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Official AIM for Linux
topdown writes "I just noticed that AOL released Instant Messenger Beta for Linux (rpm format for RedHat, SuSE, and Mandrake). Don't know about you, but I'll be sticking with gaim for now." Wow, this is fantastic news. Way to be on the cutting edge, AOL. Sorry, but this release doesn't even warrant a copy of our home game. I still don't forgive you for using the Jetsons theme music in your commercials.
You're telling me that AOL is sucking? I don't believe that for a minute.
I'll try it, but AOL's version for windows doesn't even have some of the features that I treasure under linux such as buddy pounce and individual sounds for everyone who logs on. Of course, I might grab it just so I can transfer files over it.
Eh...
Why fiddle around with one chat protocol at a time? I'll take Everybuddy any day. Even over the new AOL client, btw, but I guess I might download it to check it out.
It's annoying to see XYZ for Linux! when it's really Linux/x86. Years ago, people came up with the word Wintel to describe Windows on Intel. Perhaps we should coin Linux86 to describe Linux on x86 so people understand what platform of Linux you're talking about. Remember - you heard it here first!
Free BeOS, runs from a Linux partition
What advantage does AIM have over ICQ, other than the fact that it's used by millions of AOL users (no comment on that one :)?
Wasn't some group working on a unified messaging protocol? Is any progress being made on that front? The last thing I want to mess with is having multiple messaging apps on my desktop.
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
I wonder if AOL is releasing a version of AIM for Linux so that AIM will gain more support, and thus displace the AT&T, Excite@Home, iCAST, MSN, Odigo, Phone.com, Prodigy, Tribal Voice, and Yahoo! from getting their "open" IM standard adopted.
Actually, AOL has been rather good to linux lately. They haven't been anal about gaim, even when gaim started supporting oscar. (You think that they'd be a bit miffed since gaim doesn't support ads)
Then there's the aolserver, whatever the advantages of that over apache I haven't a clue.
AOL for Linux might sound like the end of the world, but really, it would set some sort of precident for the software industry. AOL is doing it, why aren't we?
I still wouldn't use it myself, but I know a few people who might give Linux a shot if they could use AOL under Linux.
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein
Internet Relay Chat is a much better-designed chatting and instant-chatting protocol than all these instant messegers (ICQ/AIM/etc.).
Long Live IRC!
Daniel
So the new name for the Linux version is, what, LAIM?
People who use LAIM will be called LAIMers.
And that one actor on Star Wars episode one will sue when AOL gets the domain name LAIM
-Adam
How are we clapping?
I have no idea...
LICQ is a great ICQ program for, well, just about any UNIX-y platform. I for one, refuse to use an official client that doesn't have such features as ping flood and UIN spoofing. If AOL puts these in, maybe they'll get some ICQ converts. Otherwise, AIM is obviously inferior. =P
GAIM
GnomeICU
LICQ
Considering what AOL did to Mozilla, you're probably better off with an open-source clone.
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Kiro
I don't see why emmett's so upset with it. he may not like AOL, but hey, it's a megacorp that officially released one of their little programs for that "other" operating system. Sure, it's not a "killer" app, but it's better than having to find some obscure-named-beta AIM client on freshmean for a Linux newbie who just converted from Windows.
Now he/she doesn't have to reboot to windows to talk to their teeny-bopper friends.
Now only if they had Photoshop and hundreds of other apps by the original company making it for Linux. Woohoo!
What?!?!?! All the Linux AIM clients I know of use TOC, which was designed by AOL specifically to allow third-party clients.
TO BUY A NEW CAR WOULD MAKE YOU SEXUALLY ATTRACTIVE.
I know feeding the trolls is bad, but I have to respond to this.
The whole Linux/BSD argument is fundamentally flawed. The real 'argument' (if you can call an obvious forgone conclusion an argument) is Windows/Unix.
One more reason why Windows wins the argument is that it presents a unified product range to the user. It's Windows or Windows. The user doesn't have to debate the relative 'merits' of This Linux/That Linux/This BSD/That BSD/Other Unix. Never mind what each one is best for, Windows is a single product which is suitable for everything.
