v1.0 — Open Source

Chat from your Terminal

A simple yet powerful terminal-based chat application written in Python. Realtime messaging via TCP sockets, straight from your command line.

Live Demo Documentation

bash

$ curl -s https://ben.de-roo.org/install/script.sh | bash

Download ZIP from git.de-roo.org

terminal-chat — python3

$ python3 client.py

Terminal Chat

========================================
Welcome to The Terminal Chat
========================================

1. Login
2. New account

> 1

Username: max

Password: ********

--- Available chats: ---

1. General
2. Create new chat

> 1

// features

Everything you need

Terminal Chat is built with a focus on simplicity and functionality. No unnecessary complexity, just chatting from your terminal.

Login & Signup

Full authentication system with username and password. Default test account included.

Terminal Interface

Colorful terminal interface with intuitive navigation. Works on any terminal that supports ANSI colors.

Realtime Messaging

Messages are delivered instantly via TCP sockets. No delay, no polling. True realtime communication.

Multiple Chats

Create multiple chat channels and easily switch between them. Each channel has its own message history.

User Management

Add users to chats with a simple command. Manage who is in which channel.

Open Source

Fully open source and free to use. View the code, contribute, or fork the project for your own use.

// compatibility

Platform support

Built primarily for Linux terminals, with growing support for other platforms.

Linux

FULLY SUPPORTED

First-class support. All features work out of the box including ANSI colors, readline, and autofill.

Full ANSI color support

Readline & autofill

Tested & verified

Windows

PARTIAL

Works with modifications. The readline module and autofill function need to be adjusted for Windows compatibility.

Core chat functionality

Readline needs pyreadline3

Autofill needs adjustment

macOS

UNTESTED

Should work since macOS has a Unix-based terminal, but it hasn't been tested yet. Community feedback is welcome!

Likely compatible (Unix-based)

Needs community testing

Open an issue to report results

// documentation

Get started quickly

Everything you need to install, configure, and use Terminal Chat.

Installation (for Linux)

Install Terminal Chat with a single command. The script downloads and configures everything automatically.

Windows installation and setup

              # Automatic installation

              $ curl -s https://ben.de-roo.org/install/script.sh | bash

              # Or manually

              $ git clone https://git.de-roo.org/ben/pychat.git

              $ cd terminal-chat

              $ pip install -r requirements.txt

Getting Started

Start the server first, then the client. Log in with the default test account or create a new one.

              # Start the server

              $ python3 server.py

              # Start the client (another terminal window)

              $ python3 client.py

              # Default test account

              user: test  pass: test

Available Commands

Use these commands while chatting to perform additional actions.

Command	Description
/add <username>	Add a user to the current chat
/break	Leave the current chat and return to chat selection
/quit	Close the program completely and disconnect
obviously more commands and features comming on the way!

// architecture

How it works

Terminal Chat uses a classic client-server model with TCP sockets for reliable, bidirectional communication.

Client Python script that connects to the server. Handles input/output and displays messages with ANSI colors.

↓ TCP Socket ↓

Server Runs centrally and manages all connections, authentication, chat channels, and message routing.

↓ Threading ↓

Storage User and chat data are stored server-side. Each client gets its own thread for non-blocking I/O.

        # Simplified overview

        client.py → Connects to server via socket

                   → Login / Signup prompt

                   → Chat selection menu

                   → Send & receive messages

        server.py → Listens on TCP port

                   → New thread per client

                   → Authentication handling

                   → Message broadcast to channel

// contribute

Make it yours

Terminal Chat is open source and built to be extended. Whether you want to add new features, build mods, or fix bugs — you're welcome to join.

Build mods

Add new commands, custom themes, message encryption, file sharing, or anything else you can think of. The codebase is simple and easy to extend.

Improve the core

Help fix bugs, improve Windows/macOS compatibility, optimize performance, or refactor the codebase. Every PR matters.

Share ideas

Open an issue to suggest features, report bugs, or discuss improvements. Even if you don't code, your input helps shape the project.

Fork & experiment

Fork the repo and go wild. Build your own version, add a GUI, make it work with Discord bots — the code is yours to play with.

Ready to contribute? Start here:

          # Clone and start hacking

          $ git clone https://git.de-roo.org/ben/pychat.git

          $ cd pychat

          $ python3 server.py & python3 client.py

No complex setup. No build tools. Just Python.