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Install ZNC on a Debian or Ubuntu VPS with sudo apt update followed by sudo apt install znc. Create its configuration with znc --makeconf under a non-root account, enable an SSL/TLS listener, add your IRC networks, and run the packaged systemd service if you want ZNC to start after every reboot. Your IRC client then connects to the VPS as though it were an IRC server, authenticating with the ZNC account and keeping upstream IRC sessions alive when the client disconnects.
This guide covers the distribution-package and source-build paths, the Debian service layout, certificate choices, client authentication, firewall exposure, upgrades, backups, and the diagnostics that matter when a VPS installation does not start.
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ZNC is an IRC proxy daemon, commonly called a bouncer. It maintains connections from the VPS to one or more IRC networks. Your desktop, mobile client, or web client connects to ZNC instead of connecting directly to each network. When your client goes offline, ZNC can remain connected, collect channel activity according to its configuration, and present the session again when you reconnect.
The arrangement has one public endpoint (the VPS listener) while ZNC handles the upstream network connections. To other IRC users, the upstream connection appears as your configured IRC identity. Multiple clients can use the same ZNC account, subject to the account and network settings you create.
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Run the daemon as an unprivileged service account. The --allow-root option exists as an override, but using root for a network-facing IRC proxy expands the impact of a configuration or software failure and is not an appropriate production default.
Choose a package install or a source build
| Approach | Best for | Maintenance and upgrades | Service model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian or Ubuntu package | A normal VPS installation that should follow the operating system | Install and update through APT; the distribution supplies the service unit and filesystem layout | Usually a systemd service using a dedicated account and /var/lib/znc |
| Source build | A custom installation prefix or a feature not enabled by the package | Run the project’s CMake, make, and make install workflow again for each upgrade; you must maintain the service integration |
You define the user, data directory, unit, and upgrade procedure |
| Per-user daemon | A single administrator who does not need a system-wide service | Configuration and process belong to that account; you must arrange startup and restart handling | Launched with that user’s data directory, often from a user service or another supervisor |
For most Debian and Ubuntu VPSs, use the package. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS lists ZNC version 1.9.0-2build3, while Debian’s stable package page lists 1.9.1-2 with updates shown on that page. These are distribution package versions, not a promise that every release or mirror has the same build.
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Prepare the VPS safely
Use a supported Debian-family release
Log in with an administrative account that can use sudo; do not plan to administer the daemon through a permanent root SSH login. Keep an existing SSH session open while changing firewall rules so that an incorrect rule does not lock you out.
Choose a name and listener port
A DNS name such as znc.example.net makes client setup and certificate validation easier. Pick a TCP listener port that is not already occupied. The port is chosen during --makeconf; it is separate from the ports ZNC uses when it connects to upstream IRC networks.
Update package metadata
sudo apt updateUpdating the index before installation prevents an old local package list from causing a “package not found” or stale-version result.
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Install ZNC from the Debian or Ubuntu package
sudo apt install zncAPT installs the daemon and the distribution’s supporting files. If the package manager proposes additional dependencies, review them and accept the normal installation for your release. Do not start by running a manually downloaded binary as root; keep the package and service files consistent with the operating system.
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Create the first configuration
ZNC’s first-run configuration is interactive. The command writes the account, listener, and network settings that the daemon will use.
Per-user configuration
For a per-user daemon, switch to the dedicated non-root account and run:
znc --makeconfAnswer the prompts for the listening port, whether the listener should use SSL/TLS, the ZNC username and password, and the initial IRC network. Keep the password in a password manager; it is the credential your IRC clients will present to ZNC. Use a separate password from your VPS SSH account and from the password used on an upstream IRC network.
Debian’s packaged service configuration
The packaged service uses a system data directory. Debian’s instructions create the configuration as the package’s service account with an explicit data directory:
sudo -u _znc znc --makeconf --datadir=/var/lib/zncService-account naming can vary between distribution revisions. Before changing ownership or permissions, inspect the installed unit and account entries:
systemctl cat znc
getent passwd znc _zncUse the account named by the installed unit and ensure that it can read the configuration and certificate files in /var/lib/znc. The Debian unit starts ZNC in the foreground with --datadir=/var/lib/znc, runs under its service user, and is ordered after network.target. Do not place the configuration in a home directory if you intend to use this packaged unit.
What the interactive questions mean
- Listen port: The TCP port on which IRC clients reach ZNC. Choose one that your firewall will expose and that no other daemon uses.
- SSL/TLS listener: Enable this for an Internet-facing VPS. Clients must then select TLS and validate the certificate presented by ZNC.
- ZNC username and password: These authenticate to the bouncer. They are not automatically the credentials for an upstream IRC service.
- IRC network: Enter the upstream server address and port, then add any network password or SASL settings required by that network.
- Channels: Add channels that ZNC should join on the upstream network. You can change networks and channels later through WebAdmin or ZNC IRC commands.
Configuration is stored below the selected data directory. Treat the files as credentials: they can contain account passwords, network passwords, SASL information, and connection details.
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Enable and verify the systemd service
After creating the configuration in /var/lib/znc, enable the package service and start it immediately:
sudo systemctl enable --now zncCheck both the unit state and its recent journal output:
sudo systemctl status znc
sudo journalctl -u znc --no-pager -n 100A successful start shows an active service and a listener on the port you selected. If the unit fails, read the first configuration or permission error in the journal before trying another command. A service that cannot read its data directory, certificate, or configuration will fail before it can accept a client connection.
Secure the listener with TLS
Understand the default certificate
ZNC supports SSL/TLS, and the default Debian setup uses a self-signed certificate. ZNC can generate its PEM file with:
znc --makepemA self-signed certificate encrypts traffic but does not provide a publicly trusted identity. Clients may display a warning or require a manual certificate exception, and automated clients may refuse the connection.
Use a trusted certificate for a public hostname
For an Internet-facing VPS, replace the self-signed certificate in ZNC’s data directory with a trusted certificate whose name matches the DNS name clients use. The certificate and private key are commonly combined in ZNC’s znc.pem file; follow the certificate authority’s renewal and key-handling instructions, then ensure the service account can read the resulting file.
After replacing the certificate, restart the service and inspect the journal:
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sudo systemctl restart znc
sudo journalctl -u znc --no-pager -n 100Do not email or paste the PEM file into support channels. Back it up only in an encrypted location with access limited to the administrators who operate the VPS.
Expose only the required port
Allow SSH and the single ZNC listener port in the VPS firewall. Do not open arbitrary ranges “for testing,” and do not expose an administrative web interface to the entire Internet unless you have deliberately secured and restricted it. Firewall command syntax differs by distribution and firewall manager, so apply the rule using the tool already configured on your VPS and verify the effective rules before closing your SSH session.
Add IRC networks and channels
You can configure ZNC through its WebAdmin module or through IRC commands after connecting to the listener. For each network, enter the upstream server name, its TLS or non-TLS port as required, and the network credentials. If the network requires SASL, configure the SASL username and password rather than assuming a normal server password will work.
Add channels at the network level so ZNC joins them when the upstream connection is established. ZNC also supports global and per-network modules; enable only modules you understand and need. A module that changes authentication, logging, or command handling should be treated as part of your security boundary.
When a network requires a certificate, a nonstandard port, or a special connection sequence, test that network independently before adding several more. One incorrect network setting can make troubleshooting look like a listener failure even when ZNC itself is running correctly.
Connect an IRC client to ZNC
- Set the IRC server or host field to the VPS DNS name (or its address while testing).
- Set the port to ZNC’s listener port, not the upstream IRC server port.
- Enable TLS in the client if the ZNC listener uses SSL/TLS. Confirm that the certificate name matches the hostname you entered.
- Authenticate with the ZNC account. The official ZNC syntax uses the server-password form
username:password. Some clients expose separate username and password fields; in that case, use the client’s documented mapping or enter the combined value in its server-password field. - After authentication, select the configured network if the account has more than one, then check that the expected channels and buffered messages appear.
