Monday, February 9, 2009

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.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rahul,
I'm using OpenSUSE 11.1 and I could not find same time support in my pidgin.

Also i'm very new for linux, I don't know how to install those package, can you please guide me more about it?

Rahul Khare said...

does not matter which version of Linux you use...since you already have Pidgin...check out the website:-

http://www.rpmfind.net/linux/rpm2html/search.php?query=meanwhile-doc

and download meanwhile-doc-1.0.2-1.105.i586.rpm library.

I think you might be having 386 based architecture...alternatively, you can check if you have X86 based architecture...all of this could be checked via "uname" command. Once you have the package, cimply install it using the following command:-

rpm -ivh

and then restart pidgin...it should do it...

Anonymous said...

Hi Rahul,

I'm using the latest version of Pidgin on Ubuntu 9.10 and whenever I try to connect to the Sametime server I continually get "Incorrect Username/Password" -- I'm certain my username & password are correct. Have you encountered anything like this? Any suggestions on how to resolve it?

Rahul Khare said...

I remember hitting the same when I was working in my previous organization. I resolved it by carefully looking at the sametime community settings.

for .e.g. in some offices your ID is prefixed with domainname for login purpose. The same theory applies here, if I assume your Id to be just alphanumeric then try to prefix the domain as well. Some organizations do have domain prefixing in Sametime via community settings etc.

UGottaEat said...

Hello Rahul, I just installed Pidgin for my Windows XP. VEerythign seems to be working and i can see sametime when i scroll down. While trying to add my profile, its asking me for my sametime community server ip or host address. How do i find it? The port is showing as 1533 itself. I am a pidgin novice and your help will be really appreciated.

Rahul Khare said...

well...if you have installed it on windows, then try to lookup the sametime settings...or else ask your organization's sametime expert for community and server name etc..