2019-10-15 19:26:47 +00:00
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#+TITLE: Modern IRC
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#+SUBTITLE: In 2019, IRC is still the best.
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2019-10-04 19:41:42 +00:00
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#+AUTHOR: Yann Esposito
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#+EMAIL: yann@esposito.host
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#+DATE: [2019-08-17 Sat]
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2019-10-15 19:26:47 +00:00
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#+KEYWORDS: self-hosting, chat, irc
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#+DESCRIPTION: How to modernize IRC
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2019-10-04 19:41:42 +00:00
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#+OPTIONS: auto-id:t
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#+begin_notes
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2019-10-15 19:26:47 +00:00
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tl;dr: Why and how IRC.
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After reviewing and testing many different chat solutions the clear winner
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is IRC + ZNC (with replay module) + weechat (with replay script) +
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thelounge + Palaver (on iOS).
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2019-10-04 19:41:42 +00:00
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The two game changer are:
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2019-10-16 12:26:26 +00:00
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- ZNC replay module (history handled correctly)
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- ZNC palaver module (push notifications on iOS)
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2019-10-04 19:41:42 +00:00
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#+end_notes
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2019-10-15 19:26:47 +00:00
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How to chat in 2019? Certainly with slack, or via a social media app in the
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browser or mobile phone app.
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How geeks should chat in 2019?
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To answer this question here is my opinion (after having tried many
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different chat solutions[fn:tries].
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Here are the feature I think a modern geeky solution should have:
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1. *terminal client* or *terminal-like UI* (in emacs for example).
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All modern UI looks cool for screenshots, but if you are going to use it
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a lot, you will prefer density over good looking.
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Most app, web app are terrible related to information by number of pixel
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ratio.
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2019-10-16 12:26:26 +00:00
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2. *multi-platform*: If you do not have a terminal at hand (or emacs) then,
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2019-10-15 19:26:47 +00:00
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you should be able to get your message on your phone or via a web
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interface for portability.
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3. *self-hosted*: you should control your data, your history, your logs,
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the encryption methods, etc...
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4. *teams* and *direct messages*
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5. *notifications*, I tend to control those a lot, but a small private team
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chat is one of few exception where you generally want to be notified.
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2019-10-16 12:26:26 +00:00
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6. *Frugal*. Really, we have a responsibility to do our best not to consume
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2019-10-15 19:26:47 +00:00
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more resources than we really need.
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Chat should be about TEXT, not images, not videos, not presentations and
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PDF.
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7. Refuse anti-features: show when someone is typing, show when someone
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as read your message, etc... Those functionality are in fact increasing
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social insecurity and forces you to answer sooner instead of really
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taking the time to answer correctly.
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8. Use free software (not just open source software).
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2019-10-16 12:26:26 +00:00
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I am quite disappointed by /modern/ chat applications.
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2019-10-15 19:26:47 +00:00
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Their major problems are:
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2019-10-16 12:26:26 +00:00
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- prodigal; most those client applications (slack, gitter, riot,
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mattermost, etc...) easily consume more than 300MB of RAM.
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Most of the time those clients are all electron app.
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2019-10-15 19:26:47 +00:00
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- not private. Most solution do not encrypt your conversations. Even
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if using encryption mechanism and you trust your client, and you will
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still reveal your social network topology.
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2019-10-16 12:26:26 +00:00
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- anti-minimalist, I want dense /text/.
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I do not want:
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+ emojis,
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+ images,
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+ animations (gif or videos),
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+ HTML/Markdown display
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- Manipulative; they try very hard to optimize engagement.
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This is generally achieved through FOMO[fn:FOMO] and social anxiety
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manipulations.
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A few examples:
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+ show when someone is writing a message
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+ show when someone has read a message,
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+ get notified about missed messages,
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+ get a "top messages you missed",
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+ etc...
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- Prepared for EEE[fn:eee].
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Most of those "modern" solution are a all-in-one solution, server +
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clients with generic + specific features.
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That way, some feature will be only possible in their client or that will
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push concurrent app developers to follow the pace of new features.
