IM for ubuntu?

[Matrix01]

which IM is good for ubuntu?

[3rdalbum]

Empathy and Pidgin are popular.

You could also try web-based services like Meebo.

[markbl]

I personally think the best IM system is Google's new Hangouts, particularly if you and/or your friends and family are Google users. Best to use Google Chrome browser and install the Hangouts extension. That gives you the simplicity of a web client with the functionality of a full native client and provides chat, voice, video, and video conferencing. All free and no software to install so it works as well on linux as on Windows/Mac/Android/iOS. The Hangouts app on Android and IOS is excellent and all conversations are maintained across all your devices. I still use Skype chat and video where I have to but use Hangouts mostly when I can now.

[Matrix01]

i tried to download yahoo messenger because IM can be sent to a mobile phone w/o fees,
and
got message which is like this, "this kind of a software will damage your computer...."
Is yahoo messenger bad to a computer?

[su:bhatta]

Pidgin seems to be working good...

[Lars Noodén]

Pidgin or Konversation are ok.

[slickymaster]

Google Talk uses the XMPP (Jabber) standardized protocol. In the Ubuntu repositories you have the following IM clients which should support Google Talk: ekg2, emesene, gajim, jwchat, kadu, kopete, licq, pidgin, psi, psi-plus, qutim and tkabber.

[markbl]

Google Talk uses the XMPP (Jabber) standardized protocol. In the Ubuntu repositories you have the following IM clients which should support Google Talk: ekg2, emesene, gajim, jwchat, kadu, kopete, licq, pidgin, psi, psi-plus, qutim and tkabber.

Google has superceded Talk with Hangouts (which amalgamates the old Talk + Chat + Messenger + Old Hangouts) and it uses a proprietary messaging protocol, not xmpp. You will not be able to use 3rd party/external clients anymore.

[slickymaster]

Google has superceded Talk with Hangouts (which amalgamates the old Talk + Chat + Messenger + Old Hangouts) and it uses a proprietary messaging protocol, not xmpp. You will not be able to use 3rd party/external clients anymore.

Thanks for the heads-up, markbl. We're always learning.

[3rdalbum]

i tried to download yahoo messenger because IM can be sent to a mobile phone w/o fees,
and
got message which is like this, "this kind of a software will damage your computer...."
Is yahoo messenger bad to a computer?

No. It's a warning that downloading random programs from the internet may be risky, because you don't know that the program is not a virus.

Yahoo Messenger is a Windows program, you can't run it on Linux. You need to use Pidgin or Empathy.