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XxsydenxX
June 29th, 2009, 02:51 AM
Empathy replacing pidgin in 9.10

You know, i have had a very VERY bad week. From ear infections to loosing my job. I come home today after getting into a fist fight mind you, and i find that my favorite instant messenger is being pushed asside for some half bit instant messenger that hardly customizable, sure it has voice and video but pidgin is gonna have that soon....
You know.. just this little bit of information is enough for me to move back to arch linux...screw ububtu ;~;
TODAY SUCKS.

~sHyLoCk~
June 29th, 2009, 03:00 AM
Empathy replacing pidgin in 9.10

You know, i have had a very VERY bad week. From ear infections to loosing my job. I come home today after getting into a fist fight mind you, and i find that my favorite instant messenger is being pushed asside for some half bit instant messenger that hardly customizable, sure it has voice and video but pidgin is gonna have that soon....
You know.. just this little bit of information is enough for me to move back to arch linux...screw ububtu ;~;
TODAY SUCKS.

You know, you can just install pidgin anyway?

swoll1980
June 29th, 2009, 03:05 AM
sudo apt-get install pidgin

OutOfReach
June 29th, 2009, 03:09 AM
I agree with the 2 posters above.

FuturePilot
June 29th, 2009, 03:10 AM
Pidgin was supposed to have voice and video soon about 2 years ago. :|

Though like the other posters have mentioned, it will still be available. It's not like it was removed from the repos. :)

castrojo
June 29th, 2009, 03:11 AM
So why don't you just keep using pidgin?

XxsydenxX
June 29th, 2009, 03:12 AM
I understand that i can just install it and rid of empathy, but its the idea that they abandoned it for a messenger which is not as robust.

As for the voice and video, i believe it will be out soon.

ghindo
June 29th, 2009, 03:17 AM
If you have Pidgin, you can keep it. It's not like when 9.10 rolls around, Pidgin will be purged from your computer and you'll only be able to use Empathy. Besides, if you find bugs in Empathy, please report them so the program can improve.

DeadSuperHero
June 29th, 2009, 03:32 AM
Honestly, every single Linux messenger I've used has features that I wish was standardized across the board.

Kopete: Customizable themes, but only halfway implements all of the Jabber protocols. Great support for video and audio chat, though, and a pretty nice looking interface.

Pidgin: Nice interface, not easily customizable, lack of decent icon themes. Better Jabber support, and nicer looking contact list. Uses libpurple, which I quite like. Still no support for video/audio chat.

Empathy: Ugly-ish contact list, but apparently can use Adium themes. Apparently Telepathy is quite good and integrates with the system better than libpurple does.

Gajim: Great Jabber/XMPP support, but looks like garbage. Properly supports Jabber's "Chatroom" function.

Synapse: In many ways, visually the best Jabber client around. Great interface, great layout. Smooth animation during talking, supports embedding of YouTube videos. A bit slow, though, and depends on Mono. Also, doesn't use the WM of the rest of your apps, which is kind of dumb.

And there is still no good Qt4/KDE client dedicated specifically to Jabber, so I'm stuck with Kopete.

Sublime Porte
June 29th, 2009, 06:14 AM
Kopete: Customizable themes, but only halfway implements all of the Jabber protocols. Great support for video and audio chat, though, and a pretty nice looking interface.

Pidgin: Nice interface, not easily customizable, lack of decent icon themes. Better Jabber support, and nicer looking contact list. Uses libpurple, which I quite like. Still no support for video/audio chat.

Are you kidding? Pidgin's Jabber support is pathetic. You can't even manage gateways (in fact Pidgin is barely even aware they exist), something you have been able to do on Kopete for years. What exactly do you think is better about Pidgin's Jabber support?

directhex
June 29th, 2009, 08:50 AM
sure it has voice and video but pidgin is gonna have that soon....

