Mercurial > pidgin
annotate doc/FAQ @ 305:77404a4692b1
[gaim-migrate @ 315]
12:10:45 EWarmenhoven: ok, the new method for chosing a font: it tries the requested font at the requested size. if it can't do that, it tries the requested font at any size. if it can't do that, it tries courier at any size, then helvetica at any size. if it can't do *that*, it tries the person's default outgoing font, if they have one. if it can't do that, it tries courier, helvetica, then times, all in their most boring form (no bold, italics, etc) at any size. if it *still* can't do that, then there's just no hope, and it segfaults. but at least there's a few more layers of protection and probability that you're going to get *something* right
12:11:43 EWarmenhoven: i don't even know that it'll segfault, but i'm pretty sure it will, since by the time you get down there, it returns NULL :-P
committer: Tailor Script <tailor@pidgin.im>
author | Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org> |
---|---|
date | Thu, 01 Jun 2000 19:13:00 +0000 |
parents | 46b6b894bc48 |
children | e2f9fb72fb92 |
rev | line source |
---|---|
1 | 1 GAIM: The Pimpin' Penguin IM Clone Thats Good For The Soul |
2 | |
3 Here's the FAQ. PLEASE don't bother me about anything on this list. You | |
4 will be ignored or pointed at the FAQ -- I have been extremely short of time | |
5 lately! Feel free to contact any of us with praise or ideas. If you have | |
6 ideas or bug problems, please use email, because I like to keep records of | |
7 that kinda stuff and I don't log all my conversations. Enjoy gaim! | |
8 - Jim Duchek <jimduchek@ou.edu> | |
9 | |
10 I. The Protocol | |
11 1. Is it the same protocol as the Windows client uses? | |
269
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
12 2. Where can I find info on TOC? |
1 | 13 3. What other clients use this protocol? |
14 4. TCP or UDP? | |
15 5. So the buddy list is stored on the server? | |
16 | |
17 II. The Client | |
18 1. What does 'gaim' stand for? | |
19 2. How do I make multiple groups? | |
20 3. How come there's no file transfer? | |
21 4. Why no AOL logo? | |
22 5. Where are my log files stored? | |
23 6. Can I use my Windows 95 Buddylist with Gaim? | |
24 7. I'm not a native English speaker and I would like a translated | |
25 version of gaim. | |
26 8. I've got a proxy, and I'd like to use GAIM. | |
27 | |
28 III. Problems | |
29 1. WAAAAAH! My sound doesn't work! | |
30 2. My buddy list disappeared! | |
31 3. I click on URLs, but Netscape doesn't popup! | |
32 4. I don't use Netscape. | |
33 5. I'm using the GNOME client. I have a bug. | |
34 6. I have a bug not described here. | |
35 7. I have Mandrake 6.0 and GAIM doesnt work! | |
36 | |
37 IV. Programming | |
38 1. I have a patch for gaim! | |
141 | 39 2. I have a plugin for gaim! |
40 3. Can you teach me how to program GTK? | |
1 | 41 |
42 V. Miscellaneous | |
43 1. Can I talk to you on IM? | |
44 2. I want to write an IM client. Will you help me? | |
45 3. I have money. I need some software written. Can you help? | |
46 4. I have hardware here that's not being used, or money. Can | |
47 you use it? | |
48 5. I would like to send you beer. | |
49 6. Are you going to port this thing to Windows? | |
50 7. Why the GPL? | |
51 8. I use *BSD and I hate the penguin! I want daemon images! | |
52 9. Can I design a logo for you? | |
53 10. What is a wagii? | |
54 11. Speaking of the penguin, I heard a rumour you have a tattoo of | |
55 it. Is that true? | |
56 12. What Window Manager do you use? What distribution do you use? | |
57 What other stupid things can you ask me that don't really matter | |
58 but ya'll ask me anyway? | |
59 13. Is XX a good Harddrive, YY a good monitor and ZZ a good CPU? | |
60 14. Who designed the new logo? | |
61 15. I want to contribute to the effort. Where can I send beer to? | |
62 | |
63 I. The Protocol | |
64 1. Is it the same protocol as the Windows client uses? | |
65 No. The Windows client uses Oscar, which is proprietary | |
66 and undocumented. Some people have used network tools and such to figure | |
