Enhance Pidgin With Facebook Chat, Now Playing Status, Interface Tweaks

By , Published October 12, 2009
It may not be the default chat client in Ubuntu any longer, but Pidgin is still an awesome application.

Below are 5 tweaks and plugin’s i install off-the-bat when i’m faced with a fresh version of Pidgin.

Pidgin Facebook Chat
Chat to Facebook contacts from within Pidgin and see available contacts sat amongst the rest of your pidgin contacts.

Tip: Enable Protocol Icons to see who’s on what service.


Download
Open a terminal session and type

  • sudo apt-get install pidgin-facebookchat

Or download the latest .deb from the official project page @ http://code.google.com/p/pidgin-facebookchat/

MusicTracker for Pidgin

MusicTracker is a "now playing" plug-in for Pidgin. It supports a palatable herd of music players, from Banshee to LastFm and provides a wide range of customization options (such as format, when to show, etc.)

Download

Open a terminal

  • sudo apt-get install pidgin-musictracker

Configure via the plug-ins menu.

Auto-resize Buddy List
Auto-resize does what its name implies: it automatically adjust the height of pidgin to fit the number of contacts in the buddy list. Particularly useful if you only choose to show currently on-line contacts.

Download
Deb available @ http://raoulito.info/plugins/pidgin_autoresize/

Avatars To The Left
Display contacts avatars on the left of the screen with this tweaked theme.

Download
Find the hack @ http://gnome-look.org/content/show.php/Pidgin+theme+with+avatars+to+the+left?content=111392

Install
Create a folder called ‘themes’ in ~/.purple/ and then select the theme via Pidgin’s preferences menu.

More Smilies

You can install a gazillion extra smiley themes with one command in Ubuntu: –

  • sudo apt-get install pidgin-themes

Article originally appeared on omgubuntu.co.uk

Related posts:

  1. Pidgin Adds Webcam, Voice Chat And More! – .Debs Inside!
  2. 3 Great Pidgin Emoticon Themes
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  • Mohan

    Yes, I love the fb chat plug in for pidig, been using for a while now. Also I have this fetish of broadcasting what song I am listening to so I use that Music Tracker all the time.

  • http://code-saturne.blogspot.com/ salad

    Hello!

    Thanks for the information. Besides, I want to know the name of the window border theme you are using, can I?

    Many thanks :)

    • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

      It’s the metacity from shiki-dust

  • John

    Got to say, this is an awesome site – I only discovered it a few weeks ago but I’ve been coming here pretty much every day since.. Keep up the good work! :)

    • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

      Thank you!

  • http://iovarsamis.blogspot.com/ YaniMrjack

    Irc impementation would be a nice add too.

    nice article.

    • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

      You can already use IRC in Pidgin, no plugin needed :)

  • Anonymous

    I’ve used the facebook chat for a while now too. It is great to have that integrate with all my other IM services.

  • http://encephalosponge.com/ Jonathan Blackhall

    If you ever find out how to get FB Chat working with Empathy, make sure you post about it :)

    • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

      Funny you should say that, i wrote that exact post earlier but decided not to hit “publish” as there’s a bug in telepathy that makes empathy crash when trying to login to a facebook account.

      Should i still publish anyway?

    • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

      Funny you should say that, i wrote that exact post earlier but decided not to hit “publish” as there’s a bug in telepathy that makes empathy crash when trying to login to a facebook account.

      Should i still publish anyway?

  • http://openid.markdarb.com/ Mark William Darbyshire

    I used to use Facebook chat in Pidgin when I was using builds of Shiretoko 3.5 that Facebook didn’t let the chat work in, but for some reason my sister (and potentially others) found they could see me online but couldn’t chat. Others seemed to chat without any problem. Whatever the case, having switched to Chromium (in which Facebook chat does work) I’ve been able to chat with her without any problems. So if you use Facebook chat in Pidgin beware; some people might not be able to chat with you.

  • Anonymous

    Avatars To The Left really useful!

  • http://iovarsamis.blogspot.com/ YaniMrjack

    D0od, of course you can. By implementation I meant in YOUR article.