Empathy is the stock gnome chat client, gajim is a REALLY versatile python-based chat client which integrates with gpg/pgp and mcabber is a command line chat client.
While I used empathy for a few years, I much prefer gajim. Partly it's the geek cred that comes with using something a bit less common, but mostly it's because it 1) supports gpg, 2) is highly configurable and 3) is easy to use. It's available in the debian repos. I like mcabber over centerim for the same reason - gpg support. Now, if I only had friends who were as paranoid as I...
[gajim]
Jabber ID: youruser@gmail.com
Resource: Gajim
Priority: adjust to status
Hostname: talk.google.com
Port: 5223
If you use gpg, go to the Personal information tab
You don't need to select 'Use gpg agent' (gpg agent segfaults on one of my boxes)
[mcabber]
The following goes into ~/.mcabber/mcabberrc
set color_background=default #allows transparent background
# Account
set jid = youruser@gmail.com
set password = areallylongandcomplicatedpasswordwhichyoullneverremember
set server = talk.google.com
set port = 5222
set ignore_self_presence = 1 #show self in list?
# GPG/PGP
set pgp = 1
set pgp_private_key = "01100110C1C1C1C1" # get the Key ID from seahorse
set pgp_passphrase_retries = 3
set nickname = blofeld
set spell_enable = 1
set spell_lang = en_GB
set spell_encoding = UTF-8
set cmdhistory_lines = 250
set roster_display_filter = ofdna
set max_history_blocks = 8
set message_autoaway = Auto-away (idle)
set escdelay = 50
alias me = say /me
alias online = status online
alias away = status away
alias dnd = status dnd
alias notavail = status notavail
bind 17 = roster unread_next
bind 24 = roster alternate
bind 269 = roster toggle_offline
bind 276 = roster toggle
bind 521 = buffer up
bind 514 = buffer down
While I used empathy for a few years, I much prefer gajim. Partly it's the geek cred that comes with using something a bit less common, but mostly it's because it 1) supports gpg, 2) is highly configurable and 3) is easy to use. It's available in the debian repos. I like mcabber over centerim for the same reason - gpg support. Now, if I only had friends who were as paranoid as I...
[gajim]
Jabber ID: youruser@gmail.com
Resource: Gajim
Priority: adjust to status
Hostname: talk.google.com
Port: 5223
If you use gpg, go to the Personal information tab
You don't need to select 'Use gpg agent' (gpg agent segfaults on one of my boxes)
[mcabber]
The following goes into ~/.mcabber/mcabberrc
set color_background=default #allows transparent background
# Account
set jid = youruser@gmail.com
set password = areallylongandcomplicatedpasswordwhichyoullneverremember
set server = talk.google.com
set port = 5222
set ignore_self_presence = 1 #show self in list?
# GPG/PGP
set pgp = 1
set pgp_private_key = "01100110C1C1C1C1" # get the Key ID from seahorse
set pgp_passphrase_retries = 3
set nickname = blofeld
set spell_enable = 1
set spell_lang = en_GB
set spell_encoding = UTF-8
set cmdhistory_lines = 250
set roster_display_filter = ofdna
set max_history_blocks = 8
set message_autoaway = Auto-away (idle)
set escdelay = 50
alias me = say /me
alias online = status online
alias away = status away
alias dnd = status dnd
alias notavail = status notavail
bind 17 = roster unread_next
bind 24 = roster alternate
bind 269 = roster toggle_offline
bind 276 = roster toggle
bind 521 = buffer up
bind 514 = buffer down
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.
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