Developer Tools
Glowing Bear on your desktop, inside Franz
Run Glowing Bear pointed at your own WeeChat relay as a desktop tab on Mac, Windows, and Linux, in Franz.
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
Glowing Bear is the web front end for WeeChat: you run WeeChat on your own server, expose its relay, and Glowing Bear gives you a clean modern interface onto that always-on IRC session from anywhere. The setup is deliberately yours, which is exactly why it deserves a steady desktop home rather than a browser tab that drops you back to a connection screen every time you close it. Franz runs Glowing Bear as a desktop service tab, right beside GitHub and the rest of your developer stack, so your window onto your own WeeChat relay is always one click away in the sidebar.
Point it at your own WeeChat relay
Glowing Bear connects to a relay that you host, so there is no single public address to it. Franz lets you enter your own server URL when you add the service, so you point Glowing Bear at your WeeChat relay, connect, and it runs as a desktop tab just like any hosted service, while WeeChat and your chat history stay on the server you control. Your buffers, networks, and place in each conversation persist, and reaching them is a keyboard shortcut rather than reconnecting to a relay in a fresh browser tab every time.
Your WeeChat session next to your developer stack
Most developers keep several tools open at once: GitHub for the code, an IRC network or two for upstream projects, maybe Gitter or IRCCloud on the side. Franz groups your Glowing Bear tab with the other developer tools so your whole workflow surface sits in one window. When a conversation in a WeeChat buffer relates to an issue or a pull request you have open, you can move between the chat and the code without breaking flow or losing your place among browser tabs. Franz surfaces native desktop notifications for Glowing Bear, including the notification sound, so a highlight in a buffer reaches you even when you are heads-down in your editor.
Glowing Bear on macOS, Windows, and Linux
Franz is a native desktop app for all three major platforms, and Glowing Bear behaves the same on each: the same web client, the same connection to your own relay, a real dock or taskbar presence and fast switching to and from your other services. Whether you work on a Mac, a Windows machine, or a Linux workstation, your window onto WeeChat is set up the same way and travels with your workflow, with your IRC session staying on the server you run.
Other Developer Tools services
Frequently asked questions
Which platforms does Glowing Bear work on in Franz?
Franz runs Glowing Bear as a native desktop app on macOS, Windows, and Linux, with the same notifications, badges, and fast switching on every operating system.
Can I use multiple Glowing Bear accounts at once?
Yes. Franz lets you add Glowing Bear as many times as you need, one tab per account, all signed in at once. Each tab keeps its own session and unread badge, so you never sign out of one to check another.
Is Glowing Bear in Franz free?
Franz is free to use with Glowing Bear and every other service. A free account covers the essentials and takes minutes to set up; paid plans add extra features, but running Glowing Bear in Franz costs nothing to start.