:title: IRC Guide

.. _irc-guide:

IRC Guide
#########

Many projects hosted by OpenDev make heavy use of `OFTC`_ IRC. While OFTC
has its own `FAQ`_, this document
contains some more specific information for those who are new to IRC and would
like to know more about common OpenDev practices.

.. _OFTC: https://www.oftc.net/
.. _FAQ: https://www.oftc.net/FAQ/

Channel Logging
---------------

OpenDev IRC Channels and IRC Meetings are logged to `eavesdrop`_.

.. _eavesdrop: http://eavesdrop.openstack.org/

.. TODO(mordred) Publish a list of Official Channels from the
   accessbot/channels.yaml file to eavesdrop.openstack.org and point to that
   list here.

Just Start Talking
------------------

Also known as "`No Naked Pings`_".

When interacting with other developers over IRC, just start talking.
Starting with "ping", "hi, are you there?" or "do you have a minute?" might
seem polite, but it's actually more distracting. If you have a question, just
ask it.

Be prepared that it might not get answered the first time as people tend to
multi-task. It's ok to re-ask after a while, but try to be aware if there is a
lot of activity going on that the person or people you are looking for may not
be in a position to answer right at that moment.

.. _No Naked Pings: https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/No_naked_pings

Talking to specific people
--------------------------

To talk to a specific person, prefix the line with their name. For instance,
to ask ``mordred`` a question::

  mordred: I’m having a problem with this patch, https://review.opendev.org/#/c/530978/, could you help me figure out it?

It is not required or useful to prefix someone's name with an ``@``, it's
just extra typing and looks weird in IRC clients.

Use a pastebin for communicating long content
---------------------------------------------

OpenDev runs a `pastebin service`_ that can be used for pasting content and
then getting a link that can be copied into IRC. Pasting more than one or two
lines floods the channel and makes other communication difficult.

.. _pastebin service: http://paste.openstack.org/

Persistent Clients and IRC Bouncers
-----------------------------------

Many developers prefer to run an "IRC Bouncer" to allow for being
always connected.

.. note:: It is **NOT** required to have a persistent IRC connection. Indeed,
          some developers explicitly disconnect. The information here is
          intended to be helpful for those who would like to have a persistent
          connection but are not sure how.

A common pattern is to run either `weechat`_ or `irssi`_ inside of `screen`_
or `tmux`_ on a Cloud Server or some other computer that is always connected
to the Internet.

For those who prefer graphical IRC clients, another approach is to run a
proxy server like `ZNC`_ or `bip`_ and connect through it.

For people who do not have access to a convenient persistent Cloud Server or
do not care to manage a long-lived server, `IRCCloud`_ is a web-based
IRC client that provides an optional (paid) persistent connection.

.. note:: As a developer, it may be worth the effort to find an
          OpenStack Cloud on which to run a bouncer. Being an OpenStack End
          User is a great way to ensure good context for the End User
          experience.

.. _irssi: https://irssi.org/
.. _weechat: https://weechat.org/
.. _screen: https://www.gnu.org/software/screen/
.. _tmux: https://github.com/tmux/tmux/wiki
.. _znc: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZNC
.. _bip: https://bip.milkypond.org/
.. _irccloud: https://www.irccloud.com