diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 92cc741..4601560 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ const Client = require('./client.js');
 const vars = require("./vars.json");
 const color = (str, code) => `\x1b[${code}m${str}\x1b[0m`;
 const dim = str => color(str, vars.color.system);
-const valid = /^[a-z0-9_]+$/;
+const valid = /^[a-z0-9_]*$/i;
 const conns = new Set();
 const server = new Server();
 
@@ -28,10 +28,8 @@ Client.command("shrug", (user, args) => {
 
 Client.command("nick", (user, args) => {
 	const old = user.name;
-	const nick = args[0];
-	if(nick.length === 0) {
-		return user.write("name too short\x1b[K");
-	}
+	console.log(args.join(" ").trim());
+	const nick = args.join(" ").trim();
 	if(nick.length > vars.maxlen) {
 		return user.write("name too long\x1b[K");
 	}
diff --git a/ssh.js b/ssh.js
index 7983440..f5ab101 100644
--- a/ssh.js
+++ b/ssh.js
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ for(let user of fs.readFileSync("users", "utf8").split("\n")) {
 
 // hashing helper function
 function hash(str) {
-	return crypto.createHash("sha256").update(str).digest();
+	return crypto.createHash("sha256").update(str).digest("hex");
 }
 
 // new user
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ function newUser(ctx) {
 	], "new user!", "to claim this account, please add a password", (a) => {
 		if(a[0] !== a[1]) return ctx.reject(["keyboard-interactive"]);
 		users.set(ctx.username, hash(a[0]));
-		passwds.write(`${ctx.username} ${a[0]}\n`);
+		passwds.write(`${ctx.username} ${hash(a[0])}\n`);
 		ctx.accept();
 	});
 }