zulip/templates/zerver/integrations/irc.md

A bridge for exchanging messages between IRC and Zulip, powered by
[the Zulip Matrix integration](/integrations/doc/matrix).

### Install the bridge software

You can install the bridge software as follows:

1.  First, clone the Zulip API and install its dependencies:

    ```
    git clone https://github.com/zulip/python-zulip-api.git
    cd python-zulip-api
    python3 ./tools/provision
    ```

1. Next, enter the virtualenv, by running the `source` command printed
   at the end of the `provision` output.

1.  Then, run this to install the Matrix bridge software in your virtualenv.

    ```
    pip install -r zulip/integrations/matrix/requirements.txt
    ```

This will create a new Python virtual environment, with all the
dependences for this bridge installed.  You'll want to run the bridge
service inside this virtualenv.  If you later need to enter the
virtualenv (from e.g. a new shell), you can use the `source` command.

### Configure the bridge

{!create-stream.md!}

1. Next, on your Zulip settings page, create a generic bot for Matrix,
preferably with a formal name like `irc-bot`.

1. Subscribe this bot to the Zulip stream where you'd like the bridge
   traffic to be sent.

1.  Edit `zulip/integrations/matrix/matrix_bridge_config.py`, providing
    the following values for the `zulip` section (the first 3 values
    come from a `zuliprc` file):

    ```
    "zulip": {
        "email": "matrix-bot@chat.zulip.org",
        "api_key": "your_key",
        "site": "https://chat.zulip.org",
        "stream": "Stream which acts as the bridge",
        "topic": "Topic of the stream"
    }
    ```

1. Now, create a user on [matrix.org](https://matrix.org/), preferably
   with a formal name like `zulip-bot`.
   Matrix has been bridged to several popular
   [IRC Networks](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-appservice-irc/wiki/Bridged-IRC-networks),
   where the `Room alias format` refers to the `room_id` for the
   corresponding IRC channel.  For example, the `room_id` would be
   `#freenode_#zulip-test:matrix.org` for the freenode channel
   `#zulip-test`.

1.  Edit `matrix_bridge_config.py` to add the Matrix-side settings:

    ```
    "matrix": {
        "host": "https://matrix.org",
        "username": "username of matrix.org user",
        "password": "password of matrix.org user",
        "room_id": "#room:matrix.org"
    }
    ```

1. After the steps above have been completed, run `python matrix_bridge.py` to
start mirroring content.

If you want to customize the message formatting, you can do so by
editing the variables `MATRIX_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE` and
`ZULIP_MESSAGE_TEMPLATE` in
`zulip/integrations/matrix/matrix_bridge.py`, with a suitable
template.

**Congratulations! You have created the bridge successfully!**

Here is an example Zulip-IRC bridge created through Matrix:

Your Zulip notifications may look like:

![](/static/images/integrations/irc/001.png)

Your IRC notifications may look like:

![](/static/images/integrations/irc/002.png)

### Caveats

There are certain
[IRC channels](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-appservice-irc/wiki/Channels-from-which-the-IRC-bridge-is-banned)
where the Matrix.org IRC bridge has been banned for technical reasons.
You can't mirror those IRC channels using this integration.