A Beginner's Guide to the Internet

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Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!gatech!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!convex!convex!constellation!mmmirash From: mmmirash@mailhost.ecn.uoknor.edu (Mandar M. Mirashi) Newsgroups: alt.irc.undernet,alt.irc.questions,alt.irc,alt.irc.ircii,alt.answers,news.answers Subject: IRC Undernet Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (Part 2 of 2) Supersedes: <irc/undernet-faq-2-785911972@constellation.ecn.uoknor.edu> Followup-To: poster Date: 3 Dec 1994 11:33:36 GMT Organization: Engineering Computer Network, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA Lines: 914 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU Distribution: world Expires: Monday, 02 Jan 95 05:32:57 (Z) Message-ID: <irc/undernet-faq-2-786454377@constellation.ecn.uoknor.edu> References: <irc/undernet-faq-1-786454377@constellation.ecn.uoknor.edu> Reply-To: mmmirash@mailhost.ecn.uoknor.edu (Mandar M. Mirashi) NNTP-Posting-Host: vinson.ecn.uoknor.edu Summary: This posting contains useful information regarding IRC and an alternative network to the EFnet - the Undernet IRC network. Please read this before posting to alt.irc.undernet, alt.irc.questions, alt.irc, or alt.irc.ircii Keywords: IRC irc Undernet faq FAQ client server telnet internet X-Posting-Frequency: Posted each week to the IRC newgroups X-Content-Currency: This FAQ changes regularly. When a saved or printed copy is over 2 months old, please obtain a new one. Originator: mmmirash@vinson.ecn.uoknor.edu Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu alt.irc.undernet:361 alt.irc.questions:1880 alt.irc:23637 alt.irc.ircii:1765 alt.answers:6001 news.answers:30483 Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2 Archive-name: irc/undernet-faq/part2 Version: $Id: undernet-faq, v3.2.0 1994/11/28 13:23 mmmirash Exp $ Undernet IRC FAQ Part II (updated 28th Nov 1994) - Weekly Repost Version 1 By Paul Grant (Grant) Version 2-3 - written by Mandar Mirashi (Mmmm) mmmirash@mailhost.ecn.uoknor.edu The FAQ consists of answers to several frequently asked questions on the IRC newsgroups. Please don't ask these questions again, they've been answered plenty of times already - and please don't flame someone just because they may not have read this particular posting. Thank you. The FAQ consists of the following sections. I) IRC for the newcomer II) The Undernet (for the newcomer) III) The Undernet (for the EFnetter) IV) The Undernet (how can you participate?) V) Acknowledgements/References VI) Undernet IRC server list This article covers sections II - VI, and includes answers to: Section II: The Undernet (for the irc newcomer) ----------------------------------------------- 2-1) Well, I understand what a server is. Now what's a net? 2-2) So far, so good. Now, why's this net called the "Undernet"? 2-3) How do I find the closest Undernet server to me? 2-4) Whom do I approach if I have questions? 2-5) What are some good channels to try? 2-6) Say...can I join some mailing list which helps with IRC questions, or discusses IRC in general? 2-7) Are there any Undernet ftp/www/gopher sites? Section III : The Undernet (for the EFnetter) ----------------------------------------------- 3-1) What is the Undernet? Where does the term EFnet come from? 3-2) Why does the Undernet exist? Do we need another IRC? 3-3) How is the Undernet IRC protocol different from/better than the EFnet? 3-4) So, can you summarise the advantages of the Undernet? 3-5) Cool! Do I need to make any changes to my .ircrc file? 3-6) How do I get to the Undernet from the EFnet? 3-7) Hmm..someone was foolish enough to hand out ops to an untrustworthy person on our channel, who proceeded to do a mass deop, and left. Can something be done? 3-8) Can I move my channel to the Undernet? What are the advantages of doing so? 3-9) Can I communicate with someone on the EFnet once I'm on the Undernet? (or vice-versa) 3-10) Hmm..can you help dispel some of the aspersions that I have heard about the Undernet from EFnet opers? 3-11) Who are the Undernet programmers? 3-12) What does the future hold for the Undernet? Section IV: The Undernet (How can I participate?) ------------------------------------------------- 4-1) So, how do I get to be an "IRC op"? Why can't I be one? 4-2) How do I apply for a link for my server to the Undernet? What are the requirements? 4-3) How do I volunteer to do some work for the Undernet? No, I'm not looking for an O line. I just like being nice and helpful to people. How do I participate? 