Empathy

Empathy is an open source instant messaging client application that provides users with support for text, voice, and video chat (with file transfers) through a multitude of protocols. It integrates well with the GNOME and Unity desktop environments.

It is popularly known as the default chat and IRC client of the GNOME desktop environment, with which integrates very well. In addition, several well known Linux distributions use Empathy as their default IM application, including Ubuntu.

Powered by Telepathy

The application uses the open source Telepathy communications framework and features a graphical user interface (GUI) based on the Gossip instant messaging client for UNIX-like operating systems.

It also includes support for a serverless communication service called People Nearby, which enables users to easily communicate with each other without having to connect to a specific instant messaging server.

Supports a wide range of IM protocols

The software runs only on the Linux platform and provides users with a modern and multi-protocol instant messenger that supports the Jabber/XMPP, Google Talk, Facebook Chat, AIM, Gadu-Gadu, GroupWise, ICQ, IRC (Internet Relay Chat), Windows Live (MSN), Mxit, Myspace, SIP, Yahoo!, Yahoo! Japan, and Zephyr IM protocols.

All the IM protocols supported by the popular Pidgin IM client are also available in Empathy through the libpurple library. It allows users to transfer files on the XMPP/Jabber protocols and local networks, as well as to make voice and video call using the SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and Google Talk protocols. Additionally, the software allows users to view and share their current location, log conversations, create private and group chats, and supports collaborative applications.

Designed for GNOME

If you use GNOME, clicking on the panel entry will give you quick access to contacts, rooms, file transfers, previous conversations, accounts, and the app’s main preferences dialog, from where users can enable spell checking, GPS locations, echo cancellation for voice calls, and sounds, as well as to change the theme.

Overall, Empathy is a good instant messaging client for Linux-based operating system that use the GNOME desktop environment. Otherwise, you can use the open source Pidgin application.

What is new in this release:

• Bugs fixed:
• Fixed #685837, fix parallel builds (Remi Cardona)
• Fixed #746735, handle the "reduce location accuracy" option (Fabrice Bellet)
• Fixed #756990, fix missing date icons in chat history window (Hussam Al-Tayeb)
• Fixed #767516, prevent empathy-call from crashing under X11 (Diane Trout)
• Fixed #768889, properly remove the farstream element notifiers (Fabrice Bellet)
• Translations:
• Updated oc Translation (Cedric Valmary)
• Updated pl Translation (Piotr Drag)
• Documentation translations:
• Updated fr Documentation Translation (Alain Lojewski)
• Updated id Documentation translation (Lorenz Adam Damara)
• Updated pl Documentation Translation (Aleksander Lukasiewicz)
• Updated sv Documentation Translation (Erik Skoldas)

What is new in version :

• Bugs fixed:
• Fixed #685837, fix parallel builds (Remi Cardona)
• Fixed #746735, handle the "reduce location accuracy" option (Fabrice Bellet)
• Fixed #756990, fix missing date icons in chat history window (Hussam Al-Tayeb)
• Fixed #767516, prevent empathy-call from crashing under X11 (Diane Trout)
• Fixed #768889, properly remove the farstream element notifiers (Fabrice Bellet)
• Translations:
• Updated oc Translation (Cedric Valmary)
• Updated pl Translation (Piotr Drag)
• Documentation translations:
• Updated fr Documentation Translation (Alain Lojewski)
• Updated id Documentation translation (Lorenz Adam Damara)
• Updated pl Documentation Translation (Aleksander Lukasiewicz)
• Updated sv Documentation Translation (Erik Skoldas)

What is new in version 3.12.8:

