ChanServ Information
ChanServ has been created in order to stop channel takeovers, automate channel management, and to make life easier for users in general. Over the years many different commands have been added to ChanServ. These commands are discussed in this document.
ChanServ may be accessed through either /chanserv or /msg chanserv@services.dal.net. For the purpose of this document, we will use /chanserv as the command, however, some IRC clients (e.g. BitchX) do not support /chanserv and you will have to use /msg chanserv@services.dal.net.
1 · Registering a channel
Syntax: /chanserv register #channel password description
Information: The REGISTER command allows a user to register his/her channel (if it is not already registered) quickly and painlessly by typing one line. In order to register a channel, the user must specify the channel, the password that he or she, and a short description of his channel.
Note: Under no circumstances should you give out the password to anyone. DALnet will NOT help with takeovers if you have shared your password. Also, try to make your password something that might be simple to you but would be hard for others to guess.
In order to find out if a channel is registered or not, type /chanserv info #channel, more on that later. Also, do not forget to use the # sign when registering a channel.
Example: /chanserv register #mystro m3dj35 My home online.
This would register the channel #mystro with the password m3dj35 (a pretty complex password for someone to just guess out of the blue) and the description "My home online."
2 · Dropping a channel
Syntax: /chanserv drop #channel [dropcode]
Information: This command will allow you to drop a channel you are a founder of. You must first use the command alone and then you will receive a drop code which you type in with the command.
Note: You must identify to the channel before being able to drop it.
Example: /chanserv drop #mystro
This is the initial command, after which I would see something like this in my status window:
-ChanServ- Dropping a channel is permanent and cannot be undone!
-ChanServ- To confirm, type: /chanserv DROP #mystro 13151683216
After that, I would type the command /chanserv DROP #mystro 13151683216 to finalize if I was sure.
3 · Identifying as a channel's founder
Syntax: /chanserv identify #channel password
Information: The identify command identifies the user as the founder of that channel and gives the user access to founder-based commands.
4 · Retrieving a password
Syntax: /chanserv sendpass #channel email
Information: The sendpass command allows the founder to have his channel password sent to the email address associated with the channel in the services database. Using that function, the founder may have his password sent to him incase of a lost/forgotten password.
5 · Adding/removing/listing SOps
Syntax: /chanserv sop #channel add/del/list/wipe [nick]
Information: The command allows the founder to add or remove a SuperOP to the channel access list. The list command, however, can be accessed by AOps' and up.
6 · Adding/removing/listing AOps
Syntax: /chanserv aop #channel add/del/list/wipe [nick]
Information: This command lets any SOp or the Founder add or remove auto ops from the channel. The LIST argument in the command can be accessed by AOps and up.
Note: The AOp list is limited to 300 entries. Wipe may only be used by founder
7 · Adding/removing/listing AKicks
Syntax: /chanserv akick #channel add/del/list/wipe [nick/host]
Information: Akicks are Auto Kicks and may be added by a SOp or Founder; however only a founder may wipe akicks.
8 · Oping / Deoping people
Syntax: /chanserv op/deop #channel nickname
Information: This command is pretty simple, it allows you to op or deop a nickname in a channel without having to be opped or even be in the channel. You must be an AOp or higher in order to use this command.
Note: You may not deop someone who has higher ChanServ access than you
9 · Mass kicking a channel
Syntax: /chanserv mkick #channel
Information: The MKick (Mass Kick) command is used in case of a desync (more information in the Netsplits document) in which case the channel has to be closed and reopened.
Note: The command may not be used if someone higher than you is in the channel. (e.g. AOps can't mkick when a SOp is present, SOps can't mkick when the founder is present).
10 · Mass Deoping a channel
Syntax: /chanserv mdeop #channel
Information: The MDEOP command will deop everyone in the channel who have equal or less access in ChanServ than the person using the command.
11 · Setting options in channels
The SET command has many different arguments including FOUNDER, PASSWD, DESC, MLOCK, OPGUARD, KEEPTOPIC, URL, IDENT, RESTRICT and VERBOSE. All these commands will modify and change how ChanServ acts in your channel and you should take some time to get familiar with them as they will help you in keeping your channel secure.
Note: To use the ChanServ SET command and its arguments, make sure you are identified as the channel founder (more below).
11.1 Changing channel founders
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel founder
Information: The FOUNDER argument of the set command will allow the user that uses this command to change the channel founder to himself.
Note: The nickname that the user is using must be registered or the command will not work
11.2 Changing channel passwords
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel passwd oldpassword newpassword
Information: This argument will change the password of the channel from an old password to a new password. It is a good idea to rotate your password once every few months to improve security.
Example:/chanserv set #mystro passwd m3dj35 m3dj36
This command will set the channel password from m3dj35 to m3dj36
11.3 Changing channel description
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel desc newdescription
Information: The DESC argument lets a user change the description of his or her channel which can be viewed through the /chanserv info command.
Example: /chansev set #mystro desc Mystro's home on the web!
This command will change #mystro's channel description to 'Mystro's home on the web!'
11.4 Changing the channel modes
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel mlock modes
Information: The MLOCK command is one of the most important commands to maintain channel security. Below is a list of all the possible modes and what they do:
+R - Only registered nicks allowed. Very useful if you wish to stop clone attacks, since most clone attacks use unregistered nicks.
+n - No external messages. This option prevents people who are not in channel from sending messages to that channel.
+t - Only ops set topic. This command will make sure non-ops cannot change the topic of the channel.
+s and +p - Both commands set the channel to be invisible in /list commands, but +s also sets it invisible in whois, both settings are a good way to keep unwanted users out of channel.
+i - This option makes the channel closed to anyone unless an op invites them or they have ChanServ invite them using the /chanserv invite command.
+k - This option sets a password on the channel which a user must type in order to join.
+l - This option limits the amount of users that may join the channel.
+m - This option prevents anyone who is not voiced or OPed from talking in the channel.
+c - This option will disable any control codes (color, bold, underline, reverse) from being sent to the channel and will those messages. Also useful against clone attacks.
For more information on modes check out http://help.dal.net/docs/modes.html
Note: Some of the options require another argument (ie. +l needs a number, +k needs a password) so the arguments need to be specified in the order of the options. (ie. +kl password number)
Example: /chanserv set #mystro mlock +ntR-s
This command would set #mystro to +ntR-s which means only ops can change topic, no external messages, registered nicks only and secret can't be set.
11.5 Setting OPGUARD on and off
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel opguard on/off
Information: When this argument is set on only AOps, SOps and the Founder will be allowed to be an op in the channel, everyone else will automatically be deopped.
11.6 Setting KEEPTOPIC on and off
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel keeptopic on/off
Information: If a channel becomes empty (last person leaves), ChanServ will save the topic if this option is set on so that next time someone comes in the topic will be recreated with the nick who set it.
11.7 Making a URL show in the info
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel url [URLhere]
Information: This command lets you set the URL for your channel which can be viewed through the /chanserv info command. To remove a URL, type the command without a URL at the end.
11.8 Ops have to identify before getting opped
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel ident on/off
Information: The ident argument regulates whether people can get opped in the channel automatically without having to identify (access list) or must identify. (Please see http://help.dal.net/docs/nickserv.html#5 for more information on access lists).
11.9 Restricting a channel to AOps and higher
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel restrict on/off
Information: The RESTRICT argument, when set on, will not allow anyone who is not on the channel access list to join the channel and will automatically kick and ban them.
11.10 Turning VERBOSE on and off
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel verbose on/off
Information: The VERBOSE argument, when set on, will notify channel ops of any changes made to the channel access list (ie. aop added/removed, sop added/removed, akick added/removed).
An example of output would be:
-ChanServ:@#mystro- [VERBOSE] Mystro!mystro@sun.2kservices.com => aop #mystro add |Mystro|
11.11 Setting who can change the topic
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel topiclock founder/sop/off
Information: The TOPICLOCK command, when turned on, will allow you to set who should be able to change the topic: You (the founder), a SOp, or anyone else (off).
11.12 Allowing users who join to stay opped
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel leaveops on/off
Information: This command, when turned on, will not deop the first user to join the channel regardless of whether he is an op or not, if set off (as it is by default), it will deop anyone who is not AOp or higher. It is recommended you leave this setting untouched for security.
11.13 Founder does not need to identify
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel unsecure
Information: This command, when turned on, will allow anyone on the founder's nick access list to make founder type changes to the channel. It is suggested to leave this argument untouched.
11.14 Making the channel private
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel private on/off
Information: This setting, when turned on, will prevent the /chanserv invite command from being used. It will also allow only people who know about the channel to access it.
11.15 Setting who may send channel-wide memos
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel memo none/aop/sop/founder
Information: This command allows the founder to manage who may send channel memos. When memo is set to none, no one can memo; when memo is set to AOp, all people on chanserv's access list may memo, when memo is set to SOp only founder and sops may memo and when the option is set to founder only the channel founder may send channel wide memos.
11.16 Setting the successor of the channel
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel successor nickname / -
Information: This command allows the founder to set the successor for the channel in case the nickname of the founder expires. When and if the nickname expires the channel will be turned over to the successor with all rights and privileges of the founder. If you wish to set the successor to no-one, use a hyphen ("-") instead of a nickname.
