DuckIRC

A terminal-based IRC client with Vim-inspired keybindings, built with Rust and Ratatui.

Features

• Vim-inspired keybindings - Multiple modes (Normal, Insert, Visual, Command)
• TUI Interface - Clean terminal UI with mouse support
• Server Tree - Visual server and channel navigation
• Multiple Channels - Support for channels and direct messages
• Colored Nicks - Unique colors for each user
• Clipboard Integration - Wayland clipboard support
• Server Management - Add, remove, and manage multiple IRC servers
• TLS Support - Secure connections with TLS/SSL

Installation

Prerequisites

• Rust 1.70 or higher
• Wayland (for clipboard support)

Build from source

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/duckirc
cd duckirc
cargo build --release

The binary will be available at target/release/duckirc (there is a release build already included if you simply clone the repo, but if you don't trust me you can build it yourself).

Quick Start

1. Launch DuckIRC:

   ./duckirc

2. Connect to a server:

   :connect Libera
   

3. Join a channel:

   :join #rust
   

4. Start chatting:

   • Press i to enter Insert mode
   • Type your message
   • Press Enter to send

Modes

DuckIRC operates in different modes, similar to Vim:

Normal Mode

Default mode for navigation and commands

• i - Enter Insert mode
• v - Enter Visual mode
• : - Enter Command mode
• s - Enter Server mode
• m - Enter Messages mode
• c - Enter Clients mode
• q - Quit

Insert Mode

For typing messages

• Esc - Return to Normal mode
• Enter - Send message
• Tab - Switch to Server mode

Visual Mode

For selecting text

• h/l - Move cursor left/right
• y - Yank (copy) selection
• d/x - Delete selection
• Esc - Return to Normal mode

Command Mode

For executing commands

• :connect <server> - Connect to a server
• :join <#channel> - Join a channel
• :msg <user> <message> - Send a direct message
• :nick <nickname> - Change your nickname
• :quit or :q - Quit the application
• :clear or :c - Clear messages
• :add_server <name> <address> <port> [tls] - Add a server
• :remove_server <name> - Remove a server

Server Mode

Navigate and manage servers/channels

• j/k or ↑/↓ - Navigate
• Enter - Connect/disconnect server or join channel
• Double-click - Same as Enter
• Esc - Return to Normal mode

Messages Mode

Navigate through chat history

• j/k or ↑/↓ - Scroll messages
• y - Yank (copy) selected message
• gg - Jump to top
• G - Jump to bottom
• Esc - Return to Normal mode

Clients Mode

View and interact with users in current channel

• j/k or ↑/↓ - Navigate users
• Enter - Start direct message
• y - Copy username
• Esc - Return to Normal mode

Vimless Mode

A simplified mode without Vim keybindings

• Type normally and press Enter to send
• /quit or /q - Quit
• /vim or /v - Return to Normal mode
• Commands use / prefix instead of :

Keybindings

Navigation (Normal/Insert/Visual modes)

• h/l or ←/→ - Move cursor
• w - Move forward by word
• b - Move backward by word
• e - Move to end of word
• W/B/E - Word movements (WORD-based)
• gg - Jump to start
• G - Jump to end

Editing (Normal mode)

• a - Append (enter Insert mode after cursor)
• A - Append at end of line
• dd - Delete entire line
• diw - Delete inner word
• p - Paste from yank buffer

Mouse Support

• Click to position cursor
• Double-click to select in Server mode
• Scroll to navigate in Messages/Clients/Server modes

Configuration

DuckIRC stores configuration in ~/.config/duckIRC/:

servers.toml

Manage your IRC servers:

[[servers]]
name = "Libera"
address = "irc.libera.chat"
port = 6697
use_tls = true

[[servers]]
name = "OFTC"
address = "irc.oftc.net"
port = 6697
use_tls = true

[[servers]]
name = "tpp"
address = "thepiratesplunder.org"
port = 6697
channels = ["#TPP"]

Beware of rapidly changing between servers as it may lead to unexpected behavior. I am investigating why it happens.

runtime_config.toml

You can change these manually but I kind of don't recommend it yet.

User settings:

[[servers]]
name = "Libera"
address = "irc.libera.chat"
port = 6697
use_tls = true

[[servers]]
name = "OFTC"
address = "irc.oftc.net"
port = 6697
use_tls = true

[[servers]]
name = "tpp"
address = "thepiratesplunder.org"
port = 6697

Dependencies

• ratatui - Terminal UI framework
• crossterm - Terminal manipulation
• tokio - Async runtime
• irc - IRC protocol implementation
• gapbuf - Gap buffer for efficient text editing
• wl-clipboard-rs - Wayland clipboard integration
• serde & toml - Configuration serialization

Acknowledgments

• Inspired by Vim's modal editing
• Built with Ratatui and the Rust IRC library

TODO

• Fix rapid server switching issues (somehow I can't replicate them anymore, but I didn't do anything to fix them)
• Add inline image support
• Add more vim commands/motions
• Add more IRC commands
• Implement a plugin system (embdded Lua?)
• Enhance clipboard support for X11
• Add theming support for UI customization
• Add self signing TLS certificate support for secure connections to custom servers