2 ngIRCd - Next Generation IRC Server
3 http://ngircd.barton.de/
5 (c)2001-2012 Alexander Barton and Contributors.
6 ngIRCd is free software and published under the
7 terms of the GNU General Public License.
15 The ngIRCd implements the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) protocol version 2.10
16 as defined in RFC ("request for comment") 1459 and 2810-2813. These (and
17 probably further relevant RFCs) are listed in doc/RFC.txt.
19 Unfortunately, even the "original" ircd doesn't follow these specifications
20 in all details. But because the ngIRCd should be a fully compatible
21 replacement for this server ("ircd") it tries to emulate these differences.
23 If you don't like this behavior please ./configure the ngIRCd using the
24 "--enable-strict-rfc" command line option. But keep in mind: not all IRC
25 clients are compatible with a server configured that way, some can't even
26 connect at all! Therefore this option usually isn't desired for "normal
33 Starting with version 0.5.0, the ngIRCd extends the original IRC protocol
34 as defined in RFC 2810-2813. This enhanced protocol is named "IRC+". It is
35 backwards compatible to the "plain" IRC protocol and will only be used by
36 the ngIRCd if it detects that the peer supports it as well.
38 The "PASS" command is used to detect the protocol and peer versions see
39 RFC 2813 (section 4.1.1) and below.
42 II.1 Register new server link
45 Parameters: <password> <version> <flags> [<options>]
46 Used by: servers only (with these parameters)
48 <password> is the password for this new server link as defined in the server
49 configuration which is sent to the peer or received from it.
51 <version> consists of two parts and is at least 4, at most 14 characters
52 long: the first four bytes contain the IRC protocol version number, whereas
53 the first two bytes represent the major version, the last two bytes the
54 minor version (the string "0210" indicates version 2.10, e.g.).
56 The following optional(!) 10 bytes contain an implementation-dependent
57 version number. Servers supporting the IRC+ protocol as defined in this
58 document provide the string "-IRC+" here.
60 Example for <version>: "0210-IRC+".
62 <flags> consists of two parts separated with the character "|" and is at
63 most 100 bytes long. The first part contains the name of the implementation
64 (ngIRCd sets this to "ngircd", the original ircd to "IRC", e.g.). The second
65 part is implementation-dependent and should only be parsed if the peer
66 supports the IRC+ protocol as well. In this case the following syntax is
67 used: "<serverversion>[:<serverflags>]".
69 <serverversion> is an ASCII representation of the clear-text server version
70 number, <serverflags> indicates the supported IRC+ protocol extensions (and
73 The following <serverflags> are defined at the moment:
75 - C: The server supports the CHANINFO command.
77 - L: INVITE- and BAN-lists should be synchronized between servers: if the
78 peer understands this flag, it will send "MODE +I" and "MODE +b"
79 commands after the server link has been established.
81 - H: The server supports the "enhanced server handshake", see section II.2
82 for a detailed description.
84 - o: IRC operators are allowed to change channel- and channel-user-modes
85 even if they aren't channel-operator of the affected channel.
87 - S: The server supports the SERVICE command (on this link).
89 - Z: Compressed server links are supported by the server.
91 Example for a complete <flags> string: "ngircd|0.7.5:CZ".
93 The optional parameter <options> is used to propagate server options as
94 defined in RFC 2813, section 4.1.1.
97 II.2 Enhanced Server Handshake
99 The "enhanced server handshake" is used when both servers support this IRC+
100 extension, which is indicated by the 'H' flag in the <serverflags> sent with
101 the PASS command, see section II.1.
103 It basically means, that after exchanging the PASS and SERVER commands the
104 server is not registered in the network (as usual), but that IRC numerics
105 are exchanged until the numeric 376 (ENDOFMOTD) is received. Afterwards the
106 peer is registered in the network as with the regular IRC protocol.
