talk: Quick Guide to the Terminal Chat Command

talk: Quick Guide to the Terminal Chat Command

A visual communication program that copies lines between two terminals. This guide covers quick starts, practical examples, and common pitfalls to avoid.

Quick start

  • Start a talk session with a user on the same machine:
talk {{username}}
  • Start a session with a specific tty on the same machine:
talk {{username}} {{tty}}
  • Start a talk session with a user on a remote machine:
talk {{username}}@{{hostname}}

  • End your side of the chat: press Ctrl+C

  • Clear text on both terminal screens: press Ctrl+D (EOF)

Note: talk relies on a talking daemon and the other user’s terminal being available. If the other user isn’t listening or the service isn’t running, you’ll get an error.

How it works (conceptual)

  • talk connects your terminal to another user’s terminal and streams what you type to them and vice versa.
  • It doesn’t require a shared session manager; it uses standard input/output redirection between ttys.
  • Works best when both parties are awake and not blocked by other programs.

Practical examples

  • Local chat with a user named alice:
talk alice
  • Local chat with alice on tty3:
talk alice tty3
  • Remote chat with bob on host example.com:
talk [email protected]
  • If you suspect the other side isn’t reachable, verify who’s logged in and available:
who

Common pitfalls

  • The talk daemon may not be running on one or both machines. Check with:
ps aux | grep talk

  • Permissions can block access to a talk session. If you get a permission error, try with appropriate user privileges or check /var/run/utmp permissions.

  • If the target user has disabled message reception, talk may fail or immediately exit. Ensure the user hasn’t blocked talks.

  • In some environments, firewalls or network restrictions can prevent remote talks from establishing a session.

Tips and adjustments

  • Use a hostname or username combination you know will be reachable—typos will waste time.
  • If you’re troubleshooting, start with a local session to confirm the basic workflow:
talk yourname
# In the other terminal, accept or wait for the prompt
  • If you exit unexpectedly, you may be left with a half-closed connection; Ctrl+C on both sides will terminate the session.

Security considerations

  • talk opens a direct terminal channel between users; avoid using it on untrusted networks.
  • Be mindful of what you type—screen contents are shared in real time.

TL;DR recap

  • Start sessions with: talk {{username}}, talk {{username}} {{tty}}, or talk {{username}}@{{hostname}}.
  • End with Ctrl+C; clear with Ctrl+D.
  • Check that the talk daemon is running and that the recipient is available.

Further reading

  • For environment specifics, consult your distribution’s inetutils/talk man page:
man talk

See Also