Badwolf Web IRC Client

A modern, feature-rich WebSocket IRC client for WordPress. Connect your website visitors to your IRC server with real-time chat, private messaging, desktop notifications, and a beautiful tabbed interface.

Version 5.2.0 – What’s New

🔧 WordPress 6.9 Compatibility

• FIXED: Plugin now works perfectly with WordPress 6.9
• FIXED: Script loading issues with block themes and Full Site Editing (FSE)
• FIXED: Configuration passing to JavaScript

🔌 WebSocket Improvements

• FIXED: Connection stability issues
• FIXED: Binary WebSocket data handling
• ADDED: IRC subprotocol support for UnrealIRCd

⚙️ User Experience

• ADDED: Settings link in plugin list for easy access
• IMPROVED: Error handling and logging
• IMPROVED: Connection reliability

Features

• ✅ Real-time IRC chat via secure WebSocket (wss://)
• ✅ Private messaging between users
• ✅ Desktop notifications for mentions and PMs
• ✅ Multiple channel support with tabbed interface
• ✅ User list with right-click context menus
• ✅ Command history (use arrow keys)
• ✅ Auto-reconnection with smart retry logic
• ✅ Customizable themes (light/dark)
• ✅ Mobile-responsive design
• ✅ IRC commands support (/nick, /join, /part, /msg, /me)
• ✅ Tab completion for nicknames
• ✅ Unread message badges
• ✅ Message history (500 messages per channel)

Requirements

• WordPress: 5.0 or higher (tested up to 6.9)
• PHP: 7.4 or higher
• IRC Server: UnrealIRCd 6.x with WebSocket support (recommended)
• SSL Certificate: Valid SSL/TLS certificate for secure WebSocket (wss://)

Configuration

WordPress Settings

Navigate to Settings → Badwolf Web IRC Client and configure:

• WebSocket URL: Your IRC server WebSocket URL (e.g., wss://irc.example.com:7443)
• Default Channel: IRC channel to join (e.g., #general)
• Nickname Prefix: Prefix for auto-generated nicknames (e.g., guest)
• Real Name: Default real name for users
• Theme: Light or Dark theme
• Auto Connect: Automatically connect when page loads

UnrealIRCd Server Configuration

Your UnrealIRCd server must have WebSocket support enabled:

`conf

Load WebSocket module

loadmodule “websocket”;

Configure WebSocket listener

listen {
ip *;
port 7443;
options {
tls;
websocket;
}
tls-options {
certificate “/path/to/fullchain.pem”;
key “/path/to/privkey.pem”;
options {
no-client-certificate;
}
}
}
`

SSL Certificate Setup (Let’s Encrypt)

`bash

Install certbot if not already installed

sudo apt-get install certbot

Get certificate for your IRC domain

sudo certbot certonly –standalone -d irc.yourdomain.com

Copy certificates to UnrealIRCd

sudo cp /etc/letsencrypt/live/irc.yourdomain.com/fullchain.pem /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/
sudo cp /etc/letsencrypt/live/irc.yourdomain.com/privkey.pem /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/

Set correct permissions

sudo chown unrealircd:unrealircd /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/*.pem
sudo chmod 600 /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/privkey.pem
sudo chmod 644 /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/fullchain.pem

Restart UnrealIRCd

cd /path/to/unrealircd
./unrealircd restart
`

Auto-Renewal Setup

Create a renewal hook to automatically copy certificates:

`bash

Create renewal hook script

sudo nano /etc/letsencrypt/renewal-hooks/deploy/copy-to-unrealircd.sh
`

Add this content:

`bash

!/bin/bash

cp /etc/letsencrypt/live/irc.yourdomain.com/fullchain.pem /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/
cp /etc/letsencrypt/live/irc.yourdomain.com/privkey.pem /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/
chown unrealircd:unrealircd /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/*.pem
chmod 600 /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/privkey.pem
chmod 644 /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/fullchain.pem
/path/to/unrealircd/unrealircd rehash
`

Make it executable:

`bash

sudo chmod +x /etc/letsencrypt/renewal-hooks/deploy/copy-to-unrealircd.sh
`

Usage

Basic Shortcode

`

[web_irc_client]
`

Shortcode with Attributes

`

[web_irc_client theme=”dark” width=”100%” height=”600px”]
`

Available attributes:

• theme – Override theme (light or dark)
• width – Set custom width (default: 100%)
• height – Set custom height (default: 70vh)

IRC Commands

Users can use standard IRC commands:

• /nick newname – Change nickname
• /join #channel – Join a channel
• /part – Leave current channel
• /msg username message – Send private message
• /me action – Send action message
• /help – Show available commands

Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

Problem: “Reconnecting…” message appears

Solutions:

1. Verify UnrealIRCd is running: ps aux | grep unrealircd
2. Check port is listening: sudo netstat -tlnp | grep 7443
3. Verify SSL certificate is valid and not expired
4. Check UnrealIRCd logs: tail -f /path/to/unrealircd/logs/ircd.log
5. Test WebSocket connection: https://www.piesocket.com/websocket-tester

SSL Certificate Errors

Problem: Certificate expired or invalid

Solution:

`bash

Check certificate expiry

sudo certbot certificates

Renew if needed

sudo certbot renew –force-renewal

Copy to UnrealIRCd and restart

sudo cp /etc/letsencrypt/live/irc.yourdomain.com/*.pem /path/to/unrealircd/conf/tls/
./unrealircd restart
`

Plugin Not Loading

Problem: IRC client doesn’t appear on page

Solutions:

1. Verify shortcode is correct: [web_irc_client]
2. Clear WordPress cache
3. Clear browser cache (Ctrl+Shift+R)
4. Check browser console for JavaScript errors (F12)
5. Verify WebSocket URL is configured in plugin settings

WordPress 6.9 Issues

Problem: Plugin stopped working after WordPress 6.9 update

Solution: Update to version 5.2.0 which includes WordPress 6.9 compatibility fixes.

Support

• GitHub: https://github.com/badwolf1972/web-irc-client
• Issues: https://github.com/badwolf1972/web-irc-client/issues
• WordPress Support: https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/badwolf-web-irc-client/

Credits

• Author: Martin Cooper (badwolf72)
• Website: https://www.oo3dmodels.com
• License: GPL v2 or later