GeekShed IRC » Ryan http://www.geekshed.net GeekShed IRC Network Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:29:36 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 GeekShed Embed v2 Released http://www.geekshed.net/2011/03/geekshed-embed-v2-released/ http://www.geekshed.net/2011/03/geekshed-embed-v2-released/#comments Thu, 10 Mar 2011 07:52:57 +0000 Ryan http://www.geekshed.net/?p=1293 NOTE: This is a plugin for users of the self hosted wordpress.org software; it is not for users of wordpress.com. (Although I would love it if at some point in time… well, that’s me dreaming…)

As I posted last month, I have been working on updated to the GeekShed Embed plugin for WordPress that I wrote. This update provides shortcodes to easily embed the TFlash client, the userlist, and the userbadge that GeekShed provides for its users.

In addition to the TFlash shortcode, the plugin now offers a settings page where you can input the options (similar to our chat generator) and select the page that you want TFlash to appear on; TFlash will appear on that page without requiring you to copy and paste any code at all. This settings page also allows you to set more than one channel; simply enter the channel names as you would in a regular client – e.g. #chan1,#chan2,chanN. There are additional usage notes on the settings page.

Although the plugin has not been tested in a WordPress MultiSite environment, the plugin uses the built-in settings API that WordPress offers, so it is very likely that it will work (please let me know if you use WPMS and if the plugin works or not).

The plugin does reside in the WordPress Plugin Repository, so it can be installed via the Plugin Installer in your WordPress admin section, and if you already have it installed, will notify you that there is an update available.

If you require any assistance in using the plugin, please leave a comment here or at the plugin page here. Also, comments and/or suggestions are always welcome.

Note2: It can take a little bit for the WordPress servers to process that the plugin has been upgraded. Please be patient.]]> http://www.geekshed.net/2011/03/geekshed-embed-v2-released/feed/ 0 If You Use The Mibbit Chat Widget… http://www.geekshed.net/2011/02/if-you-use-the-mibbit-chat/ http://www.geekshed.net/2011/02/if-you-use-the-mibbit-chat/#comments Sun, 13 Feb 2011 05:23:21 +0000 Ryan http://www.geekshed.net/?p=1238
To enable the server messages, look at the embed URL that you are using. If you see noServerNotices=1, you should either set it to 0 or remove it entirely.

Thanks to MikeWard1701 for bringing this to our attention.]]> http://www.geekshed.net/2011/02/if-you-use-the-mibbit-chat/feed/ 0 GeekShed Embed v2 http://www.geekshed.net/2011/02/geekshed-embed-v2/ http://www.geekshed.net/2011/02/geekshed-embed-v2/#comments Thu, 10 Feb 2011 01:56:59 +0000 Ryan http://www.geekshed.net/?p=1229 EDIT: This post is about a WordPress plugin that has been written. It is NOT about the TFlash client itself. No updates for the TFlash client are planned at this time.

About six months ago, I (Ryan (ninja in #help)) created GeekShed Embed, a WordPress plugin so that GeekShed users that use WordPress to power their website could easily embed a GeekShed chat room into their site. At the time, I promised that there would be updates; however, I did not have time until recently to do anything with it.

Most of what I wanted to add has been already added to it, but I wanted to ask the community and see if there was anything that you can think of that should be included, or if there were any bugs that you have run into.

So if you have a suggestion for what should be included in the update, or have run into a bug, please leave a comment here with details. Assuming it’s nothing too far-fetched, I should be able to include it in the update.

Note: if you have run into a bug and are reporting it, please include the WordPress version you are running, and whether it is WordPress MU/MS or a regular WordPress installation.]]> http://www.geekshed.net/2011/02/geekshed-embed-v2/feed/ 5 Introducing GeekShed Embed: A WordPress Plugin http://www.geekshed.net/2010/08/introducing-geekshed-embed-a-wordpress-plugin/ http://www.geekshed.net/2010/08/introducing-geekshed-embed-a-wordpress-plugin/#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:22:26 +0000 Ryan http://www.geekshed.net/?p=1128
The plugin has been submitted and accepted into the WordPress plugin repository, so installation is simple. To install, simply go to the Add New Plugin page of your WordPress install, and search for GeekShed. Under GeekShed Embed, click install. Supply your FTP/SSH information if required, and hit Proceed. The shortcode currently supports three parameters: channel, width, and height. Any, none, or all can be used, in any combination.

