Night Light IRC Proxy is a UNIX-compatible, C-written software that functions as a multi-user proxy for Internet Relay Chat (IRC).
In essence, the program acts as both a server and a client. It allows you to connect to it with your IRC client, which then connects you to your chosen server. By using a proxy, you can hide your IP address from other users on IRC. Additionally, the IRC proxy can keep your connection to IRC alive even when you disconnect from it.
The IRC proxy is highly flexible, and it allows you to configure multiple ports for listening, access by hostname or IP address, multiple users and multiple connections, and even an optional ident server. To make these customizations, you can use several configuration files, including:
- A listen configuration file (listen.conf) for specifying allowable hosts and ports for user connections
- An access configuration file (access.conf) for listing IP addresses or hostnames that are allowed to connect to the IRC proxy
- An optional user configuration file (user.conf) that includes encrypted passwords and specifies allowed usernames and passwords that IRC clients must send to gain access
- A connection configuration file (conn.conf) for specifying the actual IRC connections to the IRC servers, each of which is owned by a specific user defined in the user.conf file.
This IRC proxy has been successfully compiled and installed on FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Linux, Solaris, OSF1, HP-UX, AIX, and even Windows (Cygwin). It offers advanced features such as sharing your internet connection, acquiring your own hostname from a shell ISP, keeping your IRC connection alive even when you disconnect with your IRC client, and restricting data sent to the IRC server to prevent flooding.
For instance, you can use the proxy to share your internet connection with other users. Even if you're already using NAT, SOCKS, or a forwarding proxy, using ircproxy may be preferable because it allows you to have ident on IRC, and different ident can be assigned for different users.
Similarly, if your ISP doesn't allow you to have a static IP with your own hostname, you can buy shell access from an ISP, and eventually, you can purchase your own IP-address to use with ircproxy. This allows you to hide your real host and to use your chosen IP address with the IRC client.
Overall, Night Light IRC Proxy is an advanced tool designed to offer improved privacy and control over IRC connections, restricting data sent to the IRC server, protecting your IP address, and sharing internet connections. It is an excellent choice for those who are comfortable with advanced configurations and are seeking maximum control over their IRC connections.
Version 1.3.4c: N/A