# WeeChat

WeeChat is a free and open-source Internet Relay Chat (IRC) client. It is open source and self-hosted, installable on Docker Hub and Unraid.

Canonical page: https://ourlocalhost.com/app/222/weechat

## Description

WeeChat is a free and open-source Internet Relay Chat (IRC) client. It provides a lightweight, fast terminal-based interface for connecting to IRC networks. It is suitable for homelab users who want persistent, low-resource IRC access from a Dockerized service.

## Platform availability

Available on 1 of 9 platforms: Unraid.

## Health score

76/100 (Good), based on 3 of 4 factors.
- Maintained: 100 (last commit 17 days ago)
- Popular: 71 (3,399 GitHub stars)
- Easy to install: 35 (1 install platform, install notes, Docker image)

## Links

- GitHub: https://github.com/weechat/weechat
- Docker Hub: https://hub.docker.com/r/weechat/weechat/
- Unraid: https://ca.unraid.net/apps/weechat-12skbrm17hpn1y?q=weechat
- Official website: https://weechat.org/
- Documentation: https://weechat.org/doc/

## Common questions

### How can I keep WeeChat running in the background and reach it from another client?

Run WeeChat in the background as weechat-headless and use the relay plugin to connect from remote interfaces, including another WeeChat client or as an IRC proxy.

### What directory setup is needed before first run in the Unraid WeeChat app?

Create the config, data, and cache directories under /mnt/user/appdata/weechat and set their permissions to 777. Access the running instance with docker attach weechat.

### Can I update WeeChat without dropping active IRC connections?

Use the /upgrade command to reload the new WeeChat binary in place while keeping buffer contents and server connections. TLS connections are restored automatically.

### Does the WeeChat IRC plugin support SASL authentication?

Yes, the IRC plugin includes SASL authentication. It also supports multi-server connections, proxy support, and IPv6.

## Alternatives

- Adium
- HexChat: HexChat is an IRC client based on XChat for Linux , but unlike XChat it’s completely free for both Windows and Unix-like systems.
- Pidgin: Pidgin is a cross-platform chat program that lets you log into multiple messaging networks at once, such as XMPP (Extensible Messaging and…
- Quassel IRC: Quassel IRC is a modern, cross-platform, distributed IRC client based on the Qt5 framework.
- SeaMonkey: SeaMonkey is an all-in-one internet suite.
- irssi: Irssi is a terminal based IRC client for UNIX systems.
- mIRC: Windows IRC client for real-time worldwide chat with group and private messaging, multi-server access, scripting, encryption, logging, and…

---
Source: Our Local Host (https://ourlocalhost.com/app/222/weechat), the self-hosted and open-source app directory.