Manas T

The Random Blog

How to configure Pidgin to work with Google Talk

with 223 comments

Post Updated on 17-Apr-2010. The earlier instructions were not needed on the new Pidgin anymore. Pidgin has now added a new Google Talk protocol which can be used to configure your Google Talk id.

Pidgin (earlier Gaim) is a multiple protocol Instant Messenger client which can be used to chat using MSN, Yahoo, AIM, Google Talk and many other protocols.

How to configure Pidgin to work with Google Talk (Use Pidgin to chat with your GTalk friends)

  1. Download & Install the latest version of Pidgin. On Kubuntu / Ubuntu you can just type 
    aptitude install pidgin

    in terminal to install Pidgin. :)

  2. Open Pidgin and go to Accounts –> Manage Accounts –> Add window of Pidgin.
  3. From the drop-down box choose Google Talk as the Protocol.
  4. For the Screen name enter your Google Id (Gmail Id) just the user name without the @gmail.com in it.

    5. Pidgin GTalk settings

  5. In the Password field enter your Google ID password.

That’s it. Now you can start chatting with your GTalk buddies using Pidgin while keeping in touch with users of other IM users also. No need to install GTalk software. :P

Let us know if you have any problems configuring it. :)

Written by Manas

May 11th, 2007 at 9:43 pm

Posted in Uncategorized

Tags: ,

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21 Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Chemi’s Blog » Configure Google Talk to work with Pidgin
  2. » How To: Set up Google Talk with GAIM, er, Pidgin
  3. Techzi » Blog Archive » How To: Set up Google Talk with Gaim, er, Pidgin
  4. How To: Set up Google Talk with Gaim, er, Pidgin » D-L Technology BLOG
  5. nežinau.lt » ?raš? archyvas » Id?ja geguž?s 17-ajai: GoogleTalk pokalbiai su Pidgin
  6. Rachanont » How to configure Pidgin for Google Talk
  7. Connection errors in Pidgin with GTalk? » Thursday Night
  8. links for 2007-08-01 « geek notes
  9. google » How to configure Pidgin to work with Google Talk | ManasT.com
  10. links for 2008-02-01 « Random Musings
  11. Alex A. Hutnik » Blog Archive » Problems with Pidgin and Google Talk (GChat)
  12. Multiple Instant Messenger
  13. links for 2008-10-27 « Bijay Rungta’s Weblog
  14. Bijau chemijos » Apie santykius su Linux: viskas veikia
  15. aurorYx » Blog Archive » Pidgin, el messenger del “todo en uno”
  16. hammerDK » Blog Archive » Gtalk and Google Hosted Domains
  17. HamzaED
  18. Using Pidgin to connect to Google Chat | A Day in the Life of Matt Cofer
  19. links for 2009-05-21 « My place
  20. Felix Langelier » Blog Archive » Comment rester connecteé sur tout les systèmes de messagerie instantanée ?
  21. Pidgin, Google Talk error, not singing in.- Dan Pereda – Yeah! You found me.

with 223 comments to “How to configure Pidgin to work with Google Talk”

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  1. Ken

    14 May 07 at 9:11 pm

    Is this Linux you’re using Pidgin on? If so, what theme is that that looks like OS X?

  2. Manas

    14 May 07 at 9:12 pm

    Hi Ken !

    Na, I was using Windows when taking this screenshot… :)

  3. Jon

    14 May 07 at 9:41 pm

    Thanks Manas. I just installed Pidgin after having used Gaim for several years but I didn’t know I could configure my GTalk account here as well. Hooray for consolidation!

    Jon

  4. Manas

    14 May 07 at 9:46 pm

    Hi Jon !

    Glad to have helped you out.. Pidgin rocks. ;)

  5. Adam

    14 May 07 at 11:27 pm

    I believe you also need to specify talk.google.com as the connect server in the advanced tab, or at least you used to have to do that.

    -A

  6. anon

    14 May 07 at 11:39 pm

    I keep getting a read error

  7. Manas

    14 May 07 at 11:42 pm

    Hi Adam … Hmm, Pidgin does not require you to do this anymore.. ;)

  8. Manas

    14 May 07 at 11:43 pm

    @ anon – What kind of read error ?

