157 lines
6.5 KiB
Plaintext
157 lines
6.5 KiB
Plaintext
(1) What is IRC?
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IRC stands for "Internet Relay Chat". It was written by Jarkko
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Oikarinen (jto@tolsun.oulu.fi) in 1988. Since starting in Finland, it
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has been used in some 20+ countries spanning the globe. It was designed
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as a replacement for the "talk" program but has become much much more
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than that. IRC is a multi-user chat system, where people convene on
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"channels" (a virtual place, usually with a topic of conversation) to
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talk in groups, or privately.
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IRC gained international fame during the late Persian Gulf War,
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where updates from around the world came accross the wire, and most
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people on irc gathered on a single channel to hear these reports.
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(2) How is IRC set up?
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The user runs a "client" program (usually called 'irc') which
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connects to the irc network via another program called a "server".
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Servers exist to pass messages from user to user over the irc network.
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(3) How do I use a client?
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You either compile the source yourself, have someone else on
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your machine compile the source for you, or use the TELNET client.
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"telnet bradenville.andrew.cmu.edu". Please only use the latter when you
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have no other way of reaching irc, as this resource is quite limited.
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(4) Where can I get source for the irc client?
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UNIX client-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients
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plod.cbme.unsw.edu.au
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nic.funet.fi pub/unix/irc
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ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de pub/net/irc
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slopoke.mlb.semi.harris.com
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there is also a client avaliable with the server code.
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EMACS elisp-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/elisp
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nic.funet.fi
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ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de
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slopoke.mlb.semi.harris.com
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EMACS elisp "irchat"-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/elisp
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lehtori.cc.tut.fi:/pub/irchat
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nic.funet.fi:/pub/irchat
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VMS -> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/vms
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coombs.anu.edu.au
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REXX client for VM-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/rxirc
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ftp.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de pub/irc/rxirc
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MSDOS-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/msdos
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freebie.engin.umich.edu:/pub/irc/clients/MSDOS
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Macintosh-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/macintosh
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sumex-aim.stanford.edu /info-mac/comm
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(5) Which server do I connect to?
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It's usually best to try and connect to one geographically
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close, even though that may not be the best. You can always ask when you
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get on irc. Here's a list of servers avaliable for connection:
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csd.bu.edu
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ucsu.colorado.edu
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badger.ugcs.caltech.edu
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ug.cs.dal.ca
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nic.funet.fi
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vesuv.unisg.ch
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munagin.ee.mu.oz.au
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sunsystem2.informatik.tu-muenchen.de
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This is, by no means, a comprehensive list, but merely a start. Connect
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to the closest of these servers and join the channel #Twilight_Zone
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When you get there, immediately ask what you want. Don't say "I have a
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question" because then hardly anyone will talk.
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(6) OK, I've got a client and I'm connected to a server? Now what?
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It's probably best to take a look around and see what you want
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to do first. All irc commands start with a "/", and most are one word.
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Typing /help will get you help information. /names will get you a list
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of names, etc.
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The output is typically something like this-> (Note there are more
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channels than this, this is just sample output).
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Pub: #hack zorgo eiji Patrick fup htoaster
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Pub: #Nippon @jircc @miyu_d
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Pub: #nicole MountainD
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Pub: #hottub omar liron beer Deadog moh pfloyd Dode greywolf SAMANTHA
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"Pub" means public (or "visible") channel. "hack" is the channel name.
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"#" is the prefix (see number 7 below). A "@" before someone's nickname
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indicates he/she is the "Channel operator" of that channel. A Channel
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Operator is someone who has control over a specific channel. It can be
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shared or not as the first Channel Operator sees fit. The first person
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to join the channel automatically gets Channel Operator, and can share
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it with anyone he/she chooses (or not).
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(7) I hear this talk about "+" channels, but I don't see any. What were
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they?
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"+" channels were in older server versions. They no longer
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exist, and probably will stay dead in later code revisions.
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(8) What are good channels to try while using irc?
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#hottub and #initgame are almost always teeming with people.
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#hottub is meant to simulate a hot tub, and #initgame is non-stop game
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of "inits" (initials). Just join and find out!
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Many irc operators are in #Twilight_Zone ... so if you join
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that channel and don't hear much talking, don't worry, it's not because
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you joined, operators don't talk much on that channel anyways!
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(9) How can I find out more about how + and # channels are changing?
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ftp to cs.bu.edu and look at irc/irc-2.7.CHANGES
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(10) What if someone tells me to type something cryptic?
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Never type anything anyone tells you to without knowing what it
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is. There is a problem with typing a certain command with the ircII
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client that gives anyone immediate control of your client (and thus can
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alter your account environment also).
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(11) What is NickServ? What if I can't remember my NickServ password?
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To quote from NickServ's help text, NickServ's purpose is to
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keep unique nicknames on irc. NickServ sends a warning to anyone else
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who signs on with your nickname. If you don't use IRC for 10 weeks,
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your nickname expires for reuse.
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Only a NickServ operator can change your nickserv password.
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To find out which NickServ operators are online, send
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/msg NickServ@service.de OPERWHO
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Nicknames with a "*" next to them are online at the time.
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(12) What is IPCLUB? GIF-Archives of IRC-persons?
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IPCLUB stands for IRC Picture Club. It is an E-Mail service
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provided by tommi@phoenix.oulu.fi for all the users of the Internet. For
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more help, mail tommi@phoenix.oulu.fi with the subject of "IPCLUB/HELP".
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(13) Where can I learn more?
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A good place to start might be downloading the irc tutorials.
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They're avaliable via anonymous ftp from cs.bu.edu in
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/irc/support/tutorial.* .. You can also join various IRC related mailing
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lists. "operlist" is a list that discusses current (and past) server
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code, routing, and protocol. You can join by mailing
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operlist-request@eff.org. You can join the irchat mailing list by
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mailing irchat-request@cc.tut.fi. There is a low traffic ircII mailing
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list, mail dl2p+@andrew.cmu.edu to be added. Another mailing list,
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ircd-three@eff.org, exists to discuss protocol revisions for the 3.0
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release of the ircd, currently in planning. Mail
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ircd-three-request@eff.org to be added to that.
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(13) What do I do if I'm still confused or have additions to this posting?
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email hrose@eff.org or ask for help (in #Twilight_Zone) on irc.
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