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The /manipulative/ part is quite important in fact.
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Many of those "features" are in fact wanted by the users.
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I think this is because those people should take the time to reflect about
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the real plus value of those features vs their price.
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Like it is state in Digital Minimalism[fn:dm].
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Even recent projects like matrix, mastodon that thrive to break monopolies
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are going a huge speed into this eternal run software development new
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ideology.
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Always evolve by adding as much new features as possible, instead of
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striving for simplicity, stability and security.
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But do we really need those features?
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People are asking for them, but we pass too much time asking about the how
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and forgetting about the why?
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Each new feature should be really studied before being developed.
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Would that feature be a full total net positive for everyone?
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Or is there a price to pay? The price is generally the size and complexity
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of the project, that will make it bigger, slower, harder to manipulate,
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install, interact-with.
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[fn:eee] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend,_and_extinguish][Embrace, extend, and extinguish]].
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[fn:dm] http://www.calnewport.com/books/digital-minimalism/
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** About failed attempts :PROPERTIES: :CUSTOM_ID: different-tries
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2019-10-15 19:26:47 +00:00
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:PROPERTIES:
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2019-10-16 12:26:26 +00:00
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:CUSTOM_ID: about-failed-attempts--properties---custom-id--different-tries
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:END:
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2019-10-15 19:26:47 +00:00
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:END:
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- Matrix: I've used Matrix, and in fact it was really good except; the
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server is written in python and is clearly not frugal at all.
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Also I wanted to delete most of the history in the DB, and it was
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impossible to find a working documentation explaining how to do that
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correctly and easily (I'm not even sure this is possible).
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You can easily remove some channels history from the DB, but doing the
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opposite, keeping the history only of some channel and removing all others
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doesn't appear to be easy.
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- Mattermost: I've tried to install mattermost, to install it, there is
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no package, you need to start a shell script as root that will erase and
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change your nginx configuration.... Seriously...
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- Rocket.chat, ho.... a nice word about the difference between community
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version and pro version... no thank you. I prefer something sustained by
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free software standards.
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- I tried XMPP, it was OK. But the clients weren't really good, I could
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have used bitlbee, the installation looked more complex than IRC.
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2019-10-04 19:41:42 +00:00
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Finally, IRC + ZNC with replay module is the winner.
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2019-10-15 19:26:47 +00:00
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It was the easiest and best solution.
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2019-10-04 19:41:42 +00:00
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2019-10-12 14:09:41 +00:00
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1. it works
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2019-10-15 19:26:47 +00:00
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2. it is Free Software
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2019-10-12 14:09:41 +00:00
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3. it is frugal
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2019-10-15 19:26:47 +00:00
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4. it is old
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5. it is minimalist
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6. it is feature complete for a small team chat.
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2019-10-16 12:26:26 +00:00
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[fn:FOMO] Fear Of Missing Out
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2019-10-15 19:26:47 +00:00
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[fn:tries] Here is a list of the chatting solutions I used for some time
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2019-10-16 12:26:26 +00:00
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and finally abandoned (I certainly forgot a few ones):
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2019-10-15 19:26:47 +00:00
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- slack
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- matrix (self-hosted)
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- keybase
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- discord
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- gitter
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- XMPP (both hosted by a 3rd party and self-hosted)
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- IRC ← the winner
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2019-10-12 14:09:41 +00:00
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2019-10-07 15:54:11 +00:00
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* Tutorial
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:PROPERTIES:
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:CUSTOM_ID: tutorial
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:END:
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** Self Host
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:PROPERTIES:
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:CUSTOM_ID: self-host
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:END:
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2019-10-16 15:03:04 +00:00
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You might use an external IRC server.
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But it is a lot safer to self-host it.
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Self-hosting might not be easy if you are not familiar about how to do
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that.
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1. buy a domain name
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2. buy a machine (VPS, baremetal, host it at your home)
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3. configure the DNS for your domaine name go to your machine
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4. configure letsencrypt to support wildcard hostnames.
