Corwin
I break stuff.
|
Using IRC
IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat, it is a chat protocol that was developed in 1988 by Jarkko Oikarinen. The primary difference between IRC and other chat protocols is flexibility from commands and modes. These make channels (think chat rooms) on an IRC server both configurable and moderatable.
Abbreviated Version
Quick step by step method for those who just want to connect and chat:
Step 1) Navigate your browser to this page and click on "web chat". This will open a new window.
Step 2) Pick a nickname and enter it into the nickname field, your nickname is what you will be seen as to others on IRC.
Step 3) (optional) If you've already registered your nickname (covered next), enter your nickname's password into the password field.
Step 4) Click on "Chat now", this will start a java applet that will connect to one of Caelestia.net's IRC servers.
Once connected:
The first thing you'll want to do once connected is register your nickname, to do this type "/ns register <password> <email>" in the window (sans quotes, the <>'s just denote fields to be replaced in their entirety. The email address MUST be valid).
You will then be sent a confirmation code from services@caelestia.net to the email you entered. It will contain a confirmation code. To complete registration, type
"/ns confirm <code>" in the same window you sent the registration command in.
At this point, your nickname is registered. To automatically identify upon connect, enter your password into the proper field during step 3.
The two main AE-related channels on caelestia.net are #Battleon and #Yulgarsinn (the # denotes a channel name). #Battleon is for talking about the games themselves and #Yulgarsinn is a general chat channel for the Artix Entertainment community. To join these channels type "/join <#channelname>".
To chat, make sure your focus is on the channel tab that you wish to speak in (just click on whatever one you want to change tabs), then just type and hit enter. To use emotes (purple messages), type "/me <message>" (Note: #Battleon typically has these disabled). For private messages, type "/msg <nickname> <message>".
If you decide you wish to change your nickname, type "/nick <newnick>". At this point, you can link your two nicknames together with
"/ns group <old nickname> <that nickname's password>". Grouping nicknames means they use the same password, and have all of the same settings and permissions.
Additional information on using the IRC network:
The purpose of this section of the guide is not so much to give you a step by step guide to using IRC, but rather to point you in the proper direction to learn more on your own. A secondary goal is to single out more commonly used and important features in order to give you a starting point, as it is rather a lot of information to absorb.
Clients:
Connecting to IRC is done with a program known as an IRC client. There are two common types of IRC clients, a standalone client and a webclient. Webclients do not require installing a program or altering any settings to work, unfortunately this makes them typically less customizable and less powerful than a standalone client, though simpler to use.
There are many IRC clients with many different features. It is beyond the scope of this guide to describe their individual uses or settings, that information will have to be found on the client's website. Commonly used IRC clients include mIRC (Windows), Irssi (Linux with a Windows port), and X-chat Aqua (Macintosh port for Xchat).
Connecting with a standalone client:
The connection process with a standalone client is a little different from the webchat, the client isn't pre-configured to connect to Caelestia.net (though the other chatnow link will still work if your system accepts irc:// links). To get around this, you need server and port information for Caelestia.net.
Caelestia.net Servers:Worldpool.caelestia.net (IP: 64.71.161.197)
TirNaNog.caelestia.net (IP: 72.20.17.187)
Darkstar.caelestia.net (IP: 72.20.27.120)
irc.caelestia.net (A Round Robin DNS)
Open plaintext client ports on each server: 6660 6661 6662 6663 6664 6665 6666 6667 6668 6669 8067
SSL client port: 6697
Most clients will either open an option or connection window upon starting the client where this information can be entered, but for ones that don't, typically the command
"/server <caelestia.net server of your preference>" will connect you to the network. Further information on how to use the clients is provided by the client's own website and help documentation.
Commands:
Commands are how things get done on IRC. Everything from speaking to quitting from the network is done with a command. The helpop system provides syntax and information on commands and modes. To use the helpop system type "/helpop <command>". For a list of user commands, type "/helpop cuser", and for a full list of helpop categories type "/helpop" without any arguments.
A quick guide to reading helpop syntax:
/COMMAND [required parameter] [Required Parameter A|Required parameter option B] {[optional parameter]} {,[Optional comma delimited list]}
For example:
/MODE [target] [+|-][modes]{[+|-][modes]} {mode parameters} has a requirement of a target, +/-a mode (or more than one), then a parameter
/mode #yulgarsinn +k fahrvergnugen would be a valid syntax.Common commands:/list - This command will give you a full list of non-private channels on the network. (NOTE: Many of these channels are not related to Artix Entertainment and are also not required to follow Artix Entertainment rules and regulations. Enter at your own risk.)
/join - There is more to it than explained above. You can join more than one channel at a time with a comma delimited list. (/join #channel1,#channel2). Creating a channel is as easy as joining an empty one.
/whois - Provides information about a specific user.
/mode - Alters either user or channel modes.
/kick - Forcibly removes a user from a channel. Can only be used by channel operators.
/topic - Changes a channel's topic. (The message seen upon joining).
Modes:
Modes have been referenced a few times in this guide thus far, and they are essentially settings for either users or channels. Channel modes modify permissions of users in a specific channel and can only be set by either channel operators or half-operators. For a list of channel modes as well as a description of what each of them does type "/helpop chmodes". User modes modify settings specific to you, and you can change your own user modes at any time. For a list of user modes and their description type "/helpop umodes".