67 it mostly out -- Look for 'faim'. We use TOC, which is completely open and | |
68 documented. | |
269
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
69 There is some support for libfaim now, which allows gaim to |
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
70 use Oscar, but DON'T USE IT! It's seriously buggy. |
1 | 71 |
269
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
72 2. Where can I find info on TOC? |
141 | 73 In the document called PROTOCOL. It's the version that was |
74 published with AOL's TiK client version 0.75, which appears to be the last | |
75 one ever published. | |
1 | 76 |
77 3. What other clients use this protocol? | |
141 | 78 There are a few other Unix programs that use it, I think. I |
79 really couldn't tell you though. AOL used to keep a list of them, but no more. | |
269
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
80 I think some of them are Everybuddy and Jabber. Oh yeah, TiK is still around. |
1 | 81 |
82 4. TCP or UDP? | |
83 TCP. | |
84 | |
85 5. So the buddy list is stored on the server? | |
269
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
86 Yep. Fortunately for you, when the server decides to *not* store |
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
87 it any more, gaim keeps a cached copy. |
1 | 88 |
89 | |
90 II. The Client | |
91 1. What does 'gaim' stand for? | |
92 It's basically the letter 'g' tacked on to the beginning of | |
93 'AIM' (which is fairly obvious). G stands for all sorts of good things. | |
94 Girls, Godzilla, GTK, graham crackers, whatever. | |
95 | |
96 2. How do I make multiple groups? | |
97 When adding a new buddy, you just type in a new group name. | |
98 Future versions intend to handle this and renaming groups better. | |
99 | |
100 3. How come there's no file transfer? | |
269
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
101 There is, it's just that you can't request for the transfer to |
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
102 take place. Only people who use the Oscar protocol can, so you're out of luck |
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
103 there. At least you can get and send files. |
1 | 104 |
105 4. Why no AOL logo? | |
106 AOL's legal staff told us no-no. | |
107 | |
108 5. Where are my log files stored? | |
109 After you select `log all conversations' you may be wondering | |
110 where your log files are stored. Well, they are currently, by default, stored | |
111 under $HOME/.gaim/YourScreenName/. If your screen name is Zilding then you | |
112 will find your logs under: $HOME/.gaim/Zilding/. This will eventually become | |
113 configurable. | |
114 | |
115 6. Can I use my Windows 95 buddylist with Gaim? | |
116 Well, you are in luck. As of the 0.9.5 release there is a | |
117 small perl script called 'buddytrans' that is included with the distribution. | |
118 If you installed the RPM copy of GAIM then you can find the script in | |
119 /usr/bin/buddytrans. The correct script syntax is: | |
120 buddytrans buddy.lst gaim.list. You can then import `gaim.list' from inside | |
121 gaim. This will eventually be fully incorporated into GAIM and the script | |
122 will no longer be needed. | |
123 | |
124 7. I'm not a native English speaker and I would like a translated | |
125 version of gaim. | |
126 By all means, IM me at 'Zilding' or email me at | |
127 jimduchek@ou.edu. I'm working on standard GNU locale support for the next | |
128 version of gaim, and I'm going to need translations. If you can do a | |
129 translation for us, I'd greatly appreciate it! Just let me know and I'll | |
130 give you detailed instructions on how to do it. | |
131 | |
132 8. I'm behind a proxy, and I'd like to use GAIM. | |
269
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
133 I *think* HTTP and SOCKS v4 proxy support is completely working. |
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
134 But since I don't have a SOCKS proxy to test it on, I really couldn't tell you. |
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
