Most preferred is erc - it is powerful and comes with Emacs since 22.1 version.
An Invite-Only channel can only be joined if you are invited by one of its channel operators.
To make your channel invite-only:
irc> /mode #channel +i
To invite users to the channel:
irc> /invite user #channel
Private channels turn up normally in the channels list. People can see you are on a private channel somewhere, but they can never find out on -which- private channel you are unless they search all (private) channels by brute force.
To make your channel private:
irc> /mode #channel +p
Secret channels do not show up in a channels list and you cannot find out its topic unless you join it. If you are on a secret channel, someone who is not on the same channel can't see that you are there.
To make your channel secret:
irc> /mode #channel +s
Create new channel and set it invite-only and invite all you need. Or make password protected channel.
Create new channel (by joining to non existed one) with password:
irc> /join #<channel> <password>
Another people join same:
irc> /join #<channel> <password>
Or join without password and setup it late:
irc> /join #<channel> irc> /mode +k <password>
Don't forget set topic for newly created channel:
irc> /topic #<channel> <topic>
Random server (connect to most nearest placed):
How register on freenode:
irc> /msg nickserv register <your-password> <your-email> ...get mail, make mail instructions... irc> /msg nickserv set hidemail on
Adding alternative nick:
irc> /nick foo_ irc> /msg nickserv group
See:
/help /msg nickserv help /msg chanserv help /msg chanserv access #icfp-contest list