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Psi (instant messaging client)
Encyclopedia
Psi is a GPL
instant messaging
client
for the XMPP
protocol which uses the Qt toolkit. It runs on Linux
, Windows
, Mac OS X
and eComStation
.
Ready-to-install deb
and RPM
packages are available for many Linux distribution
s. Successful ports of Psi were reported for FreeBSD
and Sun
Solaris operating systems.
Due to Psi's free/open-source nature, several forks
have appeared, which occasionally contain features that may appear in future official Psi versions. These official and unofficial builds are documented on their external wiki page.
, AIM
, Gadu-Gadu
, ICQ
and .NET Messenger Service
networks. Other services available using gateway servers, include RSS
and Atom
news feeds, sending SMS
messages to cellular networks and weather reports.
As of 2006, Psi has language packs for 20 languages, with more being created.
Emoticon
packs are supported using the jisp format. Many jisp emoticon packs are available, including ones from AIM, iChat
, and Trillian.
Psi supports file transfers between other XMPP clients, and it is possible to send to or receive files from other IM networks, if the user's servers support this. Psi supports Contact Is Typing Notification (which works with Yahoo!, MSN, and AIM contacts). Version 0.10, released in January 2006, brings automatically resizing contact list and composing window in chat dialogs, tabbed chats, support for Growl messaging system on Mac OS X, window transparency and many other changes.
In 2002 Michail Pishchagin started hacking Qt code which later became libpsi library. Michail joined the team in March 2003 and he is responsible for many large chunks in Psi code. In 2009 a development branch named Psi+ was started which adds patches and new features to Psi.
In November 2004, maintenance was taken over by Kevin Smith, a long-time contributor to the project. In 2009, Kevin handed maintenance back to Justin, who also maintains Iris, the Qt/C++
XMPP library upon which Psi is based.
Remko Tronçon started writing his custom patches for Psi in 2003, and became an official developer in May 2005.
'Psi' is the twenty-third letter of the Greek alphabet
(Ψ), which is used as the software's logo.
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
instant messaging
Instant messaging
Instant Messaging is a form of real-time direct text-based chatting communication in push mode between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet...
client
Client (computing)
A client is an application or system that accesses a service made available by a server. The server is often on another computer system, in which case the client accesses the service by way of a network....
for the XMPP
Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol
Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol is an open-standard communications protocol for message-oriented middleware based on XML . The protocol was originally named Jabber, and was developed by the Jabber open-source community in 1999 for near-real-time, extensible instant messaging , presence...
protocol which uses the Qt toolkit. It runs on Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
and eComStation
EComStation
eComStation or eCS is a PC operating system based on OS/2, published by Serenity Systems. It includes several additions and accompanying software not present in the IBM version of the system.-Differences between eComStation and OS/2:...
.
Ready-to-install deb
Deb (file format)
deb is the extension of the Debian software package format and the most often used name for such binary packages. Like the "Deb" part of the term Debian, it originates from the name of Debra, erstwhile girlfriend and now ex-wife of Debian's founder Ian Murdock.Debian packages are also used in...
and RPM
RPM Package Manager
RPM Package Manager is a package management system. The name RPM variously refers to the .rpm file format, files in this format, software packaged in such files, and the package manager itself...
packages are available for many Linux distribution
Linux distribution
A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications...
s. Successful ports of Psi were reported for FreeBSD
FreeBSD
FreeBSD is a free Unix-like operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via BSD UNIX. Although for legal reasons FreeBSD cannot be called “UNIX”, as the direct descendant of BSD UNIX , FreeBSD’s internals and system APIs are UNIX-compliant...
and Sun
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
Solaris operating systems.
Due to Psi's free/open-source nature, several forks
Fork (software development)
In software engineering, a project fork happens when developers take a legal copy of source code from one software package and start independent development on it, creating a distinct piece of software...
have appeared, which occasionally contain features that may appear in future official Psi versions. These official and unofficial builds are documented on their external wiki page.
