Channel management

Types of Commands

• Fantasy commands are commands initiated with a period. "."
• Commands in this guide will be given in both the /msg format, and the fantasy command format.

Okay, so most things related to channel management are controlled via ChanServ, part of Anope IRC services, the system we use on Xertion.

Commands to ChanServ can be given in a number of ways:

• Messages: /msg ChanServ [command] [variable]
• Fantasy: .[command] [variable]

Managing Channel Access

Adding Access

Access Levels

Administrators and operators are an important part of a channel. You've probably seen them around, with the & (Admin) or @ (Op) in front of their name on some of our larger channels. Now, how do you assign them?

• /msg ChanServ ACCESS #moo ADD Elchzard level
• .access add Elchzard level

Level = A number between 3 and 9999 inclusive.
Level 3 -- Gives user voice (+).
Level 4 -- Gives user half-operator (%) status.
Levels 5 - 9 -- Gives user operator (@) status.
Levels 10 - 9998 -- Gives user administrator (&) status.
Level 9999 -- Gives user co-founder (~) status.

For fantasy commands using .access, there is also a shortcut available - .axx

So one of the access commands would be -- .axx add Elchzard level

xOP

If you're confused by access levels, xOP might be easier for you. Rather than using 9996 different levels, there are four:

Note: Turning xOP ON will no longer allow usage of the access levels system.

• SOP - SuperOP -- Equivalent to admin status, &, or levels 10-9998
• AOP - AutoOP -- Equivalent to operator status, @, or levels 5-9.
• HOP - HalfOP -- Equivalent to half-op status, %, or level 4.
• VOP - VOicePerson -- Equivalent to voice, +, or level 3.

To turn on the xOP system, you need to use one ChanServ command, and then you're good to go with assigning your operators.

• Turn on XOP -- /msg ChanServ SET #moo XOP on
• Assign SOPs -- /msg ChanServ SOP #moo add Elchzard
• Assign AOPs -- /msg ChanServ AOP #moo add Elchzard
• Assign HOPs -- /msg ChanServ HOP #moo add Elchzard
• Assign VOPs -- /msg ChanServ VOP #moo add Elchzard

Or using fantasy commands...

• Turn on XOP -- .set xop on
• Assign SOPs -- .sop add Elchzard
• Assign AOPs -- .aop add Elchzard
• Assign HOPs -- .hop add Elchzard
• Assign VOPs -- .vop add Elchzard

Removing Access

If ever the sad time comes when you need to remove a user's status on a channel, then it's equally as simple as giving the person ops in the first place. Also, if you want to change from xOP back to the normal access list system, it's simple.

• /msg ChanServ ACCESS #moo DEL Sakura`Kinomoto -- This will remove a users access on a channel.
• /msg ChanServ XOP #moo DEL Sakura`Kinomoto -- Replace "X" with S, A, H or V to reflect the users current position - This command will then remove a users access on a channel when using the xOP system.
• /msg ChanServ SET #moo XOP off -- Will move you from xOP back to the normal access list system.

Alternatively, use our good old friends fantasy commands...

• .access del Sakura`Kinomoto -- This will remove a users access on a channel.
• .XOP del Sakura`Kinomoto -- Replace "X" with S, A, H or V to reflect the users current position - This command will then remove a users access on a channel when using the xOP system.
• .set XOP off -- Will move you from xOP back to the normal access list system.

Channel Modes

To enable a mode, simply type this...

• /mode #moo +Mode letter

Or, to remove a mode...

• /mode #moo -Mode letter

So, now, some commonly used modes:

• Block all messages containing colour codes - +c
• Strip colour, bold, italics, underline (making them appear as plain text) - +S
• Makes a channel secret, hiding it from the "/list" command - +s
• Adds a channel password - +k cows (The channel password is now cows).
• Make a channel invite only. (Must be invited to enter) - +i
• Set a user-limit for your channel - +l 500 (That's a lower case "L").
• Moderate a channel - i.e, set it so only users with voice (+) and above can speak - +m
• Block messages containing over 50% capitals, when they're longer than 5 characters - +B

Banning

Banning a user from a channel basically means they can't join it and talk there. You can ban a user with a certain nick, hostmask or ident from the channel.

• To ban a user's hostmask, (the most effective way) - /mode #moo +b *!*@xertion-moo.moomoo-moo
• To ban a user's nick - /mode #moo +b MooMooGirl!*@*
• To ban a user's ident - /mode #moo +b *!Moo@*

Or, with fantasy commands -

• For a hostmask - .ban *!*@xertion-moo.moomoo-moo
• For a nick - .ban MooMooGirl!*@*
• For an ident - .ban *!Moo@*

Extended Bans

Is that guy just changing his nick that bit too much? Is the dude there talking too often for your liking? Well, that's all solvable too! Extended bans allow you to control a user's actions within your channel very finely. Bear in mind, though, that most of these bans don't work on users with voice, or above.

• Mutes, or m: bans - Prevent a user from talking in the channel.
• No nick-changes, or N: bans - Prevent a user from changing their nick.
• Caps-bans, or B: bans - Prevent a specific user from using more than 50% caps in messages over 5 characters.
• Kick-block, or Q: bans - Prevent a specific user from making kicks (DOES work on hops and ops).
• Colour-strips, or S: bans - Strips colour from a specific user's messages.
• Colour-blocks, or c: bans - Prevents a user from sending messages containing mIRC colour codes.

So, how do you implement these?

The simplest for most of these is to grab the users hostmask, and then type this:

/mode #moo +b N:*!*@xertion-moo.moomoo-moo

Obviously, you have to change the example to the correct values for your purpose.

So essentially, you use the method above for a classic ban, and add a colon, preceded by the letter of the extban you want to use at the front of the identifier for the user.

Bear in mind that these extended bans don't work with the ".ban" fantasy command.

Mute, however, does have its own fantasy command - .mute MooCow

Miscellaneous

• /whois MooCow - Will give you general information about a user, as well as their hostmask, which you can take from the whois data, for easy use in a ban or extended ban.
• /list - Will give you a list of all the network's channels that don't have +s or +p active.

See also: Channel Modes, ChanServ, Channel Management (cont.)