NickServ is a nickname registration service that allows a user to "own" their nickname on an IRC server.
If you are already connected to an IRC server and need help using NickServ, type the following:
/msg nickserv help commands
Otherwise please read the following information.
Click on the following links to learn more about each NickServ option:
Register | Identify | Access | Set | Drop
Recover | Release | Ghost |
Info | List
NOTE: If you do not sign on for 14 days, your nickname registration will be erased from NickServ's database, and the nick will be available for anyone to use.
If a nickname is dropped from NickServ's database, any channels registered with ChanServ under that nick will also be dropped.
Please limit your nickname registration to no more than two nicknames.
This is the command used to register your current nickname. Usage: /msg nickserv register <<password>>
For instance, if you wish to register the nickname "double", you would type:
/msg nickserv register trouble
NickServ Responds:
-NickServ- Nickname 'double' registered to whoever@somewhere.site.com *
-NickServ- Your identification password is set to: 'trouble'
In the above example, double is the nickname, trouble is the password, and the mask is whoever@somewhere.site.com*. The mask is determined by NickServ, so you need not worry about this. Basically, it is how NickServ will determine whether or not you are the correct person using the nickname in the future.
NOTE: This service is intended to provide a way for IRC users to ensure their identity is not compromised. It is NOT intended to aid "stealing" of nicknames or any other malicious actions. Abuse of NickServ will result, at a minimum, loss of the abused nickname(s).
Make sure you remember your password, as it will be needed for any other function on this service.
IMPORTANT: Passwords are case sensitive so Coffee, coffee, CoFFee are all different passwords.
Guidelines on choosing passwords: Passwords should not be easily guessable. For example, using your real name is not a good idea. Your nickname as a password is much worse and anyway NickServ will not allow it. Also short passwords are vulnerable to trial-and-error searches, so you should use a password of at least five characters long. Finally, the space character cannot be used in passwords.
If at any time you forget your password, you will need to speak to an IRCop.
Syntax: /msg nickserv identify <password>
This command is used to tell NickServ that you are really the owner of the nick and many commands will require you to authenticate yourself before being allowed to use them. The password should be the same as used when you registered.
This has the following three levels:
ADD <mask>
DEL <mask>
LIST
To use these commands you will first need to IDENTIFY yourself.
These commands will allow you to modify or display the access list for your nick. This is the list of addresses that will be automatically be recognised by NickServ as allowed to use the nickname. If you need to use the nick from a different address then you will need to send an IDENTIFY command to make NickServ recognise you. If you will be using the address on a regular basis then you will need to add that address to NickServ's database.
The syntax for this is as follows:
/msg nickserv access add achurch@*.dragonfire.net
This will allow the user achurch to access from any of the dragonfire.net domain.
/msg nickserv access del achurch@*.dragonfire.net
Will reverse the above-mentioned command.
/msg nickserv access list
This command will display the current access list for your nick.
This has the following three levels:
KILL
SECURE
PASSWORD
To use these commands you will first need to IDENTIFY yourself.
The syntax for this is as follows:
/msg nickserv set kill on/off
This will allow the user to set protection on/off for their nickname. When the option is set to on and another user attempts to use your nick they will be notified by NickServ that this is a protected nick and will be given 60 secs to change the nick or they will be disconnected.
NOTE: the default for this command is OFF.
/msg nickserv set secure on/off
This will turn on NickServ's security features on or off for your nick. With SECURE set, you must enter your password before you are recognised as the owner of the nick, regardless of whether your address is on the access list. However, if you are on the access list then NickServ will not auto-kill you regardless of the KILL setting.
NOTE: the default for this command is OFF.
/msg nickserv password set <new password>
This command enables to you change your password.
NOTE: You must first IDENTIFY yourself before using this command to change your password.
To use this command you will first need to IDENTIFY yourself.
The syntax for this is as follows:
/msg nickserv drop
This drops your nickname from NickServ's database and once dropped the nickname will be available for any other user to register.
To use this command you will first need to IDENTIFY yourself.
The syntax for this is as follows:
/msg nickserv recover <nickname>
This will allow you to recover your nickname if someone else has taken it; it does the same thing that NickServ does automatically if someone takes a kill-protected nick. When you give this command, NickServ will bring a fake user on line 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. NickServ's fake user will remain online for 1 minute to ensure that the other user does not immediately reconnect; after which you can reclaim your nick. Alternatively, you can use the RELEASE command to get the nick back sooner.
NOTE: In order to use the RECOVER command for a nick, your current address as shown in /whois must be on that nick's current access list.
To use these commands you will first need to IDENTIFY yourself.
The syntax for this is as follows:
/msg nickserv release <nickname>
This command will instruct NickServ to release any hold on your nickname caused by automatic kill protection or use of RECOVER. By default, such holds last for one minute and this command gets rid of them sooner.
NOTE: 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.
To use these commands you will first need to IDENTIFY yourself.
The syntax for this is as follows:
/msg nickserv ghost <nickname>
This command terminates a 'ghost' IRC session using your nick. A 'ghost' session is one that is not actually connected, but which the IRC server believes is still on line for one reason or an another. For example, this happens if your computer crashes or your internet or modem connection goes down for a short period of time whilst you're on IRC.
NOTE: 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 type:
/msg nickserv info trouble
NickServ responds:
-NickServ- information on: trouble
-NickServ- IRC Name: Joe Jones
-NickServ- Registered on: Fri July 11 11:30:43 1997 EDT (45m32s ago)
-NickServ- Last seen on: Fri July 11 12:00:43 1997 EDT (15m49s ago)
-NickServ- Last seen on: whoever@port06.somewhere.site.com
-NickServ- Nickname kill: Enabled
-NickServ- Msgs waiting: 4
-NickServ- Addresses: whoever@somewhere.site.com * whoever@100.99.00*
Here we can see the date and time that 'trouble' was registered as well as the last time 'trouble' was on ChatCircuiT. We can also see the account 'trouble' was connected from and it also shows that 'trouble' has SET KILL ENABLED. This is also where you could check whether there are any MemoServ messages, in this example 'trouble' has 4 messages. We also can see the different addresses that NickServ holds for this user.
The syntax for this command is:
/msg nickserv list <pattern>
This list all registered nicknames which match the pattern in the nick!user@host format.
For example:
/msg nickserv list *!joeuser@somewhere.com
This will list all the nicks owned by joeuser@somewhere.com.
/msg nickserv list bot !*
This will list all registered nicks with 'bot' in the names (this is case insensitive).
/msg nickserv list *!*@*.grand.edu
This will list all nicks owned by users in the grand.edu domain.