XChat is a graphical IRC client that runs on UNIX like systems. It uses the GTK+ toolkit for graphical abstraction. It if GPL'ed software (free software). It is known to run on these systems:
IRC stands for "Internet Relay Chat". It was originally written by Jarkko Oikarinen (jto@tolsun.oulu.fi) in 1988. Since starting in Finland, it has been used in over 60 countries around the world. It was designed as a replacement for the "talk" program but has become much much more than that. IRC is a multi-user chat system, where people convene on "channels" (a virtual place, usually with a topic of conversation) to talk in groups, or privately. IRC is constantly evolving, so the way things to work one week may not be the way they work the next. Read the MOTD (message of the day) every time you use IRC to keep up on any new happenings or server updates.
IRC gained international fame during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, where updates from around the world came across the wire, and most irc users who were online at the time gathered on a single channel to hear these reports. IRC had similar uses during the coup against Boris Yeltsin in September 1993, where IRC users from Moscow were giving live reports about the unstable situation there.
The user runs a "client" program which connects to the IRC network via another program called a "server", which runs on another computer. Servers exist to pass messages from user to user over the IRC network.
XChat is a graphical client that runs using GTK( GTK Homepage), it is mainly designed to run under UNIX (By this I mean all the UNIX's, like Linux, *BSD etc), but also runs under Win32 systems without some features.
As mentioned above the channel is the basic unit of collective IRC chatting. Everyone who is "in" a channel can see all messages written to the channel and can (usually) write to the channel themselves.
All IRC commands start with a "/", and most are one word. Typing /help will get you help information etc
Once on a server a /join #channel command will join you to the channel #channel in the current window, any further joins while still joined (e.g. before a /part) will open a new window. Once in a channel just type
Channel operators are kings/queens of their channel. This means they can kick you out of their channel for no reason. If you don't like this, you can start your own channel and become a channel operator there.
An IRC operator is someone who maintains the IRC network. They cannot fix channel problems. They cannot kick someone out of a channel for you. They cannot /kill (kick someone out of IRC temporarily) someone just because you gave the offender channel operator privileges and said offender kicked you off.
#hottub and #initgame are almost always teeming with people. #hottub is meant to simulate a hot tub, and #initgame is a non-stop game of "inits" (initials). Just join and find out!
To get a list of channels with their names and topics, do /list -min 20 (on ircII) which will show you channels with 20 or more members. You can also do this for smaller numbers.
Many IRC operators are in #Twilight_Zone ... so if you join that channel be prepared for a lot of senseless dribble, more like what you find on the other channels listed