ChatNetLinking Eligibility Policy
What an admin and their box need to demonstrate before a new leaf is even considered. Clear this bar first, then see Routing to actually apply.
Before you apply: we review every application against the requirements on this page — a submission isn't an approval. Most of ChatNet's existing leaves came from operators staff already knew; a stranger's application gets real scrutiny, not a rubber stamp.
Admin requirements
- Comfortable running Linux/UNIX, not just using it — the shell, process supervision, firewalling, TLS certificates, log triage. We won't hand-hold basic box administration.
- Comfortable running an ircd, not just an IRC client — understands server-to-server linking, netsplits, and enough of the underlying protocol to read a
/MAPand diagnose a desync. - Can build and deploy our ircd from source on their own box — we don't ship prebuilt binaries.
git, a C toolchain, and getting the build right are real prerequisites. - Applies security patches quickly when we release one — days, not months. A leaf running a stale, unpatched ircd after a fix has shipped is a liability to the whole network, not just their own box.
- Reachable and responsive — can answer basic questions about their own leaf, and responds quickly if their server is implicated in an incident: abuse, compromise, desync.
Machine requirements
- Dedicated box. A VPS is fine at our scale, but it has to be dedicated to the leaf — not a shared box also running unrelated public-facing services.
- Static IP, IPv4 required, IPv6 a plus — every linked server gets its own DNS name under
ChatNet.Gg. - Enough headroom for the OS, the ircd, and TLS to run without resource starvation.
- OS kept patched and secure, same standard as the ircd itself. Any compromise of the box gets disclosed to us immediately — not discovered by us later.
Process
- 1. ApplicationSubmit the form on Routing — contact details, where the box is hosted, and your UNIX/ircd experience.
- 2. ReviewStaff checks the admin and machine requirements above against what you sent — a real review, not a formality.
- 3. Technical linkIf approved: SID assignment, routing credentials, server naming, DNS, TLS certificate coverage, round-robin membership — see Routing.
- 4. Trial periodThe new leaf runs under observation before being treated as a permanent, trusted part of the network.