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TINY(1) User Commands TINY(1)

NAME

tiny - The minimal IRC client for people who hate using the mouse

SYNOPSIS

tiny [options]

DESCRIPTION

Tiny Tiny is a console-based IRC client written in Rust, designed to be simple,

efficient, and reliable. It features a split-view interface with channels,

supports multiple servers simultaneously, and offers native TLS encryption

for secure connections.

It's lightweight and fast, with only standard IRC server interactions

provided through hotkeys and the CLI

USAGE

There are two ways to connect to an IRC network: • Manual

To start the client, simply type: tiny

Connect to a network /connect irc.oftc.net:6697

Choose a nickname you want to use: "nickname your name"

• Automatically

You can configure servers ~/.config/tiny/config.yml:, nicknames, real names

and even automate channel insertions and even automate channel joins:

Example:


servers:
libera:
addr: irc.libera.chat:6697
tls: true
nicks: [your_nick]
realname: Your Name
auto_cmds:
- JOIN #debian Notes:
If nothing happens, congratulations—you might need an internet connection.

Just don't mess up the indentation—YAML is finicky.

KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

All shortcuts use the Ctrl key. If you’re reaching for the mouse, you’re already doing it wrong.

Move cursor to the beginning/end of line.
Delete everything from cursor to end of line.
Delete previous word.
Jump one word back/forward.
Scroll the chat because apparently you missed something important.
Switch to next/previous tab.
Exit Tiny (it will ask you first, in case you have regrets).
Switch to the Nth tab.
Switch to the last tab.
Move tab left/right—rearrange your chaos.
Jump to a tab containing the underlined character.
Edit current message in your $EDITOR, because apparently a line editor wasn’t enough.

COMMANDS

All commands begin with a slash (/). If you forget that, you’ll just be talking to yourself.

/help
Show this list of commands. If you’re reading this, good job.
/msg <nick> <message>
Send a private message. Because whispering is still a thing.
/join <channel>
Join a channel. Example: /join #debian
/close [reason]
Close the current tab. You can even provide a dramatic exit reason.
/connect <host>:<port>
Connect to a server. Example: /connect irc.libera.chat:6667
/connect
Reconnect to the current server without waiting for the client to decide for you.
/away [message]
Set your away status with a message.
/nick <nick>
Change your nickname. Try not to choose something embarrassing.
/names [nick]
List users in the current channel or check if a nick is present.
/reload
Reload the TUI configuration. Magic without restarting.
/clear
Wipe the screen. Feels good, doesn’t it?
/switch <string>
Switch to the first tab matching the given string.
/ignore
Toggle ignore mode for join/quit spam.
/notify [off|mentions|messages]
Control desktop notifications: none, mentions only, or everything.
/quit [reason]
Quit Tiny. You can say goodbye like a civilized person.

SERVER COMMANDS

Some IRC commands are not built-in. Send them directly in a server tab and hope for the best. Examples:

LIST      List available channels
MOTD      Display message of the day
RULES     Show server rules
WHOIS     Query information about a user
VERSION   Ask the server what century it’s from

TIPS

  • Use /reload after editing the config. Restarting is for the weak.
  • If Tiny freezes, hit Ctrl + C twice—it’s the Unix way of saying “wake up.”
  • To look extra cool, run Tiny in a tmux session and never close it again.


SEE ALSO

community—of Tiny documentation: https://github.com/osa1/tiny

AUTHOR

Written by Tiny. Manual organized and compiled by the Debian maintainer

by Josenison Ferreira da Silva <nilsonfsilva@hotmail.com>

July 2025 Tiny Manual