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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

★ 0stars

Install

Download source zip No release zip yet

This is the repository archive. It installs, but the folder name will carry the branch suffix and updates will not flow.

Install straight from GitHub with WP-CLI:

wp plugin install https://github.com/badwolf1972/web-irc-client/archive/refs/heads/main.zip
No built-in updater. New versions won't appear under Dashboard → Updates. Install new releases yourself, or let Git Updater track the repository.
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+