Group:LibrePlanet Italia/miniguida-freenode.en

The information in this mini-guide is current as of: 14/03/2010.

Introduction

The freenode network hosts a lot of IRC channels dedicated to free software: #gnu, #fsf, #libreplanet, #lp-it, #gnewsense and many others.

From January 30, 2010 freenode has migrated their servers from from ircd to ircd-seven. This led to several changes, including the possibility of connection in a safe and anonymous way by SSL or by Tor+SASL. These two methods (alternatives to one another) offer much more privacy and security in communication and authentication than the usual connection "clear" mode.

Here below is a brief description about how to configure XChat (one of the best and most used IRC clients) to connect to freenode in different ways as possible (clear, SSL and Tor+SASL).

Prerequisites

• A 100% free GNU/Linux distribution, as is gNewSense :-)
• The XChat (> = 2.8.4) package, properly installed

  Note: In the GNU/Linux distributions which use .deb packages (as gNewSense), XChat could be installed with the command:

  $ sudo apt-get install xchat

XChat: clear connection to freenode

1. From the XChat menu, open the Networks list (Ctrl + S)
2. Click the Add button in order to create a new network (network) and call (no spaces): FreeNode
3. Select the FreeNode network you just created and click on the Edit button to configure it as follows:
   • in Servers for …</ em>, click on Add and set as server:

     irc.freenode.net/8001

   • in the same section, set:

     - Connect to selected server only: do NOT tick

   • in the Your Details section, enter the values for: Nick name, User name and Real name
   • in the Connecting section set:

     - Auto connect …</ em>: set as desired

     - Use a proxy server: do NOT tick

     - Use SSL for all the servers on this network: do NOT tick

     - Accept invalid SSL certificate: do NOT tick

     - Channels to join: #libreplanet, #lp-it, gnewsense, … other channels as you like, separated by commas, no spaces…

     - After connection: leave blank

     - Nickserv password: leave blank

     - Server password: to be set only if you are using a nickname registered and verified on freenode

     - Character set:: UTF-8

The configuration of this new FreeNode network will appear in the /~.xchat2/servlist_.conf file. It will be something as:

       N=FreeNode
       I=mynickname
       U=mynickname
       R=mynickname
       P=mypassword
       J=#libreplanet,#lp-it,#gnewsense
       E=UTF-8 (Unicode)
       F=1
       D=0
       S=irc.freenode.net/8001

After closing the setup windows, you can connect in clear to the FreeNode network you just created.

XChat: SSL connection to freenode

1. From the menu XChat XChat, open the list Networks (Ctrl + S)
2. Click on the Add button in order to create a new network (network) that give the name (no spaces): FreeNode -SSL
3. Select the network FreeNode -SSL you just created and click on the Edit button to configure it as follows:
4. * In Server ...</ em> click on Add and change the server:
5. *: Irc.freenode.net/7070
6. * In the same section, set:
7. *: - Only connect to the selected server: Do NOT tick
8. * In Your Details enter the values for Nick name, User Name and Real name
9. * In Connection set:
10. *: - Connect automatically ...</ em>: set as desired
11. *: - Use a proxy server: Do NOT tick
12. *: - Use SSL for all servers on my network: Check
13. *: - Accept invalid SSL certificate: Check
14. *: - Channel in which to enter: LibrePlanet #, # lp-com ... other channels as you like, separated by commas, no spaces ...
15. *: - After connection: leave blank
16. *: - Password of nickserv: leave blank
17. *: - Password Server: to be set only if you are using a nickname on freenode recorded and verified
18. *: - Set font : UTF-8

The configuration of the new network FreeNode -SSL will appear in the file ~ / .xchat2/servlist_.conf and will be:

       N = FreeNode-SSL
       I = mynickname
       U = mynickname
       R = mynickname
       P = mypassword
       LibrePlanet J = #, # lp-en
       E = UTF-8 (Unicode)
       F = 37
       D = 0
       S = irc.freenode.net/7070

</ Code>

Closed the window, you can connect via SSL to the network FreeNode -SSL you just created.

XChat: connection via Tor freenode + SASL

The link to freenode via Tor + SASL requires the use of the new hidden service tor dedicated to it: [irc: / / p4fsi4ockecnea7l.onion / p4fsi4ockecnea7l.onion] (for details see pages: http and http://blog.freenode.net/2010/01/connecting-to-freenode-using-tor-sasl/ : / / freenode.net / irc_servers.shtml # tor) and the use of a mechanism for identifying SASL that can be handled by XChat.

