Some tips for newbie netadmins/opers and such

SpaceCat · Newbie Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 84 Location: IRC

Hello everybody, A lot of people knows me in the irc world as i'm asort of known scripter and an ancient irc operator. I've founded my very own network in 1999 which lasted till 2005 when I had to move to the UK.

I'm currently working on a project with some friends, an irc network that will do its grand opening soon yay! ok but this isn't relevant.

I decided to post here to give a friendly hand and constructive help to the newcomers, not to treat people of noob. just to help out those who seen an ircd and want to try it out or get into the irc world etc.

1- To run a network you need a minimum set of tools such as
a capable computer or a shell account. (you won't get a dedi just to try out because if your net doesn't work out you'll have invested alot of $$)
2- Run LINUX/UNIX! don't host servers on windows, while a windows server is useful to learn about ircd configurations and such it's very very unsafe and unstable, more if you are planning to run an ircd which will be reacheable from the internet on the same box you use to work, do buys and store critical data. There are very good shell hosting companies (PM Me for some I know are trustable) with low fees and good assistance and service.
3- do not fill up your network with staff. You might say.. but i need to atract people somehow, offering an ircop pos is a safe chatter, ok that's true, a lot of people wants to oper for whatever reasons, offering an ircop grants you 1 client but try to get clients the other way, that is chatting, grinding till your eyes bleed haha, people wants to chat, you are offering a chat service, you can geek around mounting and unmounting leaves and such but people doesnt like to deal with the inside network stuff, keep that stuff away from your visitors.
4- do not overhelp, that makes people ask to themselves, ok this is too nice where's the trick? or ok i got enough.
5- do not use / abuse of your superpowers. gline when you really have to, as a last resource, try to avoid killing/zlineing people just because you think you have more power than the regular chatter with modes +ix
try to deal whatever the deal is talking and kicking/banning from the room but not network.
6- do not spam your network on another networks, this really annoys the other admins who are in the search of chatters like you.
7- your network site doesn't need to have the slickest graphics but it needs to be clear enough to have the necessary information handy, that is the irc round robin, the ports, the servers list, a web-based chat (searchirc provides one for free) and those sort of services.
8- don't go adding extras such as shoutcast and teamspeak etc, first make sure you can fully tend your irc part, if after a year ish you have gained clients, and the net is runing smooth, expand, otherwise work harder.
9- run at peak capacity before adding leaves, this is if you accept a max of 600 users per leaf (a reasonable number which doesnt lag out a home conn 767-1mbps) only add a leaf when your server has an avg of 500 users, no need of having 432496346 servers linked when 1 can do the job and avoid the HORRIBLE splits, so annoying.

I think that there could be more things added to this humble list to help the newcomers out. maybe you the experts read it and want to add more stuff, maybe want to critize it constructively, you name it Smile

to find me on irc I'm on irc.icq.com #Wonderland ask for spacecat because I rarely use the nick ;o

[EDIT] These tips aren't aimed to an irc expert, nor an irc well established network. Home connections and shell accounts are ok for starters but if you are big you already know this stuff and you know what you have to do already ;p

DeathFox · Newbie Joined: 25 Sep 2006 Posts: 61

being on windows does not make somethen unsafe or unstable :/

and having leafs dont mean you will have splits

PingBad · Guru Joined: 05 Feb 2005 Posts: 2064 Location: New Zealand

As good as windows is (or is not...), it doesn't exactly have the Server market covered due to its instability as a server (here, there are 3 servers - 2 running Windows Server 2003 and one running Linux, and so far the only server that hasn't required a restart every week is the linux one)

Jobe · Posted: Nov 21, 2006 4:17am Post subject:

If looked after well a windows server can run stable for some time. Think of it this way: when it comes to the need for attention a windows servers is a dog and a *nix server is a cat, where you need to give the windows server a lot of attention to keep it going you can practically leave the *nix server to get on with its job most of the time. Just as with dogs needing a lot of attention where as cats just need feeding and their litter trays emptying. So with the right ammount of attention a windows server can be fine. One thing to remember is a good admin will be able to make the most of both OS types to his/her advantage.

Flash154 · Newbie Joined: 24 Jul 2006 Posts: 50 Location: 127.0.0.1

Window's servers are not as horrible as people make them out to be, I find Linux to be the pain in the ass, as oppose to Windows. In fact, WS2003 is one of the safest server operating systems out there as far as security is concerned. Also, if you run a firewall and a good router on your network, your Windows server will be fine. The only time you'll have a problem is if you try and run a "home" operating system on your server - don't do it.

Jobe · Posted: Nov 21, 2006 9:15am Post subject:

DeathFox · Newbie Joined: 25 Sep 2006 Posts: 61

windows gets all the hot chicks

linux gets the fat and werid antisocial ones

thats real life

Jobe · Posted: Nov 22, 2006 6:07am Post subject:

LMFAO thats funny because its true. Razz

flux · Posted: Nov 23, 2006 7:10am Post subject:

All OS'es have there own uses and there all good at what they specialise in. just because not all are good all-rounders doesnt mean to say they are crap. why do 90% of computers use windows? because its easy to use, and in _some_ cases, reliable. i think its more down to the system/network admin to how secure/good a OS really is.

Pingu · Newbie Joined: 17 Aug 2006 Posts: 56

FuRiOuS · Lurker Joined: 01 Feb 2006 Posts: 244

Many networks won't even talk to anyone who submits a link application who lists Windows as the operating system. I know I don't, but that's my personal choice.

Cilsh · none Joined: 30 Jun 2006 Posts: 13

Yeah cause its quite hard to link som IRCD with Windows plattform. :p
Its not alwayes about security. Performance etc.

Some people doesnt allow Linux, only BSD. Same thing there.

magpie · Idler Joined: 18 Jan 2004 Posts: 454 Location: Essex, UK

BSD certainly used to be preferable to Linux performance wise, but I think this is no longer the case (epoll is a good match for kqueue, imho).

mentor · Posted: Nov 26, 2006 8:34pm Post subject:

DeathFox · Newbie Joined: 25 Sep 2006 Posts: 61

OS X is stable

Very Happy