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Topic: IRC 101, all you need to know  (Read 15964 times)

paco

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IRC 101, all you need to know
« on: September 11, 2013, 01:44:54 pm »

1. Let's meet boats
To go on IRC, you gotta find a network, where you can meet with other people and talk.
The network for discussing FOnline games is usually forestnet.org.
1. 1. Ports for docking your boats
Quote
irc.forestnet.org
Windows-1251 — 6667 / +7325 (SSL)
UTF-8 — 6662 / 6697 (SSL)
You need network address and port for joining an IRC network. Just "forestnet.org" won't work. Most networks are configured to have an irc subdomain for their IRC servers. This is why we use "irc.forestnet.org".
Ports on the other hand are different network outlets that the network listens on for traffic, and each is distinctly different.
In forestnet.org's example, you can see that:
    port 6667 is for unencrypted communication, using Windows 1251 character encoding
    port 7325 uses that same encoding but encrypted
    port 6662 uses UTF-8 encoding and is unencrypted
    port 6697 uses UTF-8 too and it's encrypted
1. 2. Character encoding, trivial subject really
Codes for cyrillic and diactric characters vary between W1251 and UTF8.
This is why you get weird characters that don't make sense when people with different character sets write ąęćółżńźś and йцукенгшщзхъфывапролджэячсмитьбю.
The reason why your browser read those correctly is because it uses UTF-8 too. Your IRC client should too, and it's a good idea to enforce it.
1. 3. Encryption
IRC uses SSL for encrypting traffic. This is a feature that prevents anyone overhearing your conversations from understanding them. Your client will require the network to have a certificate for encrypted connections. That document is valid for 1-3 years so if you get errors about the certificate, it's probably not your fault. Poke net admins or tell your client to ignore certificate errors.
2. Fun things about the IRC protocol
2. 1. To let
On IRC networks there are rooms. You can join one, or create one by joining into one that does not exist yet.
2. 2. Papers, please
CTCP (client-to-client protocol) lets clients talk to each other in simple request-automated-response. Predefined requests are usually:
    VERSION - IRC client version, OS version and CPU info
    USERINFO - user credentials used when joining the network
    TIME - user's local time
    PING - time in miliseconds to reach the user
All of those can be turned off if you're scared of 12 year olds finding out you're running Windows 8 on your mother's Pentium.
Some clients have other CTCP subjects to reply to.

Some networks, like forestnet.org, have services running on them. What interests us most is NickServ, the service for registering and authenticating people for their nicks. They prevent people from stealing someone's identity if they were a registered user.
To register a nick, just do
Code: [Select]
/msg NickServ register email passwordor something like that. NickServ will tell you the correct syntax if this one is incorrect.
Then, every time you log in to the network, you authenticate with
Code: [Select]
/msg NickServ identify password2. 2. 1. Security awareness
If you're using mIRC, it's a good idea to disable CTCP VERSION. This client is notorious for being vulnerable to remotely inflicted stack overflows. Every version is like that, for god knows what reason. All that an attacker needs to know is what version of mIRC you're running.
There is also a decade old bug that will remotely disconnect you from the internet while using IRC if you:
    have installed Norton Antivirus on the same computer, and still have it
    use an old Linksys or Netgear router to connect with the internet
There is nothing you can really do about it, except for use a different AV and router. Or use a remote shell on a system that isn't vulnerable to this.
2. 3. Check your priviledge
There are different levels of priviledge on IRC. The ones that are relevant to rooms only are:
chan owner - capo of the room, makes rules, sets chan topic, makes opers, bans people and kicks people if they're bad, can unregister the channel
op - short for operator, can do everything that owner does, except it can't unregister the channel, kick/ban owner, etc
half op - same as op but can't lay a finger on a full op and owner
voice - can talk in moderation mode, just like everyone with higher priviledge
2. 4. Modes that matter
+m - moderation mode. Everyone without priviledges cannot talk in the room. Good for calming down flame wars.
+R - prevents people without a registered nick from joining the chan
+i - makes the channel accessible only if its oper-or-higher invites you
+p - private chan, will not appear in a whois listing
Note: MODES ARE CASE SENSITIVE, okay?
3. Clients
3. 1. Baby's first IRC client
qwebirc, mibbit, chatzilla, icychat
3. 2. The good stuff
HexChat - nice and clean, has a 64bit version for Windows! http://hexchat.github.io/downloads.html
KVirc - highly configurable client, http://www.kvirc.net/?id=releases&platform=win32
Irssi - very light, command-line client, very popular on remote shells http://www.irssi.org/download#binaries
3. 2. 1. Why bother?
    Logs stored on your HDD for you to use and quote
    Automated away-messages
    You can host bots
    Scripting
    Not dropping out of an IRC convo because your browser crashed

FAQ
Q: I can't connect to IRC, my host gets dropped. What is happening?
A: Old problem. Set your client to auto-reconnect or go on ForestNet's forum and ask.

Q: Some people use irssi and their connection stays up for weeks! How do they do it?
A: They got a shell on a reliable server and have read these two articles, or just relevant parts of them.
« Last Edit: October 04, 2013, 03:40:17 pm by paco »
<wimp> crucify apaco and paco for telling you how to use a computer and get on irc
Quote from: Carl von Clausewitz
War is such a dangerous business that mistakes that come from kindness are the very worst.

