(1) What is IRC? IRC stands for "Internet Relay Chat". It was written by Jarkko Oikarinen (jto@tolsun.oulu.fi) in 1988. Since starting in Finland, it has been used in some 40+ countries spanning the globe. It was designed as a replacement for the "talk" program but has become much much more than that. IRC is a multi-user chat system, where people convene on "channels" (a virtual place, usually with a topic of conversation) to talk in groups, or privately. IRC gained international fame during the late Persian Gulf War, where updates from around the world came accross the wire, and most people on irc gathered on a single channel to hear these reports. (2) How is IRC set up? The user runs a "client" program (usually called 'irc') which connects to the irc network via another program called a "server". Servers exist to pass messages from user to user over the irc network. (3) How do I use a client? You either compile the source yourself, have someone else on your machine compile the source for you, or use the TELNET client. "telnet tiger.itc.univie.ac.at 6668". Please only use the latter when you have no other way of reaching irc, as this resource is quite limited. (4) Where can I get source for the irc client? UNIX client-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients ftp.acsu.buffalo.edu /pub/irc nic.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc coombs.anu.edu.au /pub/irc ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/comp/networking/irc/clients slopoke.mlb.semi.harris.com /pub/irc there is also a client avaliable with the server code. EMACS elisp-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/elisp nic.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/Emacs ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/comp/networking/irc/clients slopoke.mlb.semi.harris.com /pub/irc/emacs lehtori.cc.tut.fi /pub/irchat VMS -> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/vms coombs.anu.edu.au /pub/irc/vms nic.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/vms ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/net/irc REXX client for VM-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/rxirc ftp.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de /pub/irc/rxirc ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/net/irc/VM coombs.anu.edu.au /pub/irc/rxirc nic.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/rxirc MSDOS-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/msdos nic.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/msdos Macintosh-> cs.bu.edu /irc/clients/macintosh sumex-aim.stanford.edu /info-mac/comm nic.funet.fi /pub/unix/irc/mac ftp.ira.uka.de /pub/systems/mac (5) Which server do I connect to? It's usually best to try and connect to one geographically close, even though that may not be the best. You can always ask when you get on irc. Here's a list of servers avaliable for connection: csa.bu.edu ucsu.colorado.edu penfold.ece.uiuc.edu ug.cs.dal.ca irc.funet.fi poly.polytechnique.fr disuns2.epfl.ch irc.nada.kth.se cairo.anu.edu.au sokrates.informatik.uni-kl.de bim.itc.univie.ac.at This is, by no means, a comprehensive list, but merely a start. Connect to the closest of these servers and join the channel #Twilight_Zone When you get there, immediately ask what you want. Don't say "I have a question" because then hardly anyone will talk. (6) OK, I've got a client and I'm connected to a server? Now what? It's probably best to take a look around and see what you want to do first. All irc commands start with a "/", and most are one word. Typing /help will get you help information. /names will get you a list of names, etc. The output is typically something like this-> (Note there are more channels than this, this is just sample output). Pub: #hack zorgo eiji Patrick fup htoaster Pub: #Nippon @jircc @miyu_d Pub: #nicole MountainD Pub: #hottub omar liron beer Deadog moh pfloyd Dode greywolf SAMANTHA "Pub" means public (or "visible") channel. "hack" is the channel name. "#" is the prefix (see number 7 below). A "@" before someone's nickname indicates he/she is the "Channel operator" of that channel. A Channel Operator is someone who has control over a specific channel. It can be shared or not as the first Channel Operator sees fit. The first person to join the channel automatically gets Channel Operator, and can share it with anyone he/she chooses (or not). (7) What is a "bot"? How can I get one? "bot" is short for "robot". It is a script run from an ircII client or a seperate program (in perl, C, and sometimes more obscure languages). StarOwl@uiuc.edu (Michael Adams) defined bots very well: "A bot is a vile creation of /lusers to make up for lack of penis length". IRC bots are generally not needed. See (9) below about "ownership" of nicknames and channels. (8) What are good channels to try while using irc? #hottub and #initgame are almost always teeming with people. #hottub is meant to simulate a hot tub, and #initgame is non-stop game of "inits" (initials). Just join and find out! Many irc operators are in #Twilight_Zone ... so if you join that channel and don't hear much talking, don't worry, it's not because you joined, operators don't talk much on that channel anyways! (9) Someone is using my nickname, can anyone do anything about it? Someone is using my channel, can anyone do anything about it? Even with NickServ (see (11) below) registering nicknames, there are not enough nicknames to have nickname ownership. If someone takes your nickname while you are not on irc, you can ask for them to give it back, but you can not *demand* it, nor will irc operators /kill for nickname ownership. There are, literally, millions of possible channel names, so if someone is on your usual channel, just go to another. You can /msg them and ask for them to leave, but you can't *force* them to leave. (10) There aren't any channel operators on my channel, now what? Channel operators are the owner(s) of their respective channels. Keep this in mind when giving out channel operator powers (make sure to give them to enough people so that all of the channel operators don't unexpectedly leave and the channel is stuck without a channel operator). On the other hand, do not give out channel operator to *everyone*. This causes the possibility of mass-kicking, where the channel would be stuck without any channel operators. (11) What if someone tells me to type something cryptic? Never type anything anyone tells you to without knowing what it is. There is a problem with typing a certain command with the ircII client that gives anyone immediate control of your client (and thus can alter your account environment also). (12) What is NickServ? What if I can't remember my NickServ password? To quote from NickServ's help text, NickServ's purpose is to keep unique nicknames on irc. NickServ sends a warning to anyone else who signs on with your nickname. If you don't use IRC for 10 weeks, your nickname expires for reuse. Only a NickServ operator can change your nickserv password. To find out which NickServ operators are online, send /msg NickServ@service.de OPERWHO Nicknames with a "*" next to them are online at the time. (13) Where can I find GIF archives of irc people? GIF archives of irc people are available: nic.funet.fi:/pub/pics/gif/pics/people/misc/irc ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de /pub/comp/networking/irc/RP (14) Where can I learn more? A good place to start might be downloading the irc tutorials. They're avaliable via anonymous ftp from cs.bu.edu in /irc/support/tutorial.* .. You can also join various IRC related mailing lists. "operlist" is a list that discusses current (and past) server code, routing, and protocol. You can join by mailing operlist-request@eff.org. You can join the irchat mailing list by mailing irchat-request@cc.tut.fi. There is a low traffic ircII mailing list, mail dl2p+@andrew.cmu.edu to be added. Another mailing list, ircd-three@eff.org, exists to discuss protocol revisions for the 3.0 release of the ircd, currently in planning. Mail ircd-three-request@eff.org to be added to that. A vmsirc mailing list is avaliable. Mail vmsirc-request@vax1.elon.edu (with "subscribe" in the message body). (15) What do I do if I'm still confused or have additions to this posting? email hrose@kei.com or ask for help (in #Twilight_Zone) on irc.