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AnimeNFO IRC Connection/Usage Guide

Created by/Maintained By Russell Doucette
Last Revised: June 19, 2006 @ 6:21pm EDT
See bottom of page for contact information.

READ THIS FIRST

First off, the AnimeNfo staff wish for you to have a good time on our channel. If you are going to be returning frequently or once so often, we encourage you to register your nickname with NickServ. After connecting to the server, read Section 4 about NickServ. Quick jump to it on the Table of Contents.

When you connect and join the AnimeNfo channel, please read the channel rules and regulations by typing !nfo-rules in the channel, or by messaging vdex with the /msg vdex nfo-rules command. We would appreciate if you made IRC a place for everybody, which leads me to another point.

IRC is an unmoderated chat system. If you find you are seriously offended in some way, don't flame or start a war over why -- just leave. Let a moderator know if there is a problem going on in the channel and you find it offensive along with others. A operations user will either have a @, a %, a ~, or a % character beside their name. Leave a message with one of the opers and we'll try to settle the situation.

If you are a nuisance and are being offensive (really offensive) and you do get banned, don't even bother asking to get unbanned. It will just result in a longer or pernament ban. This also includes asking in a rude way if anyone's around (sometimes people aren't around to answer you, and if that is so, then that is the way it is).

Now that's out of the way, enjoy the rest of the guide.

Table of Contents

[1] - Introduction

Welcome to the AnimeNfo IRC Connection guide.. This page is a quick guide that will show you how to use IRC and chat with the people in the #animenfo channel on AnimeNfo's Network. For those who are new to this, IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat. IRC is a text-based chat suite that allows poeple from all over the world to communicate with one another. Best of all, it's completely free. For just common chatting, IRC is pretty simple to use, much like using MSN messenger.

IRC is a good way to chat with fellow AnimeNfo users. Many anonymous people come to IRC and ask about certain anime titles or suggest other improvements to the IRC structure or whatever. Don't be shy when you join the channel. You'll find some of the common AnimeNfo users on IRC as well.

There are serveral "clients" (a program that allows you to use IRC) for almost every operating system known to exist today, the most common ones being Microsoft Windows and Linux/BSD. In this guide, I will demonstrate two ways you can connect to AnimeNfo's IRC service through three ways: using AnimeNfo's Flash client (http://www.animenfo.com/irc/java), using mIRC for Windows users, and using Irssi for Linux/BSD/other users. Since all of the main IRC commands are all similar, I will show you how to connect using the three clients.



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[2] - Getting Started and Running IRC

Thanks for reading the introduction, if you have. This next section will describe (depending on what operating system you use) how to get your IRC client and how to connect to the AnimeNfo IRC channel on AnimeNfo.

Step 1 - Get your IRC client

The very first thing you must do is to install an IRC client. Then we can move on the next section. Please note that just because you're in Linux doesn't mean you need to use Irssi. Any standard IRC client will work, just know how to run it or install it. Also, note that if you don't want to install an IRC client, you can always use the Java IRC client on AnimeNfo's web site, however AnimeNfo recommends you use an actual IRC client other than Java.

For Java Users:
  1. If you do not have the Java Runtime installed, go to http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/download.html and download the Java Runtime Environment (JRE), and install it. Please note that you may have to restart your computer.
  2. Go over to http://www.animenfo.com/irc/java. If java was already installed or just installed correctly, you should see the java logo and the applet starting up.
  3. You may be presented with a dialog box warning you about accepting a security certificate. To proceed, click either Yes or Always, depending on your browser. You should be presented moments after with the #animenfo channel open.
For Windows Users:
  1. Go to mIRC's website and download the mIRC IRC Client.
  2. Install the client software and launch the program.
For Linux/Other Users:
  1. Check to see if Irssi is installed or not. If it is, then skip this section, and type irssi to start the program.
  2. Depending on your operating system, you might be able to install irssi as a pre-packaged software program. See your operating system's documentation about Irssi. If you cannot install Irssi that way, then go to Irssi's website and download the latest version to your hard drive.
    • Unpack the source (if it's a .tar.gz file, use the gunzip irssi*gz ; tar xf irssi*tar command).
    • Type cd irssi*/ and press ENTER.
    • You must now run the configure script. Do this by typing ./configure at the command prompt.
    • Now just type make and then make install. Irssi should compile and install the binaries.
    • Now launch Irssi by typing irssi. If your shell gives you a message saying that the file cannot be found, then type rehash (depending on which shell you use), or logout and log back in again.

