Pidgin 2.0 Released

An anonymous reader writes "After nearly two years of development, Pidgin 2.0 has finally been released! Originally called Gaim, Pidgin is a powerful and robust open source instant messaging client that supports many protocols. Pidgin 2.0 features a completely redesigned interface with attractive new icons and and a new status management system that was designed for optimal usability. Pidgin 2.0 also adds support for universal buddy icon management and smooth-scroll functionality for conversation windows. A comprehensive review at Ars Technica explores the new features in Pidgin 2.0 and demonstrates how to use the new D-Bus bindings with Python to make Pidgin's status system send updates to Twitter."

VoIP

[utnapistim (931738)]

So ... will it support VoIP?

If it connects with GTalk (for example) it would be cool (and long overdue)

Re:VoIP

[Midnight Thunder (17205)]

So ... will it support VoIP?

Not this version. If you read the conclusion section of the ArsTechnica article, you will see that this is on the roadmap, but when is another matter.

Re:

[jbrax (315669)]

So ... will it support VoIP?

Check out this open source VoIP and video conferencing software http://www.openwengo.com/ [openwengo.com]

WengoPhone 2.1 has instant messaging support, implemented using libgaim, can connect to MSN Messenger, OSCAR protocol based networks such as AIM or ICQ, XMPP based networks such as Google Talk and Jabber, and the Yahoo Messenger networks.

Re:

[utnapistim (931738)]

Connecting for chat to GTalk is no big deal right now.

What I was interested in, was connecting to GTalk for VoIP. That isn't supported right now.

Kill pidgin

[diegocgteleline.es (653730)]

What I was interested in, was connecting to GTalk for VoIP. That isn't supported right now.

And that's after two years of development. It's laughable that slashdot needs to quote "smooth-scroll" and "new icons" as a major "feature".

Seriously, this is crazy. There's no webcam support - something that messenger has been doing since forever, and it's a major feature for IM. And no VOIP. That's why I keep using kopete, even if it's a memory pig: At least I do have MSN webcam support. It's sad that OSS IM's are in a so poor state.

Re:Kill pidgin

[Constantine XVI (880691)]

If you've been reading up on the whole Gaim/Pidgin thing, you'll notice their lawyers told them to not make any drastic changes until they resolved the dispute. Since that's over with, I'd expect to see a whole bunch of new shiny things in the next few months.

Don't expect shiny things

[A1miras (595087)]

Actually, he said their lawyers discouraged them from making an "official" release as a show of good faith.

I'm fairly certain he was referring to the reason Gaim 2.0 stayed in beta for so long, NOT hidden extra features.

Pfft.

[kraemate (1065878)]

I cant believe that there is no jingle support yet.
IIRC, google released a library for voice extensions to the XMPP protocol quite a while back. When is gaim/pidgin going to incorporate it - so that i can make calls to gtalk users? The other clients like psi, kopete have already done this - why cant gaim?

Re:Pfft.

[igotmybfg (525391)]

Because you and I are too lazy to write the plugin?

Re:

[Frosty Piss (770223)]

Because you and I are too lazy to write the plugin?

This is something that really pisses me off about the fanboys, they assume a defensive stance when someone critiques their pet project. The standard "why don't YOU submit a patch?" Because I'm a user, not a programmer? Oh, I forgot, Open Source isn't for us little people, the users.

Re:Pfft.

[SkunkPussy (85271)]

The world doesn't owe you a particular feature - if you want it, write it. If you can't/won't write it, then pay someone to write it for you. If you are not prepared to do that, then quit bitching and uninstall it.

Re:Pfft.

[Frosty Piss (770223)]

There is a difference between "bitching" and "feedback".

Re:Pfft.

[Ant P. (974313)]

Yes. For one thing, feedback implies tact.

Re:

[Hatta (162192)]

Last I checked, gaim's support for file-transfers was very hit or miss. More miss than hit really. Has this changed?

Re:Pfft.

[Miseph (979059)]

Two months ago they were held back by an agreement with AOL that they wouldn't make any major releases as part of a trademark suit. A couple of weeks ago they announced that the project's name was changing, that AOL was getting off their back, and that they would resume non-beta updates. Lo and behold, they've released one.

Popularization

[Nerdfest (867930)]

I was going to say 'commercialization', but I don't think that's quite right. I think this is going to be a more common occurrence, with open source project looking beyond simple functionality to usability, appearance, etc, as it does help grab more users, especially in the non-Linux crowd. As long as improving the usability doesn't actually damage the raw functionality, I'm all for it.

Re:

[Constantine XVI (880691)]

Miranda IM is pretty lightweight, but can be made to be very slick looking if you want it to be via the $foo million plugins for it. It's also OSS, but windows only.

Already using it, much better than gaim.

[Uniquitous (1037394)]

Kudos to the developers, pidgin is a much less clunky interface compared to gaim.

Technobabble

[vjmurphy (190266)]

"use the new D-Bus bindings with Python to make Pidgin's status system send updates to Twitter"

Or you could cross-connect the Bullshittean Field Emitter to the Warp Core Ejector using quasi-bosonic tachyon particles.

