| Pidgin (aka Gaim) 2.0 finally arrives |
May 04, 2007
 After years of both technical and legal delays, the popular open-source Pidgin IM (instant messaging) client, formerly known as GAIM, has finally arrived.
The program is now available from both (as of when this was written on May 4) the buried Pidgin site and the still-functioning Pidgin SourceForge site. It is available both for 32-bit Windows and Linux. On Linux, though, there are no prepackaged versions at this time. The program is available only in source-code format as an RPM (RedHat Package Manager) or in compressed file formats.
Like its predecessor, GAIM, Pidgin is a GTK+ (GIMP Took Kit+) IM application that supports a wide variety of IM protocols including AIM, ICQ, Jabber/XMPP, MSN, Yahoo, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, IRC, QQ, SILC, SIMPLE, and Zephyr. However, unlike its commercial and proprietary competition on Windows, notably Cerulean Studios's Trillian Pro 3, it does not support voice or video chat.
What it does have, though, is a flexible and open interface and set of libraries, making it ideal for add-on programs. Indeed, the core code, known as libpurple, has been separated from the user interfaces code -- Pidgin and Finch -- enabling developers to construct Pidgin-compatible clients that don't look a thing like Pidgin 2.0. While developers will doubtlessly delight in such features, this latest version's new features should keep ordinary users happy.
The new interface is simple, to the point, and let's you see who's on and available without worrying about which IM network they're on
For example, in the new interface, the focus is not on the protocol used to reach each person on your IM buddy list, but on simply reaching the person. As Seth explained in a blog entry on this feature, "We're interested ... in our friends. We typically want to talk to Ethan, rather than start an XMPP conversation with elb@pidgin.im." In addition, even if someone has multiple IM accounts, they are represented in Pidgin as having a single identity with a single status and buddy icon.
This is a feature that not everyone, especially techies who like to know the technical ins and outs, likes. However, since users of multiprotocol IM clients are most likely to be interested in talking with friends and co-workers no matter what IM network they use, this should be a popular feature. The new Pidgin also makes changing users' preferences and accounts very easy with a new, multitabbed format.
It's easier than ever to set your preferences with Pidgin
(Click to enlarge)
And, easier still to set up your IM logins
While we only now have started working with Pidgin, after compiling it on a PC running MEPIS 6.5, we've already seen enough to know that it's going to be our IM client of choice. Once the program becomes available to the vast majority of users who just want to install it with their package manager rather than compile it, we expect most Linux users to agree with us.
-- Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
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