Hiya! IRC is complicated, and there's hundreds of tutorials out there.
This is single document that tells you how to actually use this.




The client
----------
To connect, you will need a client. For Linux, senpai, weechat, irssi
glirc, and halloy are all good choices. For Windows, mIRC is available.
For MacOS, halloy is available. If you don't want to download ANY client,
you can use ObsidianIRC (via `irc.crystalwobsite.gay/webirc`).



Where to connect?
-----------------
The server is on this site (`irc.crystalwobsite.gay`), hosted on the
TLS-secured port 6697. This is different from the standard port 6667. Make
sure you pass `-ssl` or the appropriate SSL flags when connecting, and make
sure you have the right port! Different clients have different ways of
doing this.



Basic commands
--------------
IRC uses commands to interact with the server. Common ones you will want are:
  
  * /help <- most important!
  * /connect <- connect to the server (if not already through config)
  * /list <- list the channels
  * /join <- join a channel
  * /nick <- set your name
  * /leave <- leave a channel
  * /names <- show who is in the channel
  * /msg <- send a direct message to someone and is how you interact with
            bots!
  * /msg NickServ help <- very useful for learning how to do user set up!



Some example commands
---------------------
Here's some example commands, assuming you're using irssi (these may not work
in other clients)!

    /connect -ssl irc.crystalwobsite.gay
    /list -y
    /join #lobby
    /nick GuestUser1234



Creating an account (registering a "nick")
------------------------------------------
You create an account _after_ connecting!

Nicks (similar to "usernames") are granted by the "NickServ" bot. To register
a username, you need to switch to your desired name with `/nick` and then
message the bot like so `/msg NickServ register YOUR_PASSWORD_HERE`. Your
password cannot have spaces! I CANNOT RECOVER YOUR PASSWORD. I will simply
wipe your account if you want the nickname back.



Logging back in
---------------
Logging back in after you disconnect requires something called SASL
("Set Up Automatic Login"). Basically it lets you auto-login as your nick.
This will vary by client. See https://libera.chat/guides/sasl for details.



Viewing history
---------------
By default, IRC doesn't store or display chat history. I've configured
this to make it easier for you, but it still can be wonky. History is
primarily configured with the `NickServ` bot. See the available options
with `/msg NickServ help set`.




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That's all! Good luck! Feel free to email me if you have any difficulties.

~Crystal