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This tutorial is specifically for the Libera Chat IRC network, the network that Wikipedia uses for IRC communication. Some features on this network aren't necessarily on other networks, and features on other networks aren't necessarily here.

Option 1: use IRC in a browser tab (easy)

In a modern web browser follow this link to visit Wikipedia's help channel.

Option 2: choose which IRC client to use (advanced)

Alternatively, to access the Libera IRC servers, you can choose an IRC client. Some popular IRC clients are listed below, or see Comparison of Internet Relay Chat clients.

How do I connect?

Once you have a client, you'll need a server. You can simply use irc.libera.chat to reach the main rotation of servers. You can also find a full list by executing:

• host irc.libera.chat (Linux)
• nslookup irc.libera.chat (Windows)

Having connection problems?

After you've obtained your client and the name of a server, you may still need a bit of help in getting connected. Take a look at this tutorial or this IRC primer on irchelp.org, which contains a variety of other useful information as well.

About the network services

Nickname registration

If you want to use a certain nickname on the network and don't want anyone else to take it, you must register it with the network.

You can do so by typing (in any window): /msg nickserv register password email@address.tld, of course substituting password for any password of your choosing, and email@address.tld with your email address. Try not to make your password too predictable or guessable, but also avoid using any password you use elsewhere since it's very easy to accidentally type your password into an IRC channel revealing it to others. You should now check your email for the confirmation message from Libera Chat, and complete the steps it contains. Please note that disposable/throwaway emails are not allowed and using one could delay or negatively affect your registration.

Registering your nickname will also allow you to be added to a channel's access list; for example, some of the people in #wikipedia-en-help have +'s beside their nicknames (to identify "helpers").

Note: You only have to register your nickname once. Every other time you connect from that point on, you need to prove who you are, with this command: /msg nickserv identify password You can also configure your IRC client to automatically log you in when you connect; see the section below. There are some other options you can set (as well as privacy options), you'll want to get a list by typing: /msg nickserv help

Setting your IRC client to identify upon connect

You can configure your IRC client to automatically log you in when you connect. You can look up how to do this for your specific IRC client, configure SASL (if your client supports it), or supply your password as a server password to be forwarded to NickServ. See Libera Chat's guide to logging in.

Some IRC clients allow you to automatically issue commands when connecting to a server, including logging you in:

  (defun irc ()
    "Connect to Libera Chat"
    (interactive)
    (erc :server "irc.libera.chat"
         :port 6667
         :nick "your_nick"
         :password "your_password OR nil"))
  
  (global-set-key "\C-ci"  'irc)

Cloaks

Wikimedia cloaks

See the instruction page on Meta-Wiki.

"Unaffiliated" cloaks

If you would like to have a cloak that does not advertise Wikimedia, join #libera-cloak and say !cloakme. This will give your account a generic user/YourName cloak to hide your IP address. It should happen quickly; wait a while and try again if you're not immediately cloaked and kicked.

IRC channel list

IRC client settings

• The realname (or Full Name) can optionally be set to anything you want. It does not need to be your real name; some people enter their username here.
• The ident setting should ideally be turned on, and again can be set to anything you want.

What are some basic commands?

Here are some basic commands for IRC: (as taken from Wikibooks)