Archive-name: irc-faqăLast-modified: 1993/03/27ăVersion: 1.05ăă(1) What is IRC? ăă IRC stands for "Internet Relay Chat". It was written by JarkkoăOikarinen (jto@tolsun.oulu.fi) in 1988. Since starting in Finland, ităhas been used in some 20+ countries spanning the globe. It was designedăas a replacement for the "talk" program but has become much much moreăthan that. IRC is a multi-user chat system, where people convene onă"channels" (a virtual place, usually with a topic of conversation) toătalk in groups, or privately. ă IRC gained international fame during the late Persian Gulf War,ăwhere updates from around the world came accross the wire, and mostăpeople on irc gathered on a single channel to hear these reports. ăă(2) How is IRC set up?ăă The user runs a "client" program (usually called 'irc') whichăconnects to the irc network via another program called a "server".ăServers exist to pass messages from user to user over the irc network.ăă(3) How do I use a client?ăă You either compile the source yourself, have someone else onăyour machine compile the source for you, or use the TELNET client.ă"telnet tiget.itc.univie.ac.at 6668". Please only use the latter when youăhave no other way of reaching irc, as this resource is quite limited.ăă(4) Where can I get source for the irc client?ăăUNIX client-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clientsă ftp.acsu.buffalo.edu /pub/ircă nic.funet.fi /pub/unix/ircă coombs.anu.edu.au /pub/ircă ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/net/ircă slopoke.mlb.semi.harris.com /pub/ircă there is also a client avaliable with the server code.ăEMACS elisp-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/elispă nic.funet.fi /pub/irc/emacsă ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/net/ircă slopoke.mlb.semi.harris.com /pub/irc/emacsă lehtori.cc.tut.fi /pub/irchatăVMS -> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/vmsă coombs.anu.edu.au /pub/irc/vmsă nic.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/vmsă ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/net/ircăREXX client for VM-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/rxircă ftp.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de /pub/irc/rxircă ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/net/irc/VMă coombs.anu.edu.au /pub/irc/rxircă nic.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/rxircăMSDOS-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/msdosă nic.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/msdosăMacintosh-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/macintoshă sumex-aim.stanford.edu /info-mac/commă nic.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/macă ftp.ira.uka.de /pub/systems/macăă(5) Which server do I connect to?ăă It's usually best to try and connect to one geographicallyăclose, even though that may not be the best. You can always ask when youăget on irc. Here's a list of servers avaliable for connection:ăă csa.bu.eduă ucsu.colorado.eduă irc.caltech.eduă ug.cs.dal.caă nic.funet.fiă poly.polytechnique.fră disuns2.epfl.chă irc.nada.kth.seă munagin.ee.mu.oz.auă sunsystem2.informatik.tu-muenchen.deăăThis is, by no means, a comprehensive list, but merely a start. Connectăto the closest of these servers and join the channel #Twilight_ZoneăWhen you get there, immediately ask what you want. Don't say "I have aăquestion" because then hardly anyone will talk. ăă(6) OK, I've got a client and I'm connected to a server? Now what?ăă It's probably best to take a look around and see what you wantăto do first. All irc commands start with a "/", and most are one word.ăTyping /help will get you help information. /names will get you a listăof names, etc. ăăThe output is typically something like this-> (Note there are moreăchannels than this, this is just sample output).ăăPub: #hack zorgo eiji Patrick fup htoaster ăPub: #Nippon @jircc @miyu_d ăPub: #nicole MountainD ăPub: #hottub omar liron beer Deadog moh pfloyd Dode greywolf SAMANTHAăă"Pub" means public (or "visible") channel. "hack" is the channel name.ă"#" is the prefix (see number 7 below). A "@" before someone's nicknameăindicates he/she is the "Channel operator" of that channel. A ChannelăOperator is someone who has control over a specific channel. It can beăshared or not as the first Channel Operator sees fit. The first personăto join the channel automatically gets Channel Operator, and can shareăit with anyone he/she chooses (or not).