IRC

Internet Relay Chat, or IRC for short, is a protocol used for real-time chat. The main focus lies on group communications, but private chat is also possible. In order to use IRC, you need to use an IRC client (software) to connect to a specific IRC server; for example the GBAtemp IRC server, with address irc.gbatemp.net. You will always need to connect to a specific port, like 4500 for the GBAtemp server. The port is added behind the server address, separated by a colon or slash. For example, the full address of the GBAtemp IRC server is irc.gbatemp.net:4500.

Getting Started

A startup guide can be found in the IRC Guide. An older guide can still be found here.

To post a reply in a channel or query (see below), you just have to type the message in your IRC client and press Enter. In most clients, a message will appear like this:

<yourname> message

Commands

To enter a Command, simply start your reply with a single / (slash). Every command has a different effect. Many commands are handled by the IRC Client, but can also be sent to the server if the Command is not recognized.

Example commands

Some common commands on IRC. Everything between < > needs to be replaced by what it says.

Command	What it does
/join <channelname>	Lets you join a specific channel. The channel name should include the preceding # (eg. `#gbatemp.net`)
/leave <channelname>	Leave a channel.
/quit	Disconnect from the current server.
/nick <new nickname>	Changes your nickname.
/msg <nickname> <message>	Start a new query (private conversation) with <nickname>.
/me <action>	"/me" will be replaced by your nickname, allowing you to express an action (example: /me is bored). No < > brackets will be added around your name.
/whois <nickname>	Shows some information about <nickname>, like their host, idle time, etc.
/mode <...>	Very powerful command. More info in the IRC Guide.
/list	Get a list with all (non-hidden) channels.

Channels

A channel is a place where people come together on an IRC server. Each channel has an unique name on the IRC Network. Most names start with a # symbol (eg. #gbatemp.net).

After you connected to a server, you can join a specific channel with the following command (replace <channelname> by the name of the channel, including the # symbol!):

/join <channelname>

The Main GBAtemp channel on the GBAtemp IRC server is #gbatemp.net. To get a list with all channels, type:

/list

People in channels can have special modes. These modes are indicated by a specific prefix.

Prefix	Mode	Meaning
(none)	(none)	Regular users. No additional rights.
+	+v	Voice. Has the ability to bypass bans, but no operator rights over the channel.
%	+h	Half Operator. Has basic operator rights like kicking and banning users.
@	+o	Channel Operator. More extended operator rights and can promote others to operator.
&	+a	Channel Admin. Can do everything an operator can, and can change channel modes without being an operator.
~	+q	Channel Owner. These people have the highest rights on a channel. Usually the person who registered the channel.

Queries

Also called Private messages. These are communications between 2 people. Unlike with a DCC (Direct Client to Client), you need to stay connected to the IRC server because there is no connection between the 2 IRC Clients.

To start a Query with someone, use one of the following commands:

/msg <name> <message>

/query <name> <message>

In many IRC clients, you can also (double) click the nickname of a user to open a new window for a private chat.

IRC Rules and Operators

The rules for IRC can be found in the MOTD (Message of the day), which you should see when connecting to the IRC server (or when using the /motd command). The GBAtemp IRC rules can also be found on this page).

Rules on an IRC server are enforced by the IRC Operators (IRCops). These are special operators on the irc server itself, and should not be confused by channel operators (who manage a channel). An IRCop can force disconnect people from the server (kill) as well as ban them (k-line). Some IRCops may also have the rights to manage modes on all channels without being in them.

External links

IRC

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