4-4) I have some ideas for the future design of ircd. I may also be interested in doing some programming for the Undernet. Whom do I approach? If you're looking for the answer to, say, question 2-5, and want to skip everything else, you can search ahead for the regular expression "^2-5". (/2-5 in case you use vi). While I have tried my best to keep the FAQ updated, there may be inadvertent mistakes or omissions. Is there a question that you find frequently asked, but not mentioned? Please send all suggested additions/ corrections/deletions/comments/etc. to mmmirash@mailhost.ecn.uoknor.edu This FAQ (both parts) can be obtained via anonymous ftp from ftp.undernet.org or ftp.undernet.org under /irc/docs, or from rtfm.mit.edu under /pub/usenet/alt.irc/ If ftp does not work from your site, then try the mail server: send email to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with send usenet/news.answers/irc/undernet-faq/part1 send usenet/news.answers/irc/undernet-faq/part2 URL's on the World Wide Web for this FAQ are: http://www.undernet.org/~agifford/undernet/underfaq/ http://www2.undernet.org:8080/~cs93jtl/underfaq/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Section II: The Undernet (for the irc newcomer) ================================================ 2-1) Well, I understand what a server is. Now what's a net? IRC servers are connected together in a 'tree' like fashion (an undirected acyclic graph to be precise). A collection of IRC servers is called an IRC net. The command /links will display all servers on a net. The command /lusers will display the number of users, servers, and channels on a given net. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2-2) So far, so good. Now, why's this net called the "Undernet"? The term "Undernet" was suggested in jest by some of the original operators (dl, Wildthang and Whizzard) who started it. As time went by, the name stuck. :-) Upon hearing the name people often think that it's a net where something illegal goes on - which isn't quite the case. On the other hand, the name also imparts a mysterious angle to the IRC net. On the whole, it's a very friendly net with an easy going atmosphere. Most people are nice and helpful to newcomers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2-3) How do I find the closest Undernet server to me? Luckily for you, all Undernet servers follow names of the format: city.state.country.undernet.org or, city.country.continent.undernet.org Thus, you can easily locate the closest server to you. In most cases, this also turns out to be closest netwise as well. The command /links lists all servers. Choose one which is closest to you, and simply type /server servername. Also, the following aliases are set up, country/continent wise: us.undernet.org - USA eu.undernet.org - Europe au.undernet.org - Australia ca.undernet.org - Canada You can try a /server countrycode.undernet.org and see if that works for you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2-4) Whom do I approach if I have questions? You are always welcome on #wasteland - the help channel. Please remember that depending upon the time, #wasteland volunteers may be slow in responding since most peek into the window once in a while. However, someone or the other is sure to help you out! Another avenue is the ircnet@undernet.org (general irc help) and wastelanders@undernet.org (irc oper mailing list)mailing lists - try mailing your question to these. You may even mail your server admin for more information (/admin will return information on the admin for that server and his/her email address). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2-5) What are some good channels to try? New channels are starting up on the Undernet almost everyday. Given the dynamic nature of channels, the channel names can vary, but a few are fairly stable. General chat: #chatzone, #chat, #friendly, #hotsex, #popcorn, #ark, #gayteen Help: #wasteland, #help, #irchelp, #vmshelp Games: #jeopardy, #balderdash Countries: #canada, #dutch, #india, #slovenija, #ireland, #england, #korea, #russian Religion: #Christians (with TheBook, an on-line bible), #Ccm, #Christian, #wicca Technical: #unix, #hack, #appleiigs, #linux Languages: #espanol, #francais Fantasy/Role-playing: #waste Feel free to try any of these. New channels are created each day. you can check out these with a /names or a /list command. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2-6) Say...can I join some mailing list which helps with IRC questions, or discusses IRC in general? The list ircnet@undernet.org has been set up for people requesting general help regarding irc questions. The list wastelanders@undernet.org has been set up as a medium for IRC opers to communicate, and discuss ideas, amongst other things. To join either of these, send mail to listserv@undernet.org with the word "help" in the body which will send you back further information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2-7) Are there any Undernet ftp/www/gopher sites? Undernet FTP sites -> ftp.undernet.org (aka sci.dixie.edu) ftp2.undernet.org, ftp3.undernet.org ftp.eu.undernet.org (Europe) Undernet WWW URLs -> http://sci.dixie.edu/~agifford/IRC.html http://esquilino.enserb.u-bordeaux.fr:8001/TOP/irc/index.html http://http2.brunel.ac.uk:8080/~cs93jtl/Undernet.html http://http2.brunel.ac.uk:8080/~cs93jtl/IRC.html www.undernet.org is an alias for sci.dixie.edu www2.undernet.org is an