Note: If the width is less than 500 or the height is less than 375, parts of the chat box will be cut off and not visible. Future versions will fix this issue.

Examples:
What You Type What You Get
[geekshed] A 500 by 375 chat box that displays the channel list once connected
[geekshed someChannel] A 500 by 375 chat box that joins someChannel once connected.
[geekshed height=XXX] A chat box XXX pixels tall and 500 pixels wide. It will display the channel list once connected.
[geekshed width=XXX] A chat box XXX pixels wide and 375 pixels tall. It will display the channel list once connected.
Comments, questions, suggestions? Leave them as a comment to this post, and the will be addressed as soon as possible.]]> http://www.geekshed.net/2010/08/introducing-geekshed-embed-a-wordpress-plugin/feed/ 3 Can I Make A Private/Secret/Restricted Channel? http://www.geekshed.net/2010/03/can-i-make-a-privatesecretrestricted-channel/ http://www.geekshed.net/2010/03/can-i-make-a-privatesecretrestricted-channel/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:46:58 +0000 Ryan http://www.geekshed.net/?p=923
Every channel is able to be either private (+p), or secret (+s). The two modes are similar, but it is possible for people to find out about a channel that is marked private (+p). Therefore, if you want a channel nobody will be able to find out about unless they’re told, it is recommended that you mark it as secret, +s. Unless you are in the channel or an IRCop, the server will pretend that the channel doesn’t exist.

There is also channel mode +i, which will let people in only when they have been invited. If the channel is registered with chanserv, those on the access list can /msg chanserv invite #channel, and chanserv (or the botserv bot, if the channel has one) will invite the person into the channel. Standing invites can also be set using channel mode +I, which takes a nick!ident@host mask as a parameter. If the person is not on the access list, and does not have +I set for themselves, they are able to “knock” on the channel by doing /knock #channel optional_message.

You can also set a “key” on the channel using channel mode +k, which takes the key to use as a parameter. If I wanted to set a key on my channel, I would do /mode #serenity +k Kaylee. In order to get in the channel, someone would need to specify the key when they try to join – /join #serenity Kaylee. Alternatively, they can also be invited into the channel and will not need the key.

If the channel is registered, those modes can be mlock’ed, so that they will be reapplied when the channel is recreated (i.e. is empty and someone joins). It is important to note that if the channel is empty, needing a key or an invite is not necessary to join the channel. That is where the next item comes into play.

It is also possible to set a channel to have restricted access. When this option is set, only the people you add to the access list will be able to join. When someone that is not on the list attempts to join, they are kickbanned by chanserv (or the botserv bot, if you have added one) with the reason “You are not permitted to be on this channel”.

Since when you set your channel to restricted access you normally don’t want people to know about it, it is recommended to also mlock it +s. To set both the restricted access and mlock, you need to enter the following two commands, replacing #channel with your actual channel:
/msg chanserv set #channel mlock +s
/msg chanserv set #channel restricted on
Note: If you already have some modes set with mlock, you will need to respecify them when you add +s. So if you have +n (no external messages) set with mlock, you would need to do /msg chanserv set #channel mlock +sn.

Should you have any questions concerning setting your channel to restricted access, feel free to stop in #help and ask.]]> http://www.geekshed.net/2010/03/can-i-make-a-privatesecretrestricted-channel/feed/ 0 What is SSL? What Benefits Does it Offer, and How do I Use It? http://www.geekshed.net/2010/03/what-is-ssl-what-benefits-does-it-offer-and-how-do-i-use-it/ http://www.geekshed.net/2010/03/what-is-ssl-what-benefits-does-it-offer-and-how-do-i-use-it/#comments Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:57:00 +0000 Ryan http://www.geekshed.net/?p=897
The main benefit of connecting to IRC via SSL is that all content you send to the server is encrypted, as well as all data the server sends you. This is useful if you are connecting from a public hotspot and want to protect your passwords. If you are worried about the content of the messages in the channels you’re in, you’ll be protected on your end; however, unless everyone in the channel is also using SSL, the copies of the messages sent to them are in plain text, and could be read by anyone sniffing packets between the unencrypted user and the server. To ensure that everyone in the channel is using SSL, you can apply channel mode +z.

