# otr

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<div class="irssisyntax highlight"><pre style="\-\-cmdlen:3ch"><code><span class="synB">OTR</span> <span class="syn10">[<span class="syn">OPTION</span>]</span></code></pre></div>



Command to control the OTR module. Without an option, /OTR INFO is printed.

This help contains three sections which are **options, quickstart and files.**

To add the OTR status bar (highly recommended):

`/statusbar window add otr`

## Options ##

`AUTH <secret>`
: Start or respond to an authentication process.

`AUTHQ <question> <secret>`
: Start a SMP authentication process.

  Example: `/otr authq "My question is" "this is the secret"`

`AUTHABORT`
: Abort an ongoing authentication process.

`CONTEXTS`
: List known contexts which basically list the known fingerprints and their
state.

`DEBUG`
: Turn on debugging.

`DISTRUST <fingerprint>`
: Distrust a specific fingerprint. This command can be done inside a private
window for which the current fingerprint of the other person will be used
or else set fp to a human readable OTR fingerprint available with the above
contexts command.

  Examples: `/otr distrust 487FFADA 5073FEDD C5AB5C14 5BB6C1FF 6D40D48A`

`FINISH`
: End the OTR session. This MUST be done inside a private conversation
window.

`FORGET <fingerprint>`
: Forget a specific fingerprint (deleted from the known fingerprints). The
behavior is the same as the distrust command explained above.

`GENKEY <name>`
: Generate OTR keys for a given account name. This is done automatically
if someone tries to establish a secure session.

  This process is done in a background worker and can take an arbitrary
amount of time. The completion is checked when another irssi event is
caught.

`HELP`
: Print this help.

`INFO`
: Display the OTR fingerprint(s) of all your account(s).

`INIT`
: Initialize an OTR conversation within a private conversation window.

`TRUST <fingerprint>`
: Trust a specific fingerprint. The behavior is the same as the forget and
distrust commands explained above.

`VERSION`
: Print the version of the OTR module.

## Quickstart ##

Start a private conversation with the person you want to initiate a secure session. Once in the private message window:

`/otr init`

Key generation should start if no key is found for your account name. Once the process is done, either type a message which should automatically start the session or redo the init command.

Time to authenticate the person. Either use a shared secret exchange through phone or GPG-signed email or use the socialist millionaire problem mechanism (SMP) which is basically to ask a question for which the answer can only be known by the other person.

`/otr auth <shared-secret>` OR `/otr authq "A question" <shared-secret>`

Or to respond to an authentication:

`/otr auth <secret>`

## Files ##

This otr modules creates a directory in `$HOME/.irssi/otr` and creates three files:

`otr.key`
: Contains your OTR private key(s). NEVER shared this directory with someone
else unless you know what you are doing.

`otr.fp`
: The known fingerprints with their _trust_ status.

`otr.instag`
: Instance tag of the libotr. This should NEVER be copied to an other
computer. If unsure, just ignore this file.

For more information on OTR, see https://otr.cypherpunks.ca/