alias for http2.brunel.ac.uk Undernet gopher site -> gopher.undernet.org (aka sci.dixie.edu) To get to the Undernet gopher site, follow these directions: Main menu -> Other Gopher and Information Servers/ -> North America/ -> USA/ -> Utah/ -> Dixie College Science Gopher (St. George, Utah)/ -> IRC (Internet Relay Chat)/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Section III : The Undernet (for the EFnetter) ============================================= 3-1) What is the Undernet? Where does the term EFnet come from? The Undernet is a separate collection of IRC servers on a different network. The servers follow a much better server-server protocol, while maintaining the same server-client protocol. It's much smaller than its counterpart the EFnet, and was designed to supplement the EFnet. The term EFnet stands for eris-free net. (eris.berkeley.edu was a server on the net which is now no longer there) The small size of the Undernet also works to advantage and is often considered by many as a good thing. On the Undernet all the operators know one another, people are more friendly and there are (as yet) no unsavoury characters. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3-2) Why does the Undernet exist? Do we need another IRC? Why not? At the moment the EFnet IRC is overloaded with users. There are frequent netsplits involving not just the odd servers, but in increasing cases a significant number of servers. Too much pressure is put onto the EFnet IRC due to the (unforeseen) explosion of users it has gained. Many people don't ask _if_ the EFnet irc will survive, but when will it go... For this reason the Undernet stands out as a Good Thing (tm). It can help take the load off of the EFnet IRC and prolong its day of judgement, hopefully for long enough that a solution to its problems can be found. The Undernet consists of some very highly motivated and dedicated people enthusiastic to make a success of their venture. There is another reason why the Undernet is here. EFnet IRC is becoming more and more politicized, day by day. With various EFnet IRC admins forming groups against one another, the amount of co-operation between them has become almost nil. The time which they could spend in serving you, the user, is instead spent in endless bickering. Undernet is a net where the operators are friendly easy going folks, and are always happy to help the users as far as possible. Abusing users is *highly* frowned upon, and opers follow a certain "Undernetiquette". Feel free to ask any questions that you may have, and though you may not always be guaranteed of an answer, we will surely do our best to help you in any way whenever possible, and in making your stay more comfortable. Yet another goal of the Undernet is to provide a better environment for users to communicate in, with protection against malicious users who try to work *against* IRC and its principles. The Undernet has an improved server-server protocol which disallows netsplit op riders, with no channel desynchs, or intentional nick collides possible. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3-3) How is the Undernet IRC protocol different from/better than the EFnet? As time has gone by, Undernet IRC programmers have come forward with innovative solutions to stem some of the problems plaguing the current EFnet. A lot of creative solutions have been coded by our major ircd programmer - Run (carlo@sg.tn.tudelft.nl), and implemented on the Undernet servers. These include: * TSpre8 - This patch makes it impossible for anyone to abuse netsplits and ride ops and do mass deops on your channel or lock it up. Mode changes are followed with a channel creation TS (timestamp) which is used to then reverse invalid mode changes. TS pre8 also includes code which makes it difficult for even irc admins to hack their server to do fake mode changes without HACK notices being sent to all opers. TSpre8 also enables oper wallops. * bquiet - This patch prevents someone banned on the channel to send to it or change nicks. Extremely useful since /kick is almost never needed, and counters annoying nick changing automatons with a single ban until they flood themselves out. * silence - This patch cuts off flooding at the *local* server. Thus, unlike /ignore where your client continues to receive floods (even though you don't see them) and gets ping timed out, silence enables you to completely get rid of intentional flooders. To use silence, the syntax is: /silence +user@host or /silence nick. * ANC - The anti-nick collide patch foils intentional nick colliders who try changing servers during netsplits on the EFnet and obtain the same nick in order to collide you when the net rejoins. With the anc patch, this is no longer possible, and the person who signs on *later* is rejected from the server. In addition to the above obligatory patches for all Undernet servers (all developed by Run), many Undernet servers also run the foll. optional patches: * ban - Developed FIRST on the Undernet by SIO, it