Pidgin (software)

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(Redirected from Gaim)

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[[Programmer|DeveloperTemplate:Pluralize from text]]The Pidgin Project
Initial releaseDecember 31, 1998; Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Date' not found. (1998-12-31) (as Gaim)
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PlatformLinux
macOS (unofficial)
Microsoft Windows
Solaris (unofficial)
FreeBSD
NetBSD (unofficial)
OpenBSD (unofficial)
Available inMultiple languages[1]
TypeInstant messaging client
LicenseGPL-3.0-or-later
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Pidgin (formerly named Gaim) is a free and open-source instant messaging client for Linux, Microsoft Windows, and other platforms. Based on the library named libpurple, it supports multiple instant messaging protocols and allows users to connect to different services from a single interface.

Originally created in 1998 as GAIM by Mark Spencer, the software was renamed Pidgin in 2007 following a trademark settlement with AOL.[2] It supports end-to-end encryption through the Off-the-Record Messaging (OTR) plugin and is included by default in the privacy-focused operating system Tails.[3] On July 6, 2015, Pidgin scored seven out of seven on the Electronic Frontier Foundation's secure messaging scorecard.[4] Development of Pidgin 3, a major rewrite, began with preview releases in late 2024.[5]

History

Screenshot of the Gaim buddy list window
Gaim 2.0.0 beta 6 running under GNOME 2.16.0

The program was originally written by Mark Spencer, an Auburn University sophomore, as an emulation of AOL's IM program AOL Instant Messenger on Linux using the GTK+ toolkit.[6] The earliest archived release was on December 31, 1998.[7] It was named GAIM (GTK+ AOL Instant Messenger) accordingly. The emulation was not based on reverse engineering, but instead relied on information about the protocol that AOL had published on the web. Development was assisted by some of AOL's technical staff.[6][8] Support for other IM protocols was added soon thereafter.[6]

In response to pressure from AOL, the program was renamed to the acronymous-but-lowercase gaim. As AOL Instant Messenger gained popularity, AOL trademarked its acronym, "AIM", leading to a lengthy legal struggle with the creators of GAIM, who kept the matter largely secret.[2]

On April 6, 2007, the project development team announced the results of their settlement with AOL, which included a series of name changes: Gaim became Pidgin, libgaim became libpurple, and gaim-text (the command-line interface version) became Finch. The name Pidgin was chosen in reference to the term "pidgin", which describes communication between people who do not share a common language.[9][10] The name "purple" refers to prpl, the internal libgaim name for an IM protocol plugin.[11]

Due to the legal issues, version 2.0 of the software was frozen in beta stages. Following the settlement, it was announced that the first official release of Pidgin 2.0.0 was hoped to occur during the two weeks from April 8, 2007.[9] However, Pidgin 2.0 was not released as scheduled; Pidgin developers announced on April 22, 2007, that the delay was due to the preferences directory ".gaim".[12]

Pidgin 2.0.0 was released on May 3, 2007. Other visual changes were made to the interface in this version, including updated icons.[13] By 2007, the number of Pidgin users was estimated to be over three million.[14]

On July 6, 2015, Pidgin scored seven out of seven points on the Electronic Frontier Foundation's secure messaging scorecard.[4] Pidgin received marks for encrypting communications in transit, supporting end-to-end encryption, allowing users to verify correspondent identities, providing forward secrecy, publishing its source code for independent review, documenting its security design, and undergoing recent independent security audits.[4]

Pidgin 3

Pidgin 3.0.0 Experimental 1, a preview release of Pidgin 3 versioned as 2.90, was announced and subsequently released on December 31, 2024 after many years of development.[15][16] It was shipped with IRC support, with more protocols being expected to be added in future versions.[15] In April 2025, version 2.91, a second preview release of Pidgin 3, was released.[17] Version 2.95 (alpha) followed in April 2026, adding Zulip as an in-tree protocol plugin.[18]

Features

Screenshot of Pidgin's buddy list and chat window on Ubuntu
Pidgin running on Ubuntu

Pidgin provides a graphical front-end for libpurple using GTK+.[19] Libpurple supports many instant-messaging protocols.

Pidgin supports multiple operating systems, including Windows and many Unix-like systems such as Linux and the BSDs. It is included by default in the privacy-focused operating system Tails.[3]

Pluggability

The program is designed to be extended with plugins. Plugins may be written in C, C#, Perl, Python, or Tcl. They can be used to add support for protocols, which is useful for those such as Skype or Discord which have licensing issues (however, the users' data and interactions are still subject to their policies and eavesdropping). They can also add other significant features. For example, the "Off-the-Record Messaging" (OTR) plugin provides end-to-end encryption.

The TLS encryption system is pluggable, allowing different TLS libraries to be easily substituted. GnuTLS is the default, and NSS is also supported. Some operating systems' ports, such as OpenBSD's, choose to use OpenSSL or LibreSSL by default instead.

Contacts

Contacts with multiple protocols can be grouped into one single contact instead of managing multiple protocols, and contacts can be given aliases or placed into groups.

To reach users as they log on or a status change occurs (such as moving from "Away" to "Available"), Pidgin supports on-action automated scripts called Buddy Pounces to automatically reach the user in customizable ways.

File transfer

Pidgin supports file transfers for many protocols. Direct, peer-to-peer file transfers are supported over protocols such as XMPP.

Voice and video chat

As of version 2.6 (released on August 18, 2009), Pidgin supports voice/video calls using Farstream.[20] In the 2.x branch, calls can only be initiated through the XMPP protocol.[21] Voice and video support is being redesigned for version 3.0.[15]

Miscellaneous

Further features include support for themes, emoticons, spell checking, and notification area integration.[22]

Supported protocols

The following protocols are officially supported by Pidgin 2.14.14 (released January 23, 2025), without any extensions or plugins:[23][20]

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Some XMPP servers provide transports, which allow users to access networks using non-XMPP protocols without having to install plugins or additional software. Pidgin's support for XMPP means that these transports can be used to communicate via otherwise unsupported protocols, including not only instant messaging protocols, but also protocols such as SMS or email.

Additional protocols, supported by third-party plugins, include Discord,[25] Telegram,[26] Microsoft OCS/LCS (extended SIP/SIMPLE),[27] and Signal.[28]

Plugins

Various other features are supported using third-party plugins.[29] Such features include:

  • End-to-end encryption through Off-the-Record Messaging (OTR)
  • microblogs (GNU social, Twitter)
  • Adding mathematical formulas written in LaTeX to conversations
  • Notifications (such as showing "toaster" popups or Snarl notifications, or lighting LEDs on laptops)
  • Showing contacts what the user is listening to in various media players
  • Watching videos directly into a conversation when receiving a video sharing website link (YouTube, Vimeo)

Criticisms

The libpurple codebase has been described as "known for its bountiful security bugs".[30] Security vulnerabilities were found in OTR plugins using libpurple in 2011.[31]

Starting in version 2.4, Pidgin removed the ability to manually resize the text input box, prompting a fork called Carrier (originally named Funpidgin).[32][33][34]

Passwords are stored in a plaintext file readable by any program or user with access to the user's files.[35] Pidgin 3.0 plans to support password storage in system keyrings such as KWallet and the GNOME Keyring on Linux, Keychain on macOS, and the Windows Credential API.[35][24][15]

Pidgin does not support pausing or resuming file transfers.[36][37]

Other notable software based on libpurple

BitlBee and Minbif are IRCd-like gateways to multiple IM networks, and can be compiled with libpurple to increase functionality.

See also

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References

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