The first alpha release of the instant messaging client Pidgin 3.0 (2.95) has been introduced. This release is not yet ready for everyday use. The assemblies are available in the Flatpak format and can be found in the beta repository on Flathub.
The development of the Pidgin 3 branch began back in 2011, following three years of discussion at the concept and idea level. Pidgin 3 has transitioned to the GObject type system, GTK4 and Adwaita libraries, the Meson assembly system, GPlugin for processing plugins, SQLite for storing chat history, and GSettings for managing settings. The API has been entirely redesigned, incorporating GTK Builder XML for defining interface elements and a new widget library called Talkatu for displaying chat history.
The interface of Pidgin 3 integrates the contact list and chat features into a single window. While the Finch console client has been discontinued, there is a possibility of its return in the future. Currently, protocols like IRCv3, XMPP, SIP, Demo, Bonjour, and Zulip are being developed. The Pidgin 3 branch is incompatible with Pidgin 2 and its plugins, but it can be installed alongside existing Pidgin 2 builds.
Changes in this alpha release include:
- The protocol API has been declared stable enough to start working on additional protocol implementations for Pidgin 3 without the risk of significant API changes.
- A new AccountSettings API has been proposed for managing account settings, which supports frameworks for creating plugins with protocol implementations in scripting languages like Python and Lua. This API also allows for requesting a nickname instead of a username for protocols like IRC.
- A separate interface for editing account settings has been implemented, displaying all relevant settings in one list.