135 If it doesn't work, a temporary solution is to try setting the TOC port to 21, |
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
136 since a lot of proxies will allow that to pass. |
1 | 137 |
138 | |
139 III. Problems | |
140 1. WAAAAAH! My sound doesn't work! | |
141 ./configure should autodetect whether or not you have ESD | |
142 libraries. If you have them it _WILL_ compile with them, if not it won't. | |
143 If it compiles with them, you don't need to be running the ESD daemon, it'll | |
144 automatically fallback to using /dev/dsp. Make sure that gaim has proper | |
141 | 145 permissions to talk to /dev/dsp and /dev/audio though! |
146 The GNOME client now goes through GNOME for its sounds. If | |
147 sounds aren't playing, make sure you've got them turned on in the GNOME | |
148 control center. (The reason this was done was to make it more easily | |
149 configurable.) | |
1 | 150 |
151 2. My buddy list disappeared! | |
152 You didn't back up your buddy list, did you? You never back | |
153 anything up! Oh well. The TOC server loses lists from time to time, it | |
269
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
154 happens to me as well. (And no, I never have a backup ;). Gaim should have |
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
155 kept a cache of your buddy list, though, so you shouldn't have this problem any |
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
156 more. |
1 | 157 |
158 3. I click on URLs, but Netscape doesn't popup! | |
159 Netscape either needs to be running on the current display | |
160 (gaim should handle remote netscape windows OK.), or 'netscape' needs to be | |
161 in your path. | |
162 | |
163 4. I don't use Netscape. | |
164 I'm very interested in supporting other web browsers. Do | |
165 send me information on how to send a URL to your browser remotely (or point | |
166 me at the source to the browser, I might be able to figure it out.). | |
167 | |
168 5. I'm using the GNOME client. I have a bug. | |
141 | 169 GNOME bugs should be reported to Eric Warmenhoven (IM: |
170 EWarmenhoven (how original)), who is now maintaining that part of the code. If | |
171 you ask the other guys about it, they'll just point you at him. | |
1 | 172 |
173 6. I have a bug not described here. | |
174 Well, it could be a few things. Firstly, you MUST HAVE GTK+ | |
175 VERSION 1.2.3 installed! Please state in any bug report that you ARE using | |
176 1.2.3, otherwise you have a chance of being ignored. With that said ;) | |
177 email me at jimduchek@ou.edu, I would like to hear your bug reports (but | |
141 | 178 please, not your problems installing GTK). Also, sourceforge.net has a bug |
179 tracking system for us at <http://sourceforge.net/bugs/?group_id=235>. | |
1 | 180 |
181 7. I have Mandrake 6.0 and GAIM doesnt work! | |
182 | |
183 Bob Meyer <meyer_rm@yahoo.com> writes: | |
184 | |
185 Here's the solution: | |
186 * Get esound-0.2.12-4mdk.i586.rpm and | |
187 esound-devel-0.2.12-4mdk.i586.rpm from any Mandrake mirror. | |
188 * rpm --upgrade esound-0.2.12-4mdk.i586.rpm | |
189 * rpm -- upgrade esound-devel-0.2.12-4mdk.i586.rpm | |
190 | |
191 Don't use EVIL 'updates' tool. It's broke.. really bad. | |
192 | |
193 Mandrake 6.1, with its newer libraries, appears to fix this problem. | |
194 | |
195 IV. Programming | |
196 1. I have a patch for gaim! | |
197 Nice. Think about your patch though. First, does it have | |
198 to do with AIM? I won't apply patches for stock tickers, search engines, | |
141 | 199 etc. Rewrite it as a plug-in if you really want bloat like that. |
1 | 200 Second, is it useful? A lot of patches I get are horribly unuseful except |
201 in very specific situations (ie YOUR situation). Thirdly, your code | |
202 will not retain your copyright. All code submitted must be protected by | |
203 the GPL and the copyright will be given to Mark Spencer. If you don't | |
204 like this, don't send me your patches. You will be given authorship credit, | |
205 don't worry -- I just want a homogenous copyright on the program. Lastly, | |
