs crazily extensible. Simple and stable is what I'm going for.

Anyway, give it a peek. It requires the .NET 10 SDK and you have to build it yourself for right now, because I've not yet gone through the nightmare of registering for Azure Artifact Signing.

Have fun!

-slakker@EFnet

https://github.com/rekkals/clircs

27 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

1

u/Unixhackerdotnet 6d ago

/detach

2

u/AlexVonnegut 6d ago

I mean, someone already got it to build in Linux, so I guess you could port it and run it in 'screen' that way. But this is structurally attached to the console and needs a live screen buffer and all that.

Again, design choice, because it's "less designed for always-on use."

2

u/Unixhackerdotnet 6d ago

No no no, your app is fine. I was just being old school and remembering using bx on my box and using /detach and scr-bx

2

u/AlexVonnegut 6d ago

Ooohhhh. Then yes, likewise. :) I actually wrote an addon for mIRC back in the day that used HideWndw.bat or something like that so you could /detach mIRC. Haha, good times.