404 FORUM

1. Install Tor and HexChat

Ensure you have Tor installed and running. If not, install it:

sudo apt install tor -y

Start and enable Tor:

sudo systemctl start tor
sudo systemctl enable tor

Check if Tor is running:

systemctl status tor

Also, ensure HexChat is installed:

sudo apt install hexchat -y

2. Configure HexChat to Use Tor

HexChat doesn’t support Tor directly, but you can route it through a SOCKS5 proxy.

1. Open HexChat.
2. Go to Settings > Preferences > Network Setup.
3. Under Proxy Server, set:

- Type: SOCKS5

- Host: 127.0.0.1

- Port: 9050

- Leave username/password empty.

3. Add the Tor Hidden Service IRC Server

1. In HexChat, go to Network List (Ctrl + S).
2. Click Add and enter a name for the network (e.g., "Tor IRC").
3. Click Edit and add the .onion address of the IRC server in the Server List.

- Example for OFTC (replace with the real server if different):

```

oftcnet5t37o4bx3.onion/6667

```

1. Enable "Use SSL for all servers in this network" if required.
2. Uncheck "Use global user information" and enter a nickname.
3. Under Connect Commands, add:

```

/msg NickServ IDENTIFY your_nickname your_password

```

4. Connect to the IRC Server

Click Connect and wait for HexChat to establish a connection.

5. Troubleshooting

• If you get connection refused, verify that Tor is running with:

```bash

systemctl status tor

```

• Check if the .onion IRC server is online.
• Try port 6697 if SSL is required:

```

oftcnet5t37o4bx3.onion/6697

```

• If you still have issues, check logs by running:

```bash

journalctl -xeu tor

```