Getting Started¶

Connect as a user¶

The fastest way to try freeq:

1. Open irc.freeq.at in your browser
2. Click Sign in with Bluesky (or connect as a guest)
3. You'll land in #freeq — say hello

That's it. Your messages are cryptographically signed, your identity is verified, and you're chatting on an open protocol.

Other ways to connect¶

iOS app¶

Download from the App Store (or build from source). Sign in with Bluesky, same as web.

Any IRC client¶

freeq is a standard IRC server. Connect with irssi, weechat, HexChat, or any IRC client:

Server: irc.freeq.at
Port: 6697 (TLS)

Without Bluesky auth, you'll connect as a guest. All standard IRC features work.

TUI client¶

cargo install freeq-tui
freeq-tui

Runs in your terminal. Supports Bluesky OAuth, vi/emacs keybindings, inline images.

Run your own server¶

git clone https://github.com/chad/freeq
cd freeq
cargo build --release -p freeq-server
./target/release/freeq-server --bind 0.0.0.0:6667

See the Self-Hosting Guide for TLS, nginx, systemd, and production configuration.

Build a bot¶

cargo new mybot
cd mybot
# Add freeq-sdk dependency

See the Bot Quickstart for a 10-minute tutorial.

Key concepts¶