{{short description|Text-mode IRC client}} {{Infobox software | name = Irssi | logo = [[Image:Irssi.svg|200px|Irssi Logo]|class=skin-invert]] | screenshot = Irssi 1.2.3 screenshot.png | screenshot size = 200px | caption = A screenshot of Irssi. | author = Timo Sirainen | developer = The Irssi team | released = {{start date and age|1999|01}}<ref name=released>[https://irssi.org/documentation/manual Manual]. irssi.org.</ref> | latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q746544|P348|P548=Q2804309}} | latest release date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q746544|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}} | latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q746544|P348|P548=Q51930650}} | latest preview date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q746544|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}} | programming language = C, Perl<ref name="github">{{cite web | url=https://github.com/irssi/irssi | title=Irssi | website=GitHub }}</ref> | operating_system = Cross-platform | genre = IRC client | license = GPL-2.0-or-later<ref>irssi v. 0.8.16 source files (e.g. irssi-0.8.16/src/core/core.c)</ref> | website = {{URL|https://irssi.org/}} }}
'''Irssi''' ({{IPA|fi|ˈirsːi}} {{small|([https://irssi.org/assets/irssi.wav listen])}}) is an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) client program for Linux, FreeBSD, macOS and Microsoft Windows. It was originally written by Timo Sirainen, and released under the terms of the GNU GPL-2.0-or-later in January 1999.<ref name=released />
The program has a text-based user interface written from scratch using C. It may be customized by editing its config files or by installing plugins and Perl scripts. Though initially developed for Unix-like operating systems, it has been successfully ported to both Windows and macOS.
==Features== Irssi is written in the C programming language and in normal operation uses a text-mode user interface.<ref name="Danen">{{cite web |first=Vincent |last=Danen |work=TechRepublic |date=May 5, 2008 |title=Try IRC with Irssi to communicate via chat |publisher=ZDnetAsia.com |access-date=2010-10-18 |url=http://www.zdnetasia.com/techguide/opensource/0,39044899,62040926,00.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091227104809/http://www.zdnetasia.com/techguide/opensource/0,39044899,62040926,00.htm |archive-date=December 27, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
According to the developers, Irssi was written from scratch, not based on ircII (like BitchX and epic).<ref name="Aboutarchive"/> This freed the developers from having to deal with the constraints of an existing codebase, allowing them to maintain tighter control over issues such as security and customization.<ref name="Aboutarchive">{{cite web |title=About |first=Timo |last=Sirainen |publisher=Irssi.org |url=http://www.irssi.org/?page=about |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010405012338/http://www.irssi.org/?page=about |archive-date=2001-04-05 }}</ref> Numerous Perl scripts have been made available for Irssi to customise how it looks and operates.<ref>{{cite book |first=Wilmer |last=Van der Gaast |title =IRC hacks |chapter=Enhance irssi with Perl |editor=Paul Mutton |publisher=O'Reilly Books |year=2004 |page=84 |isbn =0-596-00687-X |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MbHAnBh9AqQC&q=irssi+&pg=PA353}}</ref> Plugins are available which add encryption<ref>[http://penguin-breeder.org/silc/ SILC encryption plugin]. penguin-breeder.org</ref><ref>[https://github.com/falsovsky/FiSH-irssi FiSH encryption plugin]. Secure.la.</ref> and protocols such as ICQ and XMPP.<ref>[http://developer.berlios.de/projects/irssi-icq/ ICQ plugin sourcecode] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060719195902/http://developer.berlios.de/projects/irssi-icq/ |date=2006-07-19 }}. berlios.de.</ref><ref>Didier, Colin [https://cybione.org/~irssi-xmpp/ Jabber/Xmpp plugin]. cybione.org.</ref>
Irssi may be configured by using its user interface or by manually editing its configuration files, which use a syntax resembling Perl data structures.<ref name=" Danen"/>
==Distributions== Irssi was written primarily to run on Unix-like operating systems, and binaries and packages are available for Gentoo Linux, Debian, Slackware, SUSE (openSUSE), Frugalware, Fedora, FreeBSD, OpenBSD,<ref name=openbsd>{{cite web |url= http://ports.su/net/irssi |title= irssi-1.1.1p0 – modular IRC client with many features (ipv6, socks, proxy) |work= OpenBSD ports |date= 2018-02-27 |access-date= 2018-10-10 }}</ref> NetBSD, DragonFly BSD, Solaris,<ref name="Download"/> Arch Linux,<ref name="Arch Linux - Irssi">{{cite web |title=Arch Linux - Package Database |publisher=archlinux.org |url=https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?q=irssi }}</ref> Ubuntu,<ref name="Download"/> NixOS,<ref name="NixOS - Irssi">{{cite web |title=NixOS - Package Database |publisher=nixos.org |url=https://nixos.org/nixos/packages.html?query=irssi }}</ref> and others.
Irssi builds and runs on Microsoft Windows under Cygwin, and in 2006, an official Windows standalone build was released.<ref name="Downloadarchive">{{cite web |title=Download |publisher=Irssi.org |url=https://irssi.org/download |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061115004542/http://www.irssi.org/download |archive-date=2006-11-15 }}</ref>
For the Unix-based macOS, text mode ports are available from the Homebrew, MacPorts, and Fink package managers, and two graphical clients have been written based on Irssi, IrssiX, and MacIrssi.<ref name="Download">[https://irssi.org/download Downloads]. irssi.org.</ref> The Cocoa client Colloquy was previously based on Irssi,<ref>Smykil, Jeff (August 21, 2005). [https://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2005/08/1017.ars "In the Loop with Tim Hatcher"]. Ars Technica</ref> but it now uses its own IRC core implementation.<ref>Hatcher, Tim (February 11, 2006). [http://colloquy.info/project/changeset/3129 "Changeset 3129: Remove Irssi from the project"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014003550/http://colloquy.info/project/changeset/3129 |date=2008-10-14 }}. Colloquy.info.</ref>
== See also == {{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* Comparison of Internet Relay Chat clients * Shell account *WeeChat
==References== {{Reflist|33em}}
==External links== * {{Official website}} * [https://github.com/irssi irssi] on GitHub * {{libera.chat|irssi}} on Libera Chat
{{IRC clients}}
Category:IRC clients Category:Free IRC clients Category:MacOS IRC clients Category:Unix IRC clients Category:Windows IRC clients Category:Free software programmed in C Category:Cross-platform software Category:1999 software Category:Free software that uses ncurses Category:Console applications Category:Software developed in Finland Category:Software using the GNU General Public License