NickServ Options
DALnet stands out as being the largest IRC network with services. Serv services for its users back in 1994. The most well used of these services are NickServ, ChanServ and MemoServ. This document will walk through the options available through NickServ once you have obtained a fully registered nickname.
A complete list of DALnet Services commands can also be found at http://www.dal.net/services. Further services related questions should be directed to one of the three DALnet owned help channels: #DALnetHelp, #Help or #IRCHelp.
Throughout the document, the command /nickserv will be used for interacting with NickServ. It is possible that your IRC client may not support this command. If that is the case, then we suggest that you try /msg nickserv@services.dal.net or /quote nickserv instead.
1 · Requirements, Abilities and Responsibilities
This document assumes that you have already successfully registered your chosen nickname with NickServ, and will not cover the steps required to do so. A document explaining the registration process is available at http://help.dal.net/docs/nsemail.html.
If a registered nick is not used by the owner for 30 days, NickServ will drop it, leaving it up for grabs by another user.
2 · Identifying to a nick
There are actually a number of ways to identify to a nickname. You can also identify to a nickname that you are not using at the time. The more traditional and well-known way would be:
/nickserv identify [nickname] password
Example:
/nickserv identify ILovePeanutButter
/nickserv identify PeanutButterLover IlovePeanutButter
There are also a variety of other ways to identify to your nickname:
/identify [nickname] password
/services identify [nickname] password
/msg nickserv@services.dal.net identify [nickname] password
Since /identify and /services are DALnet built-in server commands, there are some clients which may not accept them. If yours does not accept the commands, you will have to add the /quote prefix:
/quote identify [nickname] password
/quote services identify [nickname] password
3 · Requesting information on a nick
The following command is very useful for obtaining information on a registered nickname.
Syntax:
/nickserv info nickname
Example:
/nickserv info PeanutButterLover
Below is an example of what the NickServ INFO request may return as information:
-NickServ- Info for PeanutButterLover:
-NickServ- (Currently on IRC) For extra info: /whois PeanutButterLover
-NickServ- Last seen address : butter@loving.peanutbutter.ca -NickServ- Memos forward to : PeanutButter
-NickServ- Last seen time : Tue 10/24/2000 04:10:58 GMT
-NickServ- Time registered : Sun 08/22/1997 10:18:21 GMT
-NickServ- Time now : Tue 10/24/2000 04:17:37 GMT
-NickServ- URL : http://www.peanutbutter.ca/ -NickServ- Email address : janet@peanutbutter.ca -NickServ- Options: Enforced, NoOp
-NickServ- *** End of Info ***
4 · "Nickname is currently in use"
For one reason or another, your nickname may already be in use when you try to use it. Depending on the situation, there are three different commands to use.
4.1 The GHOST command
It's possible that you may have been disconnected from your ISP (Internet Service Provider) without first having logged off DALnet. This and other situations may occasionally cause the server to believe that you are still online. The nickname representing your previous connection is referred to as a ghost.
A ghost usually always disappears after a few minutes but you may not have the patience to wait. The command to get rid of a ghost is as follows:
/nickserv ghost nickname [password]
Example:
/nickserv ghost PeanutButterLover
/nickserv ghost PeanutButterLover IlovePeanutButter
4.2 The RECOVER command
If you don't have the ENFORCE option on, or if someone just started using your nick and NickServ hasn't had a chance to guest them (see section section 4.3), you have the option to disconnect someone who is currently using your nick with the RECOVER command.
/nickserv recover nickname [password]
Example:
/nickserv recover PeanutButterLover
/nickserv recover PeanutButterLover IlovePeanutButter
4.3 The RELEASE command
An enforcer appears whenever someone does not identify to NickServ for that nick within 60 seconds (provided that the ENFORCE/KILL option for that nick is turned on). The user's nick will be changed to Guest***** and an enforcer will come online. An enforcer can be recognized very easily from its whois information.
Example:
PeanutButterLover is enforcer@enforcer.dal.net * DALnet nick name enforcer
PeanutButterLover is on services.dal.net
End of /WHOIS list.
An enforcer disappears on its own after a minute or two. You may choose to wait it out, or you can use the RELEASE command to get rid of the enforcer.
/nickserv release nickname [password]
Example:
/nickserv release PeanutButterLover
/nickserv release PeanutButterLover IlovePeanutButter
5 · Access Lists and Checking Access
Using the access list can get pretty confusing, especially for the newbie user. Therefore, we have written a document solely on access lists, what they are, how to use them along with their advantages and disadvantages. This document can be obtained at http://help.dal.net/docs/nsaccess.html.
Users also have the ability to check the access of themselves or another user. This will allow them to see if the person currently using the nick has actually identified to a nick, is only using the nick or is using it without having identified. The command is:
/nickserv acc nickname
NickServ will return a number from 0 to 3. It will look something like this:
-NickServ- PeanutButterLover ACC 2
Each number represents a different level of access that the user has with the nick that they
are using at the time.
0
The nickname used is not registered.
1
The user has not identified to the nickname.
2
The user matches an access list entry for the nickname.
3
The user has identified to the nickname.
6 · Setting Options
There are many options available to the owner of a fully registered nick. Before using any of the following commands, you should have identified to your nickname. Most of the commands will not work unless you have already identified.
6.1 Changing your Password
Changing your password is very easy:
/nickserv set passwd oldpassword newpassword
An example would be:
/nickserv set passwd ILovePeanutButter IlovePB
The above command would have changed your old password of "ILovePeanutButter" to "ILovePB".
6.2 Preventing others from using your nick
One of the benefits of registering your nick is that you can prevent others from using it while you are not using it or while you are not online.
This feature was previously known as the KILL option but has since been renamed to the ENFORCE option.
When someone uses an "enforced" nick, they will be given 60 seconds to identify. Otherwise, their nickname will forcibly be changed to "Guest*****" where each * represents a random number.
/nickserv set enforce on
/nickserv set enforce off
6.3 Attaching an URL to your nick
It's possible to attach an URL to your nickname so that it displays in the NickServ INFO output. Usually, people use it to give the location of their homepage.
Syntax:
/nickserv set url [URL]
Not including the URL parameter will cause NickServ to remove the existing URL from your nick.
Examples:
/nickserv set url
/nickserv set url http://www.peanutbutter.ca/
The first would have removed the URL that was already attached to the nick. The second would have attached http://www.peanutbutter.ca/ to the nickname.
6.4 (Re)Setting an E-Mail Address
You may chose to change the email address listed for your nick to something else. This is accomplished through the SET EMAIL command.
/nickserv set email [email address]
Using the above command without an email address will cause NickServ to show you the email address that you currently have set. Actually changing your email address will naturally require you to enter a valid email address:
/nickserv set email janet@peanutbutter.ca
Keep in mind that you will have to authorize the email change before it takes effect. The authorization email will be sent to this new address, in our case, janet@peanutbutter.ca.
6.5 Displaying your E-Mail Address
By default, the email address that you have set for your nick is completely invisible to other users. If you want to display your email address in your NickServ INFO output then you have only to use the SHOWEMAIL option.
/nickserv set showemail on
/nickserv set showemail off
The former will cause NickServ to display your email address in a NickServ INFO output and the latter will prevent it from displayed.
6.6 Disabling Memos
The NOMEMO option is strongly related to MemoServ and is also covered in the DALnet MemoServ document, available at http://help.dal.net/docs/memoserv.html. In short, it will prevent others from sending memos to you. However, you will still receive global memos. It's also possible for an IRCop to force a memo on you if they wish to inform you of an issue of importance.
The command is very easy to remember. You have two possibilities:
/nickserv set nomemo on
/nickserv set nomemo off
That will turn the NOMEMO option on and off respectively.
6.7 Preventing Op Status
Just as it's possible for you to prevent memos from being sent to your nick, it's also possible for you to prevent your nick from being added to any AOp or SOp lists.
/nickserv set noop on
/nickserv set noop off
The above commands enable and disable this option respectively. Should you wish to be added to an AOp or SOp list, it will be necessary to first turn off the NOOP option and then turn it back on if desired.
6.8 Disabling SENDPASS
DALnet allows you request your password if you have forgotten it (See section 8). You may chose to disable this self-send password ability by turning the MAILBLOCK option on. Please use this command carefully since you will not be able to request assistance if you ever lose your password.
/nickserv set mailblock on
/nickserv set mailblock off
7 · Dropping a nick
You can chose to unregister your nick. The deregistration process is done in two steps. First, you have to request for a nickname to be dropped. Secondly, you have to confirm your decision to drop your nickname.
The initial DROP command is as follows:
/nickserv drop nickname
Example:
/nickserv drop PeanutButterLover
NickServ will reply something along the lines of this:
-NickServ- Dropping a nickname is permanent and cannot be undone!
-NickServ- To confirm, type: /nickserv DROP PeanutButterLover 4294401523
Follow the instructions above by entering the exact authorization number. Copy and Paste may come in quite useful here.
/nickserv drop nickname authorization code
Finally, NickServ will confirm the drop of the nickname:
-NickServ- The nick PeanutButterLover has been successfully dropped.
Dropping a nickname will also result in the automatic removal of the your webpage (http://home.dal.net/nickname) and your email address with DALnet (nickname@u.dal.net) if either case applies.
8 · "I forgot my password"
Attaching an email address to your nickname will allow you to request for a password email to be sent for that nick. The syntax of this command is:
/nickserv sendpass [nick] [email address]
Example:
/nickserv sendpass PeanutButter janet@peanutbutter.ca
The email address that you specify must match the email address that we have on file for the nickname in question. The SENDPASS command will also be disabled if your MAILBLOCK option has been turned on. See section 6.8.
If you are not able to solve a forgotten password problem on your own, you may request the assistance of an IRCop. Instructions on how to find an IRC Operator are available at http://help.dal.net/docs/findoper.html.
9 · NickServ Abuse
The DALnet network does not tolerate any abusive usage of NickServ from people who register more nicks than they can use, for the sole reason of keeping others from obtaining the nick, with any malicious intent, simply overindulgence or otherwise. If you have 5 nicknames or fewer for example, this is certainly acceptable.
Depending on the severity of the offense, any violations of the above policies are liable to be dealt with through warnings, bans from the network, freezing of the nick, dropping of the nick, seizing of the nick, services ignores or an email sent to the abuse department of the user's ISP (Internet Service Provider).
The DALnet Administration also reserves the right to seize/drop nicks of users who severely break DALnet network rules.
source dalnet and revised by Clavelina
