Anope IRC Services installation.

Cjefke · Oct 16, 2026, 10:06 PM

How to install Anope IRC Services 2.0 from source on Debian / Ubuntu

A practical guide to compile and run Anope 2.0 (NickServ, ChanServ, etc.) on Debian and Ubuntu. Based on the official documentation:
Anope Wiki — Installation
Anope 2.0 README

Anope is the most widely used IRC services package and works with UnrealIRCd, InspIRCd, and others.

1. Prerequisites

Anope 2 is built with CMake. You also need a C/C++ compiler.

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sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install build-essential cmake wget

Check CMake:

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cmake --version

Optional extras (only if you need them later):

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# MySQL module
sudo apt-get install default-libmysqlclient-dev

# SQLite module
sudo apt-get install libsqlite3-dev

# GnuTLS (alternative SSL)
sudo apt-get install libgnutls28-dev

2. Download the source

Get the latest 2.0 release from GitHub:
github.com/anope/anope/releases

Example:

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wget https://github.com/anope/anope/releases/download/2.0.17/anope-2.0.17-source.tar.gz
tar xzvf anope-*-source.tar.gz
cd anope-*

(Adjust the version number to whatever is current on the releases page.)

3. Optional — enable extra modules

Extra modules (MySQL, SQLite, etc.) are not built by default. From the source directory:

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./extras

Follow the prompts, then continue with Config below.
Third-party modules can be placed in [tt]modules/third[/tt].

4. Configure, compile, install

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./Config
cd build
make
make install

[tt]./Config[/tt] asks a few questions (install path, etc.). Defaults are fine for most people — install path is usually [tt]~/services[/tt].

When finished:

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cd ~/services

5. Create the configuration

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cd ~/services
cp conf/example.conf conf/services.conf
nano conf/services.conf

You must configure at least:

serverinfo — services server name (e.g. [tt]services.example.net[/tt])
uplink — host, port, password to your IRCd
module { name = "unreal" } (or [tt]inspircd[/tt], etc. — match your IRCd)

Example uplink block (Anope side):

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uplink
{
    host = "127.0.0.1"
    ipv6 = no
    ssl = no
    port = 7000
    password = "mypassword"
}

Use a strong, unique password. The port must be a server listen / link port on your IRCd, not a normal client port.

6. Link block on UnrealIRCd

On the IRCd, add a matching link + ulines (example for UnrealIRCd 6). See also:
Linking UnrealIRCd with anope

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link services.example.net {
    incoming {
        mask { ip 127.0.0.1; }
    };
    password "mypassword";
    class servers;
};
ulines { services.example.net; };

Rehash the IRCd after saving:

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./unrealircd rehash

Important: the services name in [tt]ulines[/tt] and the [tt]link[/tt] block must match [tt]serverinfo[/tt] in Anope, and the password must match the uplink password.

7. Start Anope

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cd ~/services
./bin/services

For support / debug logs:

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./bin/services --support

Check that services appear as a linked server on your network ([tt]/LINKS[/tt], or your IRCd's server list).

8. Useful next steps

Create your services root / oper account (see Anope docs / first-time setup)
Copy and edit other example configs if needed ([tt]modules.example.conf[/tt] → [tt]modules.conf[/tt], then update [tt]include[/tt] lines)
Anope Wiki
Anope modules site
Support: #anope on [tt]irc.teranova.net[/tt]

Quick reference

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# packages
sudo apt-get install build-essential cmake wget

# build
wget https://github.com/anope/anope/releases/download/2.0.17/anope-2.0.17-source.tar.gz
tar xzvf anope-*-source.tar.gz
cd anope-*
./Config
cd build
make
make install

# configure
cd ~/services
cp conf/example.conf conf/services.conf
nano conf/services.conf

# start
./bin/services

Sources:

Stuck on linking or config? Post your IRCd type, the uplink/link blocks (passwords redacted), and any error from [tt]./bin/services --support[/tt].

Anope IRC Services installation.

Cjefke