IRC services

IRC services are a specific kind of extension to an IRC server, mostly linked similar how other IRC daemons are linked into a network to an IRC server of a network, which provide additional functionality e.g. to register nicknames and channels or to change the hostnames. Usually, only one service of a specific type (e.g. for nickname registration) may be used at a time in a network.

The IRC services then spawn multiple IRC users that look like regular users and can be talked to to issue commands, also called services bots. They are used to interface to the services.

A few examples of services packages that implement such services bots and extensions are Anope, Atheme, Epona and srvx. Not all of them are compatible with all pieces of IRC server software and therefore the right one needs to be picked for each IRC daemon.

Most common types of services extensions

Nickname registration

The concept of a nickname registration basically helps with two issues:

Better identification of users

Nickname registration provides an additional layer of passworded identification since technically, anyone can take any nick on IRC as long as it is free so that this isn't a reliable mean of identifying someone. If a person is taking a registered nick, noone else is able to take it due to the nick requiring a password by the registering person and therefore this helps to determine that a user is not someone else (providing a consistent identity, not assisting in any way to reveal the real identity of course).

Reserving a nickname and blocking others from using it

Sometimes, depending on whether the more restrictive NickServ approach instead of a more open AuthServ is used, the nick registration also serves to block a nick for all other users so that nobody else can use it (independently from whether someone shows up as identified for that nick). Using AuthServ, nicks can still be taken but only the owner will show up as identified. The nick registration then doesn't reserve the nicks and only serves as an instrument for identification.

Channel registration

Channel registration helps against channel takeover attempts and removes the need to constantly stay online, opped and idling in a channel to keep control over it since it is then also protected with a password.

Common services bots

See also the main article → List_of_services_bots

The most common services bots are NickServ or AuthServ for nickserv registration and ChanServ for channel registration. For a more extensive list, check the services bots list.