Chat tutorial

This article in 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 you time in the future.

Caption text

Description	Command
Send a message to a player (playername) with a sound notification	@playername private message text
Send a message to all players around you, <32 blocks away	$ whisper text
Create a chat channel named local_chat	/create_channel local_chat,,#666999
Join a chat channel named create_channel	/join_channel local_chat
Send message to the #local_chat channel	#local_chat message
Switch to local_chat channel, messages without prefix will reach users in "#local_chat", not "#main" channel	#local_chat
Send for offline communication	/mail

Rules of etiquette

Keep all communication in #main channel in english

Keep #main channel clear of local chatter so that help seekers can be heard

Make your own channel or whisper with your guild-members.

Don't tell everyone in #main that you have lag. Use #lag channel if you really want to.

Beerchat section of /help shows all commands

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.

To continue sending notifications and messages to the last player you sent a message with "@", just type "@ message".

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

In-game chat tutorial

If you can't open the browser or want to show this manual to someone else fast, there is a copy of this tutorial, which is located in Commonwealth Hotel. Its coordinates are: X: 4933 Y: 9 Z: -82. You can press F5 to see your own coordinates.

To go there, type "/spawn", go to the "Tutorials" section and right-click the "Starter" teleporter.

See also

• Chat commands