108 A server implementing the enhanced server handshake (and indicating this
109 using 'H' in the <serverflags>) MUST ignore all unknown numerics to it
112 In addition, such a server should at least send the numeric 005 (ISUPPORT)
113 to its peer, containing the following information. Syntax: <key>=<value>,
114 one token per IRC parameter. If the server has to send more than 12 token
115 it must send separate ISUPPORT numerics (this is a limitation of the IRC
116 protocol which allows at max 15 arguments per command).
118 - NICKLEN: Maximum nickname length. Default: 9.
119 - CASEMAPPING: Case mapping used for nick- and channel name comparing.
120 Default: "ascii", the chars [a-z] are lowercase of [A-Z].
121 - PREFIX: List of channel modes a person can get and the respective prefix
122 a channel or nickname will get in case the person has it. The order of the
123 modes goes from most powerful to least powerful. Default: "(ov)@+"
124 - CHANTYPES: Supported channel prefixes. Default: "#".
125 - CHANMODES: List of channel modes for 4 types, separated by comma (","):
126 Mode that adds or removes a nick or address to a list, mode that changes
127 a setting (both have always has a parameter), mode that changes a setting
128 and only has a parameter when set, and mode that changes a setting and
129 never has a parameter. For example "bI,k,l,imnPst".
130 - CHANLIMIT: Maximum number of channels allowed to join by channel prefix,
133 Please see <http://www.irc.org/tech_docs/005.html> for details.
135 The information exchanged using ISUPPORT can be used to detect configuration
136 incompatibilities (different maximum nick name length, for example) and
137 therefore to disconnect the peer prior to registering it in the network.
140 II.3 Exchange channel-modes, topics, and persistent channels
143 Parameters: <channel> +<modes> [[<key> <limit>] <topic>]
144 Used by: servers only
146 CHANINFO is used by servers to inform each other about a channel: its
147 modes, channel key, user limits and its topic. The parameter combination
148 <key> and <limit> is optional, as well as the <topic> parameter, so that
149 there are three possible forms of this command:
151 CHANINFO <channel> +<modes>
152 CHANINFO <channel> +<modes> <topic>
153 CHANINFO <channel> +<modes> <key> <limit> <topic>
155 If the channel already exists on the server receiving the CHANINFO command,
156 it only adopts the <modes> (or the <topic>) if there are no modes (or topic)
157 already set. It there are already values set the server ignores the
158 corresponding parameter.
160 If the channel doesn't exists at all it will be created.
162 The parameter <key> must be ignored if a channel has no key (the parameter
163 <modes> doesn't list the "k" channel mode). In this case <key> should
164 contain "*" because the parameter <key> is required by the CHANINFO syntax
165 and therefore can't be omitted. The parameter <limit> must be ignored when
166 a channel has no user limit (the parameter <modes> doesn't list the "l"
167 channel mode). In this case <limit> should be "0".
170 II.4 Update webchat/proxy client information
173 Parameters: <password> <username> <hostname> <ip-address>
174 Used by: unregistered clients only
176 The WEBIRC command is used by some Web-to-IRC gateways to set the correct
177 user name and host name of users instead of their own. It must be the very
178 first command sent to the server, even before USER and NICK commands!
180 The <password> must be set in the server configuration file to prevent
181 unauthorized clients to fake their identity; it is an arbitrary string.
184 II.5 Client character encoding conversion
187 Parameters: <client-charset>
188 Used by: registered clients
189 Replies: RPL_IP_CHARCONV_MSG, ERR_IP_CHARCONV_MSG
192 III. Numerics used by IRC+ Protocol
193 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
195 The IRC+ protocol uses numerics in the range 800-899 which aren't used by
196 RFC 2812 and hopefully don't clash with other implementations ...
198 Numerics 800-849 are used for status and success messages, and numerics
199 850-899 are failure and error messages.
202 III.1 IRC+ status and success numerics
204 800 - RPL_IP_CHARCONV_MSG
205 %1 :Client encoding set"
207 %1 client character set
210 III.2 IRC+ failure and error numerics
212 850 - ERR_IP_CHARCONV_MSG
213 :Can't initialize client encoding