##Linux

Connecting to Freenode

You can connect to the Freenode IRC server using irc.freenode.net port 6667. Alternatively on some operating systems the link may work:

irc://irc.freenode.net:6667

A list of geographically located IRC servers can be found at the Freenode IRC Servers list, if you prefer to connect to a specific one closer to you.

Remember to join us at ##Linux once you connect, you can do so with the following command:

/join ##Linux

Registering a Nick

Please follow these steps to set up your nick and configure your client:

1. Register your IRC nick:
   /msg nickserv register
2. Add a valid email address to your primary nickserv entry. If you want to keep your email address private, rather than displaying it publicly, first mark it as hidden:
   /msg nickserv set hide email on
   Then set the email address:
   /msg nickserv set email
3. Register an alternate IRC nick, using the same password. Add an underline ("_") to your primary nick, if possible. For example, if your primary nick is foo, register foo_ as an alternate nick, if it's available. While using your alternate nick, link it to your primary nick:
   /msg nickserv group

For more information about setting up your nickname please see the Freenode nickname setup page.

Freenode also offers unaffiliated, project and donation hostname cloaks. See the Freenode cloak information page for more information. If you've received a hostname cloak, please pay special attention to the below two additional steps to allow the cloak to be active before joining any channels:

1. Configure your client to identify itself to nickserv automatically whenever it connects to Freenode.
2. If your client can automatically try an alternate nick, set it to use the one you just registered.

Auto-Identify to Nickserv at Login

Configuring your IRC client to identify is very easily done by one of 3 common ways. The best and easiest way is to setup the connection itself to use a server password for the IRC server itself.

In X-Chat:

This method also helps for cloaked users as it helps prevent you from joining a channel before being authenticated with NickServ and having your hostmask show up THEN cloak afterwards.

1. XChat menu, then Network List.
2. Find the entry for Freenode, select it, and click on Edit
3. Under the Servers section, you will see chat.freenode.net/6667 or similar. Here it's best to change this to chat.freenode.net/7000, and add a new entry, chat.freenode.net/7070 so you login to the SSL side, this helps in security as well.
4. Check on Use SSL for all the servers on this network.
5. Check on Accept invalid SSL certificate (may be optional, but I don't think Freenode's SSL certs are signed by a major trust authority.
6. Under Server password, enter your registered nick and password like:
   username:password
   The colon (:) is important to use as it uses both your nick and password.
7. Close, and Connect, you'll be automatically identified to NickServ on Freenode every time you connect as you're connecting.

For the less secure but still automated way, you can replace 3-6 with:

1. Under Nickserv password, enter your password.
   Note: This only works with your current nick after login. If you login and your nick is changed due to conflict with that user still being online, it will fail.