How To Connect

Connecting to Libera

You can connect to the Libera IRC network using irc.libera.chat port 6667.

On some operating systems this link may work irc://irc.libera.chat:6667. Alternatively one could join using the web client https://web.libera.chat/#linux.

If your client supports SSL/TLS, you should connect to port 6697.

Remember to join us at #linux once you connect, you can do so with the following command:
/join #linux

Registering a Nick

Please follow these steps to set up your nick and configure your client:

  1. Register your IRC nick:
    /msg nickserv register
  2. Register an alternate IRC nick, using the same password. Add an underline (“_”) to your primary nick, if possible. For example, if your primary nick is foo, register foo_ as an alternate nick, if it’s available. While using your alternate nick, link it to your primary nick:
    /msg nickserv group

Libera also offers unaffiliated cloaks. Join the #libera support channel for more information. If you’ve received a hostname cloak, please pay special attention to the below two additional steps to allow the cloak to be active before joining any channels:

  1. Configure your client to identify itself to nickserv automatically whenever it connects to Libera.
  2. If your client can automatically try an alternate nick, set it to use the one you just registered.

Auto-Identify to Nickserv at Login

Configuring your IRC client to identify is very easily done by one of 3 common ways. The best and easiest way is to setup the connection itself to use a server password for the IRC server itself.

In HexChat:

This method also helps for cloaked users as it helps prevent you from joining a channel before being authenticated with NickServ and having your hostmask show up THEN cloak afterwards.

  1. HexChat menu, then Network List.
  2. Find the entry for Libera, select it, and click on Edit
  3. Under the Servers section, you will see irc.libera.chat/6667 or similar. Here it’s best to change this to irc.libera.chat/6697 so you login to the SSL side, this helps in security as well.
  4. Check on Use SSL for all the servers on this network.
  5. Under Server password, enter your registered nick and password like:
    username:password
    The colon (:) is important to use as it uses both your nick and password.
  6. Close, and Connect, you’ll be automatically identified to NickServ on Libera every time you connect as you’re connecting.

For the less secure but still automated way, you can replace 3-6 with:

  1. Under Nickserv password, enter your password.
    Note: This only works with your current nick after login. If you login and your nick is changed due to conflict with that user still being online, it will fail.

The third option is SASL

SASL is an acronym for Simple Authentication and Security Layer. It should work for HexChat, ZNC and irssi (from 0.8.18 released Feb 2016) out of the box. Previous irssi versions needed an external script that you should probably avoid and update irssi instead.

  1. Google for SASL + <your client>, e.g. SASL + Hexchat
  2. Follow a how-to from the developers of your client or a respectable source