--- name: "senpai" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "senpai" version: "0.5.0-2" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/senpai" --- # senpai(1) your everyday IRC student ## NAME senpai - your everyday IRC student ## SYNOPSIS **senpai** \[options...\] \[link\] ## OPTIONS - **-config** \ Use a different path for the configuration file. Its format is documented in [**senpai**(5)](/senpai/5.md). - **-nickname** \ Advanced. Nick name to connect as. Overrides the configuration item of the same name. - **-debug** Advanced. Show all IRC messages that are received from/sent to the server. - **-version** Display version info. senpai can also be opened with an *irc://* link to a server or target. In that case, the link is opened in an existing instance if available. ## DESCRIPTION senpai is an IRC client made for bouncers. It supports the newest IRC extensions, such as: - • *CHATHISTORY*, senpai fetches history from the server instead of keeping logs, - • *@+typing*, senpai shows when others are typing a message, - • *BOUNCER*, senpai connects to all your networks at once automatically, - • *SEARCH*, senpai can search messages quickly server-side, - • *FILEHOST*, senpai can upload files to the bouncer, - • and more to come! ## CONFIGURATION senpai searches for it in the following location: $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/senpai/senpai.scfg If unset, $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME defaults to **~/.config** or the platform's equivalent For information about the configuration format, see [**senpai**(5)](/senpai/5.md). If the configuration file does not exist, a setup assistant will create one for you. ## USER INTERFACE The user interface of senpai consists of several parts. On the left, the **buffer list**, shows joined channels. The special buffer **home** is where server notices are shown. The list can be put on the bottom of the screen with a configuration option. Buffers can be closed with the mouse middle click, or the *part* command. On the right, the **member list**, shows members joined to the current channel. On the bottom, the **input field** is where you type in messages or commands (see **COMMANDS**). By default, when you type a message, senpai will inform others in the channel that you are typing. On the row above, the **status line** (or... just a line if nothing is happening...) is where typing indicators are shown (e.g. "dan- is typing..."). Finally, the message **timeline** is displayed on the rest of the screen. senpai supports the mouse almost everywhere (clicking on nicks, buffers, members, links; resizing panels; and features "buttons"). On supported terminals, the cursor will turn into a hand when over a clickable element. ## SELECTING TEXT In order to select text with a mouse, hold SHIFT while clicking and dragging the mouse. **Clicking and dragging without holding SHIFT will not work, as** **senpai eats these events for eg selecting channels.** ## OPENING LINKS In order to open links, refer to your terminal manual. On most terminals, opening links is done by holding CTRL, or SHIFT, while clicking the link. On the **foot** terminal, links can be opened by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+O. A simple left click with no modifiers will make senpai try to preview the link, or open it. In order to skip the preview, open the link with a modifier, as specified above, instead of an unmodified left click. ## KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS These shortcuts can be customized in the configuration, see [senpai(5)](/senpai/5.md). **CTRL-A** Move the cursor to the beginning of the input field. **CTRL-E** Move the cursor to the end of the input field. **CTRL-C** Clear input line, or prepare for exit by adding /quit to input line. **CTRL-F** Prepare for search: add /search to input line. **CTRL-K** Prepare for jumping to a buffer: add /buffer to input line. **CTRL-ALT-V** Prepare for uploading the clipboard: add /upload to input line. **CTRL-U**, **PgUp** Go up in the timeline. **CTRL-D**, **PgDown** Go down in the timeline. **CTRL-N**, **ALT-RIGHT** Go to the next buffer. **CTRL-P**, **ALT-LEFT** Go to the previous buffer. **SHIFT-RIGHT** Go to the next unread buffer. **SHIFT-LEFT** Go to the previous unread buffer. **ALT-HOME** Go to the first buffer. **ALT-END** Go to the last buffer. **ALT-P** Go to the previous highlight **ALT-N** Go to the next highlight, or to the (most recent) end of the timeline if there is none. **ALT-{1..9}** Go to buffer by index. **UP**, **DOWN**, **LEFT**, **RIGHT**, **HOME**, **END**, **BACKSPACE**, **DELETE** Edit the text in the input field. **ENTER** Sends the contents of the input field. **TAB** Open the auto-completion dialog. Choose auto-completion item with **UP** and **DOWN**, then press **TAB** again to confirm. **CTRL-L** Refresh the window. **F7** Show/hide the vertical channel list. **F8** Show/hide the vertical member