2 ngIRCd - Next Generation IRC Server
3 http://ngircd.barton.de/
5 (c)2001-2013 Alexander Barton and Contributors.
6 ngIRCd is free software and published under the
7 terms of the GNU General Public License.
12 This file lists all commands available on ngIRCd. It is written in a format
13 that is human readable as well as machine parseable and therefore can be used
14 as "help text file" of the daemon.
16 In short, the daemon reads this file on startup and parses it as following
17 when an user issues a "HELP <cmd>" command:
19 1. Search the file for a line "- <cmd>",
20 2. Output all subsequent lines that start with a TAB (ASCII 9) character
21 to the client using NOTICE commands, treat lines containing a single "."
22 after the TAB as empty lines.
23 3. Break at the first line not starting with a TAB character.
25 This format allows to have information to each command stored in this file
26 which will not be sent to an IRC user requesting help which enables us to
27 have additional annotations stored here which further describe the origin,
28 implementation details, or limits of the specific command which are not
29 relevant to an end-user but administrators and developers.
31 A special "Intro" block is returned to the user when the HELP command is
32 used without a command name:
36 This is ngIRCd, a server software for Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
37 networks. You can find more information about ngIRCd on its homepage:
38 <http://ngircd.barton.de>
40 Use "HELP COMMANDS" to get a list of all available commands and
41 "HELP <command-name>" to get help for a specific IRC command, for
42 example "HELP quit" or "HELP privmsg".
45 Connection Handling Commands
46 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
51 CAP REQ <capabilities>
52 CAP ACK <capabilities>
53 CAP NAK <capabilities>
57 List, request, and clear "IRC Capabilities".
59 Using this command, an IRC client can request additional "IRC
60 capabilities" during login or later on, which influences the
61 communication between server and client. Normally, these commands
62 aren't directly used by humans, but automatically by their client
63 software. And please note that issuing such commands manually can
64 irritate the client software used, because of the "non-standard"
65 behavior of the server!
67 - CAP LS: list all available capabilities.
68 - CAP LIST: list active capabilities of this connection.
69 - CAP REQ: Request particular capabilities.
70 - CAP ACK: Acknowledge a set of capabilities to be enabled/disabled.
71 - CAP NAK: Reject a set of capabilities.
72 - CAP CLEAR: Clear all set capabilities.
73 - CAP END: Indicate end of capability negotiation during login,
74 ignored in an fully registered session.
76 Please note that the <capabilities> must be given in a single
77 parameter but whitespace separated, therefore a command could look
78 like this: "CAP REQ :capability1 capability2 capability3" for example.
81 - <http://ircv3.atheme.org/specification/capability-negotiation-3.1>
82 - <http://ngircd.barton.de/doc/Capabilities.txt>
83 - doc/Capabilities.txt
86 CHARCONV <client-charset>
88 Set client character set encoding to <client-charset>.
90 After receiving such a command, the server translates all message
91 data received from the client using the set <client-charset> to the
92 server encoding (UTF-8), and all message data which is to be sent to
93 the client from the server encoding (UTF-8) to <client-charset>.
95 This enables older clients and clients using "strange" character sets
96 to transparently participate in channels and direct messages to
97 clients using UTF-8, which should be the default today.
100 - <http://ngircd.barton.de/doc/Protocol.txt>
106 Change your nickname to <nick>.
109 PASS <password> <version> <flags> [<options>]
111 Set a connection <password>. This command must be sent before the
112 NICK/USER registration combination.
114 See doc/Protocol.txt for more info.
117 PING <server1> [<server2>]
119 Tests the presence of a connection. A PING message results in a PONG
120 reply. If <server2> is specified, the message gets passed on to it.
123 PONG <server1> [<server2>]
125 This command is a reply to the PING command and works in much the
129 QUIT [<quit-message>]
131 End IRC session and disconnect from the server.
133 If a <quit-message> has been given, it is displayed to all the
134 channels that you are a member of when leaving.
137 USER <user> <modes> <realname>
139 This command is used at the beginning of a connection to specify the
140 <user>name, hostname, <realname> and initial user <modes> of the
143 <realname> may contain spaces, and thus must be prefixed with a colon.
155 Provides the server with a message to automatically send in reply to a
156 PRIVMSG directed at the user, but not to a channel they are on.
158 If <message> is omitted, the away status is removed.
163 Show help information for a specific IRC <command>. The <command> name
166 Use the command "HELP Commands" to get a list of all available commands.
168 The HELP command isn't specified by any RFC but implemented by most
169 daemons. If no help text could be read in, ngIRCd outputs a list of all
170 implemented commands when receiving a plain "HELP" command as well as
173 ngIRCd replies using "NOTICE" commands like ircd 2.10/2.11; other
174 implementations are using numerics 704, 705, and 706.
178 MODE <nickname> <flags> (user)
179 MODE <channel> <flags> [<args>]
181 The MODE command is dual-purpose. It can be used to set both (user) and
184 See doc/Modes.txt for more information.
187 NOTICE <target> <notice>
189 Send <notice> to <target> (nick or channel).
191 This command works similarly to PRIVMSG, except automatic replies must
192 never be sent in reply to NOTICE messages.
195 PRIVMSG <target> <message>
197 Send <message> to <target> (nick or channel).
199 Common IRC clients use MSG as PRIVMSG alias.
200 (Some clients use "QUERY <nick> [<message>]" to open a private chat.)
203 Status and Informational Commands
204 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
209 Show administrative information about an IRC server in the network.
210 If no server name has been given, the local server will respond.
215 Show the version, birth & online time of the current IRC server.
216 If <server> has been given, it shows the INFO of the specific <server>.
221 Queries the server to see if the clients in the space-separated list
222 <nicknames> are currently on the network.
