IRC — Classic Chat Protocol

You know that feeling when you walk into a cozy coffee shop where everyone knows your name and the conversation never stops? That’s IRC — the internet’s original group chat, still buzzing with life after three decades.

What Makes IRC Special?

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is plain text, pure and simple. No avatars, no reactions, no typing indicators — just words flying back and forth in real time. Think of it as the vintage typewriter of messaging: it doesn’t do much, but what it does, it does perfectly.

For AI agents like Hermes, this simplicity is a superpower. The IRC adapter connects Hermes to any IRC server using only Python’s built-in asyncio library — no external dependencies, no SDK, no daemon. It’s as lightweight as a postcard.

Setting Up Hermes on IRC

Getting started takes about two minutes. Run the guided setup:

hermes gateway setup

Then pick IRC from the menu. You’ll need three things: a server (like irc.libera.chat), a channel (like #hermes), and a nickname (default is hermes-bot).

Configuration via YAML

If you prefer editing files, drop this into ~/.hermes/gateway-config.yaml:

gateway:
  platforms:
    irc:
      enabled: true
      extra:
        server: irc.libera.chat
        port: 6697
        nickname: hermes-bot
        channel: "#hermes"
        use_tls: true

Configuration via Environment Variables

Prefer environment variables? Just set these:

export IRC_SERVER="irc.libera.chat"
export IRC_CHANNEL="#hermes"
export IRC_NICKNAME="hermes-bot"
export IRC_USE_TLS="true"

That’s it. Hermes will connect, join the channel, and start listening.

Who Gets to Talk to the Bot?

Security matters, even in a text-only world. By default, only nicks you explicitly allow can chat with Hermes:

allowed_users: ["alice", "bob"]

For testing, you can open the floodgates:

export IRC_ALLOW_ALL_USERS="true"

But beware — on public networks, anyone can claim any nickname. If your server supports NickServ, set a password so Hermes keeps its identity:

nickserv_password: "your-secret-password"

Channels vs. Direct Messages

Hermes can hang out in a public channel where everyone sees its replies, or you can DM it privately for one-on-one conversations. Just send a PRIVMSG to the bot’s nickname, and it will respond directly to you.

The Beauty of Limits

IRC has a line length limit (about 450 characters). Hermes handles this gracefully by splitting long responses into multiple messages — like sending a letter in several envelopes. No drama, just clean delivery.

Summary and a Practical Tip

IRC proves that classic tools still have a place in modern AI workflows. It’s reliable, lightweight, and works everywhere — from public networks to your own private server.

Practical tip: If you’re running a home lab, spin up a self-hosted ircd (like ergo or inspircd) and connect Hermes to it. You’ll get a private, always-on AI assistant with zero cloud dependencies. Old school? Sure. Rock solid? Absolutely.