Amsn 0.97.2 is also available from Asus Update. So you can choose whether to install from there, or use the XEPC repo as detailed here. If you choose to install it from the Asus repositories already included on your Eee, jump straight to step 5. Also if you have already followed the wiki article Adding Additional Software Repositories, jump straight to step 5, as XEPC is included in this list already.

To install aMsn 0.97 follow these few steps:

1. Open a terminal (Alt+Ctrl+t) and type (Press Enter after each line):

   sudo kwrite /etc/apt/sources.list

2. Add this line to sources.list:

   deb http://updates.xepc.org/ p701 main

3. Save sources.list and exit kWrite.
4. Pin XEPCc in preferences

   sudo kwrite /etc/apt/preferences

   then copy and paste this to your preferences list

   Package: *
   Pin: origin updates.xepc.org
   Pin-Priority: 935

5. Staying in terminal type:

   sudo apt-get update

   if at this stage you get a message similar to

   W: GPG error: http://updates.xepc.org p701 Release: The following sign couldn't be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY 3 BEBOD etc

   this is just a missing certificate, it's a warning not an error, if you really want to add the key see this info in the wiki adding public keys

6. Staying in terminal type:

   sudo apt-get install amsn

7. When the installation completes, to check whether aMsn has been properly installed and runs, type in terminal:

   amsn

Make sure your webcam is ready to work, by issuing the following command

sudo echo 1 > /proc/acpi/asus/camera

Issuing this command readies the webcam, it will not actually switch on at this point! Once that command has run open up amsn (double click on the icon/via launch menu/or type amsn in terminal), then go to: account/prefs/others/audio&video/next Select use lowres cam (700 series only) Then while there in the menu others add the following:

1. in browser put: firefox $url
2. file manager: XandrosFileManager $location
3. open file command: kfmclient exec $file

click save.

The webcam should now be ready to work. Some later models of the Eee have webcam issues with Amsn. ONLY if the webcam wizards hangs/crashes (this is possibly/usually due to upgrading eee's bios), then issue

apt-cache policy uvcvideo-modules-2.6.21.4-eeepc

if you have a 2008 version, this could be the problem. You can downgrade it to a known working version with

sudo apt-get install uvcvideo-modules-2.6.21.4-eeepc=20070706-2

The webcam can be turned on and off easily, see this page to add eeecamtray and contol from the taskbar.

ONLY if you have no video at all, press F2 as the Eee boots and choose: Advanced > Onboard Devices Configuration. Then check camera enabled, and make sure OS Installation to Finished.

You can learn how to add an icons/shortcuts to aMsn in Easy Mode from Adding icons to Easy Mode on this wiki.

Amsn hasn't previously supported bi-directional audio and video. As of this article Amsn 0.98.1 was released November 11, 2009. It now includes “audio conference, video conference, chat while appearing offline, full ink (handwriting) support, MSN games support (only tic-tac-toe for now), a new protocol version, and of course, your favorite bugfixes!” The protocol for this relies on farsight libraries that are not currently available in etch. Farsight 2 is in the arduous process of an etch compile, as part of compiling Pidgin 2.6.2. Your help and contribution will be welcome

Additional information regarding firewall issues is available here and here