Show HN: I put an AI agent on a $7/month VPS with IRC as its transport layer

5 Steps

1. 1

   Provision a Linux VPS: Acquire a low-cost Virtual Private Server (VPS) with a Linux distribution (e.g., Ubuntu, Debian). Ensure SSH access is configured for remote management.

2. 2

   Install Python and IRC Library: Connect to your VPS via SSH. Install Python 3 and the `irc` library using pip: `sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y python3 python3-pip && pip install irc`

3. 3

   Create Your AI Agent Script: Write or adapt your AI agent's core logic. Use the provided `starter` code as a base, integrating your agent's functionality into the `do_command` method or similar event handlers.

4. 4

   Configure and Run the IRC Agent: Modify the `server`, `channel`, and `nickname` variables in your Python script (e.g., `ai_irc_bot.py`) to match your desired IRC network. Run the script in the background using `nohup`: `nohup python3 ai_irc_bot.py &`

5. 5

   Interact with Your Agent via IRC: Join the specified IRC channel using any IRC client. Address your bot by its nickname followed by a command (e.g., `AIBot: ping`) to test its responsiveness and functionality.