Connect with a nickname
You can connect to RustNet without an account. Choose an available nickname in webchat or your IRC client. Use TLS on irc.rustnet.org, port 6697.
Your account and your current nickname are separate. A new account reserves the matching nickname, but you can sign in while using another nickname.
Register privately with X
Choose an account name of 2–30 letters, digits or hyphens, starting with a letter. The matching nickname must be available or already held by your connection. Use a password of at least 8 characters and no more than 256 UTF-8 bytes, without spaces, and an email address you can receive mail at.
Replace every placeholder below. Send this as a private service command, never as a channel message. X registers the account and signs this connection in after successful validation. There is no separate website registration form.
/msg X REGISTER <account> <password> <email>/msg X WHOAMIVerify your email
X sends confirmation instructions to the supplied address. Follow them and use the private code with EMAIL VERIFY. Codes expire after one hour; the confirmation allows five attempts. Check your spam folder if the message is missing.
You can use the account before email verification, but password recovery requires a verified address. To request a new confirmation, submit your password and address privately with EMAIL. A changed email address does not replace the existing one until you verify it.
/msg X EMAIL VERIFY <code>/msg X EMAIL <password> <email>Use your protected nickname
The account reserves its matching nickname, ignoring case. A connection using a reserved nickname has 30 seconds to authenticate once X protection is active. Otherwise it is renamed to a guest nickname.
Use RECLAIM after signing in to move to your account’s nickname. If another one of your own sessions holds it, X asks for a confirmation code that expires after two minutes. Follow the exact reply.
/msg X NICKINFO <nickname>/msg X RECLAIMKeep the account accessible
Save your password and keep your verified email current. If you forget the password, use FORGOTPASS with the exact verified email address. Accounts with no verified address or no access to their email need staff assistance.
The source includes cleanup of ordinary accounts after 90 days without recorded activity; staff-role accounts are excluded. Sign in periodically to retain your account.
/msg X FORGOTPASS <account> <registered-email>Examples use placeholders. Copying a command does not send it. Replace placeholders and review the destination before sending.