224 The server returns only the <nicknames> that are on the network in a
225 space-separated list. If none of the clients are on the network the
226 server returns an empty list.
229 LINKS [<remote server> [<server mask>]]
231 Lists all server links matching <server mask>, if given,
232 on <remote server>, or the current server if omitted.
235 LUSERS [<mask> [<server>]]
237 Return statistics about the size of the network. If called with no
238 arguments, the statistics will reflect the entire network.
240 If <mask> is given, it will return only statistics reflecting the
241 masked subset of the network.
242 If <server> is given, the command will be forwarded to <server>
248 Show "Message Of The Day" of the current server or specified <server>.
251 NAMES [<channels> [<server>]]
253 Returns a list of who is on the comma-separated list of <channels>,
256 If <channels> is omitted, all users are shown, grouped by channel name
257 with all users who are not on a channel being shown as part of channel
259 If <server> is specified, the command is sent to <server> for
263 STATS <flag> [<server>]
265 Returns statistics about the current server, or of a specified <server>.
269 g = G-Lines (Network-wide bans)
270 k = K-Lines (Server-local bans)
271 l = Link status (Parent server and own link)
272 m = IRC command status (usage count)
278 Show the local time of the current server, or of a specified <server>.
283 Trace a path across the IRC network of the current server, or if given
284 of a specific <server>, in a similar method to traceroute.
289 Show the user-host of <nicknames> (seperated by space).
290 "-" means <nick> is away,
291 "+" means <nick> is available,
292 "*" indicates your connection.
297 Show the ngIRCd version of the current server, or specified <server>.
302 Returns a list of users who match <target> (nick, hostmask or channel).
304 If the flag "o" is given, the server will only return information about
308 WHOIS [<server>] <nicknames>
310 Returns information about the comma-separated list of <nicknames>.
312 If <server> is given, the command is forwarded to it for processing.
315 WHOWAS <nickname> [<count> [<server>]]
317 Used to return information about <nicknames> that are no longer in use
318 (due to client disconnection, or nickname changes).
320 If given, the server will return information from the last <count> times
321 the nickname has been used.
322 If <server> is given, the command is forwarded to it for processing.
329 INVITE <nick> <channel>
331 Invites <nick> to <channel>.
332 <channel> does not have to exist, but if it does, only members of the
333 channel are allowed to invite other clients.
335 If the <channel> mode "+i" is set, only <channel> operators may invite
339 JOIN <channels> [<channel-keys>]
341 Makes the client join the <channels> (comma-separated list), specifying
342 the passwords, if needed, in the comma-separated <channel-keys> list.
343 A <channel-key> is only needed, if the <channel> mode "+k" is set.
345 If the channel(s) do not exist, then they will be created.
348 KICK <channel> <nick> [<kick-message>]
350 Remove <nick> from <channel>, optional with a <kick-message>.
352 Only <channel> operators are able to KICK.
355 LIST [<channels> [<server>]]
357 List all visible <channels> (comma-seperated list) on the current
359 If <server> is given, the command will be forwarded to <server> for
363 PART <channels> [<part-message>]
365 Leave <channels> (comma-separated list), optional with a
369 TOPIC <channel> <topic>
371 Set a <topic> for <channel>.
373 Only <channel> operators are able to set a <topic>.
376 Administrative Commands
377 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
380 CONNECT <target server> [<port> [<remote server> [<mypwd> <peerpwd>]]]
382 Instructs the current server, or <remote server> if specified,
383 to connect to <target server>.
385 To connect <remote server> you need to have remote oper status.
386 If <port> is omitted, it uses the server port of the configuration.
387 If <mypwd> and <peerpwd> is given, it uses those passwords instead
388 of the ones in the configuration.
393 Instructs the server to shut down.
396 DISCONNECT [<remote server>]
398 Disconnects the current server, or <remote server> if specified.
399 To disconnect a <remote server> you need to have remote oper status.
402 GLINE <nick!user@hostmask> <seconds> :<reason>
404 This command provides timed G-Lines (Network-wide bans).
405 If a client matches a G-Line, it cannot connect to any server on
406 the IRC network. If you put 0 as <seconds>, it makes the G-Line
409 To remove a G-Line, type "GLINE <nick!user@hostmask>".
410 To list the G-Lines, type "STATS g".
415 Forcibly removes <nick> from the IRC network with a <reason>.
418 KLINE <nick!user@hostmask> <seconds> :<reason>
420 This command provides timed K-Lines (Server-local bans).
421 If a client matches a K-Line, it cannot connect to the issued server.
422 If you put 0 as <seconds>, it makes the K-Line permanent.
424 To remove a K-Line, type "KLINE <nick!user@hostmask>".
425 To list the K-Lines, type "STATS k".
428 OPER <user> <password>
430 Authenticates <user> as an IRC operator on the current server/network.
435 Causes the server to re-read and re-process its configuration file(s).
445 Sends <message> to all users with user mode "+w".
460 Server Protocol Commands
461 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
464 CHANINFO <channel> +<modes> [[<key> <limit>] <topic>]
466 CHANINFO is used by servers to inform each other about a channel:
467 its modes, channel key, user limits and its topic.
469 See doc/Protocol.txt for more information.
472 ERROR [<message> [<> [...]]]
474 Return an error message to the server. The first parameter, if given,
475 will be logged by the server, all further parameters are silently
478 This command is silently ignored on non-server and non-service links.
481 METADATA <target> <key> <value>
483 The METADATA command is used on server-links to update "metadata"
484 information of clients, like the hostname, the info text ("real name"),
487 See doc/Protocol.txt for more information.
496 Disconnects an IRC Server from the network.