206 does your code match the coding style already present in gaim? I like my | |
207 brackets where I like them. I do NOT like, in fact I positively HATE, I | |
208 DESPISE, with a PASSION, the convention of variablesLikeThis. And | |
209 functionsLikeThis. If you do that, fine. It's great. But guess what? | |
210 This is C. C programmers don't write like that. I don't write like that. | |
211 I don't want to READ code like that. I want a homogenous coding style | |
212 on this program, and it's gonna be MY coding style. :) | |
213 Now, if you've managed to get through all that and I haven't | |
141 | 214 discouraged you entirely, send your patches to Rob Flynn (rob@linuxpimps.com). |
1 | 215 |
141 | 216 2. I have a plugin for gaim! |
217 Cool. Before you release it to anyone though, make sure you | |
218 understand that if it does anything useful, it is necessarily licenced under | |
219 the GPL. It's that whole "code that uses GPL'ed code is thus GPL'ed" clause. | |
220 Also, don't send it to us. It's not that we don't want it, but there are | |
221 better places to put it. Head over to sourceforge.net and submit it there | |
222 <http://sourceforge.net/patch/?group_id=235>. It'll be available more quickly | |
223 that way. | |
224 | |
225 3. Can you teach me how to program GTK? | |
1 | 226 Yes, I can. But no, I'm not going to. There's a really |
227 nice tutorial at http://www.gtk.org. If you're a fairly experienced | |
228 programmer, and you get stuck on something odd, IM me, I'm usually happy to | |
229 help. If you had a little BASIC experience in high school and are having | |
230 trouble making a button widget do anything when you click it, buy a book on | |
231 C and read the damn GTK tutorial, I'm a busy person. | |
232 | |
233 | |
234 V. Miscellaneous | |
235 1. Can I talk to you on IM? | |
236 Sure. My IM name is Zilding. The rest of the crew's IM names | |
237 can be found in various places. Keep in mind though, I'm a very busy person. | |
238 This IM name is used for friends as well as for gaim (I don't just log this | |
239 guy in when I want to talk to gaim people). So please, don't IM me just to | |
240 chat, or to answer various Linux questions. I'd like to be able to answer | |
241 everyone's questions on whatever (I usually do know the answer, or at least | |
242 where to find it!) but I just don't have time. Things like this will | |
243 usually be ignored. Other things to keep in mind when talking to me: Don't | |
244 start off with 'I have a gaim question', 'Can I ask a question?', 'Hello?', | |
245 'Are you there?', 'Is this the gaim guy?', 'gaim doesn't work', 'I can't get | |
246 gaim to compile' or anything else like that. Why? If you'll notice in all | |
247 of the above statements, nothing useful has been said. I'm often away from | |
248 my computer. I suggest if you are having a serious problem or you have a | |
249 question, just ASK THE QUESTION, right off, I don't require any preliminary | |
250 stuff. Simply sending me "gaim segfaults when I do 'blah blah click blah'" | |
251 to start a conversation is fine -- I don't consider it rude, please just ask | |
252 the question. If I don't answer within a few minutes, leave your email | |
253 address, I will get back to you sooner or later. Lastly, do NOT abbreviate | |
254 'you' as 'u', 'are' as 'r', 'to' as '2', 'for' as '4', or any of those other | |
255 annoying AOLisms. They bother me greatly, and as I work long hours and am | |
256 an insomniac (probably because I'm such a mean bastard ;), I'm likely to | |
257 make fun of you, or more likely ignore you completely. I don't require | |
258 perfect English but it'd be nice. | |
259 | |
260 | |
261 2. I want to write an IM client. Will you help me? | |
262 No, unless you're writing one commercially. Email me for | |
263 rates -- I'm not all that expensive. :) | |
264 | |
265 3. I have money. I need some software written. Can you help? | |
266 Oh yes. My email address is jimduchek@ou.edu, my IM is Zilding. | |
267 | |
