# Installation

echoIRCd builds with a recent stable Rust toolchain and has no C dependencies of its own beyond an
SSL library when using the OpenSSL TLS backend.

## Requirements

- Rust **1.85** or newer (`rustup` recommended).
- For the OpenSSL backend: `libssl-dev` / `openssl` and `pkg-config`. The `rustls` backend needs
  neither.

## Build from source

```sh
git clone https://git.devtronic.pro/echo/echoIRCd
cd echoIRCd
cargo build --release
```

The server binary is written to `target/release/echoircd`.

## Configure and run

Copy the shipped example configuration, edit it, and start the server:

```sh
cp echoircd.conf.example echoircd.conf
$EDITOR echoircd.conf
./target/release/echoircd echoircd.conf
```

Validate a configuration without starting the server:

```sh
./target/release/echoircd checkconfig echoircd.conf
```

## TLS certificates

Point the `tls` block at a certificate and key (for example, from Let's Encrypt). See
[Configuration](/docs/configuration#tls) for the details.

## Running as a service

Run `echoircd` under your init system of choice. A `SIGHUP` triggers a live configuration
rehash — including a certificate reload — with no restart and no disconnects:

```sh
./target/release/echoircd rehash echoircd.conf
```