# IRC
Send notifications to IRC using Netdata's Agent alert notification feature, which supports dozens of endpoints, user roles, and more.
## Setup
### Prerequisites
####
- The `nc` utility. You can set the path to it, or Netdata will search for it in your system `$PATH`.
- Access to the terminal where Netdata Agent is running
### Configuration
#### File
The configuration file name for this integration is `health_alarm_notify.conf`.
You can edit the configuration file using the [`edit-config`](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/netdata-agent/configuration/README.md#edit-a-configuration-file-using-edit-config) script from the
Netdata [config directory](https://github.com/netdata/netdata/blob/master/docs/netdata-agent/configuration/README.md#the-netdata-config-directory).
```bash
cd /etc/netdata 2>/dev/null || cd /opt/netdata/etc/netdata
sudo ./edit-config health_alarm_notify.conf
```
#### Options
The following options can be defined for this notification
Config Options
| Name | Description | Default | Required |
|:----|:-----------|:-------|:--------:|
| nc path | Set the path for nc, otherwise Netdata will search for it in your system $PATH | | yes |
| SEND_IRC | Set `SEND_IRC` YES. | YES | yes |
| IRC_NETWORK | Set `IRC_NETWORK` to the IRC network which your preferred channels belong to. | | yes |
| IRC_PORT | Set `IRC_PORT` to the IRC port to which a connection will occur. | | no |
| IRC_NICKNAME | Set `IRC_NICKNAME` to the IRC nickname which is required to send the notification. It must not be an already registered name as the connection's MODE is defined as a guest. | | yes |
| IRC_REALNAME | Set `IRC_REALNAME` to the IRC realname which is required in order to make the connection. | | yes |
| DEFAULT_RECIPIENT_IRC | You can have different channels per role, by editing `DEFAULT_RECIPIENT_IRC` with the channel you want | | yes |
##### nc path
```sh
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# external commands
#
# The full path of the nc command.
# If empty, the system $PATH will be searched for it.
# If not found, irc notifications will be silently disabled.
nc="/usr/bin/nc"
```
##### DEFAULT_RECIPIENT_IRC
The `DEFAULT_RECIPIENT_IRC` can be edited in the following entries at the bottom of the same file:
```text
role_recipients_irc[sysadmin]="#systems"
role_recipients_irc[domainadmin]="#domains"
role_recipients_irc[dba]="#databases #systems"
role_recipients_irc[webmaster]="#marketing #development"
role_recipients_irc[proxyadmin]="#proxy-admin"
role_recipients_irc[sitemgr]="#sites"
```