Pidgin

1
Pidgin

• Christopher Clissold (2539266)
• Ben Juteau (100651501)

2
So whats the problem?!?!

• So how do you instant message?
• AIM, IRC, MSN, Google Talk, My Space, ICQ, Yahoo
  Messenger, Jabber .
• How many people have more than 1?
• Is anyone annoyed with many IMs taking up soo
  much space and memory!

?
3
What is the solution?

• Its Pidgin!
• Pidgin is an open source IM client which can
  communicate with many different protocols. It
  houses many of the same features as popular IMs.
• 23 on Sourceforge (Formally called Giam)

Picture From Pidgen.im. 2008. Pidgen Online
Available from http//pidgin.im/ accessed 22
September 2008
4
Problem Addressed/Purpose

• Consolidate your IMs

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When do you Use/Not Use Pidgin?

• When to Use
• When you want to consolidate IM clients
• When you want IM standard functionality such as
  file transfer, status
• Leverage of interesting features such as Pounce
• Multi platform compatibility
• When Not to Use
• Advanced features such as Video and Voice
  services
• Short installations

6
Pidgin Community

• Very active community
• Software roadmap (Voice Video support)
• Active bug tracking and resolution (Resolved
  daily)
• 28 developers

7
Installation Guidelines (Windows XP)

• The following steps are used to install the
  product
• Download the program from http//pidgin.im/downlo
  ad/
• Click on the program icon
• Select a language

8
Installation Continued
9
Installation Continued
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Installation Continued

• And finally.

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Sample Usage

• Items for Demo
• UI Features
• Buddy List
• Account Management
• Tools

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Benefits/Advantages/Disadvantages

• All-in-one messaging solution
• Connect to all major (and minor) IM protocols in
  one interface
• Available for all major operating systems
• Supports tabbing, encryption, 3rd party plugins
• Unfortunately, most protocol implementations are
  done through reverse engineering
• New features available with official clients can
  take a while to be implemented
• Audio/Video not supported

13
Architecture

• Built upon a backend library called libPurple
• Lib is implemented by many other Open Source
  clients including Adium on Mac OS X, and Meebo, a
  web based client
• Makes use of open source Aspell Dictionaries to
  allow for spell and grammar checking

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Competing OSS Packages/Frameworks

• There are many other competing clients that make
  use of libPurple
• There are also competing multi-protocol
  frameworks/clients, such as Miranda, Kopete and
  Trillian
• Naturally, the official clients for each of the
  protocols compete with Pidgin as well
• Windows Live Messenger
• Yahoo! Messenger
• Etc.

15
Licensing

• Both Pidgin and libPurple are released under GPL
• Ensures that any potential future modifications
  are also free

16
Conclusion

• libPurple is fairly mature and stable, given that
  it is implemented by many different clients.
• Each client has its own small community of
  developers, and generally, they all help out with
  libPurple as well
• Pidgin itself includes mailing lists,
  merchandising, and an active plugin development
  community
• If you use multiple protocols, use Pidgin!

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References/Links

• SourceForge.net. 2008. Pidgen Online Available
  from http//sourceforge.net/projects/pidgin/
  accessed 22 September 2008
• Pidgen.im. 2008. Pidgen Online Available from
  http//pidgin.im/ accessed 22 September 2008
• Multiprotocol_instant_messaging_application
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaim
• http//www.pidgin.im/about/