Howto: Configure Pidgin for Google Talk

[FakeOutdoorsman]

Update: Google now has instructions on how to do this: How do I configure Pidgin for Google Talk? (http://www.google.com/support/talk/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=24073)

Pidgin (http://pidgin.im/), formerly known as GAIM, can be configured to connect to Google Talk (http://www.google.com/talk/).

1) The first time you open Pidgin you will see the welcome window.

2) Click Add.

3)In the Add Account window, add the following:

Protocol: XMPP (This used to be "Jabber" in GAIM)
Screen name: your Google Talk screen name without @gmail.com
Server: gmail.com
Password: If you want Pidgin to log in automatically, enter your Google Talk password and check the Remember password box. The password is stored unencrypted on your computer under the .purple directory in your home folder, so you may not want Pidgin to remember your password for security reasons. It should look like the first attached image below.

4) Click the Advanced tab and add the following:

Connect server: talk.google.com

It should look like the second attached image below.

5) Click Save and you’re done.

I originally posted this here: How to configure Pidgin for Google Talk (http://orphanarmy.com/how-to-configure-pidgin-for-google-talk_2007-05-06/).

[chipwhisperer]

Hi,

Thanks for the tutorial! However, I'm running Edgy and I get the error that

<username>/Home disconnected

Server requires TLS/SSL for login. No TLS/SSL support found.


Any idea what I can do? I tried to click the force SSL option but that did not seem to work.

Thanks for any help!

[FakeOutdoorsman]

My guess is that the necessary ports are being blocked by your firewall, proxy, or router.

In order to connect to Google Talk and start sending IMs, you'll need to enable TCP connections to talk.google.com on port 5222, or on port 443. From What ports does Google Talk require? (http://www.google.com/support/talk/bin/answer.py?answer=27930)

You can test to see if you can connect to talk.google.com, port 5222 with the following command in a terminal:

telnet talk.google.com 5222


A successful connection will look like this:

telnet talk.google.com 5222
Trying 72.14.253.125...
Connected to talk.l.google.com.
Escape character is '^]'.
^Connection closed by foreign host.

[Elrohir]

Hi,

Thanks for the tutorial! However, I'm running Edgy and I get the error that

<username>/Home disconnected

Server requires TLS/SSL for login. No TLS/SSL support found.


Any idea what I can do? I tried to click the force SSL option but that did not seem to work.

Thanks for any help!
did you built Pidgin from source? in that case you need a SSL Library, I used Mozilla's SSL Library, libnspr-dev, libssl-dev, and libnss-dev... not sure why those three worked together, but they did... maybe just a combination of two of them or not sure... but those are the libs I installed when I compiled and worked... cheers!

PS: If you need help with the source compiling, PM me and I'll help you step by step...

[morneHeru]

Thanks FakeOutdoorsman, works great for me :)

[Fylk]

Hey, thanks. I was wondering why I wasn't seeing Jabber under the add accounts.

[chipwhisperer]

Hey everyone,

thanks for all of your suggestions! It looks like it was a combo of both FakeOutdoorsman's and Elrohir's sugesstions, but now it's working fine. Thanks all! I'm grateful for your help!

[dnoble]

If you're using Google Talk with a Google Apps domain, you'll need to do a couple things differently:

Configure Pidgin for a Google Apps domain (http://softwaredave.blogspot.com/2007/05/configuring-pidgin-for-google-apps.html)

[macness]

I upgraded from GAIM and all my user settings ported over from my old .gaim file so all my accounts were added automatically.

However, My Google Talk would continually get SSL Handshake failed. After a few hours the following worked for me.


Delete the old Google Talk/Jabber account that gets ported over
Recreate it using Google's instructions (http://www.google.com/support/talk/bin/answer.py?answer=24073) WORD FOR WORD
go to the advanced tab (as mentioned before in this tread) and change the server to talk.google.com (not in Google's instructions)


Happy Trails. :D

[kanna1620]

I upgraded from GAIM and all my user settings ported over from my old .gaim file so all my accounts were added automatically.

However, My Google Talk would continually get SSL Handshake failed. After a few hours the following worked for me.


Delete the old Google Talk/Jabber account that gets ported over
Recreate it using Google's instructions (http://www.google.com/support/talk/bin/answer.py?answer=24073) WORD FOR WORD
go to the advanced tab (as mentioned before in this tread) and change the server to talk.google.com (not in Google's instructions)


Happy Trails. :D
I did what you said with no luck. I got the following error.
Read Error
What to do?

[scape]

Hi,
i'm having the same problem has chipwhisperer,

Server requires TLS/SSL for login. No TLS/SSL support found.

i followed Elrohir advice and installed libnspr-dev, libssl-dev, and libnss-dev. I also installed openssl and gnutls-dev, but it still doesn't work.

