Download Pidgin 2.0.0 beta 7

Last weekend the first version of Pidgin, Gaim’s new name, was released. This first version comes with version number 2.0.0 beta 7 and according to the developers is the last beta to be released before the final version of the 2.0.0 branch. Pidgin is an open source and cross platform instant messenger that can be used to log into the networks of MSN, ICQ and Jabber, among others. The seventh beta is available from this page downloaded and comes with the following release notes:

Tonight we’ve released Pidgin 2.0.0beta7. This is the last in our long series of betas. We anticipate a final release later this week.

While previous betas in the 2.0.0 series have been extremely stable, and we recommended their use, this release is actually of beta quality. This is our first release to reflect the name change from Gaim to Pidgin, and so there are a lot of fairly significant changes here, which we’d like to see have broader testing before declaring it ready for release. If you would like to help us out, grab a copy from Sourceforge.net

I strongly recommend that you backup your ~/.gaim directory before running Pidgin for the first time. Windows users should see where their version of Windows stores their configuration files at our Win32 FAQ. Things you should be on the lookout for include problems with preferences being lost or forgotten, buddy icons not working as you expect, plugins or other external files not properly being found. If you find an issue that severely prohibits you from using 2.0.0beta7, please report it at http://developer.pidgin.im/.

There are a bunch of less fundamental, more cosmetic changes in this release that are sure to jump out at you. A lot of people have contributed a bunch in the transition from Gaim to Pidgin (and there’s still a lot to be done), and we’ve been all too busy here to thank them all. I plan to acknowledge everyone with the 2.0.0 release. In the meantime, if you want to see what Pidgin developers are thinking, check out our currently-ugly Planet.[break]The appearance of Pidgin – for a larger print click on the image