K-line
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This article refers to a server ban in IRC. For other meanings, see K-line (disambiguation).
K-line or Kill Line is an IRC term. It stands for a line in the configuration file of the IRC server (ircd.conf), that prevents a client with a specific hostmask from connecting. Such a hostmask, along with its related client and user, is then called 'k-lined'.
Reasons for a client being k-lined may include:
- Geography: If a IRC network has servers in different countries and continents, it will try to reduce the distance between server and client. Thus, servers on one continent may k-line all clients from the others and vice versa.
- Infected client: A client infected by a virus, worm or trojan that spreads via IRC may be k-lined so that it does not reduce the efficiency of the server and in order to decrease the rate at which the malicious program is spreading.
- Misbehaviour: If a user repeatedly disobeys the rules of the IRC network, and does not change his/her behaviour through kicks and bans, then he/she might get k-lined to protect the other users of the server.
'Lines' are sometimes written with a colon instead of a hyphen, or just without any special character ("x-line, x:line, xline, x line") . For EFNet, a 'k:line' means a temporary ban while a 'K:line' (capital K) means a permanent ban.
The following terms are also related to k-lines:
- A g-line is a network-wide k-line ("global k-line").
- An i-line (EFNet) limits the use of a server to certain domain names. If a server limits access like that, it is called "closed I:", otherwise "open I:"
- A q-line is a ban on a nickname on a server
- An x-line bans a user from a server based on the real-name field.
- A z-line is a blocking of an IP address range on a network (instead of a hostmask)
- A d-line is what a z-line is called in the hybrid- and comstud-IRC-daemons (used by EFNet and DALnet)
- An akill or "autokill" is a network-wide k-line that is done through OperServ
External links
- Undernet K-Line and G-Line FAQ (http://www.user-com.undernet.org/documents/k-gline.txt) with reasons for them, amongst other things
- EFnet FAQ (http://www.efnet.info/faq.html) with several -line terms explained