list. ## COMMANDS If you type and send a message that starts with a slash (**/**), it will instead be interpreted as a command: /*name* argument1 argument2... *name* is matched case-insensitively. It can be one of the following: **HELP** \[search\] Show the list of command (or a commands that match the given search terms). **JOIN** \ Join the given channel. **PART** \[channel\] \[reason\] Part the given channel, defaults to the current one if omitted. **QUIT** \[reason\] Quits senpai. **MOTD** Show the message of the day (MOTD). **NAMES** Show the member list of the current channel. Powerlevels (such as *@* for "operator", or *+* for "voice") are shown in green. **TOPIC** \[topic\] If *topic* is omitted, show the topic of the current channel and, if available, the person who set it and the time when it has been set. Otherwise, change the topic of the current channel to *topic*. **MUTE** Mute the current channel. This prevents being distracted from new messages on unimportant channels. This moves the channel to the end of the server, and greys its name out so that new messages do not change its color in the list. Highlights will still send a notification. **UNMUTE** Unmute the current channel. See **MUTE**. **PIN** Pin the current channel. This moves the channel to the start of the buffer list. **UNPIN** Unpin the current channel. See **PIN**. **MSG** \ \ Send *content* to *target*. **REPLY** \ Reply to the last person who sent a private message. **ME** \ Send a message prefixed with your nick (a user action). If sent from home, reply to the last person who sent a private message. **NP** Send the current song that is being played on the system. Uses DBus/MPRIS internally. **UPLOAD** \[file path\] Upload a local file to the bouncer. If no path is given, upload the current clipboard content instead (requires **wl-paste** on Wayland or **xclip** on X11; Linux only). **SCREENSHOT** Take and upload a screenshot to the bouncer. Requires support for D-Bus and xdg-desktop-portal (e.g. Gnome, or xdg-desktop-portal-wlr on sway). **QUOTE** \ Send *raw message* verbatim. **LIST** \[pattern\] List public channels, optionally matching the specified pattern. **BUFFER** \ Switch to the buffer at the *index* position, or containing *name*. The buffer list will be filtered according to the passed name; entering the command will select the first buffer in the list. **WHOIS** \ Get information about someone who is connected. **WHOWAS** \ Get information about someone who is disconnected. **NICK** \ Change your nickname. **OPER** \ \ Log in to an operator account. **MODE** \ \ \[args\] Change channel or user modes. **INVITE** \ \[channel\] Invite *nick* to *channel* (the current channel if not given). **KICK** \ \[channel\] \[message\] Eject *nick* from *channel* (the current channel if not given) with an optional kick message/reason. **BAN** \ \[channel\] Ban *nick* from entering *channel* (the current channel if not given). **UNBAN** \ \[channel\] Allow *nick* to enter *channel* again (the current channel if not given). **SEARCH** \ Search messages matching the given text, in the current channel or server. This opens a temporary list, which can be closed with the escape key. **AWAY** \[message\] Mark yourself as away, with an optional away message. Use **BACK** to cancel. **BACK** Mark yourself as back from being away (see **AWAY**). **VERSION** \[target\] Query the server software version. **ADMIN** \[target\] Query the server administrative information. **LUSERS** Query the server user information. **TIME** \[target\] Query the server local time. **INFO** Query server information. **LINKS** Query the servers of the network. **SHRUG** Send a shrug emoji to the current channel. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ **TABLEFLIP** Send a table flip emoji to the current channel. (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ **STATS** \ \[target\] Query server statistics (advanced). **CONNECT** \ \[\ \[remote server\]\] Connect a server to the network (advanced). **SQUIT** \ \[comment\] Disconnects a server from the network (advanced). **KILL** \ \[message\] Eject someone from the server (advanced). **REHASH** Make the server reload its configuration (advanced). **RESTART** Make the server restart (advanced). **WALLOPS** \[text\] Broadcast a message to all users (advanced). ## ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES The following standard environment variables are supported. **ALL\_PROXY** URL of a SOCKS proxy to use when connecting to the server. **SSL\_CERT\_DIR** Colon-separated list of directories containing TLS certificates to trust, in OpenSSL c\_rehash format. **SSL\_CERT\_FILE** Path to a file, PEM-encoded, containing a list of TLS certificates to trust. ## SEE ALSO [**senpai**(5)](/senpai/5.md) ## AUTHORS Creator/Sensei: Hubert Hirtz \!\ Current maintainer: delthas \.\ Sources are available at \.\ Patches are welcome by email at \<~delthas/senpai-dev@lists.sr.ht\>.