268 4. I have hardware that's not being used, or money. Can you use it? | |
269 Almost always. I'm a broke college student. We're all | |
270 broke here. Flat busted. Money would always help. If you have some useful | |
271 equipment (or even useless equipment! I like old mainframes and | |
272 workstations ;), do send it to us! I might be able to scratch together | |
273 shipping money even. :) | |
274 | |
275 5. I would like to send you beer. | |
276 OK. | |
277 | |
278 6. Are you going to port this thing to Windows? | |
279 I've been mulling it over and playing with cygwin on the | |
280 tiny Windows partition I do have on my laptop (It's required for school), | |
281 but I'm not sure yet. I actually do have a version of gaim running on it | |
282 now, as of 7/20. However, the Win32 port of GTK has some issues that need | |
283 to be resolved before I can even attempt to release this. Some of my WIN32 | |
284 patches are included in this release, usually under an #ifdef _WIN32 (which | |
285 cygwin and I think other windows compilers set). | |
286 | |
287 7. Why the GPL? | |
288 I like the GPL. | |
289 | |
290 8. I use *BSD and I hate the penguin! I want daemon images! | |
269
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
291 Quit your complaining! They're there already! I stukk don't |
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
292 understand why ya'll hate the penguin though, maybe it's just jealousy cause |
46b6b894bc48
[gaim-migrate @ 279]
Eric Warmenhoven <eric@warmenhoven.org>
parents:
141
diff
changeset
|
293 our OS gets all the media attention? I kinda like the daemon :) |
1 | 294 |
295 9. Can I design a logo for you? | |
296 Sure! Do your best. Entries may be emailed to: | |
297 gaimlogo@blueridge.net. After we get a nice supply of entries we'll sort | |
298 through them and pick the winner. | |
299 | |
300 10. What is a wagii? | |
301 Interesting question that you ask, there. `Wagii' is the | |
302 official celebratory cry of gaim. Anytime you are feeling happy or excited, | |
303 just remember all of the hard work that we have done to provide you with | |
304 this wonderful, free piece of software -- as the pure, raw, emotion flows | |
305 through you, maybe you too will let out the cry of -- Wagii. | |
306 Its also the sound a Penguin Samurai makes :) | |
307 | |
308 11. Speaking of the penguin, I heard a rumour you have a tattoo of | |
309 it. Is that true? | |
310 Hehe. Yes, that is true. He's on my left upper arm. If | |
311 you'd like to see a picture, visit <http://www.woodsoup.org/~sbaker/tux/doc/>. | |
312 It's a 'history of Tux' and there's a pic of my tattoo at the bottom. A pic | |
313 of my tattoo is also in the LIMP, and linux.remotepoint.com. There's also a | |
314 picture of the two matching Tux tattoos that a husband and wife have in | |
315 there. I've heard a rumour someone at Red Hat has one as well. BTW -- no, | |
316 it really didn't hurt, and yes, I was sober ;) | |
317 | |
318 12. What Window Manager do you use? What distribution do you use? | |
319 What other stupid things can you ask me that don't really matter | |
320 but ya'll ask me anyway? | |
321 I use WindowMaker, without any GNOME or KDE bits. I don't | |
322 really use a distro, per se, as it used to be a Red Hat distro a long time | |
323 ago, but since then I've custom-installed by hand from one hard drive to | |
324 another, so it really doesn't resemble Red Hat anymore, and I've written | |
325 most of the rc. scripts from scratch. Please don't ask me Red Hat | |
326 questions, also I hate it when people assume that Red Hat == Linux. | |
327 | |
328 13. Is XX a good harddrive, YY a good monitor, and ZZ a good CPU? | |
329 Hmm, we're kinda poor so we cant be positive... if you wanna | |
330 send us some hardware we'll use it though and tell you how good it is *wink* | |
331 | |
332 14. Who designed the new logo? | |
333 A good guy named Naru Sundar. | |
334 | |
335 15. I want to contribute to the effort. Where can I send beer to? | |
336 IM Zilding or email him at jimduchek@ou.edu. |