IRC_SERVER

This project is intended for a deeper study of the operation of sockets and their interactions on the example of an IRC chat/server. The project is built via Makefile and is run using the following command:

./ircserv [port] [pass]

To connect clients to this IRC server, you can use Limechat client or nc (netcat) as follows:

nc [hostname] [port]

NB : you can use Limechat

IRC_Description

IRC (Internet Relay Chat) - an application-level Protocol for exchanging messages in real-time. Designed primarily for group communication in channels, it also allows you to communicate via private messages and exchange data, including files. We specifically used direct client-to-client file transfer (DCC). IRC uses the TCP transport protocol.

IRC_Network

According to the protocol specifications, an IRC network is a group of servers connected to each other. The simplest network is a single server. In this project, we used a server-to-multiple-clients connection.

RFC Documentation

RFC 1459

Setting Up and Running the IRC Server

• Prerequisites Make sure you have the following installed on your system:

C++ compiler Make utility

• Compilation The IRC server is built using a Makefile. Run the following command to compile the project:

make

• Running the Server Once compiled, you can run the IRC server with the following command:

./ircserv [port] [pass]

[port]: The port number on which the server will listen for incoming connections.

[pass]: An optional password for server authentication.

Server Implementation Details

The server is implemented in C++ and consists of the following key steps:

• Socket Creation: The server creates a socket using the socket system call, specifying the IPv4 address family and TCP socket type.

• Socket Options: Socket options are set using setsockopt to enable reusing the address (SO_REUSEADDR) and set the socket to non-blocking mode.

• Binding: The socket is bound to a specific IP address and port using the bind system call.

• Listening: The server starts listening for incoming connections using the listen system call.

• Polling for Connections: The server uses the poll system call to wait for incoming connections or data on existing connections.

• Handling Connections: The server distinguishes between server and client connections and handles them accordingly. For a new connections, the is_server_connection function is called. For client already connexted, the is_client_connection function is called.

Commands supported

ft_irc supports the following command handling functionalities:

• Join Channel: Users can join a channel or create a none existing one by sending the JOIN command followed by the channel name and a key if existed.

• Private Message to Channels and Clients: Users can send private messages to channels by using the PRIVMSG command followed by the channel name, or directly to clients by specifying their nickname and the message desired to send.

• Kick: Operators can kick users from a channel using the KICK command followed by the nickname of the client to kick.

• Mode: Users can set channel modes using the MODE command, supported modes: ±itkol:

· i: Set/remove Invite-only channel

· t: Set/remove the restrictions of the TOPIC command to channel operators

· k: Set/remove the channel key (password)

· o: Give/take channel operator privilege

· l: Set/remove the user limit to channel

• Part: Users can leave a channel using the PART command, followed by the channel name.

• Notice: Users can send notices to channels or clients using the NOTICE command.

• Invite: Users can invite other clients to join a channel using the INVITE command.

• Quit: Users can quit the server gracefully using the QUIT command, which disconnects them from the server. Refer to the IRC protocol documentation for detailed information on each command's syntax and usage.

Reference

Refer to the the Modern IRC client Protocol Documentation for detailed information on each command's syntax and usage.