macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install ngircdlocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install ngircdMacPorts ports tree · irc/ngircd/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install ngircd with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix
Lightweight Internet Relay Chat server. Version 27 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-04.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add ngircdAlpine Linux edge package indexes · ngircd · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install ngircdDebian stable package indexes · ngircd · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install ngircdFedora Rawhide package metadata · ngircd · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#ngircdnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ng/ngircd/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Lightweight Internet Relay Chat server
Project links
Commands and aliases
- ngircd
history
Project history and usage
ngIRCd is a lightweight IRC daemon for small, private, in-house, or public IRC networks. It is written from scratch in C, favors portability and a clean configuration file, and does not try to clone every historical quirk of older IRC daemons.
Project history
Development started in 2001, and the project describes itself as written from scratch rather than based on the original IRCNet daemon. The name expands to next-generation IRC daemon, though the documentation jokes that "lightweight IRC server" would probably have been more accurate.
The project has kept a conservative scope: implement useful IRC commands and semantics that clients actually use, follow relevant standards where practical, and stay easy to build and run across Unix-like systems and Windows environments.
Adoption history
ngIRCd is niche but durable. Its own news page says it is used in real-world in-house and public IRC networks and included in package repositories of various operating systems. The GitHub repository shows long-lived maintenance, thousands of commits, and release 27 on April 26, 2024.
Its adoption lane is not massive public IRC networks that need every service integration. It is for admins who want a small IRC server for private communities, labs, LANs, embedded-ish setups, or networks where dynamic IP support, IPv6, TLS, PAM, and simple maintenance matter more than feature sprawl.
How it is used
Users install `ngircd`, edit `ngircd.conf`, define server identity, ports, operators, channels, TLS settings, and optional server links, then run it as a small daemon. It can run standalone or join a network of ngIRCd servers across a LAN or the internet.
Package nerds like ngIRCd because it is the IRC server you can explain in one config file. Compared with heavier IRCd stacks, it is attractive for reproducible test networks, local chat infrastructure, and cases where the service should survive without a pile of companion daemons.
Why package nerds care
ngIRCd is a small-server counterexample to the idea that every network daemon needs a sprawling ecosystem. Its history is valuable mostly because it stayed portable, understandable, and packageable for more than two decades.
Timeline
- 2001: ngIRCd development started.
- 2005: Debian packaging discussions already described it as a scratch-built IRC daemon for small or private networks.
- 2024-04-26: ngIRCd 27 was released after more than three years since the previous release, with accumulated fixes and documentation updates.
Related projects
- IRCNet ircd
- UnrealIRCd
- InspIRCd
- ircd-hybrid
Sources
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:server
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 2 runtime dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
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
Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.
- Unix
/usr/local/etc/ngircd.conf
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
ngircd | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version27
manager updated2026-07-04
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://ngircd.barton.de/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:ngircd |
|---|---|
| Version | 27 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ngircd |
| Homepage | https://ngircd.barton.de/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/ngircd/ngircd |
| Upstream docs | https://ngircd.barton.de/documentation.php.en |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://arthur.barton.de/pub/ngircd/ngircd-27.tar.xz |
| Last updated | 2026-07-04T13:13:44+09:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | libident, openssl@3 |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | ngircd |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
ngircd 27-2
lightweight Internet Relay Chat server
sudo apt install ngircd- Section: net
- Architecture: amd64
- 5 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ngircd
Nix95%
ngircd
nix profile install nixpkgs#ngircd- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ngircd
Ubuntu apt95%
ngircd 26.1-2build1
lightweight Internet Relay Chat server
sudo apt install ngircd- Section: universe/net
- Architecture: amd64
- 5 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ngircd
apk95%
ngircd 27-r2
Next Generation IRC Daemon
sudo apk add ngircd- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ngircd
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ngircd
apk95%
ngircd-doc 27-r2
Next Generation IRC Daemon (documentation)
sudo apk add ngircd-doc- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ngircd
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ngircd
apk95%
ngircd-openrc 27-r2
Next Generation IRC Daemon (OpenRC init scripts)
sudo apk add ngircd-openrc- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ngircd
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ngircd
dnf95%
ngircd 27-7.fc44
Next Generation IRC Daemon
sudo dnf install ngircd- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ngircd
- 8 dependencies
- 4 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ngircd
MacPorts95%
ngircd
sudo port install ngircd- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ngircd
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment