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manifest / social / web-irc-client

Web IRC Client

WebSocket IRC client for WordPress with real-time messaging, private chats, and desktop notifications. Requires WebSocket-enabled IRC server (UnrealIRCd recommended).

by Martin Cooper · github.com/badwolf1972/web-irc-client

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Install

No release zip yet. The repository archive installs, but the folder name will carry the branch suffix and updates will not flow:

wp plugin install https://github.com/badwolf1972/web-irc-client/archive/refs/heads/main.zip
Readme github.com/badwolf1972/web-irc-client ↗

Badwolf Web IRC Client

WebSocket IRC client for WordPress with real-time messaging, private chats, and desktop notifications.

Badwolf Web IRC Client - Version 5.2.0

Description

A modern, feature-rich WebSocket IRC client for WordPress. Connect your website visitors to your IRC server with real-time chat, private messaging, desktop notifications, and a beautiful tabbed interface.

Version 5.2.0 - What's New

🔧 WordPress 6.9 Compatibility

  • FIXED: Plugin now works perfectly with WordPress 6.9
  • FIXED: Script loading issues with block themes and Full Site Editing (FSE)
  • FIXED: Configuration passing to JavaScript

🔌 WebSocket Improvements

  • FIXED: Connection stability issues
  • FIXED: Binary WebSocket data handling
  • ADDED: IRC subprotocol support for UnrealIRCd

⚙️ User Experience

  • ADDED: Settings link in plugin list for easy access
  • IMPROVED: Error handling and logging
  • IMPROVED: Connection reliability

Features

  • ✅ Real-time IRC chat via secure WebSocket (wss://)
  • ✅ Private messaging between users
  • ✅ Desktop notifications for mentions and PMs
  • ✅ Multiple channel support with tabbed interface
  • ✅ User list with right-click context menus
  • ✅ Command history (use arrow keys)
  • ✅ Auto-reconnection with smart retry logic
  • ✅ Customizable themes (light/dark)
  • ✅ Mobile-responsive design
  • ✅ IRC commands support (/nick, /join, /part, /msg, /me)
  • ✅ Tab completion for nicknames
  • ✅ Unread message badges
  • ✅ Message history (500 messages per channel)

Requirements

  • WordPress: 5.0 or higher (tested up to 6.9)
  • PHP: 7.4 or higher
  • IRC Server: UnrealIRCd 6.x with WebSocket support (recommended)
  • SSL Certificate: Valid SSL/TLS certificate for secure WebSocket (wss://)

Installation

  1. Download the plugin
  2. Upload to /wp-content/plugins/badwolf-web-irc-client/
  3. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress
  4. Go to Settings → Badwolf Web IRC Client
  5. Configure your WebSocket URL and channel
  6. Add [web_irc_client] shortcode to any page or post

Configuration

WordPress Settings

Navigate to Settings → Badwolf Web IRC Client and configure:

  • WebSocket URL: Your IRC server WebSocket URL (e.g., wss://irc.example.com:7443)
  • Default Channel: IRC channel to join (e.g., #general)
  • Nickname Prefix: Prefix for auto-generated nicknames (e.g., guest)
  • Real Name: Default real name for users
  • Theme: Light or Dark theme
  • Auto Connect: Automatically connect when page loads

UnrealIRCd Server Configuration

Your UnrealIRCd server must have WebSocket support enabled:

# Load WebSocket module
loadmodule "websocket";

# Configure WebSocket listener
listen {
    ip *;
    port 7443;
    options {
        tls;
        websocket;
    }
    tls-options {
        certificate "/path/to/fullchain.pem";
        key "/path/to/privkey.pem";
        options {
            no-client-certificate;
        }
    }
}

SSL Certificate Setup (Let's Encrypt)

