From http://www.xfastest.com/viewthread.php?tid=4593

NOTICE: The pic.xepc.org/fai/updates repository IS NOT currently up, so you will not be able to update Pidgin using this site.

UPDATE from lazyfai: repository relocated to a new server, it should be updates.xepc.org now, and it got 2.3.1 latest version as well

WORKING INSTRUCTIONS: Instructions on compiling the latest (2.4.0 as of 11-Mar-2008) version of pidgin, as well as pidgin-otr encryption to encrypt IM conversations, are in forum thread http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=7590. These instructions do not need the xepc.org repository, and should allow upgrading to the latest versions of pidgin as they come out.

The default installation of Xandros comes with Pidgin 2.0.2 installed. This HOWTO will tell you how to install a newer version from a 3rd party repository which, among other things such as security fixes, will give you the ability to chat with your friends on My Space. It also adds compatibility for to allow you to connect correctly to “Google Apps For Your Domain” chat accounts.

Please note that Pidgin DOES NOT support video chat at this time.

At the time of this writing, version 2.4.0 is the latest version of Pidgin.

• Open a terminal window

• Obtain a root-level bash shell: sudo -s

• Open /etc/apt/sources.list in your favorite text editor (kwrite /etc/apt/sources.list) and add the following line to the end:

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

• Update your repository cache: apt-get update

• Install pidgin: apt-get install pidgin

• You can verify the version information using: dpkg -l pidgin (Please note that the -l is a lower case L.)

Remark: Depending on how you set your repositories pidgin will only install the original version 2.02

Pidgin will not update:

• edit /etc/apt/preferences find 'updates.xepc.org'

• Change 'Pin-Priority: 925' to 'Pin-Priority: 975' If there is no entry for this source, then post this entry after the first one:

Package: *
Pin: origin updates.xepc.org
Pin-Priority: 975

• Save changes

• apt-get update

• apt-get remove pidgin

• apt-get install pidgin

• edit /etc/apt/preferences find 'updates.xepc.org'

• Change:

Package: *
Pin: origin updates.xepc.org
Pin-Priority: 975

• To

Package: *
Pin: origin updates.xepc.org
Pin-Priority: 925

• Save changes

• apt-get update

• apt-get install pidgin-otr

• Install MDNS: apt-get install avahi-daemon

• sudo nano /etc/fastservices to include dbus on its own line. If this file does not exist, please create it. Ctrl-x, Return to save and quit.

• Restart machine

• Launch pidgin and add a bonjour profile