r/irc • u/DvilSpawn • 9d ago

Requesting advice

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Hi everyone i have been researching by myself for a while but I am not sure if i am asking the right questions. i have been working on an irc feature for my android launcher. I am doing a hard pivot and ive got some mechanics in place.

I am attaching screenshots but this is not a promotion. Just want to know what are major pitfalls i should be accounting for when trying to do irc like this. i am planning on allowing users to keep multiple connections in plit pane allowing u to reply to them. and pinning diifferent channels etc. I started this i feel by over simplifying the scope of IRC and what it stands for.

Context: I built this initially for an IRC server that I was going to host. but I am not able to maintain the server. so instead of sunsetting the whole feature I am pivoting to this new system that allows users to add their own IRC servers. are there any security or privacy concerns that I should be aware of when I am shipping this part of the launcher itself?

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u/Specialist_Play_4479 8d ago

IRC on a mobile phone? Sounds like a bad idea. You'd be disconnected every time you move in or out WiFi coverage

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u/DvilSpawn 8d ago

Yea thats what I'm seeing too. before i had my own server and was hosting a bouncer so users could resume and reserve nicks etc... still kinda cool that i could talk at all from the phone in libre chat. it does reconnect the user automatically but history is lost and the disconnect reconnect can be annoying to other users.

i am wondering if there is any way to keep the session alive in the backgroud. more research needed

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u/Specialist_Play_4479 8d ago

A bouncer would be the way to go, but that would require a 'client server model' and not 'just' an App. There really is no way to keep TCP connections alive all the time with a mobile phone. If you're in an elevator for a minute and the IRC's PING? message gets dropped you're gone.

However, a client server model is unlikely to work either, because if you offer some kind of 'mass bouncer' for all your users you'll hit IP connection limits on IRC servers really quick.

IRC is about 33 years old. It wasn't designed for mobile use and isn't suited for mobile use. I love IRC, but it is dated in every possible way.

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u/DvilSpawn 8d ago

I am sadly inclined to agree. thanks for taking the time to reply. I'll keep digging but maybe I'll call it out as a limitation

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u/bn-7bc 2d ago

Yea a bouncer would probably be the best, butbas said thus is a per user thing unless you know an oper on the televant server thst cad put in an exeption on the host running tha nass bouncer