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What is shell account?

To run an Eggdrop bot, you need a "shell account". This is your own personal space on computer linked to the Internet via high-speed connections, typically housed in a data facility or colocation centre alongside many other computers configured as dedicated "servers". A shell server runs a Unix-derived operating system, such as GNU/Linux or FreeBSD. You can upload files to and run programs on your account using FTP, telnet, or SSH. Shell accounts are very similar to web hosting accounts, but are more basic, cheaper, and feature the tools necessary to compile your own programs, like Eggdrop.The term "shell" comes from the text-based command line interface you use to manage your account on the Unix server.

Unfortunately, unlike Eggdrop, shell accounts generally aren't free. But since they're always connected to the Internet, they are the most popular and cost-effective platform for hosting IRC bots. Shell accounts can also be used for other things, from IRC-related stuff like running a bouncer or your own IRC server, to sending/receiving e-mail, maintaining a web site, and downloading files at high speed for temporary storage (until you're ready to download them to your own machine). You don't have to be experienced with Unix in order to set up and maintain a bot on a shell account, but you will need to learna few basic commands.