Linux... help?

[mysticsunrise]

                I just got a new laptop, and it runs Linux. I can't run windows live messenger, and I can't get google talk to work. Are there any good instant messaging programs for Linux?? I really want to be able to talk to my friends on my new laptop.  It would also be great if it can import contacts.

Comments

[binsk]

Heh, you're not seriously shocked that you can't run WLM on Linux, right? ;) Unfortunately, unless you find a 3rd-party client (viridorix would know), you're stuck not using Windows Live.

Well, maybe not. I know you can IM Yahoo clients from WLM and vice versa, it would appear Yahoo has a web client. You can check out http://messenger.yahoo.com/ and see if the browser-based messenger works on Linux.

As for Google, I can't endorse the competition. ;)

What flavor of Linux are you running? Ubuntu?

[pthalogreen]

I use Linux! Linux is great

[pthalogreen]

Oh, your mom said you're using KDE, so you might want to look into Kopete: http://kopete.kde.org/

I haven't used it myself, but it's built for KDE, so it'll work really well. It works with gtalk, msn, aim, icq, irc, yahoo, etc, etc.

"Kopete is part of the kdenetwork package of KDE or you can get a package that contains only Kopete."

So, you want to install kdenetwork (first check if you have it already). again, if you're using debian or a debian based thing you've got aptitude for that.

If you can type "kopete" in a terminal window and the program shows up, you've already got it :)

[pthalogreen]

and since you're new to linux, easy way to check if you have something installed already: type "man kopete" or "man kdenetwork" in a terminal window. that will bring up the manual page for the program that tells you how to use it, or it will tell you there isn't a manual page (which means it's probably not installed

[pthalogreen]

Oh, I've done a little more research. You're probably using Linpus Linux which is Fedora based. So whenever you want to download something, if there's a package for Fedora, that's the one you want.

It would be useful for you to read up on Fedora and Linpus Linux. :)

Linux is not necessarily harder than Windows, but it is different and you'll have to get used to new things, but that's part of the fun. For me, anyway.

the 'pokedex' ;)

[themage]

Yep - it's Linpus and the laptop in question in the Acer Aspire One. I gather that the MSN server has undergone a protocol change since the build and there needs to be an update applied. What I can't tell this morning is where (or if) that update is available yet, and so going with Pidgin in the meantime (i.e. until I can get home from work to do more investigation).