Contents

1. Introduction.
2. Quickstart.
3. Overview of the Commands.
4. Detailed Description of the Commands.
5. Running
6. Guarding the Channel

Introduction

Dancer is an IRC (Internet Relay Chat) bot made by Bjørn Reese (breese) with the aim to provide useful services to the users on the channel. Many nice and complex features were added by Daniel Stenberg (Bagder). This documentation covers version 4.0- it is very incomplete though.

• Single-channel bot
• Password protection
• Flood and channel takeover protection
• Netsplit awareness
• Aliases for commands
• Remembers when people where last seen on the channel
• Can explain certain subjects
• Can relay messages between people
• Supports Client to Client Protocol (CTCP)
• Supports Direct Client to Client Chat (DCC)

A few notes on the examples below

• The ircII command interface is used. This may be different for your client.
• <arg> is used to mark arguments which must be substituted with the actual argument, ie. "seen <nick>" could become "seen breese".
• [arg] is used to mark optional arguments.
• | is used to seperate possible arguments.

Quickstart

All commands are case-insensitive. In the following assume that the nickname of the bot is robot.

• On-line help.

The syntax and a short description of each command is available directly from the bot. To get the syntax of a command write

  /msg robot syntax <command>

To get the short description of a command write

  /msg robot help <command>

The on-line help is always more up-to-date than this document.

• Password authentication.

As it is fairly easy to fake the username on many sites, this bot requires authentication by password for most higher-level commands. You only need to register once, as long as the bot is able to keep track of you. This is possible as long as you are on the same channel (provided you don't split) and/or if you have an active dcc chat connection to the bot. To authenticate use the PASS command.

  /msg robot pass <your-password>

To change the password use the NEWPASS.

  /msg robot newpass <your-new-password>

The bot uses MD5 for encryption, which is an even stronger encryption than the one used at login on Unix systems.

• Direct Client to Client Chat.

You can establish a dcc chat connection with the bot. A dcc chat connection bypasses the servers and is hence not subject to lag, netsplit or the other meanies that curse IRC. All usual messages from the bot are delayed, but not on a dcc chat.

  /dcc chat robot
  /msg =robot <cmd>

NB: The '=' is important, as it means that the /msg will be sent though a dcc chat connection.

To disconnect type

  /dcc close chat robot

or quit your IRC client.

If you are behind a firewall (or similar) that prevents you from invoking the DCC chat yourself, you can ask the bot to do it by using the CLIENT command. See closer details below.

• Multiple arguments.

Most commands take several arguments per command. These should be seperated by a comma (,)

  SYNTAX help,syntax

performs a "SYNTAX help", followed by a "SYNTAX syntax".

Overview of the command hierarchy

Please note that these are the default levels. A command may be assigned to any other level with CHGCMDLEV.