Since the directions for connecting over SSL differ based on the client and operating system you are using, please refer to your client’s documentation on that. The port GeekShed uses for SSL is 6697, and every server can host SSL-based connection.

Should you require assistance, feel free to leave a comment here, or ask in #help.

Related: GeekShed Certificate Authority · Login Service]]> http://www.geekshed.net/2010/03/what-is-ssl-what-benefits-does-it-offer-and-how-do-i-use-it/feed/ 0 Grouping a Nick: Why and How? http://www.geekshed.net/2010/03/grouping-a-nick-why-and-how/ http://www.geekshed.net/2010/03/grouping-a-nick-why-and-how/#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:03:18 +0000 Ryan http://www.geekshed.net/?p=900
Well luckily for you, there is. You are able to group nicks together so that permissions and other data are shared among accounts. Some of the items that are shared include (but are not limited to): channel ownership, permission levels (owner, halfop, etc.) on channels, group info that was provided when you registered, password, and virtual host. Pretty much anything your single nick has associated with it will be associated with the group of nicks that you have registered.

Here’s how to group a nick to one that you already have registered:
  1. Switch to the nick that you want to group
    • NOTE 1: Before you enter the next command, make sure that you are using the nick you want to add to your existing group. Do NOT be using your main nick. Example: if I wanted to group JayneCobb to my account, I would /nick JayneCobb.
    • NOTE 2: If you use a registered nick when the next step if performed, it will first be dropped, then grouped to the main nick. Example: if I try to group JayneCobb (which is registered) to my main nick MalcolmReynolds, Services will first drop JayneCobb, then have it join the MalcolmReynolds group. By being dropped, any permissions JayneCobb had will be gone.
  2. Enter the following command in the server/status window: /msg nickserv group main_nick password, where main_nick is your primary nick, and password is the password belonging to the primary nick.
    Example: I want to group JayneCobb to my primary nick, MalcolmReynolds, and the password for it is S3reni+yV@ll3y (you do use something secure for your passwords, right?). I would type the following as JayneCobb: /msg nickserv group MalcolmReynolds S3reni+yV@ll3y
  3. Look for nickserv to either tell you that you have joined the group of your primay nick or give you an error message, such as “you must wait at least 60 seconds before using the group command again”.
And just to give you the commands again, they are, in order:
/nick theNewNick
/msg nickserv group main_nick password

Now what if you want to delink a nick, i.e. remove it from the group, is there some way to do that? Yes there is, you just drop it by switching to the nick, and doing /msg nickserv drop. Doing that will make nickserv completely drop the nick – it will no longer exist, have any permissions, etc.

Is there someway to delink it without dropping, or without it losing the permissions and other information? Not currently, although I suppose it is possible that it could end up in a future version of anope, or someone could create a module that could drop a nick and register it using the credentials of the former group and preserving permissions, etc.

Should you have any questions about grouping nicks, feel free to leave a comment here, or to join #help and ask in there. ]]> http://www.geekshed.net/2010/03/grouping-a-nick-why-and-how/feed/ 0 Can I Link Two Channels? http://www.geekshed.net/2010/03/can-i-link-two-channels/ http://www.geekshed.net/2010/03/can-i-link-two-channels/#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:23:12 +0000 Ryan http://www.geekshed.net/?p=914
In any case, linking two channels together is very easy, as it only involves setting two channel modes – the first sets a limit of X people that can be in the channel, and the second sets the channel to send people to after X people have joined the main channel. Also, you are not limited in the number of channels that can be linked together, with the exception that a channel can only forward users to one channel. #Chan1 can forward to #chan2, which can forward to #chan3, etc.
l = Channel may hold at most of users [o] (This mode is a lowercase L, not a capital i)
L = Channel link (If +l is full, the next user will auto-join ) [q]
So if I wanted to forward my channel #Inara to #Adria, I would do the following: /mode #Inara +lL 1 #Adria. If I wanted to always have the channel set like that, so that nobody could change it, I would use chanserv’s mlock option, and do: /msg chanserv set #Inara mlock +lL 1 #Adria.

