Glowing Bear
A modern web frontend for the WeeChat IRC client that works on any device with a browser.
What is Glowing Bear?
Glowing Bear is a web frontend for the WeeChat IRC client that provides a modern browser-based interface. It connects directly to a user's WeeChat instance via WebSockets, allowing access to IRC chats from any device with a browser. The project enhances WeeChat with features like media embedding while keeping all backend processing on the WeeChat server.
WeeChat users who want a modern, cross-platform web interface for accessing their IRC sessions from multiple devices without terminal access. It's particularly useful for users who value mobility and browser-based convenience.
Developers choose Glowing Bear because it provides a fully-featured web interface for WeeChat without requiring a separate backend server—it connects directly to WeeChat via WebSockets. The project is entirely client-side, can be self-hosted or used via their hosted version, and works as a progressive web app on mobile devices.
Overview
A web client for WeeChat
Use Cases
Best For
- Accessing WeeChat IRC sessions from mobile devices or tablets
- Using WeeChat without terminal access or SSH connections
- Adding rich media embedding capabilities to WeeChat conversations
- Creating a progressive web app for IRC chat access
- Self-hosting a web-based IRC client with direct backend integration
- Developing custom WeeChat frontends using WebSocket-based architecture
Not Ideal For
- Users who don't run WeeChat or prefer alternative IRC clients like Irssi
- Projects requiring out-of-the-box encrypted connections without manual Let's Encrypt setup
- Teams needing a fully standalone web IRC client without backend dependencies
- Environments where WebSocket proxying through a web server is infeasible or undesirable
Pros & Cons
Pros
Provides access to WeeChat sessions from any modern browser on computers, tablets, or smartphones, with progressive web app support for a native-like experience, as highlighted in the key features.
Connects directly to WeeChat via WebSockets using the relay plugin, eliminating the need for an intermediate backend service and leveraging WeeChat's robust backend capabilities.
Enhances WeeChat conversations by automatically embedding images, videos, and other content, improving user experience over plain text IRC.
Built purely with client-side JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, making it portable and easy to host without server-side components, as noted in the architecture explanation.
Cons
Setting up TLS encryption requires external guides and manual configuration with Let's Encrypt, as the default setup is unencrypted and insecure for internet use, admitted in the README.
Only functions with a running WeeChat instance (version 0.4.2 or later), limiting its use for users of other IRC clients or those seeking a standalone solution.
Relies on AngularJS, which is no longer actively maintained, potentially leading to maintenance challenges and security vulnerabilities, as listed in the contributing section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
UnrealIRCdModular, advanced and highly configurable IRC server written in C for Linux, BSD, Windows, and macOS. (Source Code) GPL-2.0 C
Robust IRCIRC without netsplits. Distributed IRC server, based on RobustSession protocol. (Source Code) BSD-3-Clause Go
Quassel IRCDistributed IRC client, meaning that one (or multiple) client(s) can attach to and detach from a central core. (Source Code) GPL-2.0 C++
The LoungeSelf-hosted web IRC client. (Demo, Source Code) MIT Nodejs/Docker
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