Please check with your system administrator/documentation if any problems arise.



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Step 2 - Connecting to the Server

The next step is to connect to the IRC server. If you are using the Java console, then this is already done for you. You do not need to see this step. Continue to the next section.

Please note that the server irc.animenfo.com is the main IRC server. When you connect, you will be redirected to a random IRC server in the network.

IRC commands are a general standard for all clients. All you need to do is type a few simple commands and you're ready to go. However, mIRC uses a graphical user interface (GUI) to set all the options, and it appears the first time you launch mIRC. This section is split into two groups: connecting using Irssi and connecting using mIRC.


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2.1 - Connecting With mIRC

When you first load up mIRC, you will be presented with the mIRC Options dialog box:

mirc options

You are required to enter this information:

We finished the first step. Next, we have to add the server information. Expand the Connect options tree if it is collapsed, and click on the Servers Option. You'll want to add a server and a server group to the list of pre-defined servers. Once you clicked the Servers option, click the Add button. The following dialog box appears. Enter all the information that is given in the picture, and click the Add button to add it in.

Mirc Options 2

Now, you will return to the Server options. You should see a dialog box like this:

Mirc Options 3

If you do not see the information similar to that in the picture, use the drop-down menus and select "AnimeNfo" until it matches the screen shot there. You are now ready to connect to the server. Click the Connect To Server button. If everything works, you should see some status messages go by and the message of the day (MOTD). You'll see a mIRC Channel Central channel box open up. Just close the channel box, since it is not useful.

Now, to join the AnimeNfo channel, type the /join #animenfo command and press ENTER. Move on to the next section.


If you have any problems connecting, see the section called "Connection Problems".



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2.2 - Connecting With Irssi

This subsection applies only to poeple who use the Irssi IRC client. The first thing to do is to log into a shell or start a terminal on your machine. Once at the prompt, type the irssi command and press ENTER. You should see a similar screen:

Irssi Connect 1

If you get an error message, Irssi might not be installed or there is a problem running irssi. Check your documentation or with the system adminstrator.

If you see whats in the picture, then Irssi is loaded. Now it's just like using mIRC. Type the /server irc.animenfo.com command to connect to a AnimeNfo IRC server. You will see some status messages go by and the message of the day (MOTD).

Now everything should be okay. Next you need to decide on a nickname. By default, your nickname is predefined by the name of your shell or user account, but you can change this. Limit yourself to using letters and numbers. You can also use { } [ ] _ - | as additional characteres, and no spaces or you will get an invalid nickname message. After you have decided your nickname, type the /nick your chosen nickname command and press ENTER.

If you see a message saying that the nickname is registered by someone else, then you should choose another nickname. Just use the same /nick command with a different nickname.

We are now ready to join the channel. Type the /join #animenfo command to join the channel. You're now ready to chat.


If you have any problems connecting, see the section called "Connection Problems".



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[3] Using IRC

Now that you are connected and joined to the channel, there are other things you can do besides typing text and pressing your ENTER key. This section will describe other things you can do on IRC.

3.1 - IRC Chatting Stuff

You can type normal text, but then you can do action text. For example, if you see something like this:

* ota goes to the store

This is an action statement. To do this, use the /me [text] command. Replace [text] with an action.

3.2 - Joining/Parting Channels

There are more channels than #animenfo on the Animenfo IRC network. You can also be in several channels at once! To join another channel, use the /join #[channel name] command, where [channel name] is the name of the channel. After pressing the ENTER key, you will be automatically placed in that channel.

If you want to switch channels, you would click the channel's button in the mIRC channel bar. If you are using Irssi, hold down the ALT key and use the number keys. For example, ALT-1 is your status window, and ALT-2 would be #animenfo (assuming you just connected).

If you want to part (leave) a channel, use the /part #[channel name] commnad, where [channel name] is the name of the channel you want to leave. Using /part without giving a channel name will part the current channel you are in.