11.17 Setting the web password for the channel
Syntax: /chanserv set #channel webpasswd password
Information: This command allows the founder to set the web password for his channel's website on the web (see the Webhosting Services document at http://help.dal.net/docs/webhost.html for more information on channel websites).
11.18 Setting the mailblock option for the channel
Syntax:/chanserv set #channel mailblock on/off
Information: This command allows the founder of a channel to turn on/off mailblock on his channel, by that enabling/disabling the option for the channel password to be sent to the email on file in case of a lost password.
Note: By enabling this command, the founder no longer has the option to retrieve his password incase it is lost/forgotten. The mailblock option should NOT be turned on unless the founder is absolutely sure that he is not going to forget/lose the password.
12 · Inviting yourself into the channel
Syntax: /chanserv invite #channel
Information: This command will invite you into a +R/+O/+i/+l/+k/+b channel or a channel which you have been banned from by someone. You must be an AOp or higher to use that command.
13 · Viewing the access of a person
Syntax: /chanserv acc/access #channel [nick]
Information: This command lets an AOp or higher see what access he/someone else has to the channel. The access is displayed numerically, below are the definitions:
-2 = Channel is frozen or closed
-1 = AutoKICKed from the channel
0 = basic
1 = AutoOp
2 = SuperOp
3 = Has founder access via a NickServ access list mask
4 = Has founder access via identification to NickServ
5 = Has founder access via identification to ChanServ
If the USER is not online, the access will be 0.
Note: You must be an AOp or higher to use that command.
Example: /chanserv acc #mystro mystro
The following reply would come from ChanServ:
-ChanServ- Mystro ACC #mystro 5 (Founder)
14 · Why a person opped
Syntax: /chanserv why #channel nick
Information: The WHY command does the same thing as the ACC/ACCESS command, however it returns the status of the user in AOp/SOp/Founder form with no access level. It will also tell you when someone is using a different nickname what nickname he has access to that let him become opped.
Note: You must be an AOp or higher to use that command
Example: /chanserv why #mystro mystro
Below is what you would receive from ChanServ
-ChanServ- Mystro has FOUNDER access to #mystro. Reason: Identification to services with the channel password.
15 · Unbanning yourself and others
Syntax: /chanserv unban #channel [nick/*/nick!user@host]
Information The UNBAN command will unban all masks that match your nick!user@host if you do not specify a nickname. AOps may also unban a specific user or a host. SOps can unban everything by specifying the * sign instead of a nickname.
16 · Counting AOps/SOps and AKicks
Syntax: /chanserv count #channel
Information: This command counts all the AKicks, AOps and SOps in a channel and gives you the number in a reply.
EXample: /chanserv count #mystro
This will return the following:
-ChanServ- Channel: #mystro - AOP: 27 SOP: 3 AKICK: 9
17 · Finding information on a channel
Syntax: /chanserv info #channel
Information: The INFO command allows one to see specific information about channels (chanserv settings, topic, registry date, etc.)
Example: /chanserv info #mystro
This command will give out the following information:
-ChanServ- Info for #mystro:
-ChanServ- Founder : |Mystro| (mystro@66.38.188.104)
-ChanServ- Mode Lock : +nt-ilk
-ChanServ- Description: My little home on the net.
-ChanServ- Options : Verbose
-ChanServ- Memo Level : AOP
-ChanServ- Registered : Thu 09/30/1999 03:07:00 GMT
-ChanServ- Last opping: Sat 04/21/2001 13:54:14 GMT
-ChanServ- *** End of Info ***
This shows that the founder is |Mystro| with the host mystro@66.38.188.104, the channel modes are +nt-ilk, the description is 'my little home on the net.' etc.
18 · Channel Security
Now that you have gotten yourself familiarized with the ChanServ commands, it's time to move on to a very important topic: Channel Security. Each day, many people join channels such as #operhelp in order to receive help with channel takeovers, forgotten passwords, etc... Here are some tactics to help you fight all of the security problems.
1) Make your password use uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as numbers. This makes passwords much harder to guess.
2) NEVER EVER give out your password to anyone who you wouldn't trust with your life. DALnet does not help users who shared their password and later found it misused.
3) Add SOps very carefully. Also, add AOps very carefully. Don't add anyone who you don't know very well to the OP list.
4) By default, set an mlock of at least +nt. This will prevent people from changing your topic or messaging without being in the channel.
5) Don't create an auto-identify script. If you do, make sure you don't give out the script with the auto identify or you may be in serious trouble.
6) Rotate your password at least once every couple of months.
That's about it. You may want to take a look at the Passwords document (http://help.dal.net/docs/passwords.html) for more information on passwords.
revised by: clavelina
