Here'e an example of how to register a nick on Freenode IRC. It's a little tricky, but if you follow some simple steps, you'll get through it okay. All you need to do is connect to the Freenode IRC network and have a little talk with NickServ.
The first and most confusing questions can be combined:
- How do I know if my nick is already registered to someone else?
- How do I talk to NickServ?
Start by connecting your client to irc.freenode.net and joining any chat.
Next, type this command in the chat window:
/msg NickServ info
This will open a new tab. Switch to this tab. You will see either of two things:
NickServ: (notice) Information on <nickname> (account <nickname>):
or
NickServ: (notice) <nickname> is not registered.
If you see information for the account, then it has been registered by someone else and you cannot use it. (You'll see all of their registration details, too.)
In that case, you need to try a new name. You can change nicknames right here using the /nick command, and then try the info again:
/nick anothername
/msg NickServ info
Keep trying until you see that
NickServ: (notice) anothername is not registered.
You may now register this new nickname.
/msg NickServ register <password> <email-address>
(Fill in your password and email address in this line, of course.)
You should receive the following response:
NickServ: (notice) An email containing nickname activation instructions has been sent to <email-address>.
NickServ: (notice) If you do not complete registration within one day, your nickname will expire.
NickServ: (notice) <nickname> is now registered to <email-address>, with the password <password>.
(Keep your password safe. Resets are possible, but a pain, or so I'm told.)
Leave this window open and go check your email. You should get a freenode Nickname Registration email pretty quickly. Go find the VERIFY REGISTER line and copy it, then paste it into your IRC client.
/msg NickServ VERIFY REGISTER <nickname> <secret-code>
You should see something like this:
NickServ: (notice) <nickname> has now been verified.
NickServ: (notice) Thank you for verifying your e-mail address! You have taken steps in ensuring that your registrations are not exploited.
You can now see your registration info:
/msg NickServ info
NickServ: (notice) Information on <nickname> (account <nickname>):
You will now need to add your password to your IRC client so you can log in next time.
- For Pidgin on Windows, press Ctrl+A to open the account list.
- For Adium on Mac, press Cmd+, for preferences.