Chat tutorial

This article on different languages

• Español version of chat basics
• Как пользоваться чатом (basics in Russian)
• Tutoriel de chat en français

TL;DR

Read whole text to learn tricks that will save your time in the future.

• @playername private message text

• $ whisper text (<32 blocks away)

• /create_channel local_chat,,#666999

• /join_channel local_chat

• #local_chat message text will send your message to a #local_chat channel. It won't appear in #main chat.

• #local_chat will switch you to a chat channel, so all messages will reach users in "#local_chat", not "#main" chat.

• /mail for offline communication.

PM

There are three types of private messages. If you write "@playername message content", a player will hear a sound notification. You can send a message with sound by typing "/msg playername message content", too. An advantage there is that you can use autocompletion: "/msg pla[TAB KEY]" will be converted to "/msg playername".

If you want to continue talking to other player, please use whispers commands, because they are already notified.

Whisper

Start your message with $ if you want to talk only to people around you (< 32 blocks). This does not require a player name.
$ message
Same result is achieved with /whis message

For long distance whispers use /tell command: /tell playername message

Minetest provides auto completion for online player names. Invoke with Tab-key: "/tell pla[TAB-KEY]" is converted to "/tell playername".

Channels

Usually channel names start with a # but not in commands to join, leave or create. Avoid creating channels with space in their names. To join a channel and listen to the chat there type:

/jc channelname

To speak on a channel you can either:

• Type #channelname message to speak once in the channel
• Type #channelname and press enter to make channel your default target: all further messages go to that channel until you switch it again.

If you want to speak in some other language join or create a channel named by ISO 639-1 language code. To leave a channel use lc command: /lc channelname

"main" is the default channel. Type "#main" to switch back to it.

List of public channels

Mail

If a player is offline use /mail. This command will open a mail UI. Next time target player will login there will be a notification in the center of the screen until the player reads the message.

Color, passwords, etc

Mod is beerchat, check official thread for more info: https://forum.minetest.net/viewtopic.php?t=18090

See also

• Chat commands