Your client is now connected to ZNC, while ZNC maintains the upstream sessions. Disconnect the client briefly and reconnect to verify that the bouncer remains reachable and that the upstream network session behaves as configured.
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The service will not start
- Run
sudo systemctl status zncand read the correspondingsudo journalctl -u zncentries. - Check that the configuration was generated in the data directory used by the unit. A configuration in your home directory is not automatically used by a unit launched with
--datadir=/var/lib/znc. - Check ownership and mode on the data directory, configuration, and
znc.pem. The service account must be able to read them, while unrelated users should not. - Confirm that the listener port is free. A different daemon already bound to that port will prevent ZNC from starting.
The client cannot connect
- Verify the DNS name resolves to the VPS address and that the firewall permits the selected TCP port.
- Confirm that the client is using the ZNC listener port and the correct TLS setting.
- Check the certificate hostname and expiration if TLS negotiation fails.
- Re-enter the ZNC credentials. The upstream IRC password is not necessarily the ZNC account password.
ZNC connects but an IRC network does not
- Review the network’s server address, port, and TLS requirement in WebAdmin or the network commands.
- Check whether the network requires SASL, a server password, or a registered nickname.
- Read ZNC’s network-related messages after reconnecting; a working local listener does not prove that the upstream network accepted the connection.
Run a foreground diagnostic
The manpage documents -f for foreground operation and -D for debug output. Stop the systemd instance before starting a diagnostic process so both processes do not compete for the same listener, then run the command as the service account with the same data directory. Return to systemd after capturing the error.
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ZNC also documents SIGUSR1 to rewrite the configuration and SIGHUP to reload it. Use signals only when you understand which process owns the configuration; a normal service restart is easier to audit after a substantial change.
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Back up, update, and operate ZNC
Back up the right data
Back up the complete ZNC data directory, including the configuration, network settings, and znc.pem private key. Store the backup encrypted and restrict access. Test that you can restore the files with the correct service-account ownership; an archive that cannot be read by the daemon is not a usable recovery.
Apply distribution updates
For a package installation, use the normal Debian or Ubuntu update process and review the package’s service changes before restarting. Package versions and dependencies change over time, so check your release’s package page and the installed unit after major distribution upgrades. A routine update does not replace the need to verify that the listener still uses the intended certificate and port.
Plan certificate renewal
Trusted certificates expire. Record the renewal owner and date, install the renewed certificate with the same restrictive permissions, restart ZNC, and verify a client connection before the old certificate expires.
Build ZNC from source when the package is not enough
A source build is appropriate when you need a custom install prefix or a feature unavailable in your distribution package. It is not a shortcut around service design: you still need a dedicated account, a protected data directory, a listener firewall rule, TLS management, and a restart mechanism.
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- Configure the build with CMake, selecting the prefix and optional features you require.
- Compile with
make. - Install with
make installinto the chosen prefix. - Create the configuration with the installed
znc --makeconf, using a data directory owned by the dedicated service account. - Write a systemd unit or another supervisor definition that points to the custom binary and data directory, runs without root privileges, starts after the network is available, and restarts the process when appropriate.
- Test the unit, firewall, TLS certificate, client authentication, and upstream network connections before treating the installation as complete.
Unlike the distribution package, a custom prefix will not automatically receive Debian or Ubuntu security updates. Keep a record of the source version, CMake options, compiler environment, service file, and rollback procedure so an upgrade can be repeated rather than improvised.
Quick Recap
Installation checklist
- Administrative SSH access works and remains available while firewall rules are changed.
zncis installed from the intended package source, or the custom binary and prefix are documented.- Configuration was generated as a non-root account in the data directory used by the running service.
- The listener port is unique, firewalled, and reachable only as intended.
- TLS is enabled for Internet clients, and a trusted certificate replaces the Debian self-signed default when a public hostname is used.
- At least one upstream IRC network and its required authentication settings have been tested.
- The client uses the VPS listener port and authenticates with the ZNC
username:passwordform. systemctl status zncis active, the journal is clean, and backups include the configuration and PEM key.
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