Any anyhow, shouldn't the Python, having been attracted by the Twitter, eat the Pidgin?

pidgin-encryption?

[shr3k (451065)]

It seems everytime GAIM had a new version, GAIM-Encryption [sourceforge.net] seemed to always be there with a new release of their plugin to work with it. But now that they made all these changes to Pidgin, I don't think Gaim-Encryption has followed suit. Has anyone been able to get the encryption plugin working with Pidgin? The installer for 3.0beta8 doesn't recognize Pidgin and, despite forcing an install, Pidgin won't pick up on the encryption plugin.

I'd say that's the only thing keeping me from embracing Pidgin at the moment. Otherwise, the new UI looks nice.

Why the funny standards?

[Grendel Drago (41496)]

I should have one keyring, damn it. This isn't specifically a problem with GAIM-Encryption (and they go over why they chose not to use GPG in the FAQ*), but I have to maintain a keyring for my email, for GAIM-OTR (the encryption plugin I use), and for WASTE--and there's no good reason to do this! The PGP standard has a very robust standard for key management, which should be usable for pretty much any situation--and it is. WASTE keys work exactly like PGP keys do, only you have to import and manage them sep

The interface is terrible!

[gpinzone (531794)]

This is supposed to be a Trillian killer? The interface is horrible! I'm not even talking about the ability to "skin" the application. Simple things like notifying the user if he/she receives mail is ridiculous the way it's implemented.

Very nice UI

[Lisandro (799651)]

I like the new UI a lot - functionally, Pidgin is the same as the earlier Gaim 2.0 betas with a sleeker look. It also seems a bit more responsive, IMHO. The Pidgin guys have done a great job, IMHO.

PS: Will we ever get the stock emoticons for each IM protocol back again? The default ones stocked with Pidgin are nice, but i always preferred to see the "original" ones for each client.

Slashdotted

[Brainix (748988)]

Uh oh. The Pidgin server [pidgin.im] seems to be hammered, but you can still download it from its SourceForge page [sourceforge.net].

My Analysis

[99BottlesOfBeerInMyF (813746)]

I've always rather liked GAIM and it has been a while since there have been real improvements, so I thought I'd take a look and see how far they've managed to come.

I liked

• Interface looks better, if not perfect.
• Nicer plug-in system

I disliked:

• No Mac OS X support
• No built in encryption or support for OTR
• No support for voice or video.

One thing that annoys me is they took the time to add spell checking for both OS's. I love having spell checking in my IM client, but it is not a function that every single program should have to supply by itself. I'm already running a spell checker in my text editor and my layout application and my e-mail client, and pretty much everything else. This is one of several functions that should be provided at the OS level to all applications that want it, not by each application individually. Will they waste time adding grammar checking next? How about translations between languages? What about dictionary/thesaurus/encyclopedia lookups?

Calling all Windows and Linux developers. It is time to catch up and make universal services a built in function of the OS so developers stop wasting time re-implementing things and concentrate on features specific to their program, like encryption and VoIP support.

Supports MSN Offline messages?

[Robmonster (158873)]

I find the main MSN clients Offline Message mechanism very handy when I want to ping a message over to a friend and be sure they get it the next time they login.

Does this new release suport this? GAIM 2 didn't.

all complain

[aled (228417)]

So many complains about GAIM/PIDGIN and still the site is slashdotted.

New Sounds Are Nice!

[Sounder40 (243087)]

If you like the new sounds in Pidgin, you can thank the artist who developed them by going to Magnatune.com [magnatune.com] and buy his album. Not just because you like the Pidgin sounds, not just because you like Indie Rock, but because you like independent music and independent music publishers like Magnatune. Lot's of good karma available by buying this one.

Heh, seems they have a sense of humor in configure

[cant_get_a_good_nick (172131)]

checking for NSS... yes
checking for snprintf... yes
checking for connect... (cached) yes
checking for me pot o' gold... no
checking for gethostid... yes
checking for lrand48... yes
checking for memcpy... yes

Text client

[cxreg (44671)]

Let it not be overlooked that 2.0 includes "Finch", which is a text mode IM client! (instant messaging in screen)++

I've been using CenterICQ [thekonst.net] for a couple years, but after trying the last beta of Finch (was gaim-text at the time), I'm sold. It's really slick.

Re:

[ceeam (39911)]

AIM(tm)(R)(C) part.

Re:Pidgin?

[LordSnooty (853791)]

AOL got upset, as I recall (AIM vs GAIM)

Re:

[liquidpele (663430)]

So call it GChat, or NinjaChat, or FreakinSweetChat, or something else! But Pidgin?
It sounds like a jungle midget headhunter.

Re:Pidgin?

[syntaxglitch (889367)]

So call it GChat, or NinjaChat, or FreakinSweetChat, or something else! But Pidgin?
It sounds like a jungle midget headhunter.