If you are linking an old channel to a new one (i.e. you’ve moved channels), the number must be 1, and there must be someone in the channel for it to work (note: botserv bots do not count. It can be a bot that you run though). If you have linked a primary channel to an overfill one, the number can be anything equal to or greater than 1.

NOTE: Linked channels do not share the same permissions, you will need to add people to the aop/sop/hop/vop lists in each channel.

Should you have any questions about linking channels, feel free to leave a comment here, or to join #help and ask in there.]]> http://www.geekshed.net/2010/03/can-i-link-two-channels/feed/ 0 What Do YOU Want To See? http://www.geekshed.net/2010/02/what-do-you-want-to-see/ http://www.geekshed.net/2010/02/what-do-you-want-to-see/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:00:32 +0000 Ryan http://www.geekshed.net/?p=840 forums, in #help, on twitter, or directly to a staffer, the whole purpose of this post is to solicit ideas on what you would like to see.

Here are the ground rules:
  1. It should have something to do with the website, especially the parts that are driven by WordPress (basically everything except the forums), as that is my primary area of responsibility.
  2. It should be something that can be done in 12-24 hours. My break is only a week long, and as much as I love GeekShed, I don’t want to undertake something that will take the entire break.
  3. It should be something that will benefit the majority of users (i.e. not a post about why people should join your channel).
  4. Obviously, the suggestion must conform to the Network’s Terms of Use.
If there is more than one suggestion, I will probably work on the most popular one, so talk with your friends about it and have them comment too. Don’t let this discourage you from suggesting something though – all suggestions will remain here, as well as the spreadsheet I will be compiling with them. Something that isn’t done now may be worked on at a later point in time.

I will be leaving comments on this post open for a week, at which point I’ll close them and decide which item I will be working on.

If you have any questions or need something clarified, please /join #help and speak with Ryan, or you may post in this topic on the forum. Please leave comments here for suggestions only.]]> http://www.geekshed.net/2010/02/what-do-you-want-to-see/feed/ 12 How Do I Embed My Chatroom Onto My Website? http://www.geekshed.net/2010/02/how-do-i-embed-my-chatroom-onto-my-website/ http://www.geekshed.net/2010/02/how-do-i-embed-my-chatroom-onto-my-website/#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:07:39 +0000 Ryan http://www.geekshed.net/?p=825
One thing to note before starting is that you need to be able to post HTML, and not have it filtered. If you are using wordpress.com, or WPMU and are not the site/super admin, your HTML is filtered and you will not be able to see the chat box when you post the post/page you’re trying to put it onto. If you cannot post HTML, it will not work because it will treat the code as text instead.

Having said that, here are 5 easy steps to embedding your chat onto a site.

  1. Get the embed code from our website. At the very minimum, you should change the channel name. Unless you know better dimensions for your site’s layout, it might be best to leave the default size; you can always change that later (it is just two variables in the embed code).
  2. Add a new Page or Post like you normally would, and give it a title. While still in the visual editor (if you use it), feel free to add anything that you would like above and/or below the chat box and associated items.
  3. Next, if you aren’t already in HTML mode, click on the HTML button.
  4. Paste in the code you copied from step 1 in the appropriate place (depending on if you added text for above/below [step 2]). At this point, you will see the code, which may not make sense to you. Click the Save Draft button, then Preview.
  5. Depending on your theme, you might need to change the size of the chat. Once you are happy with how it looks, Publish the post.
Still have questions? Feel free to ask in #help, or post in the forums]]> http://www.geekshed.net/2010/02/how-do-i-embed-my-chatroom-onto-my-website/feed/ 0