A lightweight IRC (Internet Relay Chat) server implementation written in C++98, utilizing POSIX sockets and epoll for efficient asynchronous I/O. Supports standard IRC commands for multi-user communication and channel management.

Check the small article about the multiplexing choice here

• Core IRC Commands:
  CAP, PASS, NICK, USER, QUIT, JOIN, PRIVMSG, KICK, MODE, PART, TOPIC, INVITE, PING.
• Channel Management:
  Create/join channels, set passwords, manage topics, and moderate users.
• Client Authentication:
  Requires password, nickname, and username for connection.
• Efficient I/O Handling:
  Uses epoll for non-blocking socket operations and scalable event monitoring.
• Multi-Client Support:
  Handles multiple simultaneous connections with asynchronous I/O.
• Resource Safety:
  Proper cleanup of clients, channels, and commands on shutdown.

• Linux environment (uses epoll which is Linux-specific).
• C++98-compatible compiler (e.g, g++).
• make for building.
• IRC client (our main pick is irssi) for testing.

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/dabel-co/ft_irc
   cd ft_irc

2. Build the project:

   make

3. Run the server:

   ./ft_irc <port> <password>

   Example:

   ./ft_irc 6667 myultrasupersecretpassword

1. Connect to the Server:
   Use an IRC client or telnet:

   telnet localhost 6667

2. Authenticate:
   Send commands in order:

   PASS myultrasupersecretpassword
   NICK your_nickname
   USER your_username 0 * :Your Real Name
   

3. Join a Channel:

   JOIN #general
   

4. Send Messages:

   PRIVMSG #general :Hello, world!
   PRIVMSG user2 :Private message here.