The default installation of Xandros comes with Pidgin 2.0.2 installed. This HOWTO will tell you how to install a newer version.

Yahoo and Microsoft often change their authentication protocols, which stops third party apps like Pidgin from working. This newer version currently works fine with MSN and Yahoo. Please note that Pidgin on the Eee's Xandros install, DOES NOT support video chat, due to dependencies that cannot be met in etch.

At the time of writing, 2.6.3 is the latest version of Pidgin available for the Eee. The Asus 1.6 repo contains this 2.6.3 version of pidgin, but it works without problems for other (earlier) models, such as the 701. This HOWTO temporarily adds the 1.6 repo to install this newer version of Pidgin. After installing Pidgin it is important that you remove the repo as shown, as it can cause dependency problems with other packages, if not specific to your model.

1. Open a terminal window (ctl+alt+t)
2. Open /etc/apt/sources.list in the text editor

   sudo kwrite /etc/apt/sources.list

3. and add the following lines to the end:

   deb http://update.eeepc.asus.com/1.6/ p901 main
   deb http://update.eeepc.asus.com/1.6/ common main

4. Save & exit
5. Update your repository cache:

   sudo apt-get update

6. Check that the changes are in effect:

   apt-cache policy pidgin pidgin-data libpurple0

   which should return something similar to this:

   pidgin:
     Installed: (none)
     Candidate: 1:2.6.3-1~bpo50+1xandros4etch1
     Version table:
        1:2.6.3-1~bpo50+1xandros4etch1 0
           950 http://update.eeepc.asus.com common/main Packages
   
   pidgin-data:
     Installed: (none)
     Candidate: 1:2.6.3-1~bpo50+1xandros4etch1
     Version table:
        1:2.6.3-1~bpo50+1xandros4etch1 0
           950 http://update.eeepc.asus.com common/main Packages
   
   libpurple0:
     Installed: (none)
     Candidate: 1:2.6.3-1~bpo50+1xandros4etch1
     Version table:
        1:2.6.3-1~bpo50+1xandros4etch1 0
           950 http://update.eeepc.asus.com common/main Packages

   Where the example above says Installed: (none), yours might list a currently installed version. This is OK, apt will upgrade accordingly.

7. Install pidgin:

   sudo apt-get install pidgin pidgin-data libpurple0

You can verify the version information using: dpkg -l pidgin (Please note that the -l is a lower case L), or apt-cache policy pidgin.

Now that Pidgin is installed, it would be wise to remove the 1.6 repos, assuming that you're using a 701, or a machine that is not using the 1.6 system.

1. Open a terminal window (ctl+alt+t)
2. Open /etc/apt/sources.list in the text editor

   sudo kwrite /etc/apt/sources.list

3. and remove the previously added lines:

   deb http://update.eeepc.asus.com/1.6/ p901 main
   deb http://update.eeepc.asus.com/1.6/ common main

4. Save & exit
5. Update your repository cache:

   sudo apt-get update

Pidgin 2.6.2-5 Pidgin 2.6.2-4

• 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

Out of date, but kept for reference:

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.

rio b and you numero rio