Retrieving chat history from now until I last logged in. reddit / irc ---------------------------------------------------------------------- truthling · 2016-02-19 16:55 Is there a way to get the chat history from now up until the last message I sent, or the last time somebody responded to me? Or now until a specific time, i.e. the last time I logged into a channel? I'm looking for a solution in either Hexchant or Pidgin. The use case would be: I ask a question and am not able to stay logged in due to an interruption of my internet connection. Next time I'm able to connect to the internet, I want to log back into the channel to see if anybody answer my question. Or what about just getting messages from users responding to you sent to your email? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MuffinMedic · 2016-02-19 17:05 The best way to do this would be to get yourself a [Bouncer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BNC_(software\)), which keeps you connected to IRC and in turn you connect to the bouncer. BNCs will work with almost any client. You have a few options: 1. There are several free services, although I personally haven't used any, so I won't make any recommendations. Free means limitations, usually in terms of how many/what networks you can use plus limited customization. 2. There is also IRCCloud, which is a bouncer service + client that can keep you connected, either for 2 hours or forever with the paid ($5/mo) plan. Same limitations as above. 3. **Recommended:** If you can spend a few $/month, (~$5) and get yourself an inexpensive VPS (I use [DigitalOcean](https://m.do.co/c/fb5a45ed891e) and love them), you can install and run your own [ZNC](http://znc.in) server, a free, easy to use, and highly customizable bouncer. Plus, you can host whatever else you want on the VPS, such as a website. This gives you full control over everything on the bouncer (modules, security, history size, logs, etc...). Alternatively to a bouncer, you can use software such as [IRSSI](https://irssi.org) or [WeeChat](https://weechat.org) on a server, which are essentially always connected terminal clients (both are very powerful). I believe they both support some form of relay for other clients, but I'm not 100% sure. If you have a home connection and a computer you can keep on and connected 24/7, you can install ZNC on that as well. How stable and reliable that is will depend entirely on your connection and computer - VPSs guarantee uptime and connectivity. Personally, I use the VPS w/ ZNC option and think it's fantastic. It's highly customized to my needs and the $5/mo I pay is completely worthwhile. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- austindkelly · 2016-02-19 17:05 You will need a ZNC bouncer for that. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 20EYES · 2016-02-20 06:06 I second Digital Ocean. They are my go-to.