MERK is a cross-platform graphical Internet Relay Chat (IRC) client built around a multiple-document interface. Each server, channel, and private conversation can have its own subwindow, offering an interface reminiscent of classic IRC clients such as mIRC. It combines an approachable graphical interface with extensive configuration, scripting, and plugin facilities.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Multiple-document interface with separate subwindows for servers, channels, and private chats.
- Connect to multiple IRC servers simultaneously.
- Supports TCP/IP and SSL/TLS connections together with SASL authentication.
- Includes a built-in list of more than 200 IRC servers.
- Offers more than 400 settings, with almost all options configurable from the graphical interface and applied immediately.
- Full scripting engine with a syntax-highlighting editor, connection scripts, flow control, aliases, macros, and application-wide hotkeys.
- Python plugin system that can respond to more than 40 IRC and application events.
- Plugins have access to the underlying Twisted IRC client and can be written, edited, and exported within MERK.
- Extensive theming with configurable text colours and backgrounds on a per-channel basis.
- Built-in light and dark styles together with a graphical style editor.
- Automatically logs channels and private conversations using JSON.
- Export logs to CSV, human-readable, and custom formats, and browse logs within the application.
- Spell checking in eight languages, autocomplete, emoji, and ASCIImoji shortcodes.
- Message filtering, audio notifications, clickable links, and full IRC colour and text formatting support.
- MERK markdown provides convenient bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, and colour formatting for IRC messages.
- More than 80 commands are available for interactive use and scripts.
- Linux support includes a standalone executable and Flatpak package, with both X11 and Wayland supported.
- Built-in documentation supplemented by a user guide, command reference, and plugin examples.
Website: github.com/nutjob-laboratories/merk
Support:
Developer: Dan Hetrick
License: GNU General Public License v3.0
MERK is written in Python. Learn Python with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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