---
title: "Python + irclib for IRC Status Updates"
url: "http://andrewbolster.info/2012/04/python--irclib-for-irc-status-updates/"
date: "2012-04-10T17:08:44Z"
tags: ["Farset Labs","Hackerspace","IRC","Linux","Programming","Python","Ubuntu"]
categories: ["Instructional"]
---

IRC, Python, Ubuntu linux. Simples!

Same as by [Twitter](//2012/04/python-oauth2-for-twitter-status-updates/) post, but for IRC.

Biggest problem with this one was working out that the IRC server needs to be kept alive with the `irclib.IRC.process_once()` command. This is wrapped in the while loop that assumes that there is other stuff going on for which you are waiting on a condition to be satisfied, but could easily be ignored if one is just sending out one message. Also, the PRIVMSG command can be used to broadcast to a channel, as is used here, or, as the name suggests, to communicate with a specific user.

All `$VARIABLES` should be replaces with your own stuff

```
import irclib
import time

username="$USERNAME"
irc_net="$NETWORK"
irc_chan="$CHANNEL"
irc_port=6667

try:
    irc=irclib.IRC()
    irc_serv=irc.server()
    irc_serv.connect(irc_net,irc_port,username)
    irc_serv.join(irc_chan)
except irclib.IRCError as err:
    print("Cannot Connect to IRC Service, Aborting:"+err)
    exit

def post_irc(status):
    irc_serv.privmsg(irc_chan,status)

while True:
    time.sleep(1)
    irc.process_once()
    if $CONDITION:
        post_irc($MESSAGE)
```