HOME and EFnet

Why the two networks look different, and what the client does about certificates.

HOME · irc.warheatmap.app

Our own IRCv3 server (Ergo). It supports the modern features: server-side history, reactions, replies, typing indicators, read markers, multi-line messages, message ids. TLS on 6697 with a public CA certificate; the client refuses anything else.

EFnet

A 1990s network with no services and no message ids. Reactions and replies are not possible there, so the client switches to classic mode: plain lines, /me, quoting instead of replying. Nothing is joined for you on EFnet: the client connects, shows the network buffer, and you /join #channel whatever you like. #warheatmap on HOME is the only room VoxTerrae ever auto-joins, on any network.

Most EFnet servers present self-signed TLS certificates. VoxTerrae handles this with trust on first use: the first time it meets a server it records the certificate's SHA-256 fingerprint in tls_pins.json; if the fingerprint ever changes it refuses to connect and tells you. irc.efnet.nl has a public CA certificate and is tried first. Plaintext on 6667 is the very last fallback and is labelled as such in the network buffer.

CTCP

EFnet's drone monitors send a CTCP VERSION request to every new client. Ignoring it is how clients get banned. VoxTerrae answers VERSION, PING and CLIENTINFO automatically and logs the exchange in the network buffer instead of opening a message window.