Unable to join a server from HexChat (Verify E: Failed to validate hostname) reddit / irc ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DiamondDanMan12 · 2023-04-06 08:26 So I've been trying to set up [XeroxIRC](https://xeroxirc.net) on multiple IRC clients, HexChat being my first choice. Whenever I try to connect, it throws the error: 'Verify E: Failed to validate hostname.' This then prompted me to try another IRC client, and when I tried using IRSSI, it connected just fine (with TLS/SSL on). I want to keep TLS/SSL on, but when I tried connecting without it (from HexChat), it connected fine. Any ideas to connect from HexChat with TLS/SSL on? Thanks! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pinn0r · 2023-04-06 11:22 What's output of? ``` /Server ga.xeroxirc.net +6697 ``` ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DiamondDanMan12 · 2023-04-06 11:37 Invalid certificate. I spoke to a few people, and they said that xeroxirc is having a certificate issue on some of their servers. They said that the working one is [gb.xeroxirc.net](https://gb.xeroxirc.net). I tried to run `/server` [`gb.xeroxirc.net`](https://gb.xeroxirc.net), and it connected (but got a warning that I wan't using TLS). It didn't work with `/server` [`gb.xeroxirc.net`](https://gb.xeroxirc.net) `+6697` (same error). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pinn0r · 2023-04-06 12:13 I'll try when I get home from work, but it should work according to this: https://www.xeroxirc.net/connecting You might have to wait for them to fix the issues though. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pinn0r · 2023-04-06 12:35 Ok, well I just connected successfully over kiwiirc. ``` /server gb.xeroxirc.net +6697 [NOTICE] *** You are connected to gb.xeroxirc.net using TLS (SSL) cipher 'TLS1.2-ECDHE-RSA-AES-256-GCM-AEAD' ``` You're still not having any luck? What's the text of the warning you get? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2023-04-06 21:06 [removed] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pinn0r · 2023-04-07 01:24 Hey, if you didn't get it figured out yet, I'll give you one solution. I've read that the issue might be related to a self-signed certificate, but I'm not going to assume. At any rate, you can do this... 1) ctrl-s to enter network list 2) click add 3) enter name like Xerox 4) press enter 5) click edit 6) click on new server/6697 and replace with gb.xeroxirc.net/6697 7) press enter 8) check 5th box down next to accept invalid SSL certificate 9) click close 10) select Xerox and click connect or close network list and type ``` /server gb.xeroxirc.net +6697``` 11) profit Sorry to add every step like this, but I always get frustrated in the network list because its behavior isn't consistent. I still love hexchat, but edit the name of the server in the network list, click anywhere outside the box and it stays, but after clicking edit, change the name and port and click outside the box and it reverts to newserver/6697. I forget that every time I add another server. Anyways, best of luck. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DiamondDanMan12 · 2023-04-07 14:31 Wouldn't it be a security issue if you accepted invalid certificates? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pinn0r · 2023-04-07 15:17 That's the part that's up for debate. All the stuff I read talked about the server operators self signing their certificates because it's not cheap to get the signed "trusted" ones like Google/Microsoft. This isn't necessarily saying the certificate is invalid as much as it's saying it's not from one of the big trusted certificate providers. Here's an old post that talks more to this issue: https://www.reddit.c om/r/irc/comments/6omarj/hexchat_error_when_trying_to_connect_to_irchi ghway/ Edit: the last comment in that post mentions the same solution I provided.