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5. know how to create reverse proxy
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I couldn't find a nice resource to link to with all those details.
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This is certainly a call to write such article myself.
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2019-10-07 15:54:11 +00:00
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** Install/configure ngircd
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:PROPERTIES:
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:CUSTOM_ID: install-configure-ngircd
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:END:
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2019-10-16 15:03:04 +00:00
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There are multiple IRC server.
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I gave my preference to [[https://github.com/ngircd/ngircd][ngircd]] because it appeared lightweight, easy to
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install and configure.
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So use your preferred package manager to install it:
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#+begin_src
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sudo apt-get install ngircd
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#+end_src
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Configure the =/etc/ngircd/ngircd.conf= file.
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I only show the really interesting lines for a private small IRC for a team.
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#+begin_src src
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[Global]
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Name = irc.your.domain
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Info = My Incredible IRC
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Password = privateIRCSecretPassword
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[Options]
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# prevent channel creation
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AllowedChannelTypes =
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[SSL]
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Certfile = /etc/letsencrypt/live/your.domain/fullchain.pem
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Keyfile = /etc/letsencrypt/live/your.domain/privkey.pem
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Ports = 6667,9999
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[Channel]
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# predefined channel
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Name = #general
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Topic = Main team channel
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MaxUsers = 23
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[Channel]
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Name = #status
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Topic = Status update channel
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MaxUsers = 23
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#+end_src
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2019-10-07 15:54:11 +00:00
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** Install/configure ZNC
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:PROPERTIES:
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:CUSTOM_ID: install-configure-znc
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:END:
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2019-10-16 15:03:04 +00:00
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Install ZNC from sources or via your package manager.
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I choose sources. Choose the latest version if you can.
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#+begin_src
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> wget https://znc.in/releases/archive/znc-1.7.5.tar.gz
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> tar xzf znc-1.7.5.tar.gz
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> cd znc-1.7.5
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> mkdir build
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> cd build
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> make
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> make install
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#+end_src
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Then create your config file for example via:
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#+begin_src
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> znc --makeconf
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#+end_src
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For the question, keep buffers after replay, you should certainly answer
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yes.
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To use znc web interface behind an nginx reverse proxy:
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#+begin_src conf
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<Listener listener0>
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AllowIRC = false
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AllowWeb = true
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Host = localhost
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IPv4 = true
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IPv6 = false
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Port = 10001
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SSL = false
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URIPrefix = /
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</Listener>
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<Listener listener1>
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AllowIRC = true
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AllowWeb = false
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IPv4 = true
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IPv6 = true
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Port = 10002
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SSL = true
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URIPrefix = /
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</Listener>
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#+end_src
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*** Playback module
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:PROPERTIES:
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:CUSTOM_ID: playback-module
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:END:
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#+begin_src
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> cd ~/.znc/modules
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> wget ...../playback.cpp
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> znc-buildmod playback.cpp
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#+end_src
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Should create a =playback.so=.
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*** Palaver push module
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:PROPERTIES:
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:CUSTOM_ID: palaver-push-module
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:END:
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#+begin_src
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> git clone ... znc-palaver
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> cd znc-palaver
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> znc-buildmod palaver.cpp
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> cp palaver.so ~/.znc/modules/
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#+end_src
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That's it.
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The major modernizer of IRC are here in ZNC.
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2019-10-07 15:54:11 +00:00
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** Install/configure clients
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:PROPERTIES:
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:CUSTOM_ID: install-configure-clients
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:END:
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*** thelounge
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:PROPERTIES:
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:CUSTOM_ID: thelounge
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:END:
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*** weechat
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:PROPERTIES:
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:CUSTOM_ID: weechat
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:END:
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*** Palaver
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:PROPERTIES:
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:CUSTOM_ID: palaver
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:END:
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2019-10-12 14:09:41 +00:00
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* Bonus
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:PROPERTIES:
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:CUSTOM_ID: bonus
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:END:
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** No brainer upload file
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:PROPERTIES:
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:CUSTOM_ID: no-brainer-upload-file
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:END:
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