🔰 Overview

W, Undernet’s original Channel Service, has made a temporary return alongside X, marking its 30-year birthday in 2025!

Channel managers can now invite W to their channel and enjoy some nostalgia with this old channel service 😎

📌 General Information

❓ What is W?

• W was Undernet's original channel registration service (1995–2002).
• This birthday release keeps the classic behavior, with updates for:
  • ✅ P10 support
  • ✅ IPv6 support (bans, hostmasks)
  • ✅ Modern IRC support: respects +x, +k, HIS features, etc.

❓ How long will W be online?

• Temporarily to celebrate W's 30th birthday -- at least until January 2026.

🛡️ Authentication

• The original X/W used hostmask-based authentication with authentication required for each channel. The current X introduced global accounts with only one authentication required.
• W has hostmask-based authentication, and authentication is required for each and every channel a user has access to.
• However, W has been patched such that the only allowed hostmask is *!*@.users.undernet.org.
• A user logged into X will match against *!*@.users.undernet.org regardless of whether the user is +x or not.
• To login to W, a user must use the following command:
  /msg W@channels2.undernet.org login #channel
• Note that no username is provided (W will lookup the hostmask), and the password may be different for each channel the user has access to.

📝 Registering a Channel with W

• W can only be invited into a channel which is already registered with X.
• A Level 500 channel manager in a channel registered with X can invite W via X:
  /msg X W join #channel

This command:

• Registers the channel with W
• Creates a manager login (hostmask: *!*@.users.undernet.org)
• Returns login info (via X) with the password to use with W

Example:

/msg X w join #test

→ X: Congratulations! The channel #test is now registered with W.
→ X: Use the following command to login: /msg W@channels2.undernet.org login #test pHajgpxu7m

🤖 What Happens After Joining?

• W joins the channel and will soon op itself:

W (cservice@undernet.org) has joined #test
Mode #test [+o W] by *.undernet.org

🛠 Commands Available to Channel Managers via X

• Temporary part W via X (Level 450+):
  /msg X w part #channel

This can also be achieved by using /msg W part #channel

• Permanent removal (purge) W via X:
  /msg X w purge #channel

• Direct part from user:
  /msg W part #channel

👮‍♂️ Can I part X and just use W?

Yes! If you want to, you can temporarily part X and utilise W for day-to-day channel management.

To part: /msg X part #channel
To rejoin: /msg X join #channel

📦 Channel Manager Command Summary

W Commands

Available commands can be listed via /msg W HELP

Detailed command help can be shown via /msg W HELP [command], or viewed using the below web interface.

Web Interface

The original web interface is made available on https://legacy.undernet.org

This web interface is read-only and does not support channel registration or other changes.

💬 Need Help?

If you have any questions, please ask in #cservice