Bot

What is a bot

A bot is a standalone client or script for an existing client or any other form of software, which has the purpose to automate certain tasks or provide special functions in for instance an IRC Chatroom.

BotServ

What is BotServ

On the Chat4All network we run a service called BotServ, which is part of the Anope Services package.

BotServ provides us with customised ChanServ aliases which contain some extra shortcuts to the most commonly used ChanServ commands, such as voicing, opping, kicking, banning, managing the accesslist and xOP list and some more commands.

BotServ Features

The bot appears as another user in the room as soon as there are 2 or more persons in the room and most of its details (Nickname, Ident, Vhost and Real name) are customisable when the bot is requested.

Through the Symbiosis-feature, all actions normally done by ChanServ, such as banning or voicing, will be done by your bot. With the BotServ's SAY and ACT commands, AOP's and higher can also make the bot 'speak' or 'act' (similar to a /me action) in the room.

To be clear: our BotServ bots do not have !trivia, !quote, !uno, !start or other similar (game) commands built-in!
You need to search and run a bot of your own for this. We can't help you set one up for you. Useful search terms are: eggdrop, windrop, mIRC bot, ruby cinch bot, or ruby rbot.

Expectations

What can you expect of a BotServ bot?

• Keyword definitions through ZBot.

We have also installed the ZBot module. If ZBot is enabled by the channel's Founder for the channel, then it allows the channel's AOP's and higher, to teach the bot keywords and their meanings through the !learn command. This allows everyone to use the ? keyword command to request the assigned definition of the keyword. For more info about ZBot, either use the:

 /helpop zbot

irc-command while connected to our network; issue !zhelp on your channel while your BotServ bot is there (and ZBot is enabled), or read our ZBot wiki page for more in-depth information about ZBot.

• Fantasy commands. These are actually just simplified forms of several ChanServ and BotServ commands such as !kick, !ban, !kb and !akick. For an overview of all fantasy commands, type the following command in your channel (when your BotServ Bot is in the room):

 !help

• Automatic kicks and bans based on the use of specific words (see /BOTSERV HELP BADWORDS), excessive caps-, bold- or other formatting abuse or repeated text. For more details, read the text given by the services when using the commands:

 /BOTSERV HELP

and for instance:

 /BOTSERV HELP KICK

• Saying messages or /me actions through the bot. You can use the /BOTSERV SAY and /BOTSERV ACT commands to make the bot say or 'do' things.
  

For more information about this feature, use:

 /BOTSERV HELP SAY

and

 /BOTSERV HELP ACT

ZBot feature

We have also installed the ZBot module. If ZBot is enabled by the channel's Founder for the channel, then it allows the channel's AOP's and higher, to learn the bot keywords and their meanings through the !learn command. Then everyone can use the ? keyword command to request the assigned meaning of the keyword. For more info about ZBot, please type the /helpop zbot irc-command while connected to our network. A wiki-page on ZBot will be created soon.

Request a Bot

There are two options to have a bot inside your registered chatroom:

Readymade Bot

You can choose a bot from the list that will be generated with the below command.
These bots are either created by us, or other users. The name of these bots cannot be changed. To see which readymade bots currently are available, you can type (include the /)

/msg BotServ BOTLIST

You will be presented with a list like:

 BotServ: Bot list:
 BotServ: SpongeBob (Nickelodeon@Krusty.Krab)
 BotServ: Aladdin (Wonderlamp@chat4all.org)
 BotServ: Shrek (Ogre@Far.Far.Away)

Once you've found yourself a botconfiguration you'd like in your room, type:

 /msg botserv ASSIGN #Channel BotNick

Where #Channel is the name of your registered channel, and BotNick is the name of the bot from the BotList you requested earlier.

Custommade Bot

You can choose a customised bot with your own chosen (nick)name, ident and Vhost.
This name may not be a registered username (this will be checked by us before we create the bot).
You can check this first by changing your name to the name you want the bot to have. If you receive the message that it is a registered name, then you will have to find a new name.

Bot Information

To create a custom bot, we will need some information from you:

 *a. a nickname (The name for your bot)
 *b. an ident/username (which is seen when you do a /whois)
 *c. a hostname (like a vhost e.g.: i.am.a.bot)
 *d. a Realname/Gecos (also seen when you do a /whois -- For instance I am a bot or You are not me or John Smith)
 *e. the name of the registered room the bot needs to be assigned to
 *f. your registered nickname

Example

A typical bot can look like the following example:

 Shrek!Ogre@Far.Far.Away)
 - Nick: Shrek
 - Ident: Ogre
 - Vhost: Far.Far.Away
 - Real name: I have layers!

All info above does not have to exist and may be fake (we even prefer fake info due to possible legal trademark issues). Please note that the Vhost may only be a registered domain if you own that domain. Also the ident may contain no special characters other than a dot and may be no longer than 9 characters.

Details

The bot itself will only appear when there are at least 2 users in your chatroom. As soon as only one user is left, the bot will go away and will re-appear when another user enters the room.

When you pick a bot with a self chosen name, then you can have it made "PRIVATE" by us. If you do not have it set to private, then the bot will appear in the bot listing so that other users can have your bot in their room as well.

All bots are configurable to your own liking. For more info on how to do this, type the following command while connected to our server:

 /msg botserv help

or read our Online BotServ Manual

Requestform

If, after having read the above, you decide you want a bot, open a new Bot Request Ticket at our Chat4All Support Desk, copy the below form to it and fill it in.

a. Bot's Nickname:
b. Bot's Ident & Vhost:	ident@this.is.my.vhost
c. Bot's Realname/Gecos:
d. Channelname to assign to:	#
e. Your registered nickname
f. Private?	yes/no

If you submit the above information in a new ticket, we will process the request as soon as possible. Once the request is processed and the bot created, the support ticket will be updated with a confirmation. In case some of the information is missing or invalid, a staff member will contact you about it through updates on the support ticket.

Clarification of Form

For a clarification of the terms used in the form above:

a. Bot's Nickname:	The name under which the bot will appear in the nicklist
b. Bot's Ident & Vhost:	the 'address' the bot appears to be connected from, as seen in a /whois -- in the form of ident@this.is.my.vhost
c. Bot's Realname/Gecos:	The 'name' of the bot as seen in a /whois -- E.g.: I am a bot
d. Channelname to assign to:	Your registered channel where the bot should appear
e. Your registered nickname	This should be your nickname with which you registered the chatroom.
f. Private?	Is the bot only allowed for your chatroom (yes) or to be chosen by everyone (no).

IMPORTANT

In the past we've had users sending us the channelpassword as well, thinking that we would need that.

However, we do not need that and a staffmember will never request the password of your nickname or channel for these matters.
Please keep your password information to yourself and report anyone asking for it, claiming to be staff.

Dutch Summary

Zie NL/Bot