Consequently, this method of connection is more complex and the previous, which requires the satisfaction of certain additional requirements:

• Tor must be properly installed and its service must be running (it is * strongly * recommended that you install the latest version of available packages in the official repositories of the project . org tor, at: http://www.torproject.org/docs/debian.html.it)
  With tor is also recommended the installation of the latest package octopus and geoipdb-tor
  For installation and configuration of tor see on official guide
• The system must have support for SSL (to install the openssl package ) and libraries for encryption (libcrypt-openssl-perl-bignums, libcrypt-dh-perl, libcrypt-blowfish-perl)
  Note - The required packages can differ depending on the system in use
• You must have an account NickServ freenode registered and verified (see: # http://freenode.net/faq.shtml userregistration for its registration)

To make available to XChat support SASL using a script that placed in the directory ~ /. Xchat2 to be loaded to 'Boot the client, make available to XChat the SASL framework authentication and security.

Support SASL in XChat is obtained using the following commands:

       $ Cd ~ /. Xchat2
       $ Wget http://adipose.attenuate.org/ ~ stephen / ircd-seven / sasl / cap_sasl.py

</ Code> Warning - This script seems to work fine in Python and is released under GNU GPL, Perl script available from http://freenode.net/sasl/ seems not work well with XChat.

At this point, we can finally set XChat. Unlike previous cases, having to use tor, in this case also configure the client to use the proxy server.

1. From the menu Settings -> Preferences XChat, in the category Network select the subcategory Network Setup to configure it as follows:
2. * In Proxy Server set:
3. *: - Hostname: localhost
4. *: - Port: 9050
5. *: - Type: Sock5
6. *: - Use proxy for : All connections
7. From the menu XChat XChat, open the list Networks (Ctrl + S)
8. Click on the Add button in order to create a new network (network) that give the name (no spaces): FreeNode -TorSASL
9. Select the network-TorSASL FreeNode you just created and click on the Edit button to configure it as follows:
10. * In Server ...</ em> click on Add and change the server:
11. *: P4fsi4ockecnea7l.onion
12. * In the same section, set:
13. *: - Only connect to the selected server: Do NOT tick
14. * In Your Details enter the values for Nick name, User Name and Real name
    Warning - You must use an account NickServ freenode registered and verified (see: # http://freenode.net/faq.shtml userregistration for its registration process ).
15. * In Connection set:
16. *: - Connect automatically ...</ em>: set as desired
17. *: - Use a proxy server: Check
18. *: - Use SSL for all servers on my network: Do NOT tick
19. *: - Accept invalid SSL certificate: Do NOT tick
20. *: - Channel in which to enter: LibrePlanet #, # lp-com ... other channels as you like, separated by commas, no spaces ...
21. *: - After connection: leave blank
22. *: - Password of nickserv: leave blank
23. *: - Password Server: Set the password for NickServ freenode corresponding to the nickname registered and verified that you are using (see above)
24. *: - Set font : UTF-8
25. To ensure that the framework SASL is used with the network-TorSASL FreeNode type, area command XChat, the command :

    / SASL-Sep-TorSASL FreeNode mynickname mypassword

    Where:

    - -TorSASL FreeNode is the name of the network for which you want to use SASL (Note - Since case-sensitive, must match * exactly * the name assigned to the network for which you want to use SASL )

    - Mynickname: NickServ is the nickname of the account freenode registered and verified that you are using (see above)

    - Mypassword: is the password for NickServ freenode registered and verified that you are using (see above)

26. Note: To view the help on the command type SASL, in command of XChat: / HELP SASL
27. Close and reopen XChat

The configuration of new network-TorSASL FreeNode will appear in the file ~ / .xchat2/servlist_.conf and will be:

       N = FreeNode-TorSASL
       I = mynickname
       U = mynickname
       R = mynickname
       P = mypassword
       LibrePlanet J = #, # lp-en
       E = UTF-8 (Unicode)
       F = 17
       D = 0
       S = p4fsi4ockecnea7l.onion

</ Code>

The network ASSICA -TorSASL FreeNode to the framework SASL (obtained by the / SASL) will appear in a special section within file ~ / .xchat2/sasl.conf and will be:

       [FreeNode-TorSASL]
       nick = mynickname
       password = mypassword
       mechanism = PLAIN

</ Code> In this file, for security is strongly recommended * * replace the line:

       mechanism = PLAIN

</ Code> with the line:

       mechanism = DH-BLOWFISH

</ Code>

You can now connect via Tor + SASL to the network-TorSASL FreeNode you just created.

In some cases, probably because of network latency tor, the connection may be slow or difficult.