Encrypted IRC Client

A Windows desktop IRC client featuring per-room and per-PRIVMSG client-side encryption/decryption.

Features

• Traditional IRC interface: Familiar layout with server list, channel windows, nicklist, and status windows
• Per-room encryption: Each channel can have a custom encryption key (passphrase) for client-side encryption
• Multiple server connections: Connect to multiple IRC servers simultaneously
• Full IRC protocol support: JOIN, PART, PRIVMSG, NOTICE, MODE, TOPIC, and more
• Aliases and commands: Custom command aliases with variable substitution
• Message logging: Automatic logging of channel and private messages
• Modern UI: Clean, customizable interface with themes and fonts

Installation

Prerequisites

• Python 3.12 or higher
• Windows 10/11

Setup

1. Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Run the application:

python main.py

Usage

Connecting to a Server

1. Click Server → Server List (or press Ctrl+N)
2. Click Add to create a new server entry
3. Fill in:
   • Name: Display name for the server
   • Hostname: IRC server address (e.g., irc.libera.chat)
   • Port: Server port (usually 6667 for non-SSL, 6697 for SSL)
   • SSL: Check if the server uses SSL/TLS
   • Nickname: Your IRC nickname
   • Alternative Nick: Fallback nickname if primary is taken
   • Username: IRC username
   • Realname: Your real name
   • Auto-join channels: Comma-separated list of channels to join automatically
4. Click OK and then Connect

Joining a Channel

• Use the /join #channelname command in the status window
• Or right-click on a server in the server list and select Join Channel

Setting Up Per-Room Encryption

1. Join a channel
2. Press Ctrl+K or right-click the channel tab and select Set Encryption Key
3. Enter a passphrase (this must be shared out-of-band with other users)
4. Click OK

Important Notes:

• The encryption key is stored locally and never transmitted
• Users must share the passphrase manually (via phone, in person, etc.)
• If you forget the key, you cannot decrypt previous messages
• Messages are encrypted before sending to the IRC server
• Users without the key will see encrypted gibberish
• Messages are encrypted using AES-256-GCM with a key derived from your passphrase
• Each channel has its own encryption key (or no encryption)

Commands

Common IRC commands:

• /join #channel - Join a channel
• /part #channel - Leave a channel
• /msg nickname message - Send a private message
• /nick newnick - Change your nickname
• /whois nickname - Get user information
• /topic #channel new topic - Set channel topic
• /mode #channel +o nickname - Set channel modes
• /quit message - Disconnect with a message

Aliases

Create custom command aliases in Tools → Aliases:

• Example: Define /j as /join $1 (where $1 is the first argument)
• Use $1, $2, etc. for arguments in your alias definitions

Logging

Messages are automatically logged to the logs/ directory, organized by server and channel. Configure logging options in File → Preferences.

Architecture

• main.py - Application entry point
• core/ - Core functionality modules
  • irc_client.py - IRC connection and protocol handling
  • irc_parser.py - IRC message parsing
  • encryption_manager.py - Encryption/decryption operations
  • settings_manager.py - Settings and database management
  • alias_manager.py - Alias expansion and command processing
• ui/ - User interface components
  • main_window.py - Main application window
  • channel_widget.py - Channel and PM window widgets
  • server_list_dialog.py - Server configuration dialog
  • room_key_dialog.py - Encryption key management
  • preferences_dialog.py - Application preferences

Security Considerations

• Encryption keys are derived using PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256 with 100,000+ iterations
• Keys are stored locally in SQLite (derived keys, not plaintext passphrases)
• The IRC server sees encrypted messages as normal text (it cannot decrypt them)
• Key sharing must be done out-of-band (the application does not provide key exchange)
• If you lose your passphrase, encrypted messages cannot be recovered

Features Not Included (Yet)

• see Excluded_Features_List.MD

License

This project is provided as-is for educational and personal use.