# Install irssi with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Modular IRC client. Version 1.4.5 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:irssi ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install irssi ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install irssi ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: irc/irssi/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add irssi ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: irssi from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install irssi ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: irssi from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install irssi ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: irssi from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#irssi ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ir/irssi/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S irssi ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: irssi from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install irssi ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: irssi from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:irssi - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.4.5 - **Source summary:** Modular IRC client - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later WITH openvpn-openssl-exception - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - irssi (cli) - irssi (alias) ## Dependencies - gettext - glib - openssl@3 - perl ## Build dependencies - meson - ninja - pkgconf ## Uses from macOS - ncurses ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.4.5 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/irssi/irssi - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: No cached GitHub release or tag data was available. ## Project history and usage Irssi is a long-running terminal chat client from the IRC culture of the late 1990s. Its upstream site describes it as a modular text-mode chat client with IRC support built in, a theme system, protocol modules, Perl scripting, proxy support, and upgrades oriented around users who live in shells and remote sessions. ### Project history The Irssi site marks the project as established in 1999, and its NEWS archive records Timo Sirainen releasing early 0.3.x builds in January 1999 and 0.7.x builds later that year. The manual explains the design pressure behind the project: Sirainen wanted an IRC client that was extremely modular and could be upgraded without disconnecting from servers. Over time Irssi settled into the Unix terminal niche: a fullscreen text interface, a durable configuration file, scripting hooks, themes, and support for running inside screen, tmux, or persistent shell accounts. The project kept compatibility and security work visible through its NEWS archive, including 0.8-era maintenance, 1.0.0-era feature stabilization, and later security and protocol updates. ### Adoption history Irssi became one of the standard packaged IRC clients across Unix-like systems because it fit server-side chat habits: install a small terminal client, connect from a shell host, detach the terminal multiplexer, and keep IRC state alive. The Homebrew source facts show it packaged under the same name across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, MacPorts, Nix, Alpine, and openSUSE. Its adoption also came from its script ecosystem. The official scripts site and scripts repository preserve many small Perl extensions, reinforcing Irssi's role as a programmable IRC client rather than only a fixed binary. ### How it is used Package users normally run the `irssi` executable, keep configuration in `~/.irssi/config`, and customize behavior with `/set`, themes, scripts, windows, networks, and autojoin rules. The official documentation centers on startup, settings, scripting, themes, and command reference material. Irssi is especially associated with terminal-first IRC workflows: running in a multiplexer, using keyboard navigation, logging channels, and extending the client with Perl scripts for status bars, notifications, proxies, and channel automation. ### Why package nerds care Irssi matters to package nerds because it is a canonical example of a durable terminal network client: small enough to ship everywhere, old enough to expose portability issues, scriptable enough to attract local customization, and security-sensitive enough that distributions track upstream advisories closely. It also represents a packaging pattern common to Unix chat tools: a core C program, optional modules, user-managed dot-directory state, and a community script shelf that outlives many graphical IRC clients. ### Timeline - 1999: Early Irssi 0.3.x releases appear in the upstream NEWS archive. - 1999: The Irssi site presents the project as established in 1999. - 2003: The 0.8.9 release appears in the NEWS archive as a security-oriented maintenance release. - 2010: The 0.8.15 release announcement describes feature and bug-fix work after a long release gap. - 2017: The 1.0.0 line marks a major stable-era milestone for the long-running client. ### Related projects - Irssi sits beside terminal and IRC tools such as WeeChat, BitchX, ircII, screen, tmux, BitlBee, SILC modules, ICB modules, and Perl-based client scripting. ### Sources - The official site documents the project purpose, 1999 establishment marker, modules, themes, scripting, proxy support, and documentation surface. - The upstream NEWS archive supplies release chronology back to 1999. - The upstream manual and script repository document the modular design and script culture. ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Unix: ~/.irssi/config ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** irssi - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 2 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - irssi - 1.4.5-1+b5: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: irssi from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | terminal based IRC client | https://irssi.org/ - Debian apt - irssi-dev - 1.4.5-1+b5: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: irssi-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | terminal based IRC client - development files | https://irssi.org/ - Debian apt - irssi-plugin-otr - 1.4.5-1+b5: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: irssi-plugin-otr from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Off-The-Record messaging plugin for Irssi | https://irssi.org/ - Nix - irssi: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ir/irssi/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - irssi - 1.4.5-1ubuntu5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: irssi from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | terminal based IRC client | https://irssi.org/ - Ubuntu apt - irssi-dev - 1.4.5-1ubuntu5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: irssi-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | terminal based IRC client - development files | https://irssi.org/ - Ubuntu apt - irssi-plugin-otr - 1.4.5-1ubuntu5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: irssi-plugin-otr from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Off-The-Record messaging plugin for Irssi | https://irssi.org/ - apk - irssi - 1.4.5-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: irssi from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Modular textUI IRC client with IPv6 support | https://irssi.org/ - apk - irssi-dev - 1.4.5-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: irssi-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Modular textUI IRC client with IPv6 support (development files) | https://irssi.org/ - apk - irssi-doc - 1.4.5-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: irssi-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Modular textUI IRC client with IPv6 support (documentation) | https://irssi.org/ - apk - irssi-otr - 1.4.5-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: irssi-otr from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Irssi module for enabling OTR functionality | https://irssi.org/ - apk - irssi-perl - 1.4.5-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: irssi-perl from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Irssi perl support and scripts | https://irssi.org/ - apk - irssi-proxy - 1.4.5-r7: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: irssi-proxy from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Irssi module for enabling bouncer-like functionality | https://irssi.org/ - dnf - irssi - 1.4.5-11.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: irssi from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Modular text mode IRC client with Perl scripting | http://irssi.org/ - dnf - irssi-devel - 1.4.5-11.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: irssi-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Development package for irssi | http://irssi.org/ - pacman - irssi - 1.4.5-5: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: irssi from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Modular text mode IRC client with Perl scripting | https://irssi.org/ ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [gettext](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gettext/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [glib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/glib/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [openssl@3](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/openssl-3/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [perl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/perl/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [meson](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/meson/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [ninja](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ninja/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [catgirl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/catgirl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chat, cli, irc, networking, terminal. - [senpai](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/senpai/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chat, cli, irc, networking, terminal. - [tiny](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/tiny/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chat-client, cli, irc, networking, terminal. - [znc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/znc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chat, cli, irc, networking. - [epic5](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/epic5/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chat, cli, irc, networking, scripting. - [weechat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/weechat/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chat, cli, irc, networking, terminal. - [icbirc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/icbirc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chat, cli, irc, networking. - [ii](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ii/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chat, cli, irc, networking. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/irssi.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/irssi.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph