Helpfile for NickServ

NickServ allows you to "register" a nickname and prevent others from using it. The following commands allow for registration and maintenance of nicknames; to use them, type /msg NickServ command. For more information on a specific command, type /msg NickServ HELP command.

• REGISTER
  Register a nickname
• GROUP
  Join a group
• IDENTIFY
  Identify yourself with your password
• ACCESS
  Modify the list of authorized addresses
• SET
  Set options, including kill protection
• DROP
  Cancel the registration of a nickname
• RECOVER
  Kill another user who has taken your nick
• RELEASE
  Regain custody of your nick after RECOVER
• SENDPASS
  Forgot your password? Try this

NOTICE: This service is intended to provide a way for IRC users to ensure their identity is not compromised. It is NOT intended to facilitate "stealing" of nicknames or other malicious actions. Abuse of NickServ will result in, at minimum, loss of the abused nickname(s).

Nicknames that are not used anymore are subject to the automatic expiration, i.e. they will be deleted after 60 days if not used.

REGISTER ^

Syntax:
REGISTER password email

Registers your nickname in the NickServ database. Once your nick is registered, you can use the SET and ACCESS commands to configure your nick's settings as you like them. Make sure you remember the password you use when registering - you'll need it to make changes to your nick later. (Note that case matters! EPONA, Epona, and epona are all different passwords!)

Guidelines on choosing passwords:
Passwords should not be easily guessable. For example, using your real name as a password is a bad idea. Using your nickname as a password is a much worse idea ;) and, in fact, NickServ will not allow it. Also, short passwords are vulnerable to trial-and-error searches, so you should choose a password at least 5 characters long. Finally, the space character cannot be used in passwords.

The parameter email is required and will set the email for your nick immediately. Your privacy is respected; this e-mail won't be given to any third-party person.

This command also creates a new group for your nickname, that will allow you to register other nicks later sharing the same configuration, the same set of memos and the same channel privileges. For more information on this feature, type /msg NickServ HELP GROUP.

GROUP ^

Syntax:
GROUP target password

This command makes your nickname join the target nickname's group. password is the password of the target nickname.

A group exists as long as it is useful. This means that even if a nick of the group is dropped, you won't lose the shared things described above, as long as there is at least one nick remaining in the group.

You can use this command even if you have not registered your nick yet. If your nick is already registered, you'll need to identify yourself before using this command. Type /msg NickServ HELP IDENTIFY for more information. This last may be not possible on your IRC network.

It is recommended to use this command with a non-registered nick because it will be registered automatically when using this command. You may use it with a registered nick (to change your group) only if your network administrators allowed it.

You can only be in one group at a time. Group merging is not possible.

Note: all the nicknames of a group have the same password.

IDENTIFY ^

Syntax:
IDENTIFY password

Tells NickServ that you are really the owner of this nick. Many commands require you to authenticate yourself with this command before you use them. The password should be the same one you sent with the REGISTER command.

ACCESS ^

Syntax:
ACCESS ADD mask
ACCESS DEL mask
ACCESS LIST

Modifies or displays the access list for your nick. This is the list of addresses which will be automatically recognized by NickServ as allowed to use the nick. If you want to use the nick from a different address, you need to send an IDENTIFY command to make NickServ recognize you. Examples:

• ACCESS ADD anyone@*.bepeg.com
  Allows access to user anyone from any machine in the bepeg.com domain.
  
  
• ACCESS DEL anyone@*.bepeg.com
  Reverses the previous command.
  
  
• ACCESS LIST
  Displays the current access list.
  
  

SET ^

Syntax:
SET option parameters

Sets various nickname options. option can be one of:

• DISPLAY
  Set the display of your group in Services
• PASSWORD
  Set your nickname password
• LANGUAGE
  Set the language Services will use when sending messages to you
• URL
  Associate a URL with your nickname
• EMAIL
  Associate an E-mail address with your nickname
• ICQ
  Associate an ICQ number with your nickname
• GREET
  Associate a greet message with your nickname
• KILL
  Turn protection on or off
• SECURE
  Turn nickname security on or off
• PRIVATE
  Prevent your nickname from appearing in a /msg NickServ LIST
• HIDE
  Hide certain pieces of nickname information
• MSG
  Change the communication method of Services

In order to use this command, you must first identify with your password (/msg NickServ HELP IDENTIFY for more information).

Type /msg NickServ HELP SET option for more information on a specific option.

SET DISPLAY -- ^

Syntax:
SET DISPLAY new-display

Changes the display used to refer to your nickname group in Services. The new display MUST be a nick of your group.

SET PASSWORD -- ^

Syntax:
SET PASSWORD new-password

Changes the password used to identify you as the nick's owner.

SET LANGUAGE -- ^

Syntax:
SET LANGUAGE number

Changes the language Services uses when sending messages to you (for example, when responding to a command you send). number should be chosen from the following list of supported languages:

1. English (1)
2. Français (French) (2)
3. Deutsch (German) (3)
4. Português (Portuguese) (4)
5. Español (Spanish) (5)
6. Türkçe (Turkish) (6)
7. Catala (Catalan) (7)

SET URL -- ^

Syntax:
SET URL url

Associates the given URL with your nickname. This URL will be displayed whenever someone requests information on your nick with the INFO command.