ăă(7) What is a "bot"? How can I get one? ăă "bot" is short for "robot". It is a script run from an ircIIăclient or a seperate program (in perl, C, and sometimes more obscureălanguages). StarOwl@uiuc.edu (Michael Adams) defined bots very well: "Aăbot is a vile creation of /lusers to make up for lack of penis length".ăIRC bots are generally not needed. See (9) below about "ownership" ofănicknames and channels.ăă(8) What are good channels to try while using irc?ăă #hottub and #initgame are almost always teeming with people.ă#hottub is meant to simulate a hot tub, and #initgame is non-stop gameăof "inits" (initials). Just join and find out! ăă Many irc operators are in #Twilight_Zone ... so if you joinăthat channel and don't hear much talking, don't worry, it's not becauseăyou joined, operators don't talk much on that channel anyways!ăă(9) Someone is using my nickname, can anyone do anything about it?ă Someone is using my channel, can anyone do anything about it?ăă Even with NickServ (see (11) below) registering nicknames, thereăare not enough nicknames to have nickname ownership. If someone takesăyour nickname while you are not on irc, you can ask for them to give ităback, but you can not *demand* it, nor will irc operators /kill forănickname ownership. ă ă There are, literally, millions of possible channel names, so ifăsomeone is on your usual channel, just go to another. You can /msg themăand ask for them to leave, but you can't *force* them to leave. ăă(10) There aren't any channel operators on my channel, now what? ăă Channel operators are the owner(s) of their respective channels.ăKeep this in mind when giving out channel operator powers (make sure toăgive them to enough people so that all of the channel operators don'tăunexpectedly leave and the channel is stuck without a channel operator).ăă On the other hand, do not give out channel operator toă*everyone*. This causes the possibility of mass-kicking, where theăchannel would be stuck without any channel operators.ăă(10) What if someone tells me to type something cryptic?ăă Never type anything anyone tells you to without knowing what ităis. There is a problem with typing a certain command with the ircIIăclient that gives anyone immediate control of your client (and thus canăalter your account environment also).ăă(11) What is NickServ? What if I can't remember my NickServ password?ăă To quote from NickServ's help text, NickServ's purpose is toăkeep unique nicknames on irc. NickServ sends a warning to anyone elseăwho signs on with your nickname. If you don't use IRC for 10 weeks,ăyour nickname expires for reuse. ăă Only a NickServ operator can change your nickserv password.ăTo find out which NickServ operators are online, sendă/msg NickServ@service.de OPERWHOăăNicknames with a "*" next to them are online at the time.ăă(12) What is IPCLUB? GIF-Archives of IRC-persons?ăă IPCLUB stands for IRC Picture Club. It is an E-Mail serviceăprovided by tommi@phoenix.oulu.fi for all the users of the Internet. Forămore help, mail tommi@phoenix.oulu.fi with the subject of "IPCLUB/HELP".ăă(13) Where can I learn more?ăă A good place to start might be downloading the irc tutorials.ăThey're avaliable via anonymous ftp from cs.bu.edu ină/irc/support/tutorial.* .. You can also join various IRC related mailingălists. "operlist" is a list that discusses current (and past) serverăcode, routing, and protocol. You can join by mailingăoperlist-request@eff.org. You can join the irchat mailing list byămailing irchat-request@cc.tut.fi. There is a low traffic ircII mailingălist, mail dl2p+@andrew.cmu.edu to be added. Another mailing list,ăircd-three@eff.org, exists to discuss protocol revisions for the 3.0ărelease of the ircd, currently in planning. Mailăircd-three-request@eff.org to be added to that. A vmsirc mailing list isăavaliable. Mail vmsirc-request@vax1.elon.edu (with "subscribe" in theămessage body). ăă(14) What do I do if I'm still confused or have additions to this posting?ăă email hrose@eff.org or ask for help (in #Twilight_Zone) on irc.ăă--ăHelen Trillian Rose ăKapor Enterprises, Inc. email eff@eff.org for EFF InfoăElectronic Frontier Foundation Flames to: ăSystems and Networks Administration women-not-to-be-messed-with@eff.orgă