First Connection

First launch

When you run kokoIRC for the first time, it creates ~/.kokoirc/config.toml with sensible defaults. You'll see the splash screen with version info and a quick-start hint.

No configuration is required before connecting — you can start chatting immediately.

Connect to a server

Use the /connect command to connect to an IRC network:

/connect irc.libera.chat

This connects with TLS on port 6697 by default. To connect without TLS or on a different port, use /server add to set up a persistent server entry.

To auto-connect on startup, add a server block to your config:

[servers.libera]
label = "Libera"
address = "irc.libera.chat"
port = 6697
tls = true
autoconnect = true
channels = ["#kokoirc"]

Join a channel

/join #kokoirc

The # prefix is auto-added if you omit it, so /join kokoirc works too. To join a channel with a key:

/join #secret mykey

Basic navigation

kokoIRC uses a window/buffer model similar to irssi:

• Window 1 is always the status window — it shows server messages, errors, and system notices.
• Each channel and private query opens in its own numbered window.
• The left sidebar shows all open buffers with activity indicators.
• The right sidebar shows the nick list for the current channel.

Switch between windows using keyboard shortcuts or by clicking buffer names in the sidebar.

Keyboard shortcuts

Tip: Esc-number works the same as irssi's Alt-number. If your terminal passes Alt through, Alt+1–9 works too.

Mouse support

kokoIRC has full mouse support in terminals that report mouse events:

• Click buffer names in the left sidebar to switch windows
• Click nicks in the right sidebar to open a private query
• Drag panel edges to resize the sidebars
• Scroll the chat area with your mouse wheel

Mouse support is enabled automatically. No configuration needed.

Getting help

The built-in help system covers every command:

/help              — list all available commands
/help <command>    — detailed help for a specific command

For example, /help server shows the full syntax for adding and managing server connections. /help set explains how to change configuration at runtime.