was soon adopted by some servers on the EFnet. This patch allows you to see who set bans and when on a channel. * To - topic info - Also developed first on the Undernet by SIO, this patch allows you to see who set the topic on a channel and the time that it was set. * S - Signon time - Another Undernet first, coded by SIO, this patch allows you to see when another person on the same server as yourself, signed on. The foll. patches which are also optionally installed, are more of interest to IRC admins: * KL - Kill line comments - Developed by Mmmm. Allow you to specify a comment on the K line instead of the plain stupid error message of "ghosts are not allowed". You may even choose to have a file output to a K lines client. * TT - Trace times - Developed by Tonto. Appends a number indicating in milliseconds, the amount of time lapse since the server last heard from the server/ client. Depending upon your Y lines setup, you can use this as a judge to determine ping timeouts. * Cl - Client connect - Developed by Twilight1. Notifies you of local client connects/disconnects. Useful for spotting clone bots. * sw - /stats w - Developed on the EFnet by mlv. Lets you gather statistics on average client connects per hour, day, etc. and keeps track on maxconnections on the server so far. * MC - mixed case - Developed by Jon2/mlv. Helpful patch to disallow users with mixed case userids (usually fake) from connecting. * OF - oper fail - Developed by Jon2/bry. Notifies local opers when a local user tried to /oper and failed. For more information on these patches and how they work, you can ftp to ftp2.undernet.org and fetch /irc/servers/README.patches ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3-4) So, can you summarise the advantages of the Undernet? The Undernet offers users the following advantages: * Lesser lag due to more intelligent routing based solely on ping times and traceroutes. * Fewer netsplits (these too are attended to by an automatic routing service which reconnects on splits). * No netsplit op riders to harass channels. * No channel desynchs and servers telling you that you aren't opped. * No nick colliders. * All the useful patches discussed in the earlier answer are implemented on most servers. * User friendly operators willing to help you. * Innovative new services such as MURC (check out channel #waste) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3-5) Cool! Do I need to make any changes to my .ircrc file? Yes, you will need to add the following lines to your .ircrc if you use ircII, and would like to take full advantage of all the patches. # Ban patch on ^367 * if ([$4] != []) {echo *** $1 $$3 - $stime($4)) $2} {echo *** $1-} # Topic info patch on ^333 * echo *** Topic for $1 set by $2 on $stime($3) # Signon time patch on ^317 * if (index(012345679 $3) != -1) {echo *** $1 has been idle for $2 seconds. Signon at $stime($3)} {echo *** $1 has been idle for $2 seconds.} # TSpre8 - channel creation time On ^329 "*" echo *** $1 : created $stime($2) # handy aliases for the silence command and a required on raw_irc alias silence quote silence alias sile quote silence on ^raw_irc "% SILENCE %" echo *** $* # If you use Daveman's toolbox or any auto rejoin line, remove the old # on raw_irc for KICK, and use the foll. one instead: (Run) # [Remove the # symbol at the beginning to uncomment the lines of course] # #on ^raw_irc "% KICK % % *" { # if ([$3]==[$N]) # { # //quote join $2 # echo $mid(11 5 $stime($time())) * You have been kicked off channel $2 by $left($index(! $0) $0) \($mid(1 256 $4-)$ # } # { # echo $mid(11 5 $stime($time())) * $3 has been kicked off channel $2 by $left($index(! $0) $0) $$mid(1 256 $4-)$ # } # } ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3-6) How do I get to the Undernet from the EFnet? It is very easy to switch to the Undernet if you're currently on the EFnet. Simply use the command, /server servername or if a port is specified (all European Undernet servers run on port 7000) /server servername port# Sometimes, the "symbolic" name for the server may not work, and you may need the "numeric" address (a string of numbers) instead. Listed in the Appendix is a list of Undernet servers along with their numeric addresses and ports wherever relevant. All Undernet servers are registered in the undernet.org domain. Also, they follow the format: city.state.country.undernet.org or, city.country.continent.undernet.org E.g US servers are *.US.undernet.org and european servers are *.eu.undernet.org This will make it easy for you to remember how to get to the Undernet. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3-7) Hmm..someone was foolish enough to hand out ops to an untrustworthy person on our channel, who proceeded to do a mass deop, and left. Can something be done? The Undernet has a special service known as Uworld which takes care of reopping channels, and is accessible by operators. However, strict guidelines are in effect for its use. An oper will refuse to use Uworld if there already exist chanops on the channel. Uworld can be used if a channel has lost channel ops for some reason *and* channel users are unhappy about it *and* they are decided upon who's to be opped. To make sure that users realise the responsibility of the decision of sharing ops with someone else, a time delay may occur before the channel is reopped. Above all, it is *your* responsibility that you do not lose ops on your channel - an oper is not *obliged* to reop channels who lose ops due to carelessness on behalf of the current chanops. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3-8) Can I move my channel to the Undernet? What are the advantages of doing so? You're welcome to start up your favourite channel on the Undernet as well. Consider the many advantages. Much better facilities for chatting, without the annoyingly frequent netsplits; much lesser lag (check with /ping #channelname for yourself :); protection against netsplit op riders who try to disrupt channels; no channel desynchs; amongst the other advantages listed earlier. We may even be able to set up a gateway service between the same channels on both nets, if all channel members are willing. (email wastelanders@undernet.org, if you wish to do this; or email dvmitche@mailhost.ecn.uoknor.edu or carlo@sg.tn.tudelft.nl). Undernet operators are always willing to help you in this endeavour, so don't hesitate to ask us. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3-9) Can I communicate with someone on the EFnet once I'm on the Undernet? (or vice-versa) Occasionally, a few gateway services can be found on the Undernet which allow you to communicate to someone not on the same net, or which link channels. These include 'ul' - programmed by Tonto (vencill@bga.com), || - programmed by Wildthang (dvmitche@mailhost. ecn.uoknor.edu), Orac - programmed by Ensor (dholmes@rahul.net), and miscellaneous others (including some by Run). Look around if any of these is present, and if so, try /msg servicename help. You can also be simultaneously on *both* nets if you use ircII. Try the command: /window new server servername where servername is the name of a server on the other net. This will split your screen into two windows, with each window on different servers. If you specify a server on a different net, then you will be on different nets. You can use Ctrl-x p (hit ctrl-x, release, then hit p) to flip between windows. (if that doesn't work, you may try /window goto 1 and /window goto 2) Type /help window to get more extensive help. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3-10) Hmm..can you help dispel some of the aspersions that I have heard about the Undernet from EFnet opers? Not surprisingly, many EFnet opers resent the existence of the Undernet, and go to great lengths to deny it the credit it deserves. Some of the often quoted "statements" are: * "The Undernet is lame." Response: The word "lame" seems to have permeated into the vocabulary of most EFnet operators. So much so that the Undernet's dubbed "lame" without any concrete reasons, out of *sheer* prejudice. Many do not even make an effort to understand the philosophy behind the Undernet before wantonly flaming it. * "The Undernet has no users" or "The Undernet has more servers than users". It's often amusing for most Undernetters to see this argument from the horse's mouth. To quote from a previous version of the doc/US-Admin/Networking document: (those doubting the validity of this quote can ftp any server version before 2.8.16, and verify it for themselves) "In August of 1990, IRC suffered a critical split in viewpoints of key people in the IRC hierarchy. The result was IRC split into two networks, EFnet (Eris Free network) and Anet (Anarchy network). This split continues today. There is some debate over whether IRC will ever reunite, however, neither side is willing to bend from their standpoint. Currently, there are about 95 servers on EFnet (and the same number of users) and 15 servers on Anet (and about half the number of users)." Thus in August 1990, the EFnet had 95 users on 95 servers. Many opers who trumpet its userbase of "thousands of users" seem to neglect this very fact. (On a sidenote, the Anet no longer exists and died after a few months of existence) It took many years for the EFnet to arrive at its current userbase. Not to mention that after the death of the Anet, it had almost no competition from other nets until 1993. While it may not make sense to have as many servers as users, a skeletal network was needed with servers in good locations to provide access points to users. The Undernet has long since crossed the "users == servers" ratio. People who tell you this are mistaken, and haven't checked up since July '93. The user record at the time of writing (July 94) stands at 239 users on approximately 25 servers. (Note 1: New record = 570 in Nov '94) * "The Undernet was formed by people who couldn't get to be IRC operators on the EFnet" Wrong. The Undernet was formed by people who already were IRC operators