And you wonder why it's so popular...
If you're not impressed, then why are you posting this?
Oh right, I get it, you're trying to beat all of the "this is slashdot, not freshmeat!" crowd to the punch, right?!? (Moderators: Just kidding!)
Seriously though, if AOL is finally getting around to writing their own "official" client for Linux, then that's more Linux software out there, which is good in my book.
Personally, I won't even be using GAIM; I'll be using Jabber since I don't like the idea of *every* message I write being sent not only plaintext, but across AOL's servers - which gives them the legal right to read my message!
Jabber supports SSL connections (at least on the server side, I haven't seen a client that supports it yet), so at some point I'll even be able to have my conversations encrypted! (Of course, I could just ssh into my friend's box and use talk locally...)
--Cycon
Your Brain + EEG + LEGO Robots = Brainstorms
They don't "warrant a copy of our home game", but they do deserve to have a link to their press release posted on Slashdot?
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
We tried. It looks like they didn't want to. Offered to help as well and was rejected. Oh well. Heh.
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Rob Flynn
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Rob Flynn
Pidgin
Looks like GTK.
TO BUY A NEW CAR WOULD MAKE YOU SEXUALLY ATTRACTIVE.
GAIM doesn't do this if you are using the OSCAR protocol, check the latest version, its a checkbox in the connection tab of preferences. It can get the away msg w/o sending any IMs this way...
Shine on, you crazy diamond.
First of all, something isn't Linux compatible if it only runs on Intel hardware. I run Linux on an Intel box, but I know of people who run Linux on a Macintosh, and I may decide to move in that direction too. AOL will probably do something to deliberately break GAIM, and use as their justificiation that "we have AIM for Linux, so you shouldn't complain." And then the LinuxPPC users will be screwed.
Second of all, I'm sure that they've added all sorts of stupid banner ads to the program, just like they did on the Windows version. I just don't want to be advertised to. That's reason enough to stick with GAIM, even if the official version had more features.
Thirdly, a question. Do they distribute tarballs? Not everyone can use RPMs. Again, you really can't say that you've got a Linux-compatible piece of software if it comes in a package that isn't universally used.
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Stephen C. VanDahm
Would you rather have AOL not deliver a linux client at all? Sure, there may be tons of clones out there for unix platforms, but at least AOL's heart is in the right place.
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"They misunderestimated me." --George W Bush, Nov. 6, 2000
You know that, and I know that, but do millions of lusers know how to use IRC? :) It's kind of a good thing that most don't, but I've been noticing some declines in IRC usage lately. Instead, things like Yahoo Chat with its point-and-drool interface, and no AOL subscription required, are becoming the first chat experience for a lot of the newbies. I remember being a freshman in college, way way back in '93, learning how to use IRC. I'd been a BBSer for years before, but college was my first exposure to a "real" 'Net connection. Maybe it's just me, but I didn't mind the / commands, the syntax, or anything else.
I've asked a few people why they don't use IRC, and msot say "it's too hard." Come on...with graphical clients, even the / commands aren't really necessary anymore! This kind of scares me...are we making computers "too" easy for people? Should people be required to know at least something before they dive right in?
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you must amputate to email me
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you must amputate to email me
i read all replies to my comments
Uhh, wasn't Netscape making netscape for linux? Don't confuse corporate buyouts for who made what.
Give TiK a try. It works on all Linux/*NIX/BSD machines running tk/tcl.
;-)
'nuff said.
Use Jabber. It's an open protocol, and the server handles the ICQ/IM/MSN issues. Also, it has encryption and much better authentication than the other systems.
I was an Everybuddy user, until I found Jabber -- this is _much_ better.
"Whatever can go wrong, will." --Finagle's Law
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$x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
$x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
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$x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
$x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
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That's right, now you too can run AOL from your Linux box! AOL 6.0, which current AOL users may beta test, will include both Windows NT (I'm sure after the millionth person called in and asked "why won't AOL work now that I've installed Windows 2000?" they decided they'd better add it) and Linux versions. I've installed the Win2k version on my little brother's windows partition, but haven't had a chance to try out the Linux version yet. The reasoning, of course, is that if AOL is going to release those Transmeta/Linux based web appliances, they'd better have a working Linux version of AOL to ship them with.
