Section: Getting started
Order: 10

# Overview

**Orbit** is a modern web client for **IRC**, the open chat protocol that has quietly run
communities for decades. It runs entirely in the browser, with nothing to install, and handles
everything from a quick guest nick to a full account (SASL login and in-app registration).
Whether a deployment lets people in as guests or asks them to register is its own choice, not
the client's.

It powers [tchatou.fr](https://tchatou.fr/app/), and is built to be **re-pointed at any IRCv3
network** and **rebranded** from a single `config.json`, without recompiling.

## What makes it different

- **Full IRCv3.** Orbit negotiates 25 capabilities: SASL, message-tags, reactions, typing
  indicators, read-markers, multi-line messages, server-side history, account registration, and
  Web Push. See [IRCv3 capabilities](https://orbit.tchatou.fr/docs/ircv3/).
- **Pluggable at runtime.** A static `config.json` is fetched on startup and sets the server,
  channels, branding, themes and feature flags. One build can serve any community. See
  [config.json reference](https://orbit.tchatou.fr/docs/config/).
- **Installable PWA.** Mobile-first layout, offline app shell, and notifications when the tab is
  closed.
- **Speaks 10 languages.** The UI, system messages, and the bundled plugins are fully translated
  and auto-detected (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, Russian, Nepali, and
  Brazilian + European Portuguese). Pin a default with `defaults.lang`.
- **Self-hostable.** A static build behind any web server. The project even runs its own git
  server with [push-to-deploy](https://orbit.tchatou.fr/docs/push-to-deploy/).
- **Free software.** AGPL-3.0: use it, modify it, self-host it.

## Tech

React 19, TypeScript, Vite and zustand. Tested with Vitest, linted, and built in CI. The codebase
is a clean modular tree; see [Architecture](https://orbit.tchatou.fr/docs/architecture/).

> New here? Jump to the [Quick start](https://orbit.tchatou.fr/docs/quick-start/) to run your own.