IRCd facts for kids

An IRCd is a special computer program. It helps people chat with each other online. Think of it as the "brain" of an IRC network. It lets you send text messages in real time, like instant messaging, but in bigger chat rooms.

What is an IRCd?

An IRCd stands for Internet Relay Chat daemon. A daemon is a computer program that runs in the background. It waits for things to happen and then does its job. In this case, the IRCd is a server program. It uses the IRC protocol to let people talk to each other over the Internet.

How does an IRCd work?

The IRCd program acts like a central hub for chat. It lets many people connect at the same time.

• Connecting users: The server accepts connections from IRC client programs. These are the apps you use to chat, like mIRC or HexChat. They connect to the IRCd using special TCP ports.
• Connecting servers: If the IRCd is part of a larger IRC network, it also connects to other IRCd servers. This lets people on different servers chat together in the same rooms. It's like having many chat rooms linked up across the world.

The word ircd used to mean only one specific type of software. Today, there are many different IRCd programs that do the same job. They all follow the rules of the IRC protocol.

See also

In Spanish: IRCd para niños