  9. Mike

    15 May 07 at 1:47 am

    I tried to follow your instruction but it’s not working. I wonder why? Can anyone give me idea how to resolve this issue? Thanks.

  10. Diesel

    15 May 07 at 4:15 am

    I am getting errors too.

    First I tried to just “Save” the settings and I get an error saying it can’t connect to my account. Then I tried to “Register” and it said “Couldn’t connect to host”. I also trie the above mentioned talk.google.com in the Advanced tab and that didn’t seem to do anything at all.

    Is it possible that this could be a Firewall issue and that I might ened to edit more on the advanced tab?

    Suggestions?

  11. Fredrik

    15 May 07 at 12:42 pm

    I get the same error as Diesel. Is that Firewall related?

  12. Troels

    15 May 07 at 2:10 pm

    Connect error here too. Strange and sad because I would really like to use GTalk over Pidgin.

  13. jjj

    15 May 07 at 2:13 pm

    try going to the advanced tab, checking “allow plaintext auth over unencrypted streams”, putting 5222 as your connect port, and talk.google.com as your connect server. for proxy type, i used “use environmental settings”.

    this setup solved those errors for me.

  14. Pierce Presley

    15 May 07 at 4:41 pm

    Make sure you’re using Pidgin 2.0.0, not the beta. I couldn’t get GTalk to work with the beta, but when I enabled the update notification plugin, and went to http://www.pidgin.im to download the release version, magically it worked. I backed out of everything and did a clean account add, no screwing with the advanced tab, FYI.

  15. Troels

    15 May 07 at 7:02 pm

    hmm… Still no good I am afraid. Guess I still have to use the normal GTalk client.

  16. Manas

    15 May 07 at 7:50 pm

    For whom the steps mentioned are not working, try the Troubleshooting tips at the end of the post and & as Pierce suggested update to the final Pidgin 2. :)

  17. Troels

    16 May 07 at 1:39 pm

    Nope… still no good and I tried all kinds of combinations now.
    I guess the company I work for has too strict firewall rules (MSN won’t connect either). It is just strange since my normal GTalk client has no problems.

  18. anon

    16 May 07 at 2:23 pm

    It works fine with Gaim/Pidgin.

    Don’t suppose you know how to get Skype Chat on Pidgin as well do you?

  19. Manas

    16 May 07 at 7:38 pm

    @ Troels – You may be right. There must be firewall restrictions.

    @ anon – Glad to know it works. I have no idea if Skype chat is possible. If I find something I will tell. :)

  20. codecraig

    16 May 07 at 7:54 pm

    didn’t work for me either

  21. Evan

    20 May 07 at 2:10 pm

    I get the message “not authorized” when I try to connect. I’ve tried the tips listed at the bottom, and I am using v2.0.0. Does anybody have any idea why?

  22. Fox-MC

    21 May 07 at 12:54 pm

    Failed to work for me too. Just like Troels, I tried all the options and nothing worked. Is it because I am using it on linux. Just check with our network adimin, nothing to do with the firewall. No other option available for linux user? Don’t like email one……. need something like this plsease…. just for more information this is the error I get when I use the method given above and the troubleshooting comment.

    Server requires TLS/SSL for login. No TLS/SSL support found

  23. Fierita

    22 May 07 at 4:26 am

    Can’t get it to connect to gtalk here over XP. MSN account works… Tried everything with no luck..
    Just trying to use this to replace msn + gtalk for just one program.

  24. ChipInNC

    22 May 07 at 12:46 pm

    Same results… Not Authorized…. Win XP, Pidgeo 2.0.0, However, installed google Talk on same system with same user ID / Password and _it_ connects fine.

    Any ideas?

  25. Manas

    23 May 07 at 8:24 am

    Did you all try to use the “Advanced Options” while configuring the accounts ?

  26. Poonam

    24 May 07 at 2:03 pm

    Even after setting up the advanced setting i am not able to connect to the gmail account by pidgin.It gives me an error not able to connect to the host.

  27. Drokliss

    27 May 07 at 4:46 am

    I was having the same problems, but once I clicked the “Enabled” checkbox in the add/edit connections box, it turned on fine.

