How to use the Srain IRC client on Chrome OS

Believe it or not, some people still communicate over IRC. Whether it’s development, keeping up with friends, or online community, IRC is still around. If you’re on a Chromebook and want to access IRC, you can install the Srain IRC client. Here’s how to get it working on your system.

How to enable Linux on Chrome OS

The Srain IRC client is a Linux application, and as a result, you need to install and enable Linux support on your Chromebook before attempting to install it. To enable Linux support on Chrome OS, do the following.

First, click on the Chrome OS clock. When you select the clock in the Chrome OS dash, find the gear icon, and select it with the mouse. After selecting the gear icon, you’ll have the Chrome OS settings window open.

Inside the Chrome OS settings area, find the “Advanced” section, and click on it with the mouse. When you select the “Advanced” button, it’ll reveal a ton of advanced options, including “Developers.” Click on it with the mouse.

In the “Developers” area, select the “turn on” button next to “Linux developer environment.” Selecting this button will download a Debian Linux container to your Chromebook. Additionally, it’ll download the Chrome OS terminal application, and launch it.

After the terminal app is open, find “Penguin.” Selecting the “Penguin” option will load you into the Debian Linux terminal command line. From here, use the apt update and apt upgrade command to ensure everything is up to date.

sudo apt update

sudo apt upgrade

With everything up to date, you’ll be free to use your Chromebook to install Linux programs like the Srain IRC client.

How to install Srain on Chrome OS – Debian package

If you’re looking to install Srain, the easiest way to get it working on Chrome OS is to use Debian’s built-in package manager. This package manager is easy to use. To get Srain installed, start by launching the Chrome OS terminal app.

Once the terminal app is running on your Chromebook, find “Penguin,” and select it with the mouse. You can then run the apt install command below to install the “srain” package on your Chrome OS device.

sudo apt install srain

After running the command above, the terminal will collect all dependencies required to run Srain on your system. It’ll then ask you to press the Y key. Do so to install Srain on your Chrome OS device.

How to install Srain on Chrome OS – Flatpak

Another way to get the Srain app working on Chrome OS is via Flatpak. To start, open up a terminal window on the Chrome OS desktop. Once it is open, find “Penguin,” and select it with the mouse.

Inside the terminal, use the apt install command to install the “flatpak” package. This package handles all of your Flatpak apps, and Flatpak app stores (like Flathub.)

sudo apt install flatpak

Once the “flatpak” package is installed on your system, you need to add the Flathub app store to your Chromebook. By adding Flathub, you will be able to install the Srain IRC client. You can add Flathub with the following command.

flatpak --user remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

With the Flathub repository installed on your system, you can install the software on your system using the flatpak install command.

flatpak install flathub im.srain.Srain

How to connect to IRC servers with Srain on Chrome OS

To connect to IRC servers with Srain on your Chromebook, do the following. First, launch the app through the “Linux apps” folder. Once it is open, find the “Server” box, and enter the IRC server you plan to connect to. Alternatively, click the arrow to select from existing servers.

After entering the server URL, find “Nickname,” and enter your desired username. If you have a passworded account, select “Advanced Mode.” When you select this option, you’ll be able to enter your password, select your login method, etc.

Once you’ve entered your information, find the “Connect” button, and click on it with the mouse. By selecting the “Connect” button, Srain will attempt to log you into the IRC server you specified.