freenode

IRC for Free & Open Source Software
Internet Relay Chat network for FOSS communities, developers, and open source projects.

Connecting open source since 1995
freenode-terminal
user@localhost:~$ irc irc.freenode.net
Connecting to irc.freenode.net:6667...
★ Connected to freenode IRC Network
Home of free and open source software|

About freenode

IRC network for free and open source software communities. We've been hosting FOSS projects and developers since 1995.

[FOSS]

Free & Open Source

Built for the FOSS community. We support software freedom, open standards, and community-driven development.

Open standards (RFC 1459)
Community governance
No corporate bullshit
[RELIABLE]

It Just Works

Multiple servers, SSL/TLS encryption, IPv6 support. We keep it simple and focus on uptime.

SSL/TLS encryption
IPv6 support
Works with any IRC client
[HISTORY]

Nearly 30 Years

We've been around since 1995. Thousands of FOSS projects have called freenode home.

Since 1995
Battle-tested
Home to major FOSS projects

Connection Guide

Connect with any IRC client. Plain text or SSL, whatever you prefer.

[SERVER INFO]

Server irc.freenode.net
Ports 6665-6667, 8000-8002
SSL/TLS 6697, 7000, 7070
WebChat irc.com

[CLIENTS]

IRC.com
IglooIRC
HexChat
WeeChat
irssi
mIRC
IRCCloud
The Lounge

[QUICK START]

irc-client
# Connect to the network
/server irc.freenode.net
# Set your nickname
/nick yournickname
# Join the main channel
/join #freenode
# Get help if needed
/join #help

Popular Channels

Join communities discussing FOSS projects, programming languages, and open source tech.

#freenode
Network discussion and announcements
#help
General IRC and network support
#linux
Linux operating system discussion
#python
Python programming language
#javascript
JavaScript development and frameworks
#bitcoin
Bitcoin cryptocurrency discussion
#ocean
Official home of OCEAN mining
#opensource
Open source projects and philosophy
#security
Information security and privacy
#webdev
Web development and design
Find More Channels
Use /list to browse all available channels

Network Staff

Volunteer administrators keeping the network running and supporting the FOSS community.

[ADMIN]

f

Network Administrator
Network Operations
[ADMIN]

eskimo

Network Administrator
Network Operations
[ADMIN]

poison

Network Administrator
Network Operations
[ADMIN]

tjr

Network Administrator
Network Operations
[STAFF]

andrew

Network Staff
Community Support
[STAFF]

DickCheney

Network Staff
Community Support
[STAFF]

End3r

Network Staff
Community Support
[STAFF]

hack

Network Staff
Community Support
[STAFF]

Neo

Network Staff
Community Support
[STAFF]

Neo`Nemesis

Network Staff
Community Support
[STAFF]

prerogative

Network Staff
Community Support
[STAFF]

y2k

Network Staff
Community Support

Need Help?

For network issues or general IRC support, join our help channels.

/join #help
/join #freenode