If you have been an internet user for quite some time, you probably have heard about Twitter. "Twitter is another name for micro blogging". We had earlier helped you how to explain Twitter to your mom. Remember?
Twitter is too simple. You sign up, you tell what you are currently doing (known as tweeting), and you follow other interesting people's tweets.
And if you have been an internet user for quite some time, you probably have heard about Pidgin also.
Pidgin is an instant messaging program for Windows, Linux, BSD, and other Unixes. You can talk to your friends using AIM, ICQ, Jabber/XMPP, MSN Messenger, Yahoo!, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, IRC, Novell GroupWise Messenger, QQ, Lotus Sametime, SILC, SIMPLE, MySpaceIM, and Zephyr.
Pidgin runs on a number of platforms, including Windows, Linux, and other UNIX operating systems.
So, instead of running gTalk, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger separately, you can have everything-in-one using Pidgin.
Now let's come to the main area of this post. Pidgin, like all IM clients allow you to set a status message - something like "I am currently busy" or "Checking out great tips from DailyGyan". Hey! wait. That's exactly what Twitter is for, right? Wouldn't it be cool if I can update my twitter status alone and then Pidgin retrieves and sets my tweet as the IM status automatically? Yes, it would be very cool and that's what we are going to do today.
- Install Pidgin from here.
- You need to have Perl installed for this to work. Most Linux distros come with Perl preinstalled. Windows users, download and install Perl from here.
- Take a Command Prompt/Terminal and enter:
perl -MCPAN -e shell(Linux users, add asudobefore this). In the CPAN prompt that you got now, enterinstall XML::XPathand hit enter. This will download and install the Xpath module from Internet. - If all goes well, launch Pidgin. Go to Help -> About and scroll to the bottom of the page. You should see a line :
Perl: Enabled. - Download twitter.pl from http://code.google.com/p/pidgin-twitterstatus/downloads/list and put it into your Pidgin plugins folder. Usually the plugins folder is
C:\Program Files\pidgin\pluginsfor Windows users and~/.purple/pluginsfor Linux users. - Once you have put the file in place, restart Pidgin and go to Tools -> Plugins. There will be a new plugin named "Twitter Status Feed". Enable it and click on
Configure Plugin. Enter your twitter user name in the dialog box that pops up. - Done. Soon you will find that your Pidgin status bar reads the same as your last Twitted message.
What other tips have you found about Twitter and Pidgin. Share it in the comments.
Happy Twittering.
I had trouble getting Perl enabled in Pidgin 2.4.1, because i'd downloaded ActivePerl 5.10 instead of ActivePerl 5.8. After reinstalling ActivePerl with the slightly older version, all was well!
Ben,
Thanks for the input. Pidgin 2.4.1 seems to have some issues with Perl 5.10 in Windows.
See this link: http://developer.pidgin.im/wiki/BuildingWinPidgin#Perl5.8
Unless the bug discussed there is solved, you will have to use Perl 5.8 in Windows.
I would point out I had to install nmake (on winxp) in the perl directory (e.g.: c:\perl\) to able to compile XML::XPath.
hi anoop,
On lInux ,
i have tried wht you told/write here .Perl enable , download twitter.pl ,locate .purple folder.
Unfortunately there is no plugins folder in that , so i create one .Put twitter.pl in that .
Restart Pidgin , locate my plugins under TOOLS , unfotunately no new plugins found ..
Did i miss something here ?
pidding 2.4.1 on ubuntu.
Thnx.
I am having the same issue... it's not in the list of available plugins. Using Debian Sid, Pidgin 2.4.3
Anyone? Bueller... Bueller... Bueller...
@Dave Lowe
No idea why it's so friend.
Will let you know it I found the reason. :(
Outstanding... :) I tried putting the plugin code in several places, and no joy. I even placed it in /usr/lib/purple-2 where Debian stuck a bunch of other plugins I installed as a package. Nope.
So ~/.purple/plugins did not work, neither did /etc/purple/plugins (where I also found plugins!)
So maybe there is something we can do?
Or not... (groan)
yeah, thought so... I guess I am back to google 10 days after....
I actually got this working under Ubuntu, kind of, it wasn't working for me earlier, because I wasn't installing XML::XPath with sudo, that solved my issue. But it doesn't seem to update my status though, when it does the it only lasts for a few seconds and reverts to not having a status.
I followed the directions exactly and it works flawlessly. Thanks!
Only problem is - it also updates your status with your replies to other peoples tweets as well. Sorta a deal breaker.
I installed ActivePerl 5.8.8 Build 824 (as opposed to 5.10) on Windows and installed NMake as advised in the posts above, but Perl is still listed as disabled in Pidgin. Any ideas?
I really only see Twitter as a glorified status update, so I'd really love these to all be in sync. This plugin would be perfect :C
I figured it out, thanks to http://code.google.com/p/pidgin-twitter-profile/wiki/HowToInstall
Key here was this bit: You should install version 5.10 (x86) unless you have a Pidgin version less than 2.5.0 and are on Windows: then you should install Perl 5.8 (x86). It is important that you install the x86 (32-bit) version because the x64 (64-bit) version will not work with Pidgin, which is 32-bit.
Since I was on Pidgin 2.5.1, I had to have Perl 5.10.
same problem as others with Ubuntu 8.04 and Pidgin 2.5.0 I've got the file in /usr/lib/pidgin and in ~/.purple/pidgin/plugins and it does not show up in the plugin list. I had to create the plugins folder in ~/.purple/pidgin folder
FYI. On Windows XP, Pidgin 2.5.2 - ActivePerl 5.10 - TwitterStatus v 0.3.0
Run 'ppm' from windows command line, then click "show all modules" and install TimeDate as well as XML::XPath using the gui. For some reason I couldn't get them to install correctly via CPAN.
--Micah Morton
Thank you micah! That was the trick I needed.
This tips is working for vista system too ... Thanks a lot
Pidgin 2.5.5 - ActivePerl 5.10 - TwitterStatus v 0.4.0
Also have a guide over a my site.
Had trouble installing XML:Xpath as mentioned here. Got some make error.
But "ppm install TimeDate" & "ppm install XML-XPath" did the trick on Vista...On XP i am still having the trouble...
Hi , I have created a perl plugin for pidgin that automatically replies when you are away. It can be modified for this
Exactly what i was looking for .
Your instructions were accurate.
Thank you micah! That was the trick I needed.
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