mikaela.github.io/_posts/2015-09-19-atheme-quickstart.md

Atheme IRC Services is the most used IRC service package. However many people have difficulties with registering a channel and then managing it, which I attempt to help with here. I start by explaining NickServ registration (and as a bonus HostServ) and then move to channel management and you just cannot talk about that without mentioning GroupServ too…

NickServ

You won’t be able to do anything unless you register your nick. This is as easy as /msg nickserv register PASSWORD someone@example.net.

Depending on Atheme configuration on the IRC network you are using, you must verify your email by checking it and copy-pasting the command which starts with /msg NickServ verify register to NickServ.

In case you wish to have multiple nicks in the same account, that is also easy, just /nick AltNick and /msg nickserv group. You can see nicks you have by using /msg nickserv info yournick (other people (except IRC operators) cannot see that part).

Now you should be successfully identified and should configure automatic identification, I cannot help with it so much, but I can point you to beginning:

• freenode’s SASL instructions
• My instructions for SASL with WeeChat
• Searx YOURCLIENTHERE SASL
• IRCCloud: edit network and go to advanced settings and you will see box for NickServ password.
• KiwiIRC: Check “I have a password” and type your passsword there. Ensure that you specified a nick that is grouped to your account.
• Matrix: in the admin room (direct chat with the appservice-irc), say !storepass password to have the password send with PASS on connect. In case of freenode use !storepass nick:password and/or see more information at matrix-appservice-irc wiki.
  • IRC networks with Matrix bridge
  • Matrix bridge end-user FAQ register/identify section

HostServ

In case the network you are on has HostServ, you can get vhosts with it. Vhosts appear in place of your real host/cloaked host, but won’t hide your IP.

There are two ways to get a vhost, take one that is offered to everyone or request something.

• Check /msg hostserv offerlist and if you see something you like, you can enable it with e.g. /msg hostserv take $user.irc.example.net and running /msg hostserv on.
• Use /msg nickserv request blah and when you receive message telling you that your requested vhost has been approved use /msg hostserv on.

ChanServ

And finally to the topic which seems to be the most difficult, channel (access) management.

First register the channel with /msg ChanServ register #channel while you are opped. Now you are free to setup the channel as you wish.

I use the following templates, so I can e.g. /msg chanserv flags #channel someone op instead of /msg chanserv flags #channel someone +vVhHoOirtAe. You can also use the network defaults that you can see with /msg chanserv template.

This is a bash scripts which is ran like ./cstemplate #channel and copy-pasted to ChanServ. It basically allows ops to do everything they could do anyway by being opped using services and “trusted users” have became regulars on channels I am on. If a flag doesn’t exist on the network you are on, Atheme will just silently ignore it.

You should see my cstemplate script here, but the embedding isn’t working, to see it please click here to go to the GitHub instance of it.

Another example using my templates would be /msg ChanServ flags #channel !channel-ops op which would give op permissions above to users in the !channel-ops group.

GroupServ

I mentioned groups a little earlier and now I am returning to them. They are a way to manage flags of group of users very easily by having all users in the group and just setting flags to the group instead of invidual users.

GroupServ is undervalued service and it might not be surprising if it’s missing from your network :(

Start by creating your group /msg groupserv register !blah (you might want to register a more descriptive name).

Next, as in this example this group is going to be op #somewhere we close the group: /msg groupserv set !group open off.

Now there are only two tasks left, making the group op and adding ops there:

• /msg chanserv flags #channel !blah op
  • where op can still be replaced with aop if you are following Atheme defaults or some other template you created or your own set of flags.
• /msg groupserv flags !blah user +c
  • Repeat as many times as you have ops, to remove ops you simply remove their -c flag or all flags (-*). You will also want to read /msg groupserv help flags as there is more than I said here.

Futher reading

• Always add opers to access list (this is the $oper in my templates)
  • oops, did I just repeat previous post
• Keep the ops opped
  • especially read this if you are at freenode or wondering why you don’t get automatically opped after registering the channel and cycling while being identified!
• /msg NickServ help
  • /msg NickServ help set
    • especially worth taking a look at: emailmemos & enforce
• /msg ChanServ help
  • /msg ChanServ help set
    • especially worth taking a look at: guard, keeptopic, verbose
    • /msg ChanServ help flags
      • what flags are available, what they do and managing them.
    • /msg ChanServ help template
      • official documentation for using templates.
• /msg GroupServ help
  • /msg GroupServ help flags
  • /msg GroupServ help set