Making IBM Lotus sametime work on Pidgin (Linux messenger)

Did you ever want to connect to IBM lotus sametime using the Linux messenger client (pidgin)? Here is a procedure of doing the same:-

OS:- Linux redhat 4 U4 (Nahant)
Messaging client:- pidgin (by default included in Redhat).

If you don't have pidgin, I would recommened downloading the rpm or debian package from Internet depending upon the OS version you have. Its a nice client used to connect to several protocols like yahoo, google talk, myspace IM etc.

Here is how to enable the sametime protocol alongwith others in pidgin:-

1. Run pidgin client on command console and check if you have sametime protocol listed in login options.

$ pipdgin &

If you are not running GUI on Linux, use export DISPLAY to export the GUI interface to any Linux desktop. If you have Reflection available, you can export it to Windows desktop as well.
2. Download the "meanwhile" rpm from internet. Check out "http://meanwhile.sourceforge.net", you should be able to download the rpm/debian package based on your OS/kernel version.
3. Install the package

rpm -ivh meanwhile*

if you manage to get hands on the source code, then compile and install the library.
4. Depending upon whether you have a GAIM client or pidgin, the library rpm might differ. For pidgin, I used libpurple-meanwhile** library.
5. Finally check the libmeanwhile.so file under pidgin install directory. "/usr/lib/pidgin/". If you are unable to find the libmeanwhile library under pidgin, then you will have to copy the file into pidgin lib folder.
6. Restart the pidgin client and check if sametime protocol appears under the drop-down.

I have a central server from where I can export the display onto my Linux desktop or various linux desktop's.

My first impression of sametime library was quite nice. It does not hang up while someone tries to contact me and is absolutely flawless in working.

Do not forget to check the port where you would be connecting to your sametime server. Ideally it should be 1533.

Rahul.