Team-orientated instant messaging and collaboration tool HipChat is once again available for Linux users – this time without the crutch of Adobe Air that its old client required.
Hipchat, made by software development company Atlassian, allows multiple-team members scattered across the office, city, or globe, to communicate, plan, share, and conduct meetings together.
Key features of HipChat include:
- Persistent Chat Rooms
- 1-to-1 Messaging
- Complete chat history
- Guest access
- File sharing
Oh, and it has some awesome emoticons that totally derail enhance productivity.
We’re not here to review the service inasmuch as the beta release of its new Linux app for using it.
Putting the sheer usefulness of having the client on Linux natively aside, the client does what it should do: it works.
Not every feature HipChat is useful for is available in this beta.
For example, the web-version and the Windows and OS X clients let you create rooms, invite other users, share a guest link, etc from the main window itself. Not so in this beta.
Chances are most HipChat users won’t care too much about the slightly off-kilter look of widgets and menus, or the lack of Ubuntu App Menu support.
Ubuntu notifications are supported, as is IRC-like tab completion of user names.
Download HipChat Linux Beta
Hipchat for Linux beta is a free download. To install it follow the instructions on the HipChat Linux install page (hint: there’s a bit of copy and pasting involved).
HipChat is available to use for free for teams with 5 members or less, with paid plans starting from $2 per user per month for those needing more than 5.