EPIC Enhanced Programmable IRC-II Client

Crash course in IRC with EPIC

EPIC6 is a terminal IRC client descended from ircII. It provides interactive chat, multiple server connections and windows, configurable keybindings, and a scripting language. This introduction covers the basic commands needed to get started; see about EPIC for background and glossary for terminology.

When typing interactively, prefix a command with / to distinguish it from conversation text. Ordinary text goes to the current window's target: its query target takes precedence over its channel. Commands in script bodies normally omit this interactive prefix. Names of EPIC commands are case-insensitive.

Basic commands

Replace placeholders such as <channel> with real values; do not type the angle brackets.

Command Purpose
/server <server-description> Connect to or switch to an IRC server. With no argument, list configured servers.
/nick <nickname> Request a nickname change on the current server. With no argument, show the current nickname and any pending change.
/join <channel> Request to join a channel. Channel names commonly begin with #; other prefixes depend on the server's advertised channel types.
/part <channel> Request to leave a channel.
/msg <nickname> <message> Send a private message without changing the current conversation target. A channel name can also be used as the destination.
/query <nickname> Make that target the destination for ordinary input in the current window. This does not send a message or open a window by itself.
/whois <nickname> Request information about a nickname. What is returned, including visible channels and host information, depends on the server and its privacy rules.
/names <channel> Request a channel's visible nickname list.
/list Request a channel listing. Results can be large, and filtering or visibility restrictions depend on the server.
/quit [message] Disconnect from all servers and exit EPIC. The message is optional; omit the square brackets when supplying one.

Most commands in this table send requests rather than guaranteeing success. The server can reject a nickname, deny channel entry, limit information, or refuse a message. Read the reply before assuming the action completed. Selecting a query is local client behavior; it does not make a recipient available or establish an encrypted private channel.

A first conversation

Connect using the server details supplied by your chosen IRC network. The following server name is a placeholder, not a working service:

/server irc.example.net:PORT=6697:TYPE=IRC-SSL:NICK=YourNick
/join #example

This server description requests a TLS connection on port 6697 and supplies an initial nickname. Use the host, port, connection type, and channel appropriate to the network. EPIC does not supply a universal default server list, and some networks require additional authentication or registration steps.

Once the server confirms the connection and channel entry, type a message and press Enter. Use /msg OtherNick hello for a message to a particular nickname, or /query OtherNick to direct subsequent ordinary input there. To return to the channel when query targets remain, /window -query clears the current window's query list. See query for how selecting and removing individual query targets works.

Learning more

Use the command links above and the commands overview to find documentation. The former in-client help browser is unavailable; the retained help script depends on a connection interface that does not currently retrieve pages. /help is therefore not a dependable entry point for documentation in EPIC6.

For editing keys, see default keybindings and input handling. For customization, see programming, functions, and expressions. Scripts can change bindings and command behavior, so examples describe the built-in interfaces unless stated otherwise.

IRC networks have their own rules and support resources. Consult the network's published guidance for connection addresses, authentication, nickname policy, and help-channel names.

Source references