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Linux Instant Messengers

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the something-to-think-about dept.

mrAshley writes "This article talks specifically about the antiquated state of the even the best Linux instant messenging software, and generally about the need for software developers to be mindful of younger people, as their social attitudes towards software are going to be much more influential in than any moral or financial consideration. Simply put - People are communal. Don't make a person who wants to use Linux have to leave behind a method or style of communication."

4 of 601 comments (clear)

  1. Am I missing something? by dfn_deux · · Score: 4, Informative

    Gaim and kopete both have all the functionality of the major IM clients. Gaim is available for both windows and linux and also seems to get protocol fixes and other bugs patched much more quickly than the commercial equivalent, trillian...

    --
    -*The above statement is printed entirely on recycled electrons*-
  2. Re:gaim works for me, but loses ground from here by Seumas · · Score: 5, Informative

    Is it possible to use an AOL IM account with Gaim and talk with people on Jabber? Is there any IM client that can do that? Thanks.

    Um. Yeah.... That's the entire point of Jabber. If you want to use an AOL account, use a jabber server that has an AIM transport. Same with Yahoo! and any of the others.

    This whole complaint for the article is just stupid. Yeah, using linux really cuts you out from being able to communicate with people what with there only being a crapload of chat clients for it of which tkabber, Gabber, PSI and GAIM are only a few of the some 30 Jabber clients for the platform.

  3. Gaim... by MsGeek · · Score: 4, Informative

    ...will also get you onto Google Talk, which is basically Google's Jabber server.

    It won't do voice chat, but at least you can do IM chat. This is better than the iChat which comes with Mac OS X Panther, which can only do either AIM or .MAC chat and not Jabber. Yes, the Tiger version adds Jabber functionality, but my clamshell iBook can't run Tiger. (The cutoff is native Firewire which the first version of the iBook didn't have.)

    Gaim's good on both Linux *and* Windows. The Windows port is solid. And it's Free Software.

    --
    Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
  4. A Lame Gaim Claim by digitaldc · · Score: 4, Informative
    "Their interfaces are terrible. Moreover, all you can do with them is write basic IMs."
    From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaim
    Features:
    • Tabbed message windows for easy switching of conversations Accounts option allows user to log on as many different accounts at once as desired

    • Transparency support via a plugin for conversation and buddy list windows (only under Microsoft Windows)

    • Aliasing nicknames by real name of user

    • Grouping different buddies that are really the same person into a "contact" [2]

    • Logging conversations and messages supported [3]

    • Buddy Pounce feature pops up notifications or plays a sound when a user changes status [4]

    Plugins:
    Gaim supports plugins for RSA and GPG encryption, as well as Off-the-record messaging.

    See GAIM plugins: http://gaim.sourceforge.net/plugins.php/
    More info about GAIM: http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=GAIM
    --
    He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson