HOW TO INSTALL PIDGIN MESSENGER IN UBUNTU 16.04 – A FREE MESSENGER APP FOR LINUX

Introduction

In this article we are going to learn How to install Pidgin Messenger in Ubuntu 16.04. Pidgin is a open source all in one free messenger app. Today messenger became one of the most mandatory part of our life to communicate with families, friends. Some people uses single messenger app for communication and some people uses multiple messengers. Those who uses multiple messengers they have to install each and every messenger app one by one manually. But if you install Pidgin Messenger then you don’t have install all messenger apps manually as pidgin free messenger app allows us to use multiple messengers at single place. Pidgin supports below messenger protocols :

• AIM
• Bonjour
• Gadu-Gadu
• Google Talk
• GroupWise
• ICQ
• IRC
• SIMPLE
• Sametime
• XMPP
• Zephyr

You can also use so many other messengers by installing available official plugins. Pidgin free messenger app is highly secured app for communication as it used end to end encryption. This application was initially released on year 1998 under GPL license. Pidgin is a cross platform application available for all major operating systems i.e. Linux, Microsoft Windows, MacOS and supports multiple languages.

Follow the below steps to install Pidgin Messenger in Ubuntu 16.04 – A Free Messenger app for Linux

Installation steps of Pidgin Messenger application is quiet easy. So before start the installation let’s update the packages and repositories of Ubuntu 16.04 using below command.

elinuxbook@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get update   # Update Packages & Repositories

Now let’s go ahead and install pidgin free messenger app using below command.

elinuxbook@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get install pidgin   # Install Pidgin Messenger Package
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  gstreamer1.0-libav gstreamer1.0-nice i965-va-driver libaacs0 libass5 libavcodec-ffmpeg56 libavfilter-ffmpeg5 libavformat-ffmpeg56 libavresample-ffmpeg2
  libavutil-ffmpeg54 libbdplus0 libbluray1 libbs2b0 libcrystalhd3 libfarstream-0.2-5 libflite1 libgme0 libgsm1 libgssdp-1.0-3 libgtkspell0 libgupnp-1.0-4
  libgupnp-igd-1.0-4 libllvm4.0 libmeanwhile1 libmodplug1 libmp3lame0 libnice10 libopencv-core2.4v5 libopencv-imgproc2.4v5 libopenjpeg5 libpostproc-ffmpeg53
  libpurple-bin libpurple0 libschroedinger-1.0-0 libshine3 libsnappy1v5 libsodium18 libsoxr0 libssh-gcrypt-4 libswresample-ffmpeg1 libswscale-ffmpeg3 libtbb2
  libtwolame0 libva1 libvdpau1 libx264-148 libx265-79 libxvidcore4 libzephyr4 libzmq5 libzvbi-common libzvbi0 mesa-vdpau-drivers pidgin-data pidgin-libnotify
  va-driver-all vdpau-driver-all vdpau-va-driver
Suggested packages:
  libbluray-bdj firmware-crystalhd gnome-panel | kdebase-workspace-bin | docker libfglrx-amdxvba1 libvdpau-va-gl1 nvidia-vdpau-driver nvidia-legacy-340xx-vdpau-driver
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  gstreamer1.0-libav gstreamer1.0-nice i965-va-driver libaacs0 libass5 libavcodec-ffmpeg56 libavfilter-ffmpeg5 libavformat-ffmpeg56 libavresample-ffmpeg2
  libavutil-ffmpeg54 libbdplus0 libbluray1 libbs2b0 libcrystalhd3 libfarstream-0.2-5 libflite1 libgme0 libgsm1 libgssdp-1.0-3 libgtkspell0 libgupnp-1.0-4
  libgupnp-igd-1.0-4 libllvm4.0 libmeanwhile1 libmodplug1 libmp3lame0 libnice10 libopencv-core2.4v5 libopencv-imgproc2.4v5 libopenjpeg5 libpostproc-ffmpeg53
  libpurple-bin libpurple0 libschroedinger-1.0-0 libshine3 libsnappy1v5 libsodium18 libsoxr0 libssh-gcrypt-4 libswresample-ffmpeg1 libswscale-ffmpeg3 libtbb2
  libtwolame0 libva1 libvdpau1 libx264-148 libx265-79 libxvidcore4 libzephyr4 libzmq5 libzvbi-common libzvbi0 mesa-vdpau-drivers pidgin pidgin-data pidgin-libnotify
  va-driver-all vdpau-driver-all vdpau-va-driver
0 upgraded, 59 newly installed, 0 to remove and 345 not upgraded.
Need to get 45.3 MB of archives.
After this operation, 180 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y   ---> Enter "y" to continue the installation

We have successfully installed the Pidgin Messenger free messenger app. To confirm the same use the below command.

elinuxbook@ubuntu:~$ sudo dpkg -l pidgin   # Confirm the installed Package

Also Read :

• HOW TO INSTALL FRANZ MESSENGER APP IN UBUNTU 16.04

To open the application just type the command pidgin on shell prompt. Refer command below.

elinuxbook@ubuntu:~$ pidgin   # Open the Pidgin free messenger app

After open the Pidgin free Messenger app we have to configure it to add messengers. When you open the Pidgin for first time the below screen will come in front of you. Here you just click on Add.

Then on next screen you have to select the required Protocol (Messenger) from drop down list. Here i am selecting Google Talk.

Now enter your login details i.e. Username & Password of your selected messenger account.

If you are working on a proxy based internet environment then you have to enter your proxy settings in Pidgin Messenger application to work on your environment. Follow the snapshot’s below.

Select Proxy Type :

Now Enter Proxy Server, Port, Username & Password details :

Now you are all set to use Pidgin messenger with your selected messenger.

You can also open the Pidgin free messenger app graphically using Search your computer box. Refer the snapshot below.

To uninstall the Pidgin application use the below command.

elinuxbook@ubuntu:~$ sudo dpkg -r pidgin   # Uninstall the application

This is how we can install Pidgin Messenger in Ubuntu 16.04 – A Free Messenger App for Linux. If you found this article useful then Like us, Share this post on your preferred Social media, Subscribe our Newsletter OR if you have something to say then feel free to comment on the comment box below.