rx - how to register a nickname

Registering a nickname on IRC means it is reserved for you to use, and no one else. It keeps others from using your nick, thus making you able to use it at all times. If you don't register your nick, others may end up using it. As such, some channels may require that you have registered it before chatting.

Preparation

Before you register a nick, you'll need to choose one. Some people use their first name as nick, or just pick something else. However, there are some requirements for your nick:

Be creative! Once you choose your nickname, you can switch to it with:

/nick MyAwesomeNewNickName

And configure your client to use that nickname afterwards.
Registering a nickname currently (might change in the future) requires a non-expired TLS client certificate. The following will generate a certificate for you:

$ openssl req -x509 -new -newkey ed25519 -sha256 -nodes -out rx.pem -keyout rx.pem

You can then refer to the following Libera.Chat guide section to setup your IRC client to use the certificate.

Registering your nickname

To register your nickname, you will interact with a network service named "NickServ". NickServ enables you to manage your account on the network, and behaves like a user (so you can send private messages to it). After configuring your client, connect to the network, then send the following message to NickServ:

/msg NickServ REGISTER

This will register your current nickname.

Tips and tricks

Here are some tips and tricks for managing your account on the IRC network.

Using multiple nicknames

You may want to own multiple nicknames on the network. You can group those nicknames together behind one NickServ account fairly easily. First, check that you are properly authenticated to your account with:

/whois YourCurrentNickname

Example output:

-!- f_ (Unk@oper/netadmin): Ferass El Hafidi
-!- f_ has joined channels: &@#support
-!- f_ is connected through irc.andrewyu.org (rx root)
-!- f_ is logged in as f_
-!- f_ is using a secure connection
-!- f_ has TLS (SSL) client certificate fingerprint GET ME OUT GET ME OUT OF THE CAROUSEL
-!- f_ was idle for 140h13m29s; signup on September 1 at 11:50

If you see a line similar to:

-!- MySelf is logged in as MySelf
Or
-!- MySelf is authenticated

Then you are authenticated. If you do not see lines similar to this, double check that you are using the correct certificate, and that your nickname is registered.

To group nicknames, change your nick to a nickname you'd like that is not already registered with:

/nick MyNewNickName-Alt

And ask NickServ to group that nickname to your current account:

/msg NickServ GROUP

You may then change your nick back to your previous nick, or keep using the new nickname. With this you can group as many nicknames as you want. To check which nicknames you currently have grouped, you can:

/msg NickServ LIST

Using your account from multiple IRC clients

At this time you cannot use one single IRC presence from multiple IRC clients without needing an IRC bouncer. However, you can use one nick per connection, those nicks being grouped. We'll assume that you already grouped those nicknames (see above). What can be done is use one client certificate per IRC client you'd like to use. You can generate a new certificate with:

$ openssl req -x509 -new -newkey ed25519 -sha256 -nodes -out rx.pem -keyout rx.pem

You can then refer to the following Libera.Chat guide section to setup your other IRC client to use the certificate. Then, connect it to the network and /whois yourself from that client:

/whois f_|AltClient
...
-!- f_|AltClient has TLS (SSL) client certificate fingerprint 
    0e516ef0e516ef0e516ef0e516ef0e516ef0e516ef0e516ef0e516ef
...

Note: Your nick might have been forcibly changed by NickServ to e.g. 100AAAFGH. This is normal.

Take note of the line above - this is your certificate fingerprint. In the main client you already have connected to the network and authenticated, issue the following command:

/msg NickServ ADDCERT [Your cert fingerprint]

e.g. 

/msg NickServ ADDCERT 0e516ef0e516ef0e516ef0e516ef0e516ef0e516ef0e516ef0e516ef

Then, on your alternate client you can login:

/msg NickServ LOGIN

And, if your nickname was changed, change it back to the nickname you wanted to use:

/nick f_|AltClient

You should now be properly identified!

To check which client certificates you currently have grouped, you can:

/msg NickServ LIST

Deleting/dropping your account

If you no longer want to use your account, you can "drop" it, so it will be deleted entirely from rx's NickServ database. This action is not reversible and your ENTIRE account will be PERMANENTLY LOST.

To do this, issue the following command:

/msg NickServ DROP ACCOUNT [your account name]

Command listing

Entire command listing of what NickServ currently supports. Note that development of NickServ is still ongoing and as such this section may be outdated.

HELP

REGISTER

GROUP

UNGROUP

ADDCERT

DELCERT

LIST

LOGIN

DROP ACCOUNT

Need help?

We're available in the #support channel for any questions that may arise.