Operator Guide

IRC operators (IRCops) have elevated privileges on the server. This guide covers obtaining operator status, common tasks, and best practices.

Becoming an Operator

Operator credentials are defined in the server configuration under :opers. Each entry specifies a username, hashed password, and the host patterns the credential is usable from.

1. Ensure you have an oper entry in the config

   config :elixircd, :opers, [
     %{
       name: "AdminNick",
       password: "$argon2id$...",   # hashed with Argon2id
       host: "*@*"                  # host mask
     }
   ]

2. Connect to the server and authenticate (if required)

   If your server requires SASL or NickServ identification before OPER, do that first.

3. Use the OPER command

   /oper AdminNick yourpassword

   On success:

   :server 381 yournick :You are now an IRC Operator

   On failure:

   :server 491 yournick :No O-lines for your host

4. Verify your status

   /whois yournick

   You should see line 313:

   :server 313 yournick yournick :is an IRC Operator

Caution

The OPER password is sent in plaintext in the IRC protocol. Always connect over TLS (port 6697 or configured TLS port) before using the OPER command.

Operator Modes

After OPER, you receive the +o user mode. Two additional modes are useful:

Mode	Description
+H	Hides your operator status from non-operators’ WHOIS
+s	Enables server notice delivery to you

Enable them after OPER:

/mode yournick +Hs

Common Operator Tasks

Disconnect a User

/kill BadNick :Reason for disconnect

This disconnects the user immediately with the given reason. The user can reconnect immediately — KILL is not a ban.

Broadcast Messages

/operwall :Message to all operators
/wallops :Message to all users with +w mode
/globops :Message to all operators

Reload Configuration

After editing elixircd.exs:

/rehash

This applies configuration changes without restarting the server. Active connections are preserved.

Change a User’s Hostname

/chghost TargetNick newhostname.example.com

This changes the visible hostname in the user’s hostmask. Users in shared channels with chghost capability will see a notification.

Restart or Shut Down

/restart   # Restarts the server process
/die       # Shuts down the server

Caution

/die terminates the server process. All connected users will be disconnected. Use only when intentional.

View Server Statistics

/stats u    # Server uptime
/stats c    # Configured connections
/stats o    # Operator entries
/stats l    # Link info

Staying Low-Profile

When doing routine moderation, consider enabling +H to avoid drawing attention:

/mode yournick +H

Other operators can still see your operator status in WHOIS. Non-operators cannot.

To de-oper when done:

/mode yournick -o

Removing +o automatically removes +H and +s as well.

Oper-Only Channel Mode (+O)

Channels with +O mode set can only be joined by IRC operators:

/mode #oper-channel +O

Operators automatically bypass this restriction.

Security Best Practices

1. Use strong, unique passwords — never reuse passwords across services
2. Always OPER over TLS — the password is visible in plaintext on plain TCP
3. Use +H during routine work — stay low-profile when not doing visible moderation
4. De-oper when finished — /mode yournick -o drops all operator privileges
5. Restrict the host mask — use specific IP or range instead of *@* in oper config
6. Keep oper count minimal — only trusted administrators should have oper access
7. Monitor operator actions — use server notices (+s) to watch for suspicious activity

Hashing Operator Passwords

Never store plaintext passwords in the config. Use Argon2id to hash the password:

# In an IEx session against your ElixIRCd node:
Argon2.hash_pwd_salt("yourpassword")
# Returns: "$argon2id$v=19$m=65536,t=3,p=4$..."

Paste the hash into the oper config password field.