• Facebook chat support has been removed from gnome-online-account as Facebook is shutting down this service.
• Bugs fixed:
• Fixed #705326, User help suggests "ignore SSL certificate errors" option for Jabber accounts "if you trust the server you are connecting to" (Michael Catanzaro)
• Fixed #746100, goa-mc-plugin: Remove Facebook chat using Jabber (Debarshi Ray)
• Translations:
• Updated bs Translation (Samir Ribic)
• Updated cs Translation (Marek AŒernockA½)
• Updated de Translation (Benjamin Steinwender)
• Updated fi Translation (Timo Jyrinki)
• Updated kk Translation (Baurzhan Muftakhidinov)
• Updated nl Translation (Andre Klapper, Erwin Poeze)
• Updated sk Translation (Andre Klapper)
• Updated sv Translation (Josef Andersson, Anders Jonsson)
• Updated tr Translation (Necdet YA¼cel)
• Documentation translations:
• Updated cs Documentation translation (Marek AŒernockA½)
• Updated de Documentation translation (Christian Kirbach)
• Updated el Documentation translation (Efstathios Iosifidis, Tom Tryfonidis)
• Updated es Documentation translation (Daniel Mustieles)

What is new in version 3.12.7:

• Translations:
• Updated bg Translation (Krasimir Chonov)
• Updated bn_IN Translation (Saibal Ray)
• Updated el Translation (Maria Mavridou)
• Updated fa Translation (Arash Mousavi)
• Updated hi Translation (Rajesh Ranjan)
• Updated sv Translation (Sebastian Rasmussen)
• Updated ta Translation (Shantha kumar)
• Updated te Translation (Krishnababu Krothapalli)
• Documentation translations:
• Updated gl Documentation translation (Fran DiAguez)
• Updated hu Documentation translation (GAbor Kelemen)

What is new in version 3.14.0:

• Block pages with invalid SSL certificates and warn users about mixed content, for improved security.
• Important improvements to the security lock icon and certificates dialog.
• Improvements to the history dialog.
• Performance improvements to the AdBlocker.
• Better integration with the GNOME Shell dock.
• UI improvements all over the place, many bugs fixed, and polishing all around.
• Updated translations and docs translations.

What is new in version 3.12.6:

• Bugs fixed:
• Fixed #735575, gnome-contact's desktop file changed (Guillaume Desmottes)
• Fixed #736369, Smileys are not centered ("Insert Smiley" menu) (Kevin Haller)
• Fix crash if empathy_chatroom_manager_find() failed (Guillaume Desmottes)
• Translations:
• Updated fi Translation (Ville-Pekka Vainio)
• Updated gu Translation (Sweta Kothari)
• Updated kn Translation (Shankar Prasad)
• Updated ko Translation (Changwoo Ryu)
• Updated mr Translation (Sandeep Sheshrao Shedmake)
• Updated or Translation (Manoj Kumar Giri)
• Updated sk Translation (DuAan Kazik)

What is new in version 3.12.5:

• Bugs fixed:
• Fixed #732909, chain GtkCombobox subclass constructors to parent
• Translations:
• Updated de Translation

What is new in version 3.12.4:

• Fixed #732100, Picking a specific persona/account from context menu doesn't work (Guillaume Desmottes)

What is new in version 3.12.3:

• This new stable release removes support for connecting to Windows Live chat using XMPP as Microsoft shut down their XMPP gateways. However, you can continue using the proprietary MSN protocol through telepathy-haze.
• Bugs fixed:
• Fixed #696977, Dialog title is not translated (Juan A. Suarez Romero)
• Fixed #731150, MSN live connection not removed from mission-control (Debarshi Ray)

What is new in version 3.12.2:

• Bugs fixed:
• Fixed #662672, wrong count of unread messages and text missing (Xavier Claessens)
• Translations:
• Updated be Translation (Ihar Hrachyshka)
• Updated ca@valencia Translation (Carles Ferrando)
• Updated es Translation (Daniel Mustieles)
• Updated id Translation (Dirgita)
• Updated ro Translation (Daniel ȘerbAƒnescu)
• Documentation translations:
• Updated es Documentation translation (Daniel Mustieles)

What is new in version 3.12.1:

• Translations:
• Updated de Translation (Christian Kirbach)
• Updated ru Translation (Yuri Myasoedov)

What is new in version 3.12.0:

• Updated translations

Requirements:

• GTK+