This list was compiled for version 4.6.4

• Level 0 - Unknown
• ALIAS. Shows the aliases for a command.
• CMD. List of available commands.
• EXPLAIN. Explains a certain subject.
• HELP. A general or command specific help.
• IDENT. Add the current hostpattern as one recognized as you. TBD
• RULES. Short summary of the rules
• SEEN. Tells when a person was last seen.
• SHOW. Redirect output to another user.
• SPLIT. Reports about netsplits.
• SVIEW. Displays various information on a user.
• SYNTAX. Synopsis of command. applying to the channel.
• TELLME. Tells stored messages.
• UPTIME. When the bot was started.
• WHOLEFT. Lists the people who split.
• Level 10 - Recognized
• BUG. Make a bug report.
• CALC. Calculate an expression.
• CLIENT. Ask for a DCC chat connection.
• COMMENT. Set your own comment field.
• CONVERT. Convert between units.
• COUNTRY. Show country.
• CUT. Cut a dcc chat connection.
• EMAIL. View someone's email address.
• EXCHANGE. Exchange rates. TBD
• FIND. Search through an index.
• INVITE. Get an invitation.
• MYNICK. Exotic command.
• NEWPASS. Make a new password.
• NEWSLIST. Lists news items.
• PASS. Password authentication.
• SETEMAIL. Set your email address.
• SPELL. Spellcheck words.
• TELL. Relay a message to another person.
• TELLDEL. Delete a message.
• TELLLIST. Show the messages you have stored.
• TOP. Show various toplists.
• TOPIC. Who set the topic and when.
• TZ. Get time zone information or differences.
• Level 20 - Chanop
• KICKLIST. List recent kicks.
• LAG. Show last measured lag to server.
• ME. Do an action.
• OP. Become chanop.
• QUIET. Silence the bot.
• REPORTADD. Enable reporting.
• REPORTDEL. Disable reporting.
• SAY. Say a phrase.
• TALK. Make the bot talkative.
• TOPIC. Set topic.
• USERLIST. List of registered users.
• Level 50 - Trusted
• BAN. Ban and kick a person.
• BANLIST. Show banlist.
• CHAT. Start the chat system. TBD
• CHBAN. Change a ban.
• FINGER. Get remote information about user.
• HOST. Get host information.
• JOIN. Join a channel.
• LEAVE. Leave a channel.
• NEWSADD. Add a news item. TBD
• NEWSDEL. Remove a news item. TBD
• UNBAN. Remove a ban.
• USED. Verbose SEEN command. TBD
• VRFY. Verify an email address.
• Level 100 - Expert
• CKEY. Set channel key.
• CLIENTLIST. Lists dcc chat
• CMODE. Set channel modes.
• GUESTLIST. Lists all guests in the channel.
• MUTE. Make the bot absolutely silent.
• NICK. Changes the nickname.
• SET. Set some switches. clients.
• STATUS. General status.
• WARNADD. Adds a warning.
• WARNDEL. Removes a warning.
• WARNLIST. Shows all warnings.
• Level 200 - Maintainer
• BACKLOG. Shows who made the last few bot commands. TBD
• DEBUGADD. Make a debuglink.
• DEBUGDEL. Remove a debuglink.
• DEFPASS. Install default passwd.
• DO. Let the bot do a raw irc command.
• EXPADD. Add explanation.
• EXPDEL. Delete an explanation
• REGISTER. Register a person.
• SERVERADD. Add a server to the list of servers.
• SERVERDEL. Remove a server from the list.
• SERVERLIST. View the list of servers.
• SERVERSTAT. View status of a server.
• SPYADD. Make a spylink.
• SPYDEL. Remove a spylink.
• USERADD. Add a user.
• USERMOD. Modify an already added user.
• Level 242 - Owner
• CHGCMDLEV. Change level for a command.
• LOG. Set logging.
• MODERATE. Moderate a channel.
• QUIT. Sign off.
• RELOAD. Reload userfile.
• SERVER. Change server.
• SHUTDOWN. Delayed sign off.
• WALL. Write to all clients.

Detailed description of the commands

• ALIAS

Synopsis: (0) ALIAS <command>

Lists all possible aliases for a command.

• BAN

Synopsis: (50) BAN [-E] [*]<nick> [<time>] [<reason>];

Bans a person from the channel for the specified time. Option -E enforces a ban, ie. if someone removes it it will be put back on. Prepend a '*' to the nick to make a siteban. If <time> is 0 the ban is permanent. The format of <time> is [[HH:]MM:]SS.

• 1 = 1 second
• 1:2:3 = 1 hour, 1 minute, and 1 second = 3661 seconds
• 44: = 44 minutes = 2640 seconds
• 3::4 = 3 hours and 4 seconds = 10804 seconds

<time> and <reason> may be omitted, but it is recommended that they are specified anyway.

To put a ban for default bot ban time on breese with a reason the bot selects

  BAN breese

To put a ban on breese for 30 minutes, without a reason of your own

  BAN breese 30:

To put a ban on breese for 1 hour and 5 seconds with the reason "Don't drink and irc"

  BAN breese 1::5 Don't drink and irc

To put an enforced permanent ban on all from the site where breese comes from, with the reason "Get out"

  BAN -e *breese Get out

• BANLIST

Synopsis: (50) BANLIST [<options>] [<ban number>]

List the bans. If <options> is -A, more detail will be listed (how long ago the ban was set, and the reason.) If a number is specified, only that ban is displayed.

• BUG

Synopsis: (10) BUG <description>

Puts the <description> into a bug file which can be read by the bot owner.

• CALC

Synopsis: (10) CALC <expression>

Arbitrary-precision arithmetic language. Can be used as a simple calculator. This is really the Unix 'bc' command.