Kilgore

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Re: IRC 101, all you need to know
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2013, 02:31:06 pm »
I've set this as sticky thread, should be helpful to people having problems with IRC. Thanks for this.

ApocaRUFF

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Re: IRC 101, all you need to know
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2013, 11:00:36 pm »
The issue we're all having is that we're trying to use the "IRC Channel" link on the front webpage. However, we cannot join with that as it does not connect with a port (as far as I can tell). That or it tries to connect with a port that isn't being accepted. Anyways, opening my old trusty X-chat IRC client and manually joining the server with the port 6667 worked fine and I'm back on IRC.

If it's not possible to fix the IRC Channel link on the front webpage, perhaps it would be possible to instead have that link lead to a guide that has a download to a popular/easy-to-use IRC client (like X-Chat) and instructions on how to connect to the server?

paco

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Re: IRC 101, all you need to know
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2013, 11:26:10 pm »
If it's not possible to fix the IRC Channel link on the front webpage, perhaps it would be possible to instead have that link lead to a guide that has a download to a popular/easy-to-use IRC client (like X-Chat) and instructions on how to connect to the server?
Doing Done.
« Last Edit: September 11, 2013, 11:39:07 pm by paco »
<wimp> crucify apaco and paco for telling you how to use a computer and get on irc
Quote from: Carl von Clausewitz
War is such a dangerous business that mistakes that come from kindness are the very worst.


kuko

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Re: IRC 101, all you need to know
« Reply #5 on: October 23, 2013, 08:46:09 am »
(10:37:38) * Connecting to irc.forestnet.org (6662)
(10:37:38)  -› (pine.forestnet.org) *** Looking up your hostname...
(10:37:41)  -› (pine.forestnet.org) *** Couldn't look up your hostname
(10:38:18)  -› (pine.forestnet.org) *** Notice -- Your hostname has been masked with non-ssl scheme
(10:38:18)  -› (pine.forestnet.org) *** Notice -- You have connected on 6662 port with unicode mapping
(10:40:37) * [10053] Software caused connection abort

I have this on every irc client on every port.
Removed firewall on router/forwarded ports didnt help.
Google didnt help.
Cant even use webchat, any ideas?

I figured out it works with webchat if it uses f.e mibbit host, not mine. But i dont want to use it-too many resources.
« Last Edit: October 23, 2013, 09:44:53 am by kuko »

DocAN

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Re: IRC 101, all you need to know
« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2013, 03:52:17 pm »
I have instaled HexChat and IRC works for me withuot any problems.

Sperber

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Re: IRC 101, all you need to know
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2014, 07:58:45 pm »
I keep getting disconnected. I never had any problems before.
I use it with my firefox browser only. No additional programs.
Tried HexChat and it disconnects as well.

[20:55] == *** (qwebirc) Looking up your hostname...
[20:55] == *** (qwebirc) Found your hostname.
[20:55] == Connected to server.
[20:55] == Disconnected from server: Connection to IRC server lost.

Barneys

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Re: IRC 101, all you need to know
« Reply #8 on: February 24, 2014, 09:10:33 pm »
Same

Strike

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Re: IRC 101, all you need to know
« Reply #9 on: February 24, 2014, 09:27:32 pm »
Maybe some random problems with Forestnet, like always :P

Quote
[20:55] == Disconnected from server: Connection to IRC server lost.
« Last Edit: February 24, 2014, 09:30:35 pm by Strike »

Charity

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Re: IRC 101, all you need to know
« Reply #10 on: February 24, 2014, 10:01:44 pm »
[20:55] == *** (qwebirc) Looking up your hostname...
[20:55] == *** (qwebirc) Found your hostname.
[20:55] == Connected to server.
[20:55] == Disconnected from server: Connection to IRC server lost.

same here
« Last Edit: February 24, 2014, 10:03:30 pm by Charity »

S.T.A.L.K.E.R

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Re: IRC 101, all you need to know
« Reply #11 on: February 25, 2014, 12:09:56 am »
I keep getting disconnected. I never had any problems before.
I use it with my firefox browser only. No additional programs.
Tried HexChat and it disconnects as well.

[20:55] == *** (qwebirc) Looking up your hostname...
[20:55] == *** (qwebirc) Found your hostname.
[20:55] == Connected to server.
[20:55] == Disconnected from server: Connection to IRC server lost.
Use the Chatzilla add-on if you're using firefox...works better on that and I have no issues

kungfu

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Re: IRC 101, all you need to know
« Reply #12 on: February 25, 2014, 10:36:53 pm »
ur getting the error bcoz youre trying to duallog on irc and the server refuses to accept multiple connections from 1 ip

Charity

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Re: IRC 101, all you need to know
« Reply #13 on: February 26, 2014, 09:20:02 am »
ur getting the error bcoz youre trying to duallog on irc and the server refuses to accept multiple connections from 1 ip
nope

BB.

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Re: IRC 101, all you need to know
« Reply #14 on: February 26, 2014, 05:15:55 pm »
ur getting the error bcoz youre trying to duallog on irc and the server refuses to accept multiple connections from 1 ip
nope
Same with me.