Pidgin has been "gonna have that soon" since... well, 2005 is when I first heard of the gaim-vv project, and Pidgin's video/audio support hasn't improved one iota since then

GeneralZod
June 29th, 2009, 08:52 AM
So why don't you just keep using pidgin?

People would rather spend 5 minutes complaining about something than 5 seconds remedying it :)

ELD
June 29th, 2009, 08:57 AM
This post amuses me, just because it will not be default you are going to stop using it for arch? And your post is way over the top so much that i don't believe it.

I don't think i really need to repeat it but dude seriously, why don't you just keep using pidgin, or do you want to refer me a link to where someone told you that it will remove your ability to use it?

ibutho
June 29th, 2009, 08:58 AM
Empathy replacing pidgin in 9.10

You know, i have had a very VERY bad week. From ear infections to loosing my job. I come home today after getting into a fist fight mind you, and i find that my favorite instant messenger is being pushed asside for some half bit instant messenger that hardly customizable, sure it has voice and video but pidgin is gonna have that soon....
You know.. just this little bit of information is enough for me to move back to arch linux...screw ububtu ;~;
TODAY SUCKS.

I also like Pidgin, but I will believe the voice and video support when I see it because they promised this years ago and its still not available.

Nevon
June 29th, 2009, 09:44 AM
On what protocols does empathy support voice and video chat? While the MSN protocol really sucks unless you're on Windows Live Messenger, it's what everyone (at least here in Sweden) uses. So unless voice and video chatting works in MSN, I see no reason for me to switch to empathy.

However, I do think it's a pretty smart move for canonical to switch the default client to empathy instead of Pidgin. I don't know this for a fact, but from what I've heard, the developers of Pidgin aren't exactly the most easiest bunch to work with. With Empathy's use of Telepathy, it should be well integrated into the system, and more "future safe" than Pidgin.

HappinessNow
June 29th, 2009, 10:07 AM
I don't use any messenger applications.

Enverex
June 29th, 2009, 10:48 AM
I don't use any messenger applications.

Is there any actual reason why you just posted?


Anyway, I've always liked Pidgin as it tends to look nice and clean, has a polished feel to it in general, but the lack of any A/V support on any of the protocols is really quite irritating and has been mentioned above; they keep promising it but it's never materialised or shown that it's anything other than a pipe-dream. Lets hope Empathy can improve enough to be the best 'all round' client.

mihai.ile
June 29th, 2009, 11:08 AM
Hey it's not that pidgin will not be available you know....
In fact I would like to continue with pidgin if they had audio/video, good file transfers over gtalk, etc...
Since they decided to change to empathy I am happy that they saw Pidgin has problems impelmenting many features users use and even if empathy comes with many other problems at least it seems that it will get faster development.

It's not that pidgin is the root of all messaging you know...
Why on eart do you need to make such a fuss about it, you already know pidgin and install it right away instead of empathy if you like, but for the many that would want something simple, integrated with the OS and possibly audio/video support empathy would be the way and it will came already installed. It's better this way...

3rdalbum
June 29th, 2009, 11:44 AM
Pidgin and its developers have not got the best reputation in the open-source world at the moment; the missing Vv support is embarrasing to Ubuntu and to Linux as many people consider it a necessity today.

Pidgin is also much fiddlier to upgrade. You have to remove Pidgin completely first, and then install the new version. It should be possible to upgrade in-place.

SunnyRabbiera
June 29th, 2009, 11:44 AM
My objection to empathy is that when I wanted to install it rthere were dozens of dependencies to deal with and it still didnt work with the IM clients I used, I needed its libpurple support thingy...
I hope that if Empathy is made the standard on Ubuntu it includes the abilities to connect to all networks

betrunkenaffe
June 29th, 2009, 11:45 AM
It's a good thing that Arch has pidgin part of it's base install and that you don't have to install pidgin afterwards.

Sometimes I wonder what spurs outbursts like these.

PS: I don't like pidgin, it feels like a 1 size fits all spandex workglove. Tries to deal with everything the same and so doesn't do anything right.

Tibuda
June 29th, 2009, 11:53 AM
Synapse: In many ways, visually the best Jabber client around. Great interface, great layout. Smooth animation during talking, supports embedding of YouTube videos. A bit slow, though, and depends on Mono. Also, doesn't use the WM of the rest of your apps, which is kind of dumb.

And there is still no good Qt4/KDE client dedicated specifically to Jabber, so I'm stuck with Kopete.

Synapse uses Qt.

cb951303
June 29th, 2009, 12:02 PM
Empathy uses telepathy which I think is a freedesktop project now (http://telepathy.freedesktop.org/wiki/). When it comes to "standards" I'm all for it.

cb951303
June 29th, 2009, 12:04 PM
And there is still no good Qt4/KDE client dedicated specifically to Jabber, so I'm stuck with Kopete.
one of the best jabber client out there is: http://psi-im.org/
AFAIK it's a qt4 app.

Sublime Porte
June 29th, 2009, 12:15 PM
one of the best jabber client out there is: http://psi-im.org/
AFAIK it's a qt4 app.

Indeed it is. And it's also the client that implements the most Jabber, since after all it's a dedicated Jabber client.

ukripper
June 29th, 2009, 12:19 PM
Pidgin was supposed to have voice and video soon about 2 years ago. :|



LOL +1..pidgin always tend to promise you something and don't deliver.

ghindo
June 29th, 2009, 04:36 PM
It's a good thing that Arch has pidgin part of it's base install and that you don't have to install pidgin afterwards.You must be using a different Arch than the rest of us. An Arch base install is a kernel and some command line tools.

RiceMonster
June 29th, 2009, 04:41 PM
Big whoop, install pidgin, like the first two replies said. Also, the pidgin devs don't seem that bad, like everyone whines about. I remember people having a hissyfit about the input text box. Give me a break.


It's a good thing that Arch has pidgin part of it's base install and that you don't have to install pidgin afterwards.

lol have you used Arch? Even read about it?

gjoellee
June 29th, 2009, 04:51 PM
have you used Arch? Even read about it?
+1 for that. Arch is great!

I prefer using Emesene because it is very similar to the Windows Live Messenger. aMSN is good if you use addons, and Pidgin has a lot of features. You should try all of them and see what's best for you

kc3
June 29th, 2009, 05:00 PM
Hm... Well first you could easily install Pidgin, two I don't like Pidgin anyways haha, I never use Yahoo or AIM and for MSN, aMSN would beat Pidgin any day :P

THOUGH to the post about Arch having Pidgin, I have NO idea about that (guessing it wouldn't though since it's supposed to be like a bare bones install) than again Slackware is supposed to be a pretty close to bare bones install (with a few exception) and it includes Pidgin, meh

stwschool
June 29th, 2009, 05:02 PM
Pidgin meets my needs. If Ubuntu doesn't have it as default I can simply install it from the repos. If it's not in the repos I can grab a .deb from the net or compile the source code from the dev's site. I don't see the fuss really.

LowSky
June 29th, 2009, 05:03 PM
if all you guys want video chat then use skype, at least they support the use of video.

steeleyuk
June 29th, 2009, 05:03 PM
If it's not in the repos I can grab a .deb from the net or compile the source code from the dev's site. I don't see the fuss really.

