Pidgin (software)
Open-source multi-platform instant messaging client / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Pidgin (formerly named Gaim) is a free and open-source multi-platform instant messaging client, based on a library named libpurple that has support for many instant messaging protocols, allowing the user to simultaneously log in to various services from a single application, with a single interface for both popular and obsolete protocols (from AIM to Discord), thus avoiding the hassle of having to deal with new software for each device and protocol.
Initial release | December 31, 1998; 25 years ago (1998-12-31) (as Gaim) |
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Stable release | |
Preview release | None [±] |
Repository | |
Written in | C (C#, Perl, Python, Tcl are used for plugins) |
Platform | Linux macOS (unofficial) Microsoft Windows Solaris(unofficial) FreeBSD NetBSD(unofficial) OpenBSD(unofficial) |
Available in | Multiple languages[2] |
Type | Instant messaging client |
License | GPL-3.0-or-later |
Website | pidgin |
As of 2007[update], the number of Pidgin users was estimated to be over three million.[3]
Pidgin is widely used for its Off-the-Record Messaging (OTR) plugin, which offers end-to-end encryption. For this reason it is included in the privacy and anonymity focused operating system Tails.[4]