3.3 - Messaging/User Queries

Daily IRC life, besides channels, is also starting private message conversations (or user queries) with other IRC users. Starting a private conversation with someone is really easy. Find the user in the channel you want to query, and type the /query [nick] command, where [nick] is the person you wish to message. A query window will open between you and the person. Here you can type messages and no one else will be able to see them.

Closing a query window is pretty simple. If you're using a text IRC client like Irssi, use the /window close or the /query (not every client supports /query as a query window close) command.

3.4 - Changing Your Nickname

You do not necessarily have to use the nickname and alternate nickname you chose. You can choose any nickname you want, being confined to the letters, numbers and the miscellaneous characteres, as explained in the connecting section. Just use the /nick [nickname] command. However if someone has already owned that nickname, you won't be able to change to it, and if someone has registered it, you will get a message, and you should change your nick. Also, if you use an illegal character, you will get an error.



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[4] - Using NickServ

NickServ is a nickname service used by many IRC networks, including AnimeNfo. It allows you to gain ownership of a particular nickname and set other advanced options. You can open a query window with NickServ instead of using /msg NickServ all the time, however single-line messaging is used in this section. To access a list of available commands, use the /msg NickServ help command, and to obtain help on a particular command, use /msg NickServ help [command], where [command] is the command you wish to know mroe about.

4.1 - Registering Your Nickname

By registering your nickname, you are ensured that you will always have that nickname, even when you decide to leave IRC.

First, start by registering your nickname by typing /msg NickServ register [password] [email], where [password] is a password you choose when you identify yourself to NickServ (nickname service). You must specify a valid email address, because NickServ will send a confirmation code to the address you provide moments after entering the command.

You'll receive an email from AnimeNfo Services, with the subject "Nickname Registration (NICKNAME)". You'll be given instructions in the email on how to activate the registration with the confirmation code. Once you enter the confirmation command given in the email, you will already be identified afterwards.

When you identify yourself to nickserv, you'll see a mode change, with something like:

*** NickServ sets mode: +R ota or

*** Mode change +R [ota] by NickServ or whatever, depending on the client you use.

This indicates that you have been identified by NickServ.

4.2 - Identifying Yourself/Logging Your Nickname Out

If you leave IRC, you will be disconnected and logged out of NickServ. However, when you join IRC again, you must identify yourself to NickServ. To do this, use the /msg NickServ identify [password] command, where [password] is the password you chose when you registered your nickname. To log out your nickname, use the /msg NickServ logout command. You will have to identify yourself again to re-establish your ownership of the nick. Make sure you're using the nickname at the time of identification. If someone has taken that nickname and you own it, you can ghost them off IRC. See below, 4.4 - Nickname Ghosting.

4.3 - Releasing Your Nickname

If you wish to no longer own the current nickname you have, you can release it by using the /msg NickServ release [nickname] [password] command, where [nickname] is the nick you want to release, and [password] is your password.

4.4 - Nickname Ghosting

If your machine crashed or you get disconnected from the server, you will reconnect with an alternate nickname. When this happens, your nickname might be still used by you. This is a ghost -- a copy of yourself that hasn't timed out yet. The server will still see you connected when you are not, but it will die shortly after. You can still kill the ghost user off IRC.

To do this, use the /msg NickServ ghost [nick] [password] command, where [nick] is your nickname that is ghosted, and [password] is your password. However, the fallback is that your address shown must be in the nick's access list and you must already be identified.

When the user or "ghost" is off IRC, use the /nick [nick] command to regain your nickname. Also note that this is an effective way to kick users who takes your nickname.

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[5] - General IRC Commands

This section lists a range of IRC commands that are generally used. You will see some repeated commands that were used in this guide. These commands are not arranged in any particular order.



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[6] - Problems

If you have problems connecting, you might find your answers here. As you see, this section is not very complete and is pretty vague. As time goes on (hopefully rapidly) this section will get better and better. If you can't find your answers, contact me with the problem.



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[7] - Contact Information

This final section is dedicated to contact information. If you have any questions/comments/concerns about this guide, or you have problems connecting, you can email me. I also appreciate any feedback you have.

When writing an email, use the subject "AnimenNfo IRC:", or I will just likely trash it.

Thanks for using this guide. I hope it has proven useful to you, and I hope your IRC visit was pleasant.



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