Its guaranteed to be in the repo's, at least.

ghindo
June 29th, 2009, 05:05 PM
if all you guys want video chat then use skype, at least they support the use of video.Skype support is patchy at best (or so I hear). It's much better if we have an open source solution instead.

stwschool
June 29th, 2009, 05:06 PM
Its guaranteed to be in the repo's, at least.
This I know, but I'm just saying, in the event of nuclear was and Pidgin leaving the repos, there are other means.

kc3
June 29th, 2009, 05:07 PM
I fricking love Skype, I got it with Skype to Go for $3 a month :D I have a tmobile phone and my Skype to Go number in my fave 5 so I can call Skype to Go for free and use the unlimited Skype minutes to call anyone :D (okay so I know it's not REALY unlimited but it's a pretty fricking high limit) lol

zekopeko
June 29th, 2009, 05:23 PM
This I know, but I'm just saying, in the event of nuclear was and Pidgin leaving the repos, there are other means.

i'm amazed how easily people spurt out falsehoods. where was it mentioned that pidgin was going to leave the repos? to point it out.
it's going to be in main for 9.10 life cycle and then probably moved to universe.

Simian Man
June 29th, 2009, 05:28 PM
You must be using a different Arch than the rest of us. An Arch base install is a kernel and some command line tools.

He was being sarcastic. The OP said that Empathy being default would lead him to Arch - which is pretty stupid as Arch doesn't have Pidgin by default either.

ghindo
June 29th, 2009, 05:30 PM
He was being sarcastic. The OP said that Empathy being default would lead him to Arch - which is pretty stupid as Arch doesn't have Pidgin by default either.#-o

Detecting sarcasm on the internet is hard.

RiceMonster
June 29th, 2009, 06:37 PM
He was being sarcastic. The OP said that Empathy being default would lead him to Arch - which is pretty stupid as Arch doesn't have Pidgin by default either.

Oh ok, that makes sense then. I didn't even see that in the OP's post. Now I feel like an idiot. But yeah, that's pretty silly. You give up on a distro because your favorite IM client isn't preinstalled, and go to a distro with nothing preinstalled?

Simian Man
June 29th, 2009, 06:41 PM
Sorry, didn't mean to sound harsh in pointing out the sarcasm. Detecting tone on the internet is hard in general :).

RiceMonster
June 29th, 2009, 06:48 PM
It wasn't harsh, I just feel stupid because it should have been obvious haha.

juancarlospaco
June 29th, 2009, 07:43 PM
People don't want to Log-in on 374580237590284982348 protocols,
people wants webcam and audio conference, so if Emphaty brings these features,
plus on GPL, are Welcome to the Dektop.
XMMP rulez

:)

Sublime Porte
June 30th, 2009, 03:39 AM
XMMP rulez

XMPP is good too :)

Sublime Porte
June 30th, 2009, 03:43 AM
Skype support is patchy at best (or so I hear). It's much better if we have an open source solution instead.

Do you mean open protocol or just an open client? If you're just talking about an open client, then the 'openness' of it doesn't really mean much does it? What's the point in using an open client on a proprietary network like MSN? Might as well just use Skype.

I personally only use XMPP/Jabber for IM'ing, as it's fully open, but I do have access to MSN/Yahoo/Whatever contacts via transports/gateways, which bridge XMPP to the legacy proprietary networks. I do use Skype on my cell phone though, because I get 4000 free minutes a month.

michaelzap
June 30th, 2009, 04:18 AM
People don't want to Log-in on 374580237590284982348 protocols,
people wants webcam and audio conference
I need to log into 4 protocols in order to talk to my various contacts. I don't particularly need or want video or audio conferencing. I'm a person.

Sublime Porte
June 30th, 2009, 04:48 AM
I need to log into 4 protocols in order to talk to my various contacts. I don't particularly need or want video or audio conferencing. I'm a person.

Why don't you use Jabber then and save the hassle?

With Jabber, you can set your account up to automatically bridge you to those other protocols and present it to you as a unified account, using any Jabber client you like (Pidgin, Kopete, PSI, Gajim etc)

reprobus
June 30th, 2009, 05:12 AM
Personally I think replacing Pidgin with Empathy is a bad idea. I don't like it at all. Pidgin is not just better than Empathy, in my opinion it is the best third party instant messenger client available. What the heck are they thinking?

michaelzap
June 30th, 2009, 05:48 AM
Why don't you use Jabber then and save the hassle?