  28. Manas

    27 May 07 at 8:59 am

    Thanks for the tip Drokliss… I will update the post with this. :)

  29. georg

    28 May 07 at 8:02 pm

    Thanks a lot for this. I had the connect error, and tried everything (almost). The tip to check “Allow plaintext auth over unencrypted streams” finally solved it!

  30. Manas

    28 May 07 at 8:17 pm

    Glad to know it works for you. ;)

  31. Charlie

    31 May 07 at 8:10 pm

    I think I have figured out the issue here… at least it worked for me… :)

    I was able to use Yahoo, MSN, GTalk all on my work computer, but could not get Pidgin to work with GTalk. By scanning the ports, I was able to figure out that the GTalk app uses port 443… so.. I changed the advanced tab to these settings.

    Force old (port 5223) SSL: Checked
    Allow plaintext auth over unencrypted streams: Un-Checked
    Connect Port: 443
    Connect Server: talk.google.com
    Proxy type: Use Global Proxy Settings

  32. Manas

    31 May 07 at 8:12 pm

    Thanks for the tips Charlie… Updated the post.. :)

  33. Fierita

    31 May 07 at 9:48 pm

    Thanks a lot!! works like a charm now! thanks charlie!

  34. Manas

    31 May 07 at 10:02 pm

    Glad to know Charlie’s tips work. Hope it works for others too. :)

  35. leslie

    1 Jun 07 at 7:18 pm

    it worked, but i can’t add people. i am talking to one person within gmail, but when i add them in pidgin under the gtalk account – it says they are offline.

  36. Manas

    1 Jun 07 at 8:32 pm

    Hmm… I don’t have this problem… Anywayz I have linked my Orkut account to GTalk. So I rarely need to add people manually. :)

  37. John

    5 Jun 07 at 3:05 pm

    Yay!!! Charlie’s tip worked great for me – no other tips I found anywhere else did. Thanks so much!

  38. Manas

    5 Jun 07 at 7:35 pm

    Glad to know Charlie’s tips work. ;)

  39. David

    6 Jun 07 at 1:59 pm

    Thanks Charlie, I did an Ethereal trace and noticed that what Pidgin was doing to connect to Google Talk was completely different to what the official client was doing but didn’t know what to do about it. Your instructions fixed my problem too! In case anyone cares, I’m using Pidgin 2.0.1 on Windows and am connecting through a Squid proxy.

  40. vishnuvardhan

    7 Jun 07 at 1:46 pm

    recently i have created orkut account and linked it with google talk. today i have downloaded pidgin 2.0.0. when i have gone thorough all the steps given by you i am unable to connect to google talk. i don’t have gmail email ID. my login id for orkut is something@example.com. i have created another username for google talk, just say “kjsanlnlsan”. can u please in detail instructions for configuring pidgin.

  41. Manas

    7 Jun 07 at 8:16 pm

    You need to create get the corresponding GTalk user name for using GTalk. I have no info on this. Sorry. :(

    Will tell you if I find anything. :)

  42. Gary

    10 Jun 07 at 11:34 pm

    I have tried ALL of the above, matter of fact, I don’t belive there is a combo I haven’t tried on the “Advanced” tab. I gat AIM and MSN, but no GT…..Can anyone offer any suggestions? TIA :)

  43. Manas

    10 Jun 07 at 11:51 pm

    Gary I really suggest you should try the Advanced tab options. That solved the problem for a lot of people.

  44. Gary

    11 Jun 07 at 12:16 am

    That’s what I did, I have tried every combination of tab settings, I did the port change to 443, I unchecked this…checked that, changed from “global” to “environmental”. I have tried ALL, I REPEAT, ALL of the above! Any other suggestions.

  45. Manas

    11 Jun 07 at 12:23 am

    Strange, then I can’t help you. I am sorry. May be its some firewall at work. :(

  46. Gary

    11 Jun 07 at 12:27 am

    No, turned it off, but thx a lot!

  47. Nico

    11 Jun 07 at 2:03 pm

    Thanks, this worked for me!

  48. Manas

    11 Jun 07 at 5:03 pm

    Welcome… ;)

  49. boota

    14 Jun 07 at 7:46 pm

    Port 443 allowed me to connect, but it says users are offline and it doesn’t download all my contacts

  50. Manas

    14 Jun 07 at 8:28 pm

    Strange … Try upgrading to Pidgin 2.0.1

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