• CHBAN

Synopsis: (50) CHBAN <ban number> <new time>

Change the banning period of a specific ban. If <new time> is -1 the ban is removed; 0 makes the ban permanent.

• CHGCMDLEV

Synopsis: (242) CHGCMDLEV ...

• CKEY

Synopsis: (100) CKEY [<key>|-]

Locks a channel key (if lock is on.)

• CLIENTLIST

Synopsis: (100) CLIENTLIST

Lists all users who has an active /dcc chat connection with the bot.

• CMD

Synopsis: (0) CMD

Show a list of available commands. Some commands have [<code>] appended. The code means

• * = requires authentication by password before use
• P = can be issued in public
• S = output of command can be redirected to another user with the SHOW command.
• CMODE

Synopsis: (100) CMODE [<modes>]

Locks a set of channel modes on a channel (if lock is on.) If someone changes the channel modes, the bot will restore the modes specified by this command.

• COMMENT

Synopsis: (10) COMMENT <text>

Sets the comment field of your database entry. Only usable for registered users.

• CONVERT

Synopsis: (10) CONVERT <value> [<prefix>]<unit> [ # of decimals ]

Converts length, weight, volume, area, and temperature of different units.

Supported are:

• Length
• meters (km, dm, cm, mm)
• miles
• yards
• feet (foot, ft)
• inches
• naut.mi.
• chains
• rods
• fathoms
• Weight
• grams
• pounds (lb)
• ounces (oz)
• Volume
• liter
• gallons
• us gallons
• floz
• pints
• cups
• tablespoons (tbsp)
• teaspoons (tsp)
• quarts
• bushels
• pecks
• cumeter
• cuyards (cuyr)
• cufeet (cufoot, cuft)
• cuinches
• Area
• sqmeter
• sqkm
• hectares
• acres
• sqmiles
• sqyards
• sqfeet
• sqinches
• Temperature
• celsius
• fahrenheit (far)
• kelvin

<unit> may be prefixed with the following:

• atto (E-18)
• femto (E-15)
• pico (E-12)
• nano (E-9)
• micro (E-6)
• milli (E-3)
• centi (E-2)
• deci (E-1)
• hecto (E2)
• kilo (E3)
• mega (E6)
• giga (E9)
• tera (E12)
• penta (E15)
• CUT

Synopsis: (10) CUT
Synopsis: (242) CUT [<nick>]

Disconnects a dcc chat connection

• DEFPASS

Synopsis: (200) DEFPASS <nick>

Install default password for <nick>. This should only be used at the request of <nick>.

• COUNTRY

Synopsis: (10) COUNTRY [.<country-code> | <nick> | <country>]

Show which country <nick> is from. If the argument starts with a dot (.) it looks for the country-code. If not preceeded by a dot and nickname is not found on the channel, it assumes that the argument is the name of a country and tries to find the closest match.

To show the name of the country which has the country-code .dk

  COUNTRY .dk

To show which country breese is from

  COUNTRY breese

To show the information on the country China

  COUNTRY china

• DEBUGADD

Synopsis: (200) DEBUGADD

• DEBUGDEL

Synopsis: (200) DEBUGDEL

• DO

Synopsis: (200) DO <raw irc cmd>

The bot sends the <raw irc cmd> to the server. See RFC1459

• EMAIL

Synopsis: (10) EMAIL <nick>

Views the email address of the nick, if the bot has knowledge about it.

• EXPADD

Synopsis: (200) EXPADD <word>=<explaination>

Adds an explaination, which can be displayed with the EXPLAIN command. <word> must be seperated from <explaination> with a '=' or a whitespace.

• EXPDEL

Synopsis: (200) EXPDEL <word>

Removes the word and its attached explanation

• EXPLAIN

Synopsis: (10) EXPLAIN [-S] [<subject[*]>]

Shows an explaination to a subject. A trailing asterisk (*) in <subject> acts as a wildcard (name compleation.) If -S is used, it searches the explanations for the specified keyword.

To show all words in the vocabulary

  EXPLAIN *

To show all words in the vocabulary that starts with the letter 'b'

  EXPLAIN b*

To show the explaination on breese.

  EXPLAIN breese

• FIND

Synopsis: (10) FIND <regex>

Find a line in an index file.