"The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than that of whether a submarine can swim" -EWD
As far as i can tell, the only difference between the two is that one has adds, and the other doesn't.
Did you look at the page? The AIM Linux client currently does not show ads.
For more information, click here.
Eric
--
Be who you are...and be it in style!
Jabber's own protocol is based on streaming XML, meaning that the protocol can be used for more than just simple IM. Look for new and exciting developments along these lines, coming soon.
Eric
--
Be who you are...and be it in style!
"Questionable legality?"
Feh. If making an AIM client without ads is illegal, then junkbuster is illegal as well. See anyone complaining about junkbuster's legality?
Hi, I'm the author of the Jabber AIM transport, and I would like to point out that it is in fact OSCAR based. I have been active in the movement to have an Open Source OSCAR stack for a long time, and it was a no brainer choice to use it in the transport. TOC is waste in many aspects, but has a few fine points (it actually worked for a while ;-]), but just wanted to clarify that point.
--temas
Jabber ROCKS!
The only reason AOL is doing this is because they are miffed by the fact that Gaim and various other X AIM clients don't have ads. Gaim (the only one I have used) works fine, is just as easy to use (if not moreso) as the Windows client, and supports more features. It can also operate seamlessly with the existing AIM network --- it supports the Oscar protocol as well.
:(
What's sad is that Linux distributions will likely package AOL's official client instead of Gaim (or others) merely because it is "official."
Feh, I bet it'll probably use motif too.
If you want horror, go to Excite chat. It is filled with the lamers that I am afraid will discover IRC. They have automated bots that flood the channels with kiddie rap, and theirt conversations, admidst the flood are like: "A/S/L?", "I love everyone", "kewl I am in Kali too, wanna cyber?"
Thing is, AIM costs money to run. It's made out of piles of servers, large, speedy SQL databases and a bunch of load balancers and replication machines. AIM may seem simple, but on that kind of massive scale, it certainly isn't. The only current revenue stream for it is inline ads and integrated add-ons like Net2Phone. AOL doesn't really give a rat's ass who makes AIM-compatible clients; they just want clients out there that they're collecting all the ad revenue from. They don't go after the Unix clients aggressively because they account for practically no traffic at all.
Now that AOL's getting into the net appliance business and gearing up to offer AOL service to Linux devices, Linux is a platform they care about because it will eventually be the platform of a big chunk of their user base. So they need an AIM client that they control, that they can serve ads to that can't be disabled, among other things.
GAIM, swell as it is, can't be the basis for AOL's official Linux AIM client. Why? Because GAIM is GPL'ed, not even issued under a dual license. So anything they do with the GAIM code would have to be released as open source. Which would mean that folks would be able to make adless versions of it.
Once a good 3-4% of AIM users are using Linux, or AOL starts offering its paid services via Linux devices, you should expect to see GAIM, TiK and the other OSS AIM clients get blocked out just as agressively as MSN Instant Messenger has been.
And once AOL works out contracts with Microsoft, Yahoo, et al. that guarantee free flow and full reporting of AOL's ads, you'll see MSN Messenger, etc. suddenly gain access to AOL's network. Not so the OSS stuff, because it would imply discriminatory business practices.
If GAIM were under a BSD-style or MPL-style license, you can bet AOL would make use of their code. My hunch is that the GAIM developers have no interest in a license that allows closed-source forks in the code, though. Good for them. But honestly, the GPL doesn't leave much room to work out a deal by which the GAIM developers could offer up AOL's ad stream in exchange for continued access to the AIM servers from an "official" GAIM release.
The moral of the story? The GAIM team should start thinking about exit strategies. Do they modularize it and release each module separately under the GPL so they can be used as plugins by AOL's official client? Do they go to a dual-license model so AOL can use all their hard work? Do they find new projects to work on and leave it out to dry so none of the code gets used by AOL?
GNU Lesser GPL was designed to allow code sharing between copylefted software (e.g. the Free IM clients) and proprietary software (e.g. AIM).