on the EFnet. It was started as an experiment to get away from the ways of the EFnet. * "The Undernet servers are run on-the-sly with no approval from system administrators" Wrong again. System admin approval is a standard prerequisite for sites requesting new links. In many cases, the people running servers are sysadmins themselves. While this statement may have been true in the early days of the Undernet, it is no longer the case. * "The Undernet solutions to protocol work only on a small net. They do not work on large nets." This was an oft quoted remark by people who were prejudiced against Undernet ircd developments, for the sole fact that they stemmed from the Undernet. To prove this wrong, we need to consider the foll.: First of all, all test ircd versions on the EFnet are run on a test net *much* smaller that the Undernet. Secondly, the pre- releases that run on the EFnet are by *no means* bug free. Thirdly, a TSpre7 server ran on the EFnet for *six* months without any major problems. It would have worked optimally if everyone had changed to TSpre7, but the fact that it ran without major problems for such a long time speaks for itself. In fact, it was much much more trouble free than the server versions which had either the oper bug in it, or the server/nick collide bug. * "The Undernet operators are clueless and know nothing about routing." This perhaps is the most humorous of all allegations :-) On the Undernet, all routing decisions are done based on maps of the physical nets and subnets (NSFnet, ANSnet, Alternet, Midnet, CICnet, Suranet, Cerfnet, Barrnet, Ebone, etc), and on the basis of pings and traceroutes. This is very unlike the EFnet where links are often handed out to someone else due to nepotism. Further, the Undernet now also has an automatic router designed by Run, which keeps track of ping times between servers and the average net mean ping time. PS: The statements mentioned above should not be taken as reflective of *all* EFnet opers. To be fair, some EFnet opers have no problems with the existence of the Undernet and have even been supportive. We can only show our deep appreciation for their impartial opinions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3-11) Who are the Undernet programmers? The Undernet programming team has many members - all of them very enthusiastic and deeply dedicated to the cause. Here's a brief description of what each person does/codes/maintains: * Run (carlo@sg.tn.tudelft.nl) - Our magic ircd programmer. He coded the foll. important patches: o TSpre8 o ANC o bquiet o silence In addition, Run also maintains Undernet's automatic Router. He also coded Underworld.nl, a backup for Uworld. * WildThang (danny@mailhost.ecn.uoknor.edu) - Our magic "user services" programmer. Wildthang is the coder for Uworld, Murc, quick ircIIhelp, and telnet client services. The Undernet hosts the world's first MURC (Join #waste on the Undernet to find out what a murc is :). Wildthang's also the coder for the gateway service ||. * SIO (pfoley@vuw.ac.nz) - Coder for the Undernet Nickserv. Also coded the ban, topic and signon info patches which are found with the .mu versions of the server. * hop (jnelson@iastate.edu) - Our magic ircII client enhancer. Hop has done an extensive facelift to current ircII versions. His latest version was ircII2.3.17+10.4. The UPDATES file which reflect new additions to the client is 500 lines in size! You can ftp this from ftp2.undernet.org under /irc/clients * Mmmm (mmmirash@mailhost.ecn.uoknor.edu) - He's responsible for maintaining the auto-magic ircII install on sci.dixie.edu. He also codes and maintains the smallirc client, and does minor ircd patches and releases. * Karll (agifford@sci.dixie.edu) - Multipurpose programmer. He has coded useful routines for both ircd as well as hop's client. * Tonto (vencill@bga.com) - He was the author of the gateway service 'ul'. He's also done some ircd programming for the Undernet. * dl/President/S_Avatar/TheJester/epa/Snarf - these are our other programmers who have chipped in useful things from time to time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3-12) What does the future hold for the Undernet? All of us envisage a bright future for the Undernet. Userbase has been slowly rising. So has the stability of servers in general. More and more improvements have been done to the protocol in general, and have proven successful. Given the surprising success of the Undernet, many attempts have been made to imitate it in the form of other nets. Other nets such as the Lamenet, 3l33tnet, and the Overnet sprung up in recent years. None of these however have exhibited the originality of ideas or creativity shown by innovative Undernet programmers. The Overnet at the time of writing, switched to using the Undernet ircd code *without* even giving credit to the Undernet in its version numbers. A famous saying goes: "Imitation is the best form of flattery". We hope that you will take time to visit us on the Undernet, and share in its bright future. The final goal of Undernet ircd programmers is to eliminate or minimize all problems that plague the current EFnet. The journey has just begun.