NickServ

NickServ allows you to "register" a nickname and prevent others from using them. If the nick is not used for 30 days, the registration will expire. 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
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
 Other commands: GHOST, INFO, LIST
 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).

Syntax: REGISTER password
 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! FIDO, Fido, and fido 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.

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.

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 achurch@*.dragonfire.net
 Allows access to user achurch from any machine in the dragonfire.net domain.
ACCESS DEL achurch@*.dragonfire.net
 Reverses the previous command.
ACCESS LIST
 Displays the current access list.

Syntax: SET option parameters
 Sets various nickname options. option can be one of:
KILL Turn kill protection on or off
SECURE Turn nickname security on or off
PASSWORD Set your nickname password
 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.

Syntax: DROP [nickname]
 Without a parameter, drops your nickname from the NickServ database.
 With a parameter, drops the named nick from the database.
 This use limited to Services Admin.

Syntax: RECOVER nickname
 Allows you to recover your nickname if someone else has taken it; this does the same thing that NickServ does automatically if someone steals 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. NickServ's 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.

Syntax: RELEASE nickname
 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.

Syntax: GHOST nickname
 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 for a short period of time 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.

Syntax: INFO nickname
 Displays information about the given nickname, such as the nick's owner, last seen address and time, and nick options.

Syntax: LIST pattern
 Lists all registered nicknames which match the given pattern, in nick!user@host format.
 Examples:
LIST *!joeuser@foo.com
 Lists all nicks owned by joeuser@foo.com.
LIST *Bot*!*
 Lists all registered nicks with Bot in their names (case insensitive).
 LIST *!*@*.bar.org
 Lists all nicks owned by users in the bar.org domain.