Chapter 6. Instant Messaging with Gaim¶
Contents
Use Gaim to use all of your instant messaging accounts from a single instant messaging client. Gaim supports all of the most popular instant messaging protocols, so you can log in to all of your accounts at once and chat live with your contacts in one tabbed interface, regardless of which IM system they use.
This chapter explains the Gaim options you need to know about to set up Gaim and communicate with your contacts. It does not explain all of Gaim’s features and options. For more information, open Gaim, then click or press F1.
6.1. Supported Protocols¶
Gaim supports the following instant messaging protocols:
AIM/ICQ
Gadu-Gadu
GroupWise
IRC
Jabber
MSN
Napster
Yahoo
Zephyr
6.2. Setting Up an Account¶
To use Gaim, you must already have accounts on the systems you want to use. For example, to use Gaim for your AIM account, you must first have an AIM account. Once you have those accounts, set them up in the Gaim dialog.
Start Gaim by clicking .
Click to open the dialog.
The first time you run Gaim, or any subsequent times you start Gaim when you do not have any accounts set up, the dialog opens automatically.
Choose the protocol you want to set up.
The dialog differs for each protocol, depending on what setup options are available for that protocol.
Enter the setup options for the chosen protocol.
Typical options include your account name and password. Your protocol might support additional options, such as a buddy icon, alias, login options, or others.
Click .
Repeat Steps 2 to 5 for each additional protocol.
Once an account is added, you can log in to that account by entering your account name and password in the Gaim dialog.
6.3. Managing Your Buddy List¶
Use the Buddy List to manage your contacts, also known as buddies. You can add and remove buddies from your Buddy List, and you can organize your buddies in groups so they are easy to find.
6.3.1. Displaying Buddies in the Buddy List¶
Once your accounts are set up, all buddies who are online appear in your Buddy List. If you also want your buddies who are not online to appear in the Buddy List, click > .
6.3.2. Adding a Buddy¶
To add a buddy to your Buddy List, click , then enter the information about that buddy.
![[Note]](admon/note.png) | |
For some protocols, you cannot add a buddy in the Gaim interface. You must use the client for those protocols if you want to add to your buddy list. After you have added a buddy in the protocol’s client, that buddy appears in your Gaim Buddy List. | |
6.3.3. Removing a Buddy¶
To remove a buddy, right-click on that buddy’s name in the Buddy List, then click .
6.4. Chatting¶
To open a chat session, double-click a buddy name in the Buddy List. The Chat screen opens. Type your message, then press to send it.
Each chat session you open appears as a tab in the Chat screen. Click on a buddy’s tab to chat with that buddy. Close a chat session by closing the tab for that buddy.