# Install certbot if not already installed
sudo apt-get install certbot

# Get certificate for your IRC domain
sudo certbot certonly --standalone -d irc.yourdomain.com

# Copy certificates to UnrealIRCd
sudo cp /etc/letsencrypt/live/irc.yourdomain.com/fullchain.pem /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/
sudo cp /etc/letsencrypt/live/irc.yourdomain.com/privkey.pem /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/

# Set correct permissions
sudo chown unrealircd:unrealircd /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/*.pem
sudo chmod 600 /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/privkey.pem
sudo chmod 644 /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/fullchain.pem

# Restart UnrealIRCd
cd /path/to/unrealircd
./unrealircd restart

Auto-Renewal Setup

Create a renewal hook to automatically copy certificates:

# Create renewal hook script
sudo nano /etc/letsencrypt/renewal-hooks/deploy/copy-to-unrealircd.sh

Add this content:

#!/bin/bash
cp /etc/letsencrypt/live/irc.yourdomain.com/fullchain.pem /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/
cp /etc/letsencrypt/live/irc.yourdomain.com/privkey.pem /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/
chown unrealircd:unrealircd /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/*.pem
chmod 600 /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/privkey.pem
chmod 644 /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/fullchain.pem
/path/to/unrealircd/unrealircd rehash

Make it executable:

sudo chmod +x /etc/letsencrypt/renewal-hooks/deploy/copy-to-unrealircd.sh

Usage

Basic Shortcode

[web_irc_client]

Shortcode with Attributes

[web_irc_client theme="dark" width="100%" height="600px"]

Available attributes:

  • theme - Override theme (light or dark)
  • width - Set custom width (default: 100%)
  • height - Set custom height (default: 70vh)

IRC Commands

Users can use standard IRC commands:

  • /nick newname - Change nickname
  • /join #channel - Join a channel
  • /part - Leave current channel
  • /msg username message - Send private message
  • /me action - Send action message
  • /help - Show available commands

Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

Problem: "Reconnecting..." message appears

Solutions:

  1. Verify UnrealIRCd is running: ps aux | grep unrealircd
  2. Check port is listening: sudo netstat -tlnp | grep 7443
  3. Verify SSL certificate is valid and not expired
  4. Check UnrealIRCd logs: tail -f /path/to/unrealircd/logs/ircd.log
  5. Test WebSocket connection: https://www.piesocket.com/websocket-tester

SSL Certificate Errors

Problem: Certificate expired or invalid

Solution:

# Check certificate expiry
sudo certbot certificates

# Renew if needed
sudo certbot renew --force-renewal

# Copy to UnrealIRCd and restart
sudo cp /etc/letsencrypt/live/irc.yourdomain.com/*.pem /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/
./unrealircd restart

Plugin Not Loading

Problem: IRC client doesn't appear on page

Solutions:

  1. Verify shortcode is correct: [web_irc_client]
  2. Clear WordPress cache
  3. Clear browser cache (Ctrl+Shift+R)
  4. Check browser console for JavaScript errors (F12)
  5. Verify WebSocket URL is configured in plugin settings

WordPress 6.9 Issues

Problem: Plugin stopped working after WordPress 6.9 update

Solution: Update to version 5.2.0 which includes WordPress 6.9 compatibility fixes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does this work with any IRC server? A: It's designed for UnrealIRCd with WebSocket support, but should work with any IRC server that supports WebSocket connections with the IRC subprotocol.

Q: Can I use this without SSL? A: While technically possible with ws:// instead of wss://, it's strongly discouraged. Modern browsers may block non-secure WebSocket connections.

Q: How many users can connect? A: Limited only by your IRC server configuration and hosting resources.

Q: Can I customize the appearance? A: Yes! The plugin includes light and dark themes, and you can add custom CSS to further customize the appearance.

Q: Does it work on mobile? A: Yes, the interface is fully responsive and works on mobile devices.

Support

Credits

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for detailed version history.

Version: 5.2.0
Last Updated: January 18, 2026
Tested up to: WordPress 6.9
Requires PHP: 7.4+