Try looking it up in a dictionary and considering why it might be an appropriate name. It's actually a fairly witty choice, just apparently outside the working vocabulary of most slashdotters.

Re:

[owlnation (858981)]

Try looking it up in a dictionary and considering why it might be an appropriate name. It's actually a fairly witty choice, just apparently outside the working vocabulary of most slashdotters.

Also handy for beating The Vulture Squadron - Dick Dastardly over at Yahoo, Muttley at AOL, Zilly at Skype, and Klunk at MS.

Re:Pidgin?

[identity0 (77976)]

As a Linguistics student taking a course called "Pidgins and Creoles", I should probobly explain the concept...

A pidgin is a language that combines aspects of two languages, and is created by people who have a need to talk to someone who doesn't speak their language. The language usually has words taken from one language, and syntax from another. A pidgin is a language which is used only in certain situations, like an employer giving orders to employees or merchants trading in a marketplace.

If a mixed language becomes the native language of a community, it's called a 'creole' language.

I realize that 'pidgin' has negative connotations because it often arises in social situations like slavery or colonialism, but the languages themselves are not a sign of uneducatedness but a natural result of different language communities mixing.

Note that what Pidgin(the software) does isn't pidgin - it's more like multilingualism with many protocols. A "real" pidgin would be like combining the AIM and MSN protocols into one.

Re:Pidgin?

[Goaway (82658)]

Perhaps you need to get some exercise for your vocabulary of the English language, so that these new and unfamiliar words do not frighten you so much.

Re:Pidgin?

[Speare (84249)]

Perhaps you need to get some exercise for your vocabulary of the English language, so that these new and unfamiliar words do not frighten you so much.

Haa? It's pidgin , bradda. You some haoli, you not know pidgin no real English. You learn pidgin lidat because da kine real English too much hana hana. Mahalo!

That gives me an idea

[Rob the Bold (788862)]

AOL got upset, as I recall (AIM vs GAIM)

I'm getting a bunch of guys together, we're gonna sue all the women for trademark infringement. And don't get me started on the blatant discrimination of the Hershey bar.

Re:

[Vector7 (2410)]

Sure, but by that logic you ought to be using Gaim 1.5. Basically every change to the UI in the 2.0 betas and Pidgin is a step backward. Their bizarre scheme for managing status is horrible and so confusing (and in the betas I've used, outright broken) that I've just stopped setting my status to away at all. They've added that useless Accounts menu to the buddy list, which makes the menu bar so wide that that you can't shrink the window down to a reasonable size without cutting it off (no, a 300 pixel wide

Re:

[berny@work (57298)]

Works fine, looks different. Differnt icons, simpler layout. More pretty.

Re:Psychic mode

[DeusInnomen (857464)]

The Psychic mode feature opens an IM window as soon as you get notification that the remote user is typing. So, you get an empty window with a typing notification before you actually receive an IM. Apparently, it works with the AIM, ICQ, Jabber, Sametime and Yahoo protocols.

Re:Psychic mode

[by Anonymous Coward]

MSN too. The empty message window says something along the lines "You feel a disturbance in the force."

Re:

[by Anonymous Coward]

Not funny, informative!! It actually does that!!

Re:27MB install for a IM program?

[Curtman (556920)]

What did you download? One of these [sourceforge.net] ?

The Windows installer which includes Gtk+ is 11MB, and the one without is 5.5MB. Or it should be anyway. I don't see anything that is 27MB.

Re:

[Ginger Unicorn (952287)]

no, that's the size of the installer. now run that installer and read how much disk space it says is required. "dude".

Re:SIP?

[Bytefreak (576247)]

SIP Support is there as of last year, won't help much as as MS have used non standard extensions for LCS....Happily there's a guy working on a gaim plugin for LCS which uses a modified version of the SIP/Simple code:

http://fixxxer.cc/blog-en/?cat=9 [fixxxer.cc]

It's still in the early stages, but it's getting there and has the advantage of being cross-platform and open-source, hoping I can use it to talk to our internal IM network from my linux box.

Re:

[Andy Dodd (701)]

See past news articles regarding GAIM vs. AOL lawsuits - Development pace (and scope) was slowed down significantly due to the lawsuit.

In essence, per their lawyers' advice, the developers agreed not to make any major releases while negotiations were going on.

As to why there wasn't too much progress in their betas - if there had been significant progress other than a UI overhaul and bugfixes, AOL would likely have claimed that their "betas" were really releases that were only being called betas as a loophol

Re:

[Andy Dodd (701)]

If you read above, there are some early attempts at supporting Office Communicator, but none that are very reliable or polished.

The reason is that Microsoft bastardized their SIP/SIMPLE implementation in LCS so badly (in typical Microsoft fashion) that it won't interoperate with any software that is actually SIP/SIMPLE compliant. So lots of IM programs support SIP/SIMPLE, but to talk to MS LCS, they have to break their implementation so badly that they won't talk to anything else!

Re:

[FrankNFurter (89904)]

Jabber is still supported. The account type is now called 'XMPP' though.