X-Git-Url: https://arthur.barton.de/cgi-bin/gitweb.cgi?p=ngircd-alex.git;a=blobdiff_plain;f=man%2Fngircd.8.tmpl;h=a403c563e50bfba4fecdc53f3ee6571c17de6d62;hp=cc2498d9669e07e4c16eae41350074f0d81722b5;hb=HEAD;hpb=c041bb340cd69654cab68fe6e9cefd62b1c1c30a diff --git a/man/ngircd.8.tmpl b/man/ngircd.8.tmpl index cc2498d9..d82d137d 100644 --- a/man/ngircd.8.tmpl +++ b/man/ngircd.8.tmpl @@ -1,30 +1,35 @@ .\" .\" ngircd(8) manual page template .\" -.TH ngircd 8 "Jul 2011" ngircd "ngIRCd Manual" +.TH ngircd 8 "Sep 2023" ngIRCd "ngIRCd Manual" .SH NAME -ngIRCd \- the next generation IRC daemon +ngIRCd \- the "next generation" IRC daemon .SH SYNOPSIS -.B ngircd [ +.B ngircd +[ .I Options -.B ] +] .SH DESCRIPTION .BR ngIRCd -is a free open source daemon for the Internet Relay Chat (IRC), -developed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). +is a free, portable and lightweight Internet Relay Chat (IRC) server for small +or private networks, developed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). .PP -It's written from scratch and is not based upon the original IRCd like -many others. It is easy to configure, supports server links (even with -original ircd's) and runs on hosts with changing IP addresses (such as -dial-in networks). +The server is quite easy to configure and runs as a single-node server or can +be part of a network of ngIRCd servers in a LAN or across the internet. It +optionally supports the IPv6 protocol, SSL/TLS-protected client-server and +server-server links, the Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) system for user +authentication, IDENT requests, and character set conversion for legacy +clients. .PP -Currently supported platforms include AIX, A/UX, FreeBSD, HP-UX, IRIX, -Linux, Mac OS X, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, and Windows with Cygwin. +The name ngIRCd stands for +.IR "next-generation IRC daemon", +which is a little bit exaggerated: +.IR "lightweight Internet Relay Chat server" +most probably would have been a better name :-) .PP -As ngIRCd relies on UNIX standards and uses GNU automake and GNU autoconf -there are good chances that it also supports other UNIX-based operating -systems as well. By default, ngIRCd writes diagnostic and informational messages using -the syslog mechanism. +By default ngIRCd logs diagnostic and informational messages using the syslog +mechanism, or writes directly to the console when running in the foreground +(see below). .SH OPTIONS The default behavior of .BR ngircd @@ -47,14 +52,25 @@ terminate the server. Disable automatic connections to other servers. You can use the IRC command CONNECT later on as IRC Operator to link this ngIRCd to other servers. .TP +\fB\-y\fR, \fB\-\-syslog\fR +Write log messages to the syslog even when running in the foreground. This only +makes sense when +.I \-n/\-\-nodaemon +was given on the command line +.I before +this option! +.PP +The following options prevent ngIRCd from starting regularly, but perform a +specific action and then exit the daemon again: +.TP +\fB\-h\fR, \fB\-\-help\fR +Display a brief help text and exit. +.TP \fB\-t\fR, \fB\-\-configtest\fR Read, validate and display the configuration; then exit. .TP \fB\-V\fR, \fB\-\-version\fR Output version information and exit. -.TP -\fB\-h\fR, \fB\-\-help\fR -Display a brief help text and exit. .SH FILES .I :ETCDIR:/ngircd.conf .RS @@ -74,14 +90,28 @@ Shut down all connections and terminate the daemon. Shut down all listening sockets, re-read the configuration file and re-initialize the daemon. .SH HINTS -It's wise to use "ngircd \-\-configtest" to validate the configuration file -after changing it. +It is +.I always wise +to use "ngircd \-\-configtest" to validate the configuration of ngIRCd after +making changes to the configuration files! .SH DEBUGGING -When ngIRCd is compiled with debug code, that is, its source code has -been ./configure'd with "--enable-debug" and/or "--enable-sniffer" (witch -enables debug mode automatically as well), you can use two more command -line options and two more signals to debug problems with the daemon itself -or IRC clients: +ngIRCd can log additional debug messages, which can be enabled with the command +line option \-\-debug (\-d) or by sending the USR1 signal to the running daemon. +Some of those messages may leak personal information, be very technical and can +be very verbose. Therefore the debug mode is meant for troubleshooting only and +should definitely be disabled during normal operation! +.PP +In addition, a "protocol sniffer" can be enabled on build time by passing the +"\-\-enable\-sniffer" option to the ./configure script which enables the +"\-\-sniffer" (\-s) command line option (which is not available by default): +this "sniffer" logs all incoming and outgoing IRC commands on all connections, +which can be handy to debug problems with the daemon itself or IRC clients. +.PP +Both modes are indicated in the version string shown by the IRC "VERSION" +command: if the version ends in a dot (like in "26.1."), the daemon operates in +"normal" mode (the version used in the example is "26.1"). If it ends in ".1" +(like in "26.1.1") the "debug-mode" is enabled; and if it ends in ".2" (like in +"26.1.2") the "IRC sniffer" is enabled, too. .PP \fBOptions:\fR .TP @@ -91,9 +121,12 @@ Enable debug mode and log extra messages. \fB\-s\fR, \fB\-\-sniffer\fR Enable IRC protocol sniffer, which logs all sent and received IRC commands to the console/syslog. This option requires that ngIRCd has been ./configure'd -with "--enable-sniffer" and enables debug mode automatically, too. +with "\-\-enable\-sniffer" and enables debug mode automatically, too. .PP \fBSignals:\fR +.PP +Note: Usage of these signals is broadcasted to all users with the +s ("receive +server notices") mode set! .TP \fBUSR1\fR Toggle debug mode on and off during runtime.