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).
REGISTER Register a nickname
Syntax: /msg Nickserv 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.
IDENTIFY Identify yourself with your password
Syntax: /msg Nickserv 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.
ACCESS Modify the list of authorized addresses
Explanation: 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.
Syntax: /msg Nickserv ACCESS ADD [mask]
Adds your current hostname to you access list.
Example: /msg Nickserv ACCESS ADD achurch@*.dragonfire.net
Allows access to user achurch from any machine in the dragonfire.net domain.
Syntax: /msg Nickserv ACCESS DEL mask
Example: /msg Nickserv ACCESS DEL achurch@*.dragonfire.net
Reverses the previous command.
Syntax: /msg Nickserv ACCESS LIST
Displays the current access list.
SET Set options, including kill protection
Syntax: /msg Nickserv SET option parameters
Sets various nickname options. option can be one of:
KILL Turn kill protection on or off
Syntax: /msg Nickserv SET KILL (ON|OFF)
Turns the automatic protection option for your nick on or off.
With kill protection on, if another user tries to use your nick they
will be given one minute to change to another nick. After which their
nick will be forcibly changed by NickServ.
SECURE Turn nickname security on or off
Syntax: /msg Nickserv SET SECURE {ON|OFF}
Turns NickServ's security features on or off for your nick.
With SECURE set, you must enter your password before you will be
recognized as the owner of the nick, regardless of whether your
address is on the access list. However, if you are on the access
list, NickServ will not auto-kill you regardless of the setting of
the KILL option.
PASSWORD Set your nickname password
Syntax: SET PASSWORD new-password
Changes the password used to identify you as the nick's owner.
In order to use these commands, you must first identify with your password.
DROP Cancel the registration of a nickname
Syntax: /msg Nickserv DROP
Drops your nickname from the NickServ database. A nick that has been dropped
is free for anyone to re-register.
In order to use this command, you must first identify with your password.
RECOVER Kill another user who has taken your nick
Syntax: /msg Nickserv RECOVER nickname [password]
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 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 access list, or you must supply the
correct password for the nickname.
RELEASE Regain custody of your nick after RECOVER
Syntax: /msg Nickserv 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, or you must supply the correct
password for the nickname.
GHOST
Syntax: /msg Nickserv 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 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, or you must supply the correct
password for the nickname.
INFO
Syntax: /msg Nickserv INFO nickname
Displays information about the given nickname, such as the nick's owner, last
seen address and time, and nick options.
LIST
Syntax: /msg Nickserv LIST (hostmask)
Lists all registered nicknames which match the given pattern, in
nick!user@host format.
Examples:
/msg Nickserv LIST *!joeuser@foo.com
Lists all nicks owned by joeuser@foo.com.
/msg Nickserv LIST *Bot*!*
Lists all registered nicks with Bot in their names (case insensitive).
/msg Nickserv LIST *!*@*.bar.org
Lists all nicks owned by users in the bar.org domain.
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STATUS
Syntax: /msg Nickserv STATUS (nickname)
Returns whether the user using the given nickname is recognized as the owner
of the nickname.
The response has this format:
nickname status-code
where nickname is the nickname sent with the command, and status-code is one
of the following:
0 - no such user online or nickname not registered
1 - user not recognized as nickname's owner
2 - user recognized as owner via access list only
3 - user recognized as owner via password identification
Up to sixteen nicknames may be sent with each command; the rest will be
ignored. No error message is generated if no nickname is given.
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).