• FINGER

Synopsis: (50) FINGER [options] [<nick>|<host>]

Retrieve remote information about a user.

• GUESTLIST

Synopsis: (100) GUESTLIST ...

• HELP

Synopsis: (0) HELP [<cmd>]

If no arguments are passed this cmd shows a general help. If the argument is the name of a command, it shows a short description of that particular command.

• HOST

Synopsis: (50) HOST [options] [<nick>|<host>]

Query nameserver about domain names and zones.

• JOIN

Synopsis: (50) JOIN <channel> [<key>]

Joins a channel. If the channel has a channel key it can be provided as well. If the bot already is on a channel it leaves this first.

• INVITE

Synopsis: (20) INVITE <passwd>

Get an invitation from the bot if it is on an invite-only channel.

• KICKLIST

Synopsis: (20) KICKLIST ...

• LAG

Synopsis: (20) LAG

Shows the last ping time between the bot and its server.

• LEAVE

Synopsis: (50) LEAVE

Leaves the current channel.

• LOG

Synopsis: (242) LOG ...

• ME

Synopsis: (20) ME <phrase>

Let the bot make a public action.

• MODERATE

Synopsis: (242) MODERATE [ ON | OFF ]

Enable or disable moderation mode. If enabled the bot will make the channel moderated (+m) and give all non-chanops a voice (+v). Whenever someone joins they are automatically given a voice.

• MUTE

Synopsis: (100) MUTE ...

• MYNICK

Synopsis: (10) MYNICK <nick>

This is an exotic command which you probably never have to use.

There are two types of authentication. One for /dcc chat connections and one for normal /msg. Normally, this distinction is unrelevant, because when you authenticate both types gets authenticated at the same time.

If the bot cannot see you on the channel (either because you aren't on the channel or you are on the other side of a netsplit) you loose the /msg authentication. If you don't change your nick the /dcc chat authentication gets transfered to the /msg authentication when it sees you again.

However, if you change your nick while the bot cannot see you, the /msg doesn't get authenticated automatically. Use this command to make the bot aware of your new nick. If we assume that your new nick is breese, send this though the /dcc chat connection.

  MYNICK breese

• NEWPASS

Synopsis: (10) NEWPASS <passwd>

The password is encrypted and stored in a seperate file. It is not possible for the user who runs the bot to see it. Arguments to PASS and NEWPASS are hidden both for spylinks and the logfile.

If you should forget your own password, the user who runs the bot can install a new for you.

• NICK

Synopsis: (50) NICK [<newnick>|+]

Changes nickname to <newnick> or if the argument is + the next nick specified by the nickmask is choosen.

• OP

Synopsis: (20) OP [<passwd>]

Grants chanop status to you. If an argument is provided it is assumed to be your password, and PASS is called before OP.

• PASS

Synopsis: (10) PASS <passwd>

A registered user must use this command to authenticate. Many of the higher level commands requires authentication to avoid misuse.

• QUIET

Synopsis: (20) QUIET

Makes the bot silent.

• QUIT

Synopsis: (242) QUIT [<msg>]

Makes the bot give up it's virtual life.

• RELOAD

Synopsis: (242) RELOAD [<userfile>]

Reloads the userfile.

• REGISTER

Obsolete command. See USERADD and USERMOD.

• REPORTADD

Synopsis: (20) REPORTADD

• REPORTDEL

Synopsis: (20) REPORTDEL

• RULES

Synopsis: (0) RULES

Shows the rules as defined in the config file.

• SAY

Synopsis: (20) SAY <phrase>

Let the bot say a phrase in public.

• SEEN

Synopsis: (0) SEEN [<options>] <nick>
Synopsis: (20) SEEN [<options>] ( <nick> | <host> )
Synopsis: (Public) SEEN <nick>

Reports when the bot last has seen someone. Unregistered users can only use <nick>. Chanops may also use <host>, which can contain wildcards (asterisks and questionmarks.)

