|
What is IRC? (Part 4 - IRC Add-ons)
So far we have only been looking at the very basics of IRC - chatting, however over the years various extra features have been added to IRC clients and servers, and some of them have become a standard feature.
The most used features are CTCP and DCC. CTCP stands for Client To Client Protocol and is used to send particular bits of information from one client to another, bypassing the server. What CTCP commands work is determined by the clients sending or recieving the data although there are a standard set of command that usually work on all clients using the command /ctcp <nick> <command> :
- Clientinfo - Shows what CTCP commands the client supports
- Ping - Measures the delay between the two clients, it sends a ping to the other client and gives the time it takes to recieve the ping back (so it is actually double the delay).
- Version - Gives the version of the client being used on the other machine
- Finger - Usually gives the email address of the other user if they have entered it. Can also give the time the other client has been idle.
- Time - Gives the local time on the other machine
Clients will extend the usual functions and add their own, for example IRCle has /ctcp <nick> gestalt which gives information about the machine running the client (System version, computer) although this is not always totally accurate. In general CTCPs shouldn't be considered always to be correct as it is possible to send a different CTCP reply than it should be (eg, you can change the version reply to pretend you're using a different type of client)
DCC (Direct Client Communication) has two main functions - private chat and file transfer. As the name suggests, DCC also bypasses the server when it sends data or messages. DCC Chats are normally between only two people, although with a bot it is possible to have a conversation with more than two using dcc (You can find out more about bots on this page). The command to request or answer DCC chat is usually /dcc chat <nick>
DCC File transfer is one of the handiest 'extras' to IRC. It allows you to send files to other people on IRC via your IRC client - saving you the hassle of emailing or setting up a ftp server. Although commands may differ from client to client, usually to send a file the command is /dcc send <nick> and to recieve a file which is being sent to you use /dcc get <nick> DCC can also be combined with a bot to create a XDCC bot or fserve. These bots have set files (packs) which they serve, you can download any of the packs from the bot using dcc. The commands to do this will vary on the type of bot, ask in the channel with the bot or read the faq for the channel if there is one.
One important thing to mention about DCC file transfers is their use in spreading trojans. A trojan is a program or script that is similar to a virus, but differs in that it cannot spread on its own - it needs either a human or a program to send it, in this case it's usually the client that sends it automatically. Once a trojan is run on one machine, it often alters the irc client to automatically send the trojan on to anyone who joins any channel you are on, along with this it can do anything from giving people full control over your machine, to deleting files.
The key to not being infected is to be careful what files you accept and run. The vast majority (all the major ones) of trojans will only affect Windows based machines, however that doesn't mean users with other machines need not be careful, it just means users with Windows must be doubly careful. If you join a channel and someone sends you a dcc as you join, never accept it.. even if it is from a friend - ask them about it and only accept it if they meant to send it (and you trust them). Also, never have auto-get switched on (this will automatically recieve dcc send requests).
Notify is another useful feature that has been added to the clients, it notifies you if a particular nick joins the server. Of course it doesn't guarentee that the person you are looking for has joined, just someone with the same nick. Normally you have to specify specfic nicks rather than being able to say for example, all nicks beginning with Knox (which would match knox, knoxie, knoxy and so on).
Previous | Continue
|
|