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Section IV: The Undernet (How can you participate?) ================================================= 4-1) So, how do I get to be an "IRC op"? Why can't I be one? The Undernet admins do not give ops to people who *ask* for them. If you participate in the net by helping people, and in general following proper Undernetiquette, you might merit attention and your name may be suggested on the wastelanders mailing list. IRC ops are scrutinized carefully before being added. Basically, no ops are handed out to people who (i) are hardly around or (ii) ignore pleas for help or (iii) want ops just for kill power or (iv) want ops because it gives them a sense of "power" over other users, and to look "cool". Remember, asking for ops only makes your case *worse*. If you're worthy, and other feel that you're competent enough, you'll be approached to volunteer for oper. IRC ops are expected to have been on IRC for a long time, and must possess an adequate amount of knowledge to help Undernet users. They are also responsible for keeping servers connected and abiding by the general guidelines of the Undernet. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4-2) How do I apply for a link for my server to the Undernet? What are the requirements? At the time of writing this document, the Undernet will not consider any more links unless you're situated in an exceptionally good location (read "one hop off the T3 backbone in the US, or other equivalent backbone networks in Europe/elsewhere"). Use traceroute and ping to determine your location. If you feel you are eligible for a link, read the files in the /irc/newlinks directory at ftp. undernet.org. Post your proposal to the wastelanders mailing list - wastelanders@undernet.org. Remember, all Undernet servers *must* run with the approval of the system admin at that site. If you do not receive a response within a week, you can safely assume that the Undernet cannot provide you links (though usually, a response, either positive or negative will be sent). For a more elaborate discussion, you may join #wasteland and talk to other IRC admins to discuss your proposal. *NEW* -> With the formation of committees on the Undernet, the Routing/Servers Committee handles all routing/link decisions. Make sure you send a copy of the newlink document to routing-com@undernet.org as well. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4-3) How do I volunteer to do some work for the Undernet? No, I'm not looking for an O line. I just like being nice and helpful to people. How do I participate? The Undernet is *always* looking for people like you. We are always short of volunteers to help other people. Have you benefitted from your experience with the Undernet? Have you enjoyed your time on IRC here? We encourage you to give back to the net what you got from it. You are encouraged to help. Even if you lurk around on #wasteland and familiarize yourself with frequently asked questions on the channel, and their answers, it would take a BIG load off many of the operators who were quite selflessly devoted to helping you, when you started off. You can join the wastelanders mailing list (mail listproc@undernet.org with the word "help" in the body for information on how to subscribe). Please do what you can. Every little bit counts! *NEW* -> The Undernet has set up a Users' Committee to receive input from users like yourself. To subscribe to the mailing list, send mail to listproc@undernet.org with "sub user-com <yourname>" in the body. The Recruitment Committee and the Documentation Committee, membership of which is open to all, are in the process of being set up at the time of writing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4-4) I have some ideas for the future design of ircd. I may also be interested in doing some programming for the Undernet. Whom do I approach? The Undernet is always on the search of new solutions to existing problems. If you think you can help us in this endeavour, welcome aboard! Subscribe to the wastelanders mailing list (send mail to listproc@undernet.org with "sub wastelanders <yourname>" in the body) and tell us about your ideas. After a period of discussion, and depending upon everyone's views, we may give you the "go ahead" to program it! Yes, watch *your* code being run on servers around the world, with your name in our acknowledgements. The Undernet programming team is a tightly knit set of enthusiastic individuals. Feel free to participate. *NEW* -> The Undernet has set up an ircd coders' committee. To subscribe to the mailing list, send mail to listproc@undernet.org with "sub coder-com <yourname>" in the body. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ================= * First off, to Jarkko Oikarinen (WiZ) for this wonderful invention. * To the telnet site maintainers at bradenville where I first accessed irc. * To the ircII coders (Mike Sandrof, Troy Rollo, Matthew Green, Ian Frechette, Jeremy Nelson). * To Run for his magic improvements to Undernet ircd. * To Wildthang (Danny) for his advice as a friend and as an awesome Undernet irc services programmer. * To Fizzy (Adrian Hall) for the impetus he lent to the Undernet. * To TikTok (Donna) who's gonna bear the misery of proofing this. * To all wastelanders/Undernetters for helpful tips and comments. * Thanks to all others who have helped me in this faq - you are too numerous to mention - you know who you are. * Thanks also to my critics and enemies. Without your existence, I wouldn't have had the inspiration to go on. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ REFERENCES ========== * The ircII help pages. * RFC1459 * IRCprimer by Nicholas Pioch. * alt.irc FAQ by Helen Trillian Rose Davis. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ APPENDIX: The Undernet Server List ================================== Updated: 26th Nov 1994 ---------------------- Explanation of entries ---------------------- line 1: server name and port number line 2: machine name and IP numeric line 3: location -------------------- Undernet server list ====================== NORTH AMERICA (some of these also run on ports 7000/7777) ============= CANADA ------ server: Montreal.QU.CA.undernet.org 6667 machine: aiken.info.polymtl.ca 132.207.12.13 location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada USA --- server: Pasadena.CA.US.undernet.org 6667 (temporarily unavailable) machine: cancun.caltech.edu 131.215.48.152 location: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA server: Norman.OK.US.undernet.org 6667 machine: vinson.ecn.uoknor.edu 129.15.22.33 location: University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma, USA server: Boston.MA.US.undernet.org 6667 machine: iota.coe.neu.edu 129.10.22.11 location: Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA server: Albany.NY.US.undernet.org 6667 machine: helios.acm.rpi.edu 128.213.5.17 location: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA server: Manhattan.KS.US.undernet.org 6667 machine: fubar.ksu.ksu.edu 129.130.8.12 location: Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA server: Milwaukee.WI.US.undernet.org 6667 machine: rush.cc.edu 140.104.4.169 location: Carroll College, Waukesha, WI, US server: StGeorge.UT.US.undernet.org 6667 machine: sci.dixie.edu 144.38.16.2 location: Dixie College, St. George, Utah, USA server: Tampa.FL.US.undernet.org 6667 machine: vampyr.cas.usf.edu 131.247.31.19 location: University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA. server: Davis.CA.US.undernet.org 6667 machine: syrinx.ucdavis.edu 128.120.2.16 location: Davis, CA, USA server: Austin.TX.US.undernet.org 6667 machine: foghorn.cc.utexas.edu 128.83.108.32 location: Austin, Texas, USA server: Rochester.MI.US.undernet.org 6667 machine: oak.oakland.edu 141.210.10.117 location: Rochester/Detroit, Michigan, USA server: SanJose.CA.US.undernet.org 6667 machine: jive.rahul.net 192.160.13.4 location: San Jose, California, USA server: Washington.DC.US.undernet.org 6667 machine: irc01.irc.aol.com 152.163.173.25 location: Washington DC, USA CHILE ----- server: Santiago.CL.undernet.org 6667 machine: 146.83.1.1 location: Reuna, Red Universitaria Nacional EUROPE (most of these also run on port 7000) ======= server: Lausanne.CH.EU.undernet.org 6667 machine: anatsg1.unil.ch 130.223.201.6 location: University of Lausanne, Institute of Anatomy, Lausanne, Switzerland server: Caen.FR.EU.undernet.org 7000 machine: ns.ensicaen.ismra.fr 192.93.101.16 location: Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Ingenieurs de Caen, France server: Paderborn.DE.EU.undernet.org 6667 machine: pbhrzx.uni-paderborn.de 131.234.128.204 location: University of Paderborn, Pderborn, Germany. server: Delft.NL.EU.undernet.org 6667 machine: sg.tn.tudelft.nl 130.161.188.188 location: Netherlands server: Vienna.AT.EU.undernet.org 6667 machine: olymp.wu-wien.ac.at 127.208.3.30 Location: Vienna, Austria server: Ljubljana.Si.Eu.undernet.org 6668 machine: cmir.arnes.si 193.2.1.67 Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia server: Oslo.No.EU.undernet.org 6667 machine: eros.nki.no 128.39.107.112 Location: NKI Ingenioerhoegskolen, Oslo, Norway server: Gothenburg.Se.EU.undernet.org 6667 machine: alcazar.cd.chalmers.se 129.16.79.30 Location: Chalmers Tekniska Lekskola, Gothenburg, Sweden server: Oxford.UK.EU.undernet.org 6667 machine: savle.ox.ac.uk 163.1.2.4 Location: University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. AUSTRALIA ========= server: Wollongong.NSW.AU.undernet.org 6667 machine: gorgon.cs.uow.edu.au 130.130.64.75 location: U of Wollongong, Dept of Computer Science, Wollongong, Australia TEST SERVERS / SERVICES ======================= Delft2.NL.EU.undernet.org Uworld.undernet.org Underworld.nl undernet.org (Nickserv) Fantasy.Worlds.Murc.undernet.org (Murc) Router.nl.eu.undernet.org (Router)