Following <options> are supported

• -R shows the most recent use of <nick> (default)
• -M shows the most often use of <nick>
• -A shows everybody having used <nick> (requires chanop status)

To show when the nick breese last was seen

  SEEN breese

To show all occurences of nick breese

  SEEN -A breese

To show when the user breese last was seen from any machine at imada.ou.dk

  SEEN breese@*.imada.ou.dk

To show when anyone from imada.ou.dk last was seen

  SEEN *.imada.ou.dk

Please note: This command was quite complex to built because everybody can call themselves anything, and many users use multiple accounts. The real problem is when several people use the same account. It is impossible to distinguish between several users from the same account (remember that each user can use whatever nick they like.) Therefore, once the bot registers a nick it puts it into the same bucket as all other nicks from that account, but it only uses one datestamp. Hence, the -A option can give you a wrong reply.

• SERVER

Synopsis: (200) SERVER [<server>]

Changes to another server. If no arguments is supplied it returns the name of the server it is currently using.

• SERVERADD

Synopsis: (200) SERVERADD <server> [<port>] [<passwd>]

Adds the specified server with the optional options to the bot's list of servers.

• SERVERDEL

Synopsis: (200) SERVERDEL <server>

Removes the specified server from the list. The specified parameter can be the ID shown in the SERVERLIST command. If the server was added in the bots .config file, it can't be removed completely, but will only get disabled.

• SERVERLIST

Synopsis: (200) SERVERLIST [<match>]

Displays all, or the matching servers from the serverlist. It also shows port number, if a password is used, a unique ID (that can be used with SERVERSTAT or SERVERDEL) and if the server is currently disabled.

• SERVERSTAT

Synopsis: (200) SERVERSTAT [-e] [-d] [<server>]

Without argument, it shows the status of the current server (if it exists in the serverlist). With a server specified, it shows the selected server's status.

-e enables the server (if it was previously disabled)

-d disables the server (it it previously wasn't)

• SET

Synopsis: (100) SET [<group>.] [<item>] [<value>]

Sets the value of a certain item.

• Boolean labels
• AUTOJOIN - Rejoin immediately if kicked from a channel
• AUTOOP - Enable/disable automatic promotion to chanop
• AUTOUNBAN - Automatically unban the least important ban if there is 18 or more bans set in the channel.
• BEEP - Kick people who beep on the channel
• BOMB - Kick CTCP bombers/flooders
• COMMENT - Enable/disable join greetings
• CTCP - Kick CTCP flooders
• DEOP - Kick massive deoppers
• EXEXPROTECT (requires level 242) - Prevent commands to get executed locally on the bot machine.
• FLOOD - Kick public flooders
• INVITE - Join a channel if being invited
• KEY - Lock a channel key
• KICKBAN - Kick people joining if they are banned (can happen at netjoins)
• MODE - Lock a channel mode
• MULTI - Kick people joining >3 times from same account
• NETSPLIT - Deops server-op (netsplit hacks)
• NICK - Kick nickname flooders
• REPEAT - Kick people repeating the same line after the 3rd repeat
• REPORTBAN - Report about bans in public
• SAY - Enable/disable SAY and ME
• TALK - Replies to some public patterns/strings
• UPPER - Kick people writing >70% uppercase
• WARN - Enable/disable warnings (WARNLIST)
• WELCOME - Verbose talking when people join and leave
• XDCC - Kick xdcc announcers
• Numeric values
• FLOODRATE - Prevent more than FLOODRATE messages in FLOODTIME seconds
• FLOODTIME - see FLOODRATE
• FLOODREPEATRATE - Prevent more than FLOODREPEATRATE repetitions within FLOODREPEATTIME seconds
• FLOODREPEATTIME - see FLOODREPEATRATE
• FLOODBEEPS - Maximum number of public beeps
• Timer values
• BANTIME (requires level 200) - The time-out time set on bans not issued by the bot. 0 disables.
• BOTBANTIME (requires level 200) - The default time a non-specified bot ban should last. 0 means forever.
• Alfabetic values
• CKEY - Set a channel key (same as CKEY command)
• CMODE - Set a channel mode (same as CMODE command)
• SETEMAIL

Synopsis: (10) SETEMAIL <address>

Sets your own email field in the bot's user database.

• SHOW

Synopsis: (0) SHOW <nick> <cmd>

Redirect all output (except error messages) to <nick> (can also be a channel.)

• SHUTDOWN

Synopsis: (242) SHUTDOWN ...

• SPELL

Synopsis: (10) SPELL <sentence>

Spell-checks <sentence> (using ispell)

• SPLIT

Synopsis: (0) SPLIT

Reports about the latest netsplits.

• SPYADD

Synopsis: (200) SPYADD

Establishes a spylink. A spylink relays all commands sent to the bot. All passwords (from PASS, NEWPASS and OP) are hidden before being sent to the spylink.

• SPYDEL

Synopsis: (200) SPYDEL

Removes a spylink.

• SPYLIST

Synopsis: (200) SPYLIST

Lists all users who have an active spylink.

• STATUS

Synopsis: (100) STATUS [<options>]

Returns various information (including uptime.) As much information as possible is send if you specify the -A option.

• SVIEW

Synopsis: (0) SVIEW
Synopsis: (20) SVIEW [<options>] [<nick>]

This description is outdated!

Returns various information and statistics on a user.

Shows the status of a registered user. First it looks for the nick with which the user has been registered, and if that fails it looks for someone on the channel. If no arguments are supplied it returns information on yourself. Option -A also returns all registered accounts of that user. Option -S only returns a small number of information.

• SYNTAX

Synopsis: (0) SYNTAX <cmd>

Shows a synopsis of the syntax of a command (much like these entries.)

• TALK

Synopsis: (20) TALK

Make the bot talkative. It will (with a certain percentage probability) reply to certain public patterns.

• TELL

Synopsis: (10) TELL <nick> <message>

Leave a <message> for <nick>, who will receive it the next time (s)he joins. Although you specify a nickname, the bot wil do the recognition by host.

To leave the message "just do it" for breese

  TELL breese just do it

• TELLDEL

Synopsis: (10) TELLDEL ( <who> | <tellID> )

Removes a message stored by you.

• TELLLIST

Synopsis: (10) TELLLIST

Shows all messages that you have stored for other people.

• TELLME

Synopsis: (0) TELLME [<options>]

Relays the first unread message stored for you. Option -A relays all messages at once.

• TOP

Synopsis: (10) TOP ...

• TOPIC

Synopsis: (20) TOPIC

Shows when and by whom the topic was set.

• TZ

Synopsis: (10) TZ [<time> | now | list ] <country #1> [<country #2>]

• UNBAN

Synopsis: (50) UNBAN <banID | nick | pattern>

Removes a ban from the banlist.

• UPTIME

Synopsis: (0) UPTIME

Returns how long ago the bot was started.

• USERADD

Synopsis: (200) USERADD [-r <regnick>] [-p <pattern>] <nick> <level> [<email/real name>]

This command adds the specified user to the bots database. A user must have certain fields of information. They are: a registered nick name, a host pattern that the user must match and a status level. By default, the person will get his/hers current nick as registered, and the host pattern the user is currently using will be set as recognized pattern.

usermod foobar 10 foo@mail.bar.com

If the defaults aren't what you want, you may change them with the flags when adding

usermod -r FooBarbar -p foo@*.barbar.com foobar 10 foo@mail.bar.com

Or you can change the users properties after the user has been added with the USERMOD command.

• USERMOD

Synopsis: (200) USERMOD [-r <regnick>] [-p <pattern>] [-d <pattern>] [-e <email>] [-f <flags>] <nick> [<level>]

Change a user's entry in the database.

• -r <nick> changes his registered nick to this one. The nick must not already be registered to a user, but must be unique.
• -p <pattern> adds the specified pattern to the user as a recognized host pattern. Must not contain the nick part.
• -d <pattern> deletes the specified pattern from the user. The <pattern> may be specified with the number that 'sview -a' outputs in front of it.
• -e <email> sets the email field of the user. If a space is wanted in the field, the complete string must be written within double quotes, "like this".
• -f <flags> toggles flag options for the user. To set a flag to enter "+<letter>" and to remove one you set "-<letter>". Known and recognized letters are:
  A - autoop. If the 'autoop' option is enabled, this user gets op on join.
  B - banprotect. The bot will unban bans matching this user and deop the banner
  L - linkbot. This user is a supposed (Dancer-compatible) linkbot.
  R - regular bot. This user is a non-Dancer compatible bot.
  S - stealth user. This user's commands doesn't go through spy link
  
• USERLIST

Synopsis: (20) USERLIST [<options>]

Shows the list of registered users and their level. If the option -A is specified it also shows all the registered accounts for each user.

• VRFY

Synopsis: (50) VRFY [options] ( <nick> | <host> )

Used to verify an email address. "man vrfy" from Unix shell.

• WALL

Synopsis: (242) WALL ...

• WARNADD

Synopsis: (100) WARNADD [*]<nick> <description>

Add a warning

• WARNDEL

Synopsis: (100) WARNDEL <warn number>

Remove a warning

• WARNLIST

Synopsis: (100) WARNLIST

Show the warnings

• WHOLEFT

Synopsis: (0) WHOLEFT [<options>]

Lists the people are on the other side of a netsplit. If option -A is specified it will also show the accounts of the splitted users.

Running the bot

This section is about running the bot and is of little or no use to it's normal users.

• Installing

Enter 'make install' in the dancer directory and let the script to the work for you. Answer the questions and you'll have an easy and smooth start of your life as botrunner.

• Files:
• Configuration file
• Settings file
• User file
• Password file
• Log file
• Explaination file
• Country file
• Seen file
• Tell file
• Ban file
• Warn file
• Nickname:
  Dancer uses a flexible nickname resolver. Alternative nicknames are userdefined.

    robot[|_|A|2|two]
  

gives 'robot'. If this nick is in use it tries 'robot_', then 'robotA', 'robot2', 'robottwo', and then starts again from the beginning.

    r[o|o|y|a]b[o|er||bi]t
  

gives 'robot', 'robert', 'rybt', and 'rabbit'.

File formats:

• Configuration file

Please look at the example file "dancer.config.example".

Blank lines and lines starting with a hash (#) are ignored.

  <label> = <value>

Example:

  userfil = ./dancer.users
  logfile = ./newlog
  server = bot.server.org:6667
  channel = #bot
  nick = bot[|_|0|tie]
  name = An IRC bot

• User file

Use USERADD to add users.

Blank lines and lines starting with a hash (#) are ignored.

  <Registered nick> <Level> <Email Address>
  ! <Masked host>
  ...

Example:

  # This is the entry of breese
  breese 200 (Bjorn Reese <breese@imada.ou.dk>)
  !breese@*.imada.ou.dk
  !breese@130.225.128.*

Channel Guard System in short

Author: Daniel.Stenberg@sth.frontec.se (Bagder)
Date: 96-12-06
Version: 1.1

Table Of Contents

Flood in General

1. What is flooding
1.1 Server Flood Control

2. Different Flood Attacks
2.1 Standard Message Flood
2.2 Nick Flood
2.3 Ctcp Flood

Dancer Defense

3. Warning On Join
3.1 Autkickban

4. Warning When 18 Bans

5. Ban On Multiple Kicks
5.1 Trying Sitebans

6. Undoing Server Modes

7. Flood Kick
7.1 Ban Flooders
7.2 Ignoring Floods

8. Kick Queue

9. Kick Multiple Joins

10. Kick Banned Users

Help Dancer Help You

Flood in General

1. What is Flooding

flood: v. [IRC] To dump large amounts of text onto an {IRC} channel. This is especially rude when the text is uninteresting and the other users are trying to carry on a serious conversation. Flooding can also be done with all sorts of messages.

Generally, doing anything too much too fast is called 'to flood'. When an IRC client receives a querying message, it answers it. If the client answers too rapidly the IRC server closes connection to the client. Thus, if a lot of bots ask a single client or publicly asking all clients in a channel lots of times within a short period, all the clients that reply to the questions will get cut off from their servers.

1.1 Server Flood Control

[TECH TALK DETECTED] The server holds a few variables that directly concern us. The first and most important is the 'since'. It always holds the time of our last package sent to the server. At least. When our package is processed, the 'since' variable gets increased with the 'penalty' value of the particular command we use. (1-3 is normal, but 5 and higher is far from hard to achieve.)

Incoming packages to the server are only processed if 'since' is less than 10 seconds ahead of the current time. If it isn't, the message will remain in the queue. If the queue size gets bigger than 1000 bytes (by default, may vary in different servers), the client is cut off ("Excess Flood").

Evidently, you can use a command with a very high penalty value (i.e "KICK #channel nick1,nick2,nick3,nick4,nick5,nick6 :go home") without suffering, but with such a high penalty (2*nick + default sums up around 15) your input queue in the server won't get read within the following 5 seconds and thus any command sent to the server in the meantime are simply taking you closer to the edge.

