IRC client?

[MaxBurn]

I just learned my favorite IRC client is no longer maintained. Looking around I found some really OLD suggestions here but most of those also seem to be dead or no longer maintained. So while I'm trying new things what are people using for IRC in 2025? Needs to support DCC receive.

I know IRC isn't very popular but I like some of the old places.

 

[cjsuk]

I use irssi in the terminal. You can install it with homebrew. Supports DCC receive inc passive etc.

Irssi

 

[Marco Klobas]

I use (lately quite rarely, I admit) Textual 7.

I'd like a come back of IRC and Usenet. The latter is mostly dead. A lot of people flocked to forums and subsequently to social networks.

I get that both protocols are a little outdated for current communications needs, yet I think they could be updated on top of the their existing architectures.

For example, adding a posting/viewing images option to newsgroups would be an important improvement. I'm not talking about binaries: in line images inside posts. Yes, I get, server storage/bandwidth would be sensibly impacted – an economic contribution would be required from the user base to cover the expenses of running servers. Audio/Video would be more demanding of course.

I'm not a developer so I don't know whether a leap like this for NNTP and IRC protocols would be technically doable without breaking backward compatibility.

I still find by far more convenient following discussion threads on usenet than any other social network or forum, especially on desktop. Mobile interfaces are more tricky due to the smaller screens, though.

 

[cjsuk]

I’d like that to come back too.

As for inline images it’s just MIME so totally possible already. The problem is mostly referencing an attachment in the post body. That requires HTML in email which, if you ask me, was never a good thing anyway. NNTP is much better than anything we have now though and is fully decentralised. You keep the posts, on your local disk.

 

[bogdanw]

SeaMonkey has IRC chat https://www.seamonkey-project.org/
XChat Aqua/Azure https://xchataqua.github.io/

 

[MaxBurn]

Thank you for the suggestions, I'll look more this weekend. For me that the masses went elsewhere is part of the attraction

 

[Fishrrman]

I don't use IRC any more, but back when I still did, Seamonkey worked fairly well...

 

[MaxBurn]

Yikes.
xchat last commits over four years ago, and the apple store page is unlisted now.
Seamonkey was recently updates, but confusingly doesn't support apple silicon.
I suppose I might try to compile irssi but it's a bit rough for my taste?
Giving Textual a try.

 

[nmt1900]

I miss Adium...