Any more ideas ?

Thanks for the help

[fornix]

I get this SSL handshake error too very often. But sometimes gtalk account works. I have the same problem when i connect to gtalk via pidgin on XP too. So i guess it has nothin to do with ubuntu. But the gtalk client works fine on XP.

[starlily]

HOT TO FIX THE TLS ERROR FOR GOOGLE TALK IN PIDGIN!

In a couple of Really Easy Steps:

Since there is no Pidgin Package for Ubuntu yet, I assume you are already building from the source.

do 'make clean' if you have already built it and you get the error.

Open Synaptic Package Manager, search for and install 'libgnutls-dev'

When you run ./configure to build Pidgin, do './configure --enable-gnutls=yes', then look for
SSL Library/Libraries......... : GnuTLS
when it finishes.

do sudo make install (as normal) to finish.

You're Welcome.

Lily

[toadtwo]

Is there a way to send files from pidgin gtalk to people using the official gtalk client? What about the other way?

[cooldudeny]

i did the same setting on pidgin but i m still getting an error message

and not been able to connect ?

[FakeOutdoorsman]

cooldudeny: What is the error message you get?

[ElliottMarlow]

HOT TO FIX THE TLS ERROR FOR GOOGLE TALK IN PIDGIN!

In a couple of Really Easy Steps:

Since there is no Pidgin Package for Ubuntu yet, I assume you are already building from the source.

do 'make clean' if you have already built it and you get the error.

Open Synaptic Package Manager, search for and install 'libgnutls-dev'

When you run ./configure to build Pidgin, do './configure --enable-gnutls=yes', then look for
SSL Library/Libraries......... : GnuTLS
when it finishes.

do sudo make install (as normal) to finish.

You're Welcome.

Lily

Worked like a charm! Thanks.

[meowsus]

you need a SSL Library, I used Mozilla's SSL Library, libnspr-dev, libssl-dev, and libnss-dev...

You are truly a genius sir. Thank you!

[Envirnux]

Great suggestion for how to build the install. Without that switch it wasn't working for me. Thanks!

[gabizu]

hy! i have that little problem with the pigin proxy i set my proxy for apt(acquaire::.... in apt.conf) the apt is working, for the synaptic and is working too. but when i select in pidgin use GNOME proxy settings is not working! i tried all the combinations (http proxy ->all the settings) and is not working i don't know what to do! tell me pls if is a file that i must modify or write! tks a lot

[brunoscunha]

I think I have the same problem. I'm running gutsy from a fiesty upgrade. Trying to setup a googletalk account, and the message I get is "Not authorized". I'm runing pidgin 2.2.1 and going to upgrade it to 2.2.2
Some help please.

[jspam]

HOT TO FIX THE TLS ERROR FOR GOOGLE TALK IN PIDGIN!

In a couple of Really Easy Steps:

Since there is no Pidgin Package for Ubuntu yet, I assume you are already building from the source.

do 'make clean' if you have already built it and you get the error.

Open Synaptic Package Manager, search for and install 'libgnutls-dev'

When you run ./configure to build Pidgin, do './configure --enable-gnutls=yes', then look for
SSL Library/Libraries......... : GnuTLS
when it finishes.

do sudo make install (as normal) to finish.

You're Welcome.

Lily

This helped me a bunch. Thanks!

[dunbrokin]

The above all seems to refer to a previous version of Ubuntu so I am wondering if it is relevant to my problem. I am running 8.04 and cannot get the pidgin to work with Google talk...I have followed the set up instructions for Google Talk but I get

XXX@gmail.com/Home disabled
Not Authorised

I have tried re-enable and modify account...but still get the same message.

[jrusso2]

The above all seems to refer to a previous version of Ubuntu so I am wondering if it is relevant to my problem. I am running 8.04 and cannot get the pidgin to work with Google talk...I have followed the set up instructions for Google Talk but I get

XXX@gmail.com/Home disabled
Not Authorised

I have tried re-enable and modify account...but still get the same message.

Don't add the .gmail.com to your user name it adds it automagically so if you add it it will be username@gmail.com.gmail.com

[dunbrokin]

Don't add the .gmail.com to your user name it adds it automagically so if you add it it will be username@gmail.com.gmail.com

Thanks, I got it to work...no that was not the problem...for some reason it only works with manual input of password and not automatic...

[teledyn]

I had this working just fine for a long time, but as of some recent upgrades, it has stopped connecting -- there were some recent changes to the openssl iirc, and I've also upgraded to Heron although I think this
was broken before then.

is there some sort of certificate that i need to refetch or regenerated?

[Wheazel]

Thanks, I got it to work...no that was not the problem...for some reason it only works with manual input of password and not automatic...

Same problem here.

[K.Mandla]

Moved to Outdated Tutorials and Tips at the request of the OPer.