SET EMAIL -- ^

Syntax:
SET EMAIL address

Associates the given E-mail address with your nickname. This address will be displayed whenever someone requests information on the channel with the INFO command.

SET ICQ -- ^

Syntax:
SET ICQ number

Associates the given ICQ number with your nickname. This number will be displayed whenever someone requests information on your nick with the INFO command.

SET GREET -- ^

Syntax:
SET GREET message

Makes the given message the greet of your nickname, that will be displayed when joining a channel that has GREET option enabled, provided that you have the necessary access on it.

SET KILL -- ^

Syntax:
SET KILL {ON | QUICK | IMMED | OFF}

Turns the automatic protection option for your nick on or off. With protection on, if another user tries to take your nick, they will be given one minute to change to another nick, after which NickServ will forcibly change their nick.

If you select QUICK, the user will be given only 20 seconds to change nicks instead of the usual 60. If you select IMMED, user's nick will be changed immediately without being warned first or given a chance to change their nick; please do not use this option unless necessary. Also, your network's administrators may have disabled this option.

SET SECURE -- ^

Syntax:
SET SECURE {ON | OFF}

Turns NickServ's security features on or off for your nick. With SECURE set, you must enter your password before you will be recognized as the owner of the nick, regardless of whether your address is on the access list. However, if you are on the access list, NickServ will not auto-kill you regardless of the setting of the KILL option.

SET PRIVATE -- ^

Syntax:
SET PRIVATE {ON | OFF}

Turns NickServ's privacy option on or off for your nick. With PRIVATE set, your nickname will not appear in nickname lists generated with NickServ's LIST command. (However, anyone who knows your nickname can still get information on it using the INFO command.)

SET HIDE -- ^

Syntax:
SET HIDE {EMAIL | USERMASK | QUIT} {ON | OFF}

Allows you to prevent certain pieces of information from being displayed when someone does a NickServ INFO on your nick. You can hide your E-mail address (EMAIL), last seen user@host mask (USERMASK), and last quit message (QUIT). The second parameter specifies whether the information should be displayed (OFF) or hidden (ON).

SET MSG -- ^

Syntax:
SET MSG {ON | OFF}

Allows you to choose the way Services are communicating with you. With MSG set, Services will use messages, else they'll use notices.

DROP ^

Syntax:
DROP [nickname]

Drops your nickname from the NickServ database. A nick that has been dropped is free for anyone to re-register.

You may drop a nick within your group by passing it as the nick parameter.

In order to use this command, you must first identify with your password (/msg NickServ HELP IDENTIFY for more information).

RECOVER ^

Syntax:
RECOVER nickname [password]

Allows you to recover your nickname if someone else has taken it; this does the same thing that NickServ does automatically if someone tries to use a kill-protected nick.

When you give this command, NickServ will bring a fake user online with the same nickname as the user you're trying to recover your nick from. This causes the IRC servers to disconnect the other user. This fake user will remain online for one minute to ensure that the other user does not immediately reconnect; after that minute, you can reclaim your nick. Alternatively, use the RELEASE command (/msg NickServ HELP RELEASE) to get the nick back sooner.

In order to use the RECOVER command for a nick, your current address as shown in /WHOIS must be on that nick's access list, you must be identified and in the group of that nick, or you must supply the correct password for the nickname.

RELEASE ^

Syntax:
RELEASE nickname [password]

Instructs NickServ to remove any hold on your nickname caused by automatic kill protection or use of the RECOVER command. By default, such holds last for one minute; this command gets rid of them sooner.

In order to use the RELEASE command for a nick, your current address as shown in /WHOIS must be on that nick's access list, you must be identified and in the group of that nick, or you must supply the correct password for the nickname.

SENDPASS ^

Syntax:
SENDPASS nickname

Send the password of the given nickname to the e-mail address set in the nickname record. This command is really useful to deal with lost passwords.

May be limited to IRC operators on certain networks.

This command is unavailable when encryption is enabled.

GHOST ^

Syntax:
GHOST nickname [password]

Terminates a "ghost" IRC session using your nick. A "ghost" session is one which is not actually connected, but which the IRC server believes is still online for one reason or another. Typically, this happens if your computer crashes or your Internet or modem connection goes down while you're on IRC.

In order to use the GHOST command for a nick, your current address as shown in /WHOIS must be on that nick's access list, you must be identified and in the group of that nick, or you must supply the correct password for the nickname.

GLIST ^

Syntax:
GLIST

Lists all nicks in your group.

INFO ^

Syntax:
INFO nickname [ALL]

Displays information about the given nickname, such as the nick's owner, last seen address and time, and nick options. If you are identified for the nick you're getting information for and ALL is specified, you will be shown all the information; regardless of whether it's hidden or not.

LIST ^

Syntax:
LIST pattern

Lists all registered nicknames which match the given pattern, in nick!user@host format. Nicks with the PRIVATE option set will not be displayed.

Examples: