Archive-name: irc-faqπLast-modified: 1993/03/27πVersion: 1.05ππ(1) What is IRC? ππ IRC stands for "Internet Relay Chat". It was written by JarkkoπOikarinen (jto@tolsun.oulu.fi) in 1988. Since starting in Finland, itπhas been used in some 20+ countries spanning the globe. It was designedπas a replacement for the "talk" program but has become much much moreπthan that. IRC is a multi-user chat system, where people convene onπ"channels" (a virtual place, usually with a topic of conversation) toπtalk in groups, or privately. π IRC gained international fame during the late Persian Gulf War,πwhere updates from around the world came accross the wire, and mostπpeople on irc gathered on a single channel to hear these reports. ππ(2) How is IRC set up?ππ The user runs a "client" program (usually called 'irc') whichπconnects to the irc network via another program called a "server".πServers exist to pass messages from user to user over the irc network.ππ(3) How do I use a client?ππ You either compile the source yourself, have someone else onπyour machine compile the source for you, or use the TELNET client.π"telnet tiget.itc.univie.ac.at 6668". Please only use the latter when youπhave no other way of reaching irc, as this resource is quite limited.ππ(4) Where can I get source for the irc client?ππUNIX client-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clientsπ ftp.acsu.buffalo.edu /pub/ircπ nic.funet.fi /pub/unix/ircπ coombs.anu.edu.au /pub/ircπ ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/net/ircπ slopoke.mlb.semi.harris.com /pub/ircπ there is also a client avaliable with the server code.πEMACS elisp-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/elispπ nic.funet.fi /pub/irc/emacsπ ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/net/ircπ slopoke.mlb.semi.harris.com /pub/irc/emacsπ lehtori.cc.tut.fi /pub/irchatπVMS -> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/vmsπ coombs.anu.edu.au /pub/irc/vmsπ nic.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/vmsπ ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/net/ircπREXX client for VM-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/rxircπ ftp.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de /pub/irc/rxircπ ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/net/irc/VMπ coombs.anu.edu.au /pub/irc/rxircπ nic.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/rxircπMSDOS-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/msdosπ nic.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/msdosπMacintosh-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/macintoshπ sumex-aim.stanford.edu /info-mac/commπ nic.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/macπ ftp.ira.uka.de /pub/systems/macππ(5) Which server do I connect to?ππ It's usually best to try and connect to one geographicallyπclose, even though that may not be the best. You can always ask when youπget on irc. Here's a list of servers avaliable for connection:ππ csa.bu.eduπ ucsu.colorado.eduπ irc.caltech.eduπ ug.cs.dal.caπ nic.funet.fiπ poly.polytechnique.frπ disuns2.epfl.chπ irc.nada.kth.seπ munagin.ee.mu.oz.auπ sunsystem2.informatik.tu-muenchen.deππThis is, by no means, a comprehensive list, but merely a start. Connectπto the closest of these servers and join the channel #Twilight_ZoneπWhen you get there, immediately ask what you want. Don't say "I have aπquestion" because then hardly anyone will talk. ππ(6) OK, I've got a client and I'm connected to a server? Now what?ππ It's probably best to take a look around and see what you wantπto do first. All irc commands start with a "/", and most are one word.πTyping /help will get you help information. /names will get you a listπof names, etc. ππThe output is typically something like this-> (Note there are moreπchannels than this, this is just sample output).ππPub: #hack zorgo eiji Patrick fup htoaster πPub: #Nippon @jircc @miyu_d πPub: #nicole MountainD πPub: #hottub omar liron beer Deadog moh pfloyd Dode greywolf SAMANTHAππ"Pub" means public (or "visible") channel. "hack" is the channel name.π"#" is the prefix (see number 7 below). A "@" before someone's nicknameπindicates he/she is the "Channel operator" of that channel. A ChannelπOperator is someone who has control over a specific channel. It can beπshared or not as the first Channel Operator sees fit. The first personπto join the channel automatically gets Channel Operator, and can shareπit with anyone he/she chooses (or not).ππ(7) What is a "bot"? How can I get one? ππ "bot" is short for "robot". It is a script run from an ircIIπclient or a seperate program (in perl, C, and sometimes more obscureπlanguages). StarOwl@uiuc.edu (Michael Adams) defined bots very well: "Aπbot is a vile creation of /lusers to make up for lack of penis length".πIRC bots are generally not needed. See (9) below about "ownership" ofπnicknames and channels.ππ(8) What are good channels to try while using irc?ππ #hottub and #initgame are almost always teeming with people.π#hottub is meant to simulate a hot tub, and #initgame is non-stop gameπof "inits" (initials). Just join and find out! ππ Many irc operators are in #Twilight_Zone ... so if you joinπthat channel and don't hear much talking, don't worry, it's not becauseπyou joined, operators don't talk much on that channel anyways!ππ(9) Someone is using my nickname, can anyone do anything about it?π Someone is using my channel, can anyone do anything about it?ππ Even with NickServ (see (11) below) registering nicknames, thereπare not enough nicknames to have nickname ownership. If someone takesπyour nickname while you are not on irc, you can ask for them to give itπback, but you can not *demand* it, nor will irc operators /kill forπnickname ownership. π π There are, literally, millions of possible channel names, so ifπsomeone is on your usual channel, just go to another. You can /msg themπand ask for them to leave, but you can't *force* them to leave. ππ(10) There aren't any channel operators on my channel, now what? ππ Channel operators are the owner(s) of their respective channels.πKeep this in mind when giving out channel operator powers (make sure toπgive them to enough people so that all of the channel operators don'tπunexpectedly leave and the channel is stuck without a channel operator).ππ On the other hand, do not give out channel operator toπ*everyone*. This causes the possibility of mass-kicking, where theπchannel would be stuck without any channel operators.ππ(10) What if someone tells me to type something cryptic?ππ Never type anything anyone tells you to without knowing what itπis. There is a problem with typing a certain command with the ircIIπclient that gives anyone immediate control of your client (and thus canπalter your account environment also).ππ(11) What is NickServ? What if I can't remember my NickServ password?ππ To quote from NickServ's help text, NickServ's purpose is toπkeep unique nicknames on irc. NickServ sends a warning to anyone elseπwho signs on with your nickname. If you don't use IRC for 10 weeks,πyour nickname expires for reuse. ππ Only a NickServ operator can change your nickserv password.πTo find out which NickServ operators are online, sendπ/msg NickServ@service.de OPERWHOππNicknames with a "*" next to them are online at the time.ππ(12) What is IPCLUB? GIF-Archives of IRC-persons?ππ IPCLUB stands for IRC Picture Club. It is an E-Mail serviceπprovided by tommi@phoenix.oulu.fi for all the users of the Internet. Forπmore help, mail tommi@phoenix.oulu.fi with the subject of "IPCLUB/HELP".ππ(13) Where can I learn more?ππ A good place to start might be downloading the irc tutorials.πThey're avaliable via anonymous ftp from cs.bu.edu inπ/irc/support/tutorial.* .. You can also join various IRC related mailingπlists. "operlist" is a list that discusses current (and past) serverπcode, routing, and protocol. You can join by mailingπoperlist-request@eff.org. You can join the irchat mailing list byπmailing irchat-request@cc.tut.fi. There is a low traffic ircII mailingπlist, mail dl2p+@andrew.cmu.edu to be added. Another mailing list,πircd-three@eff.org, exists to discuss protocol revisions for the 3.0πrelease of the ircd, currently in planning. Mailπircd-three-request@eff.org to be added to that. A vmsirc mailing list isπavaliable. Mail vmsirc-request@vax1.elon.edu (with "subscribe" in theπmessage body). ππ(14) What do I do if I'm still confused or have additions to this posting?ππ email hrose@eff.org or ask for help (in #Twilight_Zone) on irc.ππ--πHelen Trillian Rose <hrose@kei.com, hrose@eff.org>πKapor Enterprises, Inc. email eff@eff.org for EFF InfoπElectronic Frontier Foundation Flames to: πSystems and Networks Administration women-not-to-be-messed-with@eff.orgπ
