HTML layout by Tatu J. Lund Apr 1997
Network Working Group
Request for Comments: 1459
J. Oikarinen
D. Reed
May 1993

5. Optionals

This section describes OPTIONAL messages. They are not required in a working server implementation of the protocol described herein. In the absence of the option, an error reply message must be generated or an unknown command error. If the message is destined for another server to answer then it must be passed on (elementary parsing required) The allocated numerics for this are listed with the messages below.

5.1 Away

Command: AWAY
Parameters: [message]

With the AWAY message, clients can set an automatic reply string for any PRIVMSG commands directed at them (not to a channel they are on). The automatic reply is sent by the server to client sending the PRIVMSG command. The only replying server is the one to which the sending client is connected to.

The AWAY message is used either with one parameter (to set an AWAY message) or with no parameters (to remove the AWAY message).

Numeric Replies:

RPL_UNAWAY RPL_NOWAWAY

Examples:

AWAY :Gone to lunch.  Back in 5
                      ; set away message to "Gone to lunch.
                      Back in 5".

:WiZ AWAY             ; unmark WiZ as being away.

5.2 Rehash message

Command: REHASH
Parameters: None

The rehash message can be used by the operator to force the server to re-read and process its configuration file.

Numeric Replies:

RPL_REHASHING ERR_NOPRIVILEGES

Examples:

REHASH           ; message from client with operator
                 status to server asking it to reread its
                 configuration file.

5.3 Restart message

Command: RESTART
Parameters: None

The restart message can only be used by an operator to force a server restart itself. This message is optional since it may be viewed as a risk to allow arbitrary people to connect to a server as an operator and execute this command, causing (at least) a disruption to service.

The RESTART command must always be fully processed by the server to which the sending client is connected and not be passed onto other connected servers.

Numeric Replies:

ERR_NOPRIVILEGES

Examples:

RESTART             ; no parameters required.

5.4 Summon message

Command: SUMMON
Parameters: <user> [<server>]

The SUMMON command can be used to give users who are on a host running an IRC server a message asking them to please join IRC. This message is only sent if the target server (a) has SUMMON enabled, (b) the user is logged in and (c) the server process can write to the user's tty (or similar).

If no <server> parameter is given it tries to summon <user> from the server the client is connected to is assumed as the target.

If summon is not enabled in a server, it must return the ERR_SUMMONDISABLED numeric and pass the summon message onwards.

Numeric Replies:

ERR_NORECIPIENT ERR_FILEERROR
ERR_NOLOGIN ERR_NOSUCHSERVER
RPL_SUMMONING

Examples:

SUMMON jto                 ; summon user jto on the server's host

SUMMON jto tolsun.oulu.fi  ; summon user jto on the host which a
                           server named "tolsun.oulu.fi" is
                           running.

5.5 Users

Command: USERS
Parameters: [<server>]

The USERS command returns a list of users logged into the server in a similar format to who(1), rusers(1) and finger(1). Some people may disable this command on their server for security related reasons. If disabled, the correct numeric must be returned to indicate this.

Numeric Replies:

ERR_NOSUCHSERVER ERR_FILEERROR
RPL_USERSSTART RPL_USERS
RPL_NOUSERS RPL_ENDOFUSERS
ERR_USERSDISABLED

Disabled Reply:

ERR_USERSDISABLED

Examples:

USERS eff.org              ; request a list of users logged in on
                           server eff.org

:John USERS tolsun.oulu.fi ; request from John for a list of users
                           logged in on server tolsun.oulu.fi

5.6 Operwall message

Command: WALLOPS
Parameters: Text to be sent to all operators currently online

Sends a message to all operators currently online. After implementing WALLOPS as a user command it was found that it was often and commonly abused as a means of sending a message to a lot of people (much similar to WALL). Due to this it is recommended that the current implementation of WALLOPS be used as an example by allowing and recognising only servers as the senders of WALLOPS.

Numeric Replies:

ERR_NEEDMOREPARAMS

Examples:

:csd.bu.edu WALLOPS :Connect '*.uiuc.edu 6667' from Joshua
                ; WALLOPS message from csd.bu.edu announcing a
                CONNECT message it received and acted
                upon from Joshua.

5.7 Userhost message

Command: USERHOST
Parameters: <nickname>{<space><nickname>}

The USERHOST command takes a list of up to 5 nicknames, each separated by a space character and returns a list of information about each nickname that it found. The returned list has each reply separated by a space.

Numeric Replies:

RPL_USERHOST ERR_NEEDMOREPARAMS

Examples:

USERHOST Wiz Michael Marty p
                    ;USERHOST request for information on
                    nicks "Wiz", "Michael", "Marty" and "p"

5.8 Ison message

Command: ISON
Parameters: <nickname>{<space><nickname>}

The ISON command was implemented to provide a quick and efficient means to get a response about whether a given nickname was currently on IRC. ISON only takes one (1) parameter: a space-separated list of nicks. For each nickname in the list that is present, the server adds that to its reply string. Thus the reply string may return empty (none of the given nicks are present), an exact copy of the parameter string (all of them present) or as any other subset of the set of nicks given in the parameter. The only limit on the number of nicks that may be checked is that the combined length must not be too large as to cause the server to chop it off so it fits in 512 characters.

ISON is only be processed by the server local to the client sending the command and thus not passed onto other servers for further processing.

Numeric Replies:

RPL_ISON ERR_NEEDMOREPARAMS

Examples:

ISON phone trillian WiZ jarlek Avalon Angel Monstah
                     ; Sample ISON request for 7 nicks.

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