Writing IRC bots with Perl's BasicBot
Chat Bot

Writing an IRC chat bot does not have to be difficult. We'll show you how to create your own custom IRC bot using the Perl BasicBot module.
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a popular protocol for sustaining group conversations online. The user connects to an IRC server, which is usually part of an IRC network, and joins chat rooms, known as channels, in IRC terminology. Channels are carried by every server that is part of the same IRC network, so users all across the network can join the same channels and talk to each other in real time.
An IRC bot is a program that connects to a chat service as if it were a user and performs automated tasks. Bots are used for running games, conveying messages across different networks, managing user authentication, and much more.
Building a custom bot might seem like a high-end task limited to an enterprise web portal or other commercial service, but in fact, homegrown bots serve a number of roles on smaller networks and are often deployed by local organizations and community groups. For instance, the #bitcoin-otc
channel in the Freenode IRC network makes use of a bot for maintaining the reputation score of the buyers and sellers that trade in the chat. On the other hand, the I2P project keeps a bot that passes messages from users in Freenode to users in Irc2p, the official I2P IRC network.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
openSUSE Tumbleweed Ditches AppArmor for SELinux
If you're an openSUSE Tumbleweed user, you can expect a major change to the distribution.
-
Plasma 6.3 Now Available
Plasma desktop v6.3 has a couple of pretty nifty tricks up its sleeve.
-
LibreOffice 25.2 Has Arrived
If you've been hoping for a release that offers more UI customizations, you're in for a treat.
-
TuxCare Has a Big AlmaLinux 9 Announcement in Store
TuxCare announced it has successfully completed a Security Technical Implementation Guide for AlmaLinux OS 9.
-
First Release Candidate for Linux Kernel 6.14 Now Available
Linus Torvalds has officially released the first release candidate for kernel 6.14 and it includes over 500,000 lines of modified code, making for a small release.
-
System76 Refreshes Meerkat Mini PC
If you're looking for a small form factor PC powered by Linux, System76 has exactly what you need in the Meerkat mini PC.
-
Gnome 48 Alpha Ready for Testing
The latest Gnome desktop alpha is now available with plenty of new features and improvements.
-
Wine 10 Includes Plenty to Excite Users
With its latest release, Wine has the usual crop of bug fixes and improvements, along with some exciting new features.
-
Linux Kernel 6.13 Offers Improvements for AMD/Apple Users
The latest Linux kernel is now available, and it includes plenty of improvements, especially for those who use AMD or Apple-based systems.
-
Gnome 48 Debuts New Audio Player
To date, the audio player found within the Gnome desktop has been meh at best, but with the upcoming release that all changes.