With Jabber, you can set your account up to automatically bridge you to those other protocols and present it to you as a unified account, using any Jabber client you like (Pidgin, Kopete, PSI, Gajim etc)

Because sometimes I like to sign out of one or the other service in order to avoid certain groups of people (although that's a nifty idea to explore).

Sublime Porte
June 30th, 2009, 06:39 AM
I need to log into 4 protocols in order to talk to my various contacts. I don't particularly need or want video or audio conferencing. I'm a person.

Very easily done in Jabber. You can either just disconnect from the gateway for that protocol, or even send an invisible status to it, depending how good your Jabber client is.

binbash
June 30th, 2009, 08:45 AM
I am glad they are replacing Pidgin with Empathy.Pidgin's devs are crap in my opinion.We are waiting for voice n video support for YEARS!

cb951303
June 30th, 2009, 10:16 AM
I am glad they are replacing Pidgin with Empathy.Pidgin's devs are crap in my opinion.We are waiting for voice n video support for YEARS!

I wouldn't say crap but they are certainly too much self-centric for a project at this level.

Bios Element
June 30th, 2009, 10:32 AM
I wouldn't say crap but they are certainly too much self-centric for a project at this level.

When is the last time Pidgin actually got a major improvement? Oh wait, we just got yahoo support again...Major...I guess...Yeah. How about actual usability improvements, video/voice chat or I dnno, maybe fix the Linux lockup bug. >.< The pidgin devs just do whatever they happen to feel like as opposed to what is best for the project and while I understand that, someone has to do the boring work.

ELD
June 30th, 2009, 11:07 AM
Linux lockup bug.

Where can i find info on that bug? I agree with all your points, they are so slow at developing any features, it has been pretty much bug fixes for a long time.

cb951303
June 30th, 2009, 05:24 PM
When is the last time Pidgin actually got a major improvement? Oh wait, we just got yahoo support again...Major...I guess...Yeah. How about actual usability improvements, video/voice chat or I dnno, maybe fix the Linux lockup bug. >.< The pidgin devs just do whatever they happen to feel like as opposed to what is best for the project and while I understand that, someone has to do the boring work.

I'm not disagreeing with you,
from where I stand, once a project achieves a certain popularity devs must have a responsibility to their user base whether it's a free project or not. But we all know that pidgin devs don't care about their users.

Georgia boy
June 30th, 2009, 06:29 PM
What's this about replacing Pidgin? Hell, I just got the 2.5.7 which cleared up the connecting to Yahoo problem. But I'm having trouble receiving files. Can send but not receive them. Now they're talking about replacing it? Don't know what would be better. Just started using Pidgin about three months ago and getting used to it before Yahoo started messing around. So, what gives? Also, anyone else having trouble with receiving or sending files with the 2.5.7 or is it just me? When I downloaded it and got it working will I be upgraded automatically with the new fixes or will I have to go and redownload the newer versions to get the fixes?
Tom

khc
June 30th, 2009, 08:17 PM
What's this about replacing Pidgin? Hell, I just got the 2.5.7 which cleared up the connecting to Yahoo problem. But I'm having trouble receiving files. Can send but not receive them.

2.5.8 should fix file transfer in yahoo.

Georgia boy
June 30th, 2009, 10:41 PM
So, I'll have to go and download the 2.5.8 or will update manager take care of this for me since I just got the 2.5.7? Maybe dumb question but don't want to download another one if I get automatic fixes from the update manager for this.
Tom

Sef
June 30th, 2009, 10:48 PM
So, I'll have to go and download the 2.5.8 or will update manager take care of this for me since I just got the 2.5.7? Maybe dumb question but don't want to download another one if I get automatic fixes from the update manager for this.

If you want to receive updates, then use the Ubuntu Pidgin PPA (https://launchpad.net/%7Epidgin-developers/+archive/ppa).