Adding and removing modes is done with the /mode command, and all of them are case sensitive.
Common channel modes:+o - Marks the user as a channel operator. This allows access to changing channel modes, as well as kicking and banning users. A channel operator is IRC's version of a forum moderator.
+i - Marks the channel as 'invite only'. Only those either invited or on the invite list (+I) can join.
+m - Only users set +v (voice) or above may speak in this channel.
+s - Marks a channel as 'secret', it no longer shows up in /list.
+S - Strips mIRC color codes from messages sent to a channel.
+n - No user outside a channel can send messages to the channel.
+N - No user in this channel may change their nickname.
+t - Only operators can change the channel topic.
+b - Bans a user from a channel, typing /mode #channel +b without anything following will retrieve the ban list for the channel. A quick explanation of 'hostmasks':
Every user on IRC has a nickname, an ident, a hostmask, and a real name field.
The first three are represented in any command asking for a hostmask by Nickname!ident@hostmask.
You can discover these by using /whois on a user.
The majority of commands involving hostmasks accept the wildcards "*" and "?".
The wildcard * stands for any character, any number of times (including zero). It covers everything.
The character "?" stands for a single character, though it can be any one.
For example, *!guide@?attleon.com would match any nickname, with the ident of guide, and a hostmask twelve characters long, ending in "attleon.com".
Services:
IRC Services are bots on the network designed to maintain nicknames, channels, as well as provide other ease of use and protection features.
NickServ:
NickServ is dedicated to the registration and control of nicknames on the network. Registering your nickname is synonymous with creating a user account and most other services rely on you having a registered nickname. NickServ assumes most commands sent to it relate to the nickname you are currently using.
For more information as well as a list of options and commands that can be used in conjunction with nickserv, type:
/ns help
(Note: Some clients might not recognize /ns as a valid command due to it being a server alias and the client not sending unrecognized commands to the server, in which case replace it with either "/msg nickserv help", "/quote ns help", or "/raw ns help".)
A few of the more useful NickServ commands:/ns identify <password> - The standard way to login to your nickname. Can also be done with the server alias /identify.
/ns info <nickname> - Provides information about a specific nickname. Typically a good way to check if a nickname is registered.
/ns help set - There are many settings and options that you can change with your nickname. For more specific information on a particular option use /ns help set [option].
/ns help set kill - Provides information about the 'kill' option, which will forcibly change an unidentified user attempting to utilize your nickname's nickname to a standardized one.
/ns ghost <nickname> <password> - Sometimes you may disconnect from the network and reconnect before the server realizes you are gone. These connections are known as ghosts, and this command will forcefully disconnect them.
/ns glist - Lists the nicknames within your group.
ChanServ:
ChanServ is dedicated to the registration and control of channels on the network. A registered channel cannot be taken over whenever the channel is emptied (at which point it ceases to exist), it also automates many of the functions such as giving specific users permissions and setting specific modes on channel creation. Unlike NickServ, ChanServ does not automatically know what channel you are attempting to change settings for. You must have a registered nickname to use ChanServ, or to be given access to ChanServ functions. The alias for ChanServ is "cs".
A few of the useful ChanServ commands:/cs help - Provides a full list of ChanServ's commands and options.
/cs register <#channel> <password> <description> - ChanServ's registration command. The password can be used with /cs identify to give other users near-founder-level access to change settings, the description field is merely a description of your channel.
/cs help set - Many options to set here, as well.
/cs help set Xop - Provides information on changing from the simple xop system to the more complicated but customizable access level system.
/cs help vop|aop|sop - Provides information on setting users to automatically receive voice (+v), operator status (+o) or protected status (+a) upon join under the Xop system. These settings also modify what permissions a user has to certain ChanServ commands.
/cs help levels - Provides an overview of the /cs levels command, which can be used to alter at what access level users can utilize certain ChanServ features.
/cs help access - Provides information on setting a user's access level, which provides permissions as outlined by /cs levels list.
/cs invite <#channel> - Can be used to invite yourself to a channel provided you have access.
Additional Services:
While those two are the big ones, there are a few more services on Caelestia.net:
RPGServ (/rs help) - RPGServ is a service that facilitates playing tabletop RPGs over IRC. It's basically a fancy dice roller and calculator that's hosted server side.
MemoServ (/ms help) - MemoServ can be used to leave messages to offline users.
BotServ (/bs help) - BotServ is used to change settings with channel bots.
HostServ (/he help) - HostServ is used to request and turn on 'vanity hosts' to mask your already automatically masked host with something a bit more special.
AnnounceServ (/as help) - AnnounceServ is used to send announcements to the entire network about some special event or channel you may have. (Note: All announcements go through Caelestia.net network operators. Please don't spam us. This goes for requested hosts, too.)
Further Reading:
Inspire IRCd - This is the internet relay chat daemon that Caelestia.net uses. We use version 1.1.
IRC's RFC - While most client and server software don't adhere strictly to the RFCs, some useful information can be found.
IRC clients - Another list of IRC clients sorted by operating system.
< Message edited by Circe -- 10/18/2009 17:46:32 >
|
Printable Version
Icon Legend
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread