posted 01-14-2004 04:45 AM         

Click here to go to the Official GTBN IRC Chat! (IRC client required)!

Important commands:
/server [network]
- connect to a server
/disconnect
- do I really need to explain this?     
/quit
- same as disconnect, but recommended because it notifies the server,
and then the server disconnects you, whereas /disconnect doesn't notify the server.
/nick [nickname]
- change your nickname
/join [#channel]
- join a channel
/msg NickServ@services.dal.net REGISTER [password] [valid@email.address]
- register your nickname (the one you are currently using) with NickServ

Okay, first, there's a few things I think the newbies out there should know.

First, go to www.mirc.com and download and install the latest version of mIRC (Windows only - will post Mac info later). It's uncrippled shareware - you can register and pay for it if you like, but you don't have to (say, if you're dirt poor).

Upon installation, I *HIGHLY* recommend you open mIRC and press F1 to load the help file. This will teach you the basics (connecting, how to join a chatroom, etc).

Anyway, when you connect to Dalnet, there's a couple things you'll want to do. First, you'll want to register your nickname with the NickServ. Just like here on the forums, each user has their own nickname that they use on the Dalnet network. For security reasons, Dalnet asks that you register your nickname to prevent use and abuse by unauthorized users. To do this, load mIRC, go to the status window, and in the text entry box type

/nick [YourDesiredNickname]

and press Enter/Return to set your login name. I suggest for simplicity that you try to match your forum name, so we know who's who in the chat. IRC protocol doesn't accept spaces in login names, so either type it all together or use the _underscore_ character as desired. Now, once you've done that, enter

/msg NickServ@services.dal.net REGISTER [password] [valid@email.address]

in the Status Window and press Enter/Return. Dalnet will send a confirmation e-mail to the address you specify to assist in registering your nickname. Follow the instructions in this e-mail. It should arrive within 20 minutes. If not, try again at least 24 hours later - failed nick registrations expire after 24 hours.

Near the end of the e-mail, there should be a line that looks like

/msg NickServ@services.dal.net AUTH [YourNickname] [ReallyLongAlphanumericCode]

Enter it in your status window to finalize your registration.

That's it for now. More to come later. I need sleep.

------------------
Santiago22 // Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
Straightaways are for fast cars. Corners are for fast drivers!
Eat asphalt. Drink fuel. Spit oil. Belch fire.
Race to live. Live to race.

Button's Brigade - The track is ours. You may have it when we're done.
#92

- Youth and treachery will overcome old age and experience. -

posted 01-14-2004 09:22 AM         

OK,

I downloaded a client v6.12 and let the auto-install run. I clicked for it to show me the help and open a window, and it all seemed to work smoothly. I got one window opened on the help browser, and another window containing my mIRC session.

I browsed some of the help, but I think you need to start by just remembering how to log in and out of a chat before you start trying to remember all the other stuff.

I got a popup asking my name, nickname, and alternative (I assume an alternative nickname in case my first choice was taken?), and this resulted in a "status" window opening within my mIRC window, and a popup offering me a choice of channels. #gtbn was not on the default list, so I typed "#gtbn" ... and I seem to be online but alone at #gtbn !

Is there anything of relevance I should be looking for in my status window?

I was going to copy and paste the top part of the transcript, but first question: how do you copy and paste from an mIRC transcript?

Santiago,

Did I make any glaring noobie mistakes?

I am assuming that the popup in which I logged in is equivalent to the /nick and /msg commands detailed above - is that so? But it doesn't tie up with your indication that registration would take 20 mins and would require me to follow instructions e-mailed back to me.

posted 01-14-2004 09:30 AM         

[edit]

So I clicked on your link above, and got something much more promising! Now I'm alone in a chat room with a GTBN banner at the top!

[edit]

... and your instructions are now working correctly too! Just waiting for my email to arrive so I can convert my temporary username to a permanent one ...

[This message has been edited by player2 (edited 01-14-2004).]

posted 01-14-2004 02:27 PM         

The first popup is as you say - a default nickname, and a backup if the first is taken.

The second popup is a list of channels that usually exist on every network. I find that window pretty useless, so I cleared the "Pop up folder on connect" box at the bottom and join my channels manually. GT3mich was just in the chat, and said you were there before I had arrived. It appears the network is having problems. Did you receive the confirmation e-mail, p2?

player2: Is there anything of relevance I should be looking for in my status window?

I was going to copy and paste the top part of the transcript, but first question: how do you copy and paste from an mIRC transcript?

If logging is turned on, just go

File menu/Options
IRC section/Logging
View Logs button
select folder "Dalnet"
double-click "#gtbn.log"

This will open the log in notepad and you can copy and paste from there.

player2: Santiago,

Did I make any glaring noobie mistakes?

I am assuming that the popup in which I logged in is equivalent to the /nick and /msg commands detailed above - is that so? But it doesn't tie up with your indication that registration would take 20 mins and would require me to follow instructions e-mailed back to me.

Setting your nickname in the options uses the /nick command like you said. The /msg actually sends a private message across the network that only yourself and the recipient (be it a person or a bot like NickServ) can see.

/msg [nickname] [message] to send one.

The registration simply allows you to have access to your registered name at any time. This is to prevent someone that might wish to defame your character or takeover a channel from impersonating you. There's actually a way on Dalnet, that if someone is using your registered name, you can send a certain string to the NickServ and it changes the name of the person using your nick to a guest nickname, and allows you to take your registered name.

As I said earlier, services are down right now. Just be patient, they should come back online pretty soon

------------------
Santiago22 // Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
Straightaways are for fast cars. Corners are for fast drivers!
Eat asphalt. Drink fuel. Spit oil. Belch fire.
Race to live. Live to race. :)

Button's Brigade - The track is ours. You may have it when we're done. :mad:
#92

posted 01-14-2004 02:51 PM         

Basically, just like forum moderators, channel operators ("ops" for short) have certain responsibilities/privileges. If someone is being a nuisance (sp?), you can /kick them out of the channel, and if that's not enough, you can /ban them to prevent them from coming back. Also, ops can change the channel topic (useful for short announcements and the like), and change channel modes.

I was thinking about who should be allowed this status. Therefore, I'd like to nominate people for this task, because right now, I'm the only person with this ability, and I'm not always around.

So post your nominations for this task. If someone you would like to nominate has already been nominated, simply post your support for that person.

I'd like to keep this list to well-known and respected members of this forum, and/or people that already have some responsibilities on these forums. IRC knowledge and expertise will be required at some point, but the channel's still young, so I don't see that as an issue right now.

Also, if you get nominated, but don't wish to accept, simply say so - no hard feelings

That being said, I'd like to nominate the following people.

GB24Hours - he's the site admin, he should have control over the chat too
GT3mich - a well-respected chap who also seems to have a good bit of free time on his hands

Your turn.

------------------
Santiago22 // Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
Straightaways are for fast cars. Corners are for fast drivers!
Eat asphalt. Drink fuel. Spit oil. Belch fire.
Race to live. Live to race. :)

Button's Brigade - The track is ours. You may have it when we're done. :mad:
#92

posted 01-14-2004 06:27 PM         

Thanks - yes, I got my email and I registered my name (no charge for this!) so I will always be player2. What's the charge for staying beyond 30 days?

My first attempt at getting the channel was to simply type "#gtbn" in the first box on the channel selector. It seems that this got me my own private "#gtbn" which did not have your banner. It looked somewhat like GT3Mich's picture above.

But when I started a session by clicking your link at the top, it pulled a confirmation popup asking for confirmation to switch servers and open "#gtbn", and when I OKed it, I got into the right channel. Can you explain the difference? If no, it doesn't matter ... I right-clicked your link and saved it to my favourites - so now all I have to do is select it from favourites in my browser.

posted 01-14-2004 06:58 PM         

* Now talking in #gtbn
* WasteGate has joined #gtbn
hey P2, this is gtbn#2
is that correct?
Well WasteGate, what happened?
we all got dropped in there back then
I don't see the GTBN header, so I think we're on our own ...
Maybe not such a bad thing ...
we're in the wrong room, i can smell it
My status window says:
-jade.va.us.dal.net- *** Notice -- Due to a network split, you can not obtain channel operator status in a new channel at this time.
we should get the header, and Mich and S22 are in another channel
I'm guessing that's what was referred to earlier, in teh discussions of what IRC to use, as a NetSplit ...

posted 01-14-2004 07:17 PM         

Sometimes irc servers on a network lose connection with each other, and it's called a netsplit.

It works like this:

Say you have 5 servers on your network: A, B, C, D, and E, connected like so:

A -- B -- D -- C
|         |
--------- E

A links to B and E
B links back to A and also to D
C links only to D
D links to B, C, and E
and E links to A and D

If Server D crashes, you get this:

A -- B    D    C
|         
--------- E

so now A, B, and E are still together, but D and C have lost their connections to the rest of the network.

What happens is that all the users connected to the network through servers A, B, or E all see each other, users on D only see each other, and same for users on C.

That's the anatomy of a netsplit. You can change servers by issuing:

/server [server address]

or just wait until the connection gets fixed.

------------------
Santiago22 // Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
Straightaways are for fast cars. Corners are for fast drivers!
Eat asphalt. Drink fuel. Spit oil. Belch fire.
Race to live. Live to race. :)

Button's Brigade - The track is ours. You may have it when we're done. :mad:
#92

posted 01-14-2004 07:18 PM         

...

* player2 sets mode: +i
-
-jade.va.us.dal.net- *** Notice -- Due to a network split, you can not obtain channel operator status in a new channel at this time.
-

...

posted 01-14-2004 07:20 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by GT3mich:
Enter this in your text window
/server dragons.ca.us.dal.net

---

posted 01-15-2004 05:13 AM         

Explain to me again why your not in this industry?!

Nisce work.

posted 01-15-2004 05:35 AM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by VB:
I seem to be in there on my todd at the minute though.

---

Veebs, Anaesthesia and I are in just now, but I don't see you unless you are masquerading as guest26973 ...

There's something unsettling about having a silent and unidentified person in the chat room :shiver: ...

posted 01-15-2004 07:50 AM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by player2:
... masquerading as guest26973 ...

---

posted 01-15-2004 10:19 AM         

[Edit]

Does it have to be 'dragons'? My default server comes up as 'jade.va.us...' Is there any other server closer to CA than VA which might let us get to our chatroom, or is our chatroom exclusively available on 'dragons' ?

posted 01-15-2004 11:00 AM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by Santiago22:

[b]GB24Hours - he's the site admin, he should have control over the chat too
GT3mich - a well-respected chap who also seems to have a good bit of free time on his hands

[/B]

---

If either of you guys needs help with scripts/stuff like that, feel free to ask me. I've been "op"ing for about the whole time I've been on IRC. Was taught scripting/etc by CMJ (the guru imo).

Tho I have op "priveleges" on a couple servers, it's very rare I actually mess with it. Granted, with this lot, it's more troll filtering by outsiders joining in to cause havok. Takes a whole two seconds to ban an unsavory.