<O
( \
XGNOME vs. KDE: the game!
Will I retire or break 10K?
For years people have proclaimed "now you have the code, you can make changes if you want." Well, guess what, 99.5% of the people who use software don't know how to make changes!
So again I'd like to point out, "Now that you have the code, you can OPTIMIZE it for your system." And, yes, that does really matter. And, no, you don't need to know how to program to do it.
Take the example of Mandrake, maybe you think Mandrake is all hype, it's not. I started using Mandrake about a year ago after getting sick of recompiling everything by hand. I have done tests to prove to myself that Mandrake benchmark scores are higher than other Linux distributions like Gentus Benchmark Results on the exact same system (NOTE 1).
And that's not the end of it... that's just Pentium optimized, I could throw a few more flags in for kicks and tweak the scores more.
So, when I can get a gain of almost 40% using FREE software, try to compare the costs of doing it with hardware. A system that would be 40% faster (using hardware alone) would cost significantly more. Or, your going to get better preformance even on better hardware with optimized flags... so....
I'm a little supprised that this benifit to Open Source (that applies to all hardware types, not just x86) is soo overlooked, and "the ability to change the code" is so bragged about.
NOTE 1: Gentus is completely based on Red Hat, and Mandrake has it's roots in Red Hat software optimizations. Gentus is Red Hat with specific additions for Abit hardware, thus the better disk access times with Gentus (I can use ATA100) that with Mandrake (using only UDMA 66).
I know a few people are going to be looking at this comment after that title. My comment is more on the irony of choosing one free chat program over another.
Okay to clearify, MSN Messenger had the right idea when they attempted to make thier software log on to the AOL servers and chat with thier users. They just went about it the wrong way. And since MS has a reputation of of taking over every market that did not help either.
There should be a way for AOL users to talk with MSN users,,,or ICQ users..or Yahoo...or whatever, maybe if there was a central server that could recognize the type of APP being used, and have it as easy as just adding a server or a plugin/TC to give the functionality, it would be a big hit. Though I don't know anyone with the bandwidth and the programming skills to pull off such a project.
To be perfectly honest I didn't understand why AOL had such a problem with MS connecting to thier servers and allowing people to talk with other AOL users, other than the fact that they didn't ask and it had alot to do with finding a way into the servers that was almost to the point where people were calling it 'hacking'.
But I see no problem with routing messages and getting them sent to other Instant Messaging programs. Sounds like it might be a good open source project. All we need is the bandwidth.
"Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality." -Jules de Gautier
Until they release the source code for this thing, I would simply view it as an attempt to reduce the incentive for open source clients to get created.
And I think we are going to see a lot more of that corporate strategy: companies will be releasing "free" binary only or encumbered software for Linux to kill off true open source efforts, which in the long run threaten their business interests.
I know that AIM for windows has, or at least had, a buffer overflow that AOL was using to verify that people weren't using an MS or Tribal Voice client. I don't trust AOL's IM. I'm not logging in root to do ANYTHING with their software. At least with WordPerfect, they tell you NOT to log in root. I'll stick with the hack, thank you.
WARNING: there is a trojan on your
Eric
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Be who you are...and be it in style!
o/` somebody wants to hurt sooouuundex.org... o/`
If you have no idea what I'm talking about, set the way-back machine to 1997 and go to the AIM download page at AOL. They used to have Windows, Macintosh and :gasp: Java versions available for download. I used to run it all the time on my Sun box. One day it just disappeared.
I will say that AIM now has a lot of cool features and GAIM just isn't keeping up.
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Never hit your grandmother with a shovel, for it leaves a bad impression on her mind...
It's likely that this is a problem specific to the MSN transport itself, rather than WinJab. The MSN transport is relatively new code.
We can't necessarily find them either--Jabber servers aren't required to advertise :-). There are also Jabber servers at jabbercentral.com and hotjabber.com that I know of. Don't forget, though, that the server you're on doesn't really matter, as you can communicate with Jabber users on other servers; just add their Jabber ID (username@server.domain) to your roster, and the Jabber servers handle the details of communicating between themselves.
Eric
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Be who you are...and be it in style!