2. Different Flood Attacks

The ways of the flooders are unpredictable. Most flooders use some kind of script or program they download from somewhere. The internet drowns in offensive programs and scripts. Floods can and are done with one or many clients/bots/programs. And of course all the types below can be mixed in any way.

2.1 Standard Message Flood

Paste lots of text in a channel. The most common case, some loser repeats the same line [with offensive language] a large number of times. Reason is to confuse (or simply annoy) other users.

2.2 Nick Flood

Keep changing nick in the channel very fast. Reason is to

1. confuse/annoy people
2. avoid being kicked.

2.3 Ctcp Flood

Send lots of various CTCP messages to users and/or to channel. The purpose of ctcp is to handle automated requests. Hence a ctcp request to a user, is automatically replied by the client of that user. By sending lots of requests, a lot of replies will be generated resulting in an Excess Flood of the replying user.

Dancer Defense

3. Warning On Join

Users that join the channel and match a pattern stored in the WARNLIST makes the bot make a public "<bot> ALERTS: <nick> is <description>". The description is stored together with the userpattern in the WARNLIST. When a warning has been issued, the same warning won't show the following hour.

3.1 Autkickban

Users in the WARNLIST can be marked as [KICKBANNED] which will make Dancer kick and ban the user on join. The matching pattern from the WARNLIST will be used as banpattern as well. The delay that standard warnings have is not affecting this kind of warnings.

4. Warning When 18 Bans

The regular IRC networks only allows 20 bans in a single channel. Dancer presents an ALERT message when the amount of bans reaches 18 to make the users aware of the problem. Since version 4.0 (beta 3), Dancer is capable of removing the least important ban instead of making the alert. This, if the autounban switch is enabled.

5. Ban On Multiple Kicks

If a user has been kicked off the channel X times within Y seconds, Dancer puts a ban on him/her. Bot kicks and kicks by users with high status level are considered more important and enforce a ban earlier. "Intended" kicks that Dancer tries or wants to perform but doesn't succeed with, due to lag or nick change, are also counted.

5.1 Trying sitebans

If a ban due to multiple kicks is about to get set, and ONE ban already is set on the same site, Dancer will unban the previous ban and ban their whole site. If there is MORE THAN ONE ban already set on that site, just another userban is set. No matter what ban is set, all users currently joined from that site is marked to get kicked!

6. Undoing Server Modes

During a netsplit users can gain ops, set bans, change channel modes, etc. When the servers heal again, the split server will set the new modes in the healed channel. Dancer undoes all server bans and channel modes. All users that are opped by the server are carefully checked against the userlist and those who weren't opped before the split and are unknown to the bot, are deopped.

7. Flood Kick

Dancer checks and discovers all sorts of floods. Unrecognized users are kicked instantly when a flood is triggered. Known, low-level users get 3 warnings before getting kicked. High-level users are left alone.

7.1 Ban flooders

The "Ban On Multiple Kicks" makes Dancer ban frequent flooders.

7.2 Ignoring floods

Floods that are dangerous to the bot are ignored. Anything more frequent than normal usage allows will enable the ignore mode.

8. Kick Queue

Dancer never kicks many users too fast since that would flood it off its server. It marks all users that are supposed to get kicked and kicks them one after another fast enough to remain connected. It doesn't matter if the user changes nick, since the KICK-mark follows to the new nick. If a user marked for KICK is kicked by another user before the bot does it, Dancer will not attempt to kick it.

9. Kick Multiple Joins

The really big flood attacks are done with a large number of bots joining the channel. Dancer can be set to KICK any user that joins with more than 3 clients with the same hostpattern. This makes Dancer start acting earlier and thus being able to clean off the attackers quicker.

10. Kick Banned Users

Due to lagged and/or desynched servers, some users manage to join channels even when they are banned. Dancer checks all joined users against the current list of bans in the channel and if they match, they are kicked.

Help Dancer Help You

A few minor things you can do to improve Dancer's capabilities of keeping your channel a fun place to be in.

• Keep your bot channel operator at all times. Flooders often come when you least expect them.
• During channel attacks, try to avoid setting user-bans if the attack is done by several users from the same site. Doing that will severely damage Dancer's ability to set a site ban and force it to use user-bans.

IRC nick: breese
IRC channel: #Danmark or #FrexxEd