# Install weechat with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Extensible IRC client. Version 4.9.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-05. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:weechat ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install weechat ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install weechat ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: irc/weechat/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add weechat ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: weechat from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install weechat ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: weechat from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install weechat ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: weechat 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#weechat ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: weechat from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S weechat ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: weechat from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install weechat ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: weechat from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:weechat - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 4.9.3 - **Source summary:** Extensible IRC client - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-3.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-05T16:18:44Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - weechat (cli) - weechat-curses (cli) - weechat-headless (cli) - weechat (alias) - weechat-curses (alias) - weechat-headless (alias) ## Dependencies - cjson - enchant - gettext - gnutls - libgcrypt - libgpg-error - lua - ncurses - python@3.14 - ruby - tcl-tk - zstd ## Build dependencies - asciidoctor - cmake - gettext - pkgconf ## Uses from macOS - curl - perl ## 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: 4.9.3 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-05 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://weechat.org/ - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage WeeChat is a long-running terminal chat client whose name expands to "Wee Enhanced Environment for Chat." It began in 2003 as Sebastien Helleu's answer to a missing combination of free software, Linux support, text UI, real nicklist, and multi-language extensibility. ### Project history The official history page dates the first line of code to June 2003 and the first public version, 0.0.1, to September 2003. Early releases added Perl, Python, Ruby, Lua, Aspell, DCC, proxy support, IPv6, SSL, and full UTF-8 support, establishing WeeChat as an extensible IRC client rather than a minimal terminal frontend. A major rewrite landed in version 0.3.0 in September 2009 with the new weechat.org site, a new plugin API, and Tcl plugin support. Later milestones added SASL authentication, 256-color display, IRC proxy support, mouse support, relay protocol features, the script manager, secured data, trigger and exec plugins, and eventually headless mode. ### Adoption history WeeChat became one of the standard terminal IRC clients for users who wanted the scriptability and persistence of Irssi-style workflows with a broad plugin system and modern UI affordances. Its official site emphasizes multi-server IRC, proxy support, IPv6, SASL, nicklist, DCC, smart filtering, split windows, customizable bars, and eight scripting languages. The 2012 relay protocol and later remote-interface work helped WeeChat fit persistent-server setups where the client runs on a shell host and users connect from browsers, phones, GUI clients, Emacs, or another WeeChat instance. The 2021 move to XDG directories by default marked a packaging-friendly modernization of long-standing Unix config behavior. ### How it is used Typical WeeChat usage is interactive and persistent: users connect to IRC networks, join channels, keep logs and buffers open, load scripts, configure bars and filters, and often run the client inside tmux or on a remote host. The secure-data and relay configuration files are central to real deployments because they hold server passwords, SASL credentials, and relay secrets. For package-manager users, WeeChat is the installable terminal chat environment that can start simple and then grow through scripts, plugins, relay clients, and extensive configuration. It sits in the same cultural space as Irssi and ircII, but with an intentionally broad plugin API and remote-interface story. ### Why package nerds care WeeChat matters because it is one of the rare terminal chat clients with more than two decades of continuous development and an official historical record of feature evolution. It is a package that system administrators, IRC regulars, and terminal-focused developers install once and then shape into a personal communications workstation. ### Timeline - 2003-06: First line of code. - 2003-09: Version 0.0.1, the first version, released. - 2005-07: Proxy support, IPv6, and SSL added. - 2009-09: Version 0.3.0 shipped major rewrite, new plugin API, Tcl plugin, and new weechat.org site. - 2012-02: WeeChat relay protocol and remote-interface support added. - 2014-08: Version 1.0 added Trigger and Exec plugins, bare display, hidden buffers, and unit tests. - 2018-03: Headless mode added. - 2021-06: XDG directories became the default. ### Related projects - WeeChat is commonly compared with other terminal IRC clients such as Irssi and ircII, and with bouncers or relay setups that keep chat sessions alive on remote hosts. Its relay ecosystem also connects it to mobile, browser, GUI, and editor-based front ends. ### Sources - - - - - ## 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: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/weechat, ~/.config/weechat, ~/.weechat ## Credential files - Unix: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/weechat/sec.conf, ~/.config/weechat/sec.conf, ~/.config/weechat/irc.conf, ~/.config/weechat/relay.conf, ~/.weechat/sec.conf ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** weechat - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - weechat - 4.6.3-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: weechat from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Fast, light and extensible chat client (metapackage) | https://weechat.org/ - Debian apt - weechat-core - 4.6.3-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: weechat-core from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Fast, light and extensible chat client - core files | https://weechat.org/ - Debian apt - weechat-curses - 4.6.3-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: weechat-curses from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Fast, light and extensible chat client - console client | https://weechat.org/ - Debian apt - weechat-dev - 4.6.3-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: weechat-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Fast, light and extensible chat client - development headers | https://weechat.org/ - Debian apt - weechat-doc - 4.6.3-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: weechat-doc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Fast, light and extensible chat client - documentation | https://weechat.org/ - Debian apt - weechat-guile - 4.6.3-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: weechat-guile from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Fast, light and extensible chat client - Guile plugin | https://weechat.org/ - Debian apt - weechat-headless - 4.6.3-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: weechat-headless from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Fast, light and extensible chat client - headless client | https://weechat.org/ - Debian apt - weechat-lua - 4.6.3-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: weechat-lua from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Fast, light and extensible chat client - Lua plugin | https://weechat.org/ - Debian apt - weechat-perl - 4.6.3-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: weechat-perl from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Fast, light and extensible chat client - Perl plugin | https://weechat.org/ - Debian apt - weechat-php - 4.6.3-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: weechat-php from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Fast, light and extensible chat client - PHP plugin | https://weechat.org/ - Debian apt - weechat-plugins - 4.6.3-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: weechat-plugins from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Fast, light and extensible chat client - plugins | https://weechat.org/ - Debian apt - weechat-python - 4.6.3-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: weechat-python from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Fast, light and extensible chat client - Python 3 plugin | https://weechat.org/ - Debian apt - weechat-ruby - 4.6.3-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: weechat-ruby from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Fast, light and extensible chat client - Ruby plugin | https://weechat.org/ - Debian apt - weechat-tcl - 4.6.3-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: weechat-tcl from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Fast, light and extensible chat client - Tcl plugin | https://weechat.org/ - Nix - weechat: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: weechat from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/master/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix - Ubuntu apt - weechat - 4.1.1-1build7: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: weechat from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Fast, light and extensible chat client (metapackage) | https://weechat.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. - [enchant](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/enchant/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gettext](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gettext/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gnutls](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gnutls/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [libgcrypt](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libgcrypt/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [libgpg-error](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libgpg-error/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [lua](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lua/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [ncurses](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ncurses/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [asciidoctor](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/asciidoctor/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [cmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmake/) - 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. - [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. - [irssi](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/irssi/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chat, cli, irc, networking, terminal. - [znc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/znc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chat, cli, irc, networking. - [bitchx](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bitchx/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, irc, networking, terminal. - [bitlbee](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bitlbee/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: chat, cli, irc, networking. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/weechat.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/weechat.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