.\"$Id: muh.1.in,v 1.4 2000/06/19 16:55:05 zap Exp $"
.TH MUH 1 "muh(1) 2.05d"
.SH NAME
muh \- a versatile irc-bouncer
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B muh
[-f] [-c] [-d directory]
.\"=====================================================================
.SH DESCRIPTION
.B What is an irc\-bouncer?
.PP
A bouncer doesn't do anything else than diverting a network\-connection.
.PP
In case of an irc\-bouncer, connections from your irc\-program (client)
are diverted by the bouncer to a irc\-server.
.PP
"What is this good for?", you might ask.
.PP
Well, let's assume you've got
a dialup-connection. If somebody performs a /whois on you it shows
something like "yournick is yournick!yourident@dialup66\-r\-v.isp.at".
If you are vain you don't want people to see this stupid hostname.
So you get a account on a machine with a cool hostname (from now
on refered as middleman), get muh running there and a /whois
on you will show middleman's hostname, since the connection to
the irc\-server is actually originating from middleman.
.PP
Another advantage is that network\-attacks aren't
really destinating to YOUR computer but to middleman, which
is in theory a machine that can't be brought down.
.PP
.B What makes muh special over other bouncers?
.PP
Muh is very straight and simple to set up and the probably most
important and interesting feature is that muh keeps the
middleman\-\->irc\-server connection up even after you disconnect with your
client.
.PP
This means muh prevents people from using your nick
(this is especially handy on nets like ircnet, since there are
no services like on dalnet etc) and tells people who message you
that you're not there and logs what these people said.
.PP
Upon your next connect to muh, it will let the channels you've
been in in your last session pop up, which means that you'll
keep your status in these channels!
.PP
Besides that muh's got a very enhanced flood\-protection making it
(almost) impossible to disconnect muh.
.\"=====================================================================
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
.B -f
.rb
Stay in foreground (don't fork)
.TP
.B -d directory
.rb
Specifies a different directory than the default for muhrc, messages and log
.TP
.B -c
.rb
You will be prompted for a word to crypt. The output can be used as "password"
in muhrc if you don't wanna have the password stored in cleartext.
Note that you'll still have to authorize with the unencrypted password.
.\"=====================================================================
.SH COMMANDS
.B Muh
accepts following commands to be issued by the client via /muh <command>.
.PP
Note that some irc\-clients require a prefix such as /quote or /raw to send
commands they don't know about.
.TP
.B HELP
.rb
Display supported commands
.TP
.B READ
.rb
Read received messages
.TP
.B DEL
.rb
Delete all messages
.TP
.B PRINT
.rb
Prints muh's server\-list. Servers prefixed with '+' work, those with '-' don't.
.TP
.B JUMP [servernumber]
.rb
Jump to next server in serverlist. if [servernumber] (see PRINT) is specified, muh
will jump to this server (even if marked as non\-working).
.TP
.B REHASH
.rb
Reread config\-file. Note that this can also be performed by sending a SIGHUP to
muh (see kill(1)). If "realname" or "username" have been changed muh will reconnect
to it's current server.
.TP
.B DIE
.rb
Terminate muh.
.\"=====================================================================
.SH INSTALLATION
If muh came as a package all you'll have to do is to create a .muh/\-directory
in your homedir and copy muhrc there (it will propably reside in /usr/share/muh,
depending on your os/distribution).
Edit this file (see CONFIGURATION), MAKE SURE NOONE EXCEPT YOU HAS READ-ACCESS
(see chmod(1)) and launch muh.
To make sure muh's running all day there is also a file called check-muh
that came with muh. Edit it as well and make crontab(5) call it periodically.
.PP
If you got muh as a .tar.gz-ball from the net you'll have to untar it with
tar(1) and read 'INSTALL'.
.\"=====================================================================
.SH CONFIGURATION
The configuration is self-explaining; just go through muhrc to set muh up.
.\"=====================================================================
.SH AUTHOR
Muh is Copyright (c) Sebastian Kienzl <zap@riot.org> 1998, 2000.
.PP
Muh is licensed under the GPL (GNU General Public License). See file
\'COPYING\' for the exact terms.
.PP
Internet-References:
.TP
.B http://mind.riot.org/muh
.rb
muh-page
.TP
.B muh-request@mind.riot.org
.rb
announcement-mailinglist. the subject 'subscribe' will get you on the list.
.TP
.B http://mind.riot.org
.rb
the authors' homepage
.TP
.B http://www.riot.org
.rb
riot, a democrew
.\"=====================================================================
.SH "NOTE"
I won't provide irc/unix-newbie support since my time is *very* limited \-
so don't feel insulted when I don't reply emails questioning things like
"What are these .tar.gz-files?", "Muh doesn't log messages
even though I have '#logging 1' in my muhrc!" or "Does muh work under
W*ndows?".
Bugreports are highly appreciated but please make them as detailed as
possible \- tell me the exact circumstances that lead to the misbehaviour and
the platform/os you use. Bugreports like "muh doesn't respond"
or "muh segfaults" are really useless.

Also have a look at the muh-site before mailing me \- your question
might already be answered there.
.\"=====================================================================
.SH "TERMINOLOGY"
For those who didn't get it yet: "MUH!!"'s the noise that austrian/german cows
make. I have no idea how cows from somewhere else sound but I'm almost certain
they sound the same.
.\"=====================================================================
.SH "REFERENCES"
crontab(5), cron(8), tar(1), gzip(1), chmod(1), kill(1)