Mission statement
The goal of the Psi project is to create a powerful, yet easy-to-use XMPP client that tries to strictly adhere to the XMPP drafts and XMPP XEPs. This means that in most cases, Psi will not implement a feature unless there is an accepted standard for it in the XMPP community. Doing so ensures that Psi will be compatible, stable, and predictable.Features
Because XMPP allows gateways to other services, which many servers support, it can also connect to the Yahoo! MessengerYahoo! Messenger
Yahoo! Messenger is an advertisement-supported instant messaging client and associated protocol provided by Yahoo!...
, AIM
AOL Instant Messenger
AOL Instant Messenger is an instant messaging and presence computer program which uses the proprietary OSCAR instant messaging protocol and the TOC protocol to allow registered users to communicate in real time. It was released by AOL in May 1997...
, Gadu-Gadu
Gadu-Gadu
Gadu-Gadu is a Polish instant messaging client using a proprietary protocol. Gadu-Gadu is the most popular IM service in Poland, with over 15 million registered accounts and approximately 6.5 million users online daily. Gadu-Gadu’s casual gaming portal had some 500,000 active users at the end of...
, ICQ
ICQ
ICQ is an instant messaging computer program, which was first developed and popularized by the Israeli company Mirabilis, then bought by America Online, and since April 2010 owned by Mail.ru Group. The name ICQ is a homophone for the phrase "I seek you"...
and .NET Messenger Service
.NET Messenger Service
The .NET Messenger Service is an instant messaging and presence system developed by Microsoft in 1999 for use with its MSN Messenger software and used today by its current instant messaging clients, Windows Live Messenger and Microsoft Messenger for Mac...
networks. Other services available using gateway servers, include RSS
RSS (file format)
RSS is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format...
and Atom
Atom (standard)
The name Atom applies to a pair of related standards. The Atom Syndication Format is an XML language used for web feeds, while the Atom Publishing Protocol is a simple HTTP-based protocol for creating and updating web resources.Web feeds allow software programs to check for updates published on a...
news feeds, sending SMS
Short message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
messages to cellular networks and weather reports.
As of 2006, Psi has language packs for 20 languages, with more being created.
Emoticon
Emoticon
An emoticon is a facial expression pictorially represented by punctuation and letters, usually to express a writer’s mood. Emoticons are often used to alert a responder to the tenor or temper of a statement, and can change and improve interpretation of plain text. The word is a portmanteau word...
packs are supported using the jisp format. Many jisp emoticon packs are available, including ones from AIM, iChat
IChat
iChat is an instant messaging software application developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its Mac OS X operating system. It has audio, video and screen-sharing capabilities as well as text messaging...
, and Trillian.
Psi supports file transfers between other XMPP clients, and it is possible to send to or receive files from other IM networks, if the user's servers support this. Psi supports Contact Is Typing Notification (which works with Yahoo!, MSN, and AIM contacts). Version 0.10, released in January 2006, brings automatically resizing contact list and composing window in chat dialogs, tabbed chats, support for Growl messaging system on Mac OS X, window transparency and many other changes.
History
The application was created by Justin Karneges and it began as a side project. At various points during its existence Justin was paid to develop the codebase, during which Psi flourished. Typically however, the release cycle of Psi is relatively slow, but the client has always been seen by its fans as a very stable and powerful instant messaging client. Justin left the project in late 2004 to pursue other endeavors.In 2002 Michail Pishchagin started hacking Qt code which later became libpsi library. Michail joined the team in March 2003 and he is responsible for many large chunks in Psi code. In 2009 a development branch named Psi+ was started which adds patches and new features to Psi.
In November 2004, maintenance was taken over by Kevin Smith, a long-time contributor to the project. In 2009, Kevin handed maintenance back to Justin, who also maintains Iris, the Qt/C++
C++
C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
XMPP library upon which Psi is based.
Remko Tronçon started writing his custom patches for Psi in 2003, and became an official developer in May 2005.
'Psi' is the twenty-third letter of the Greek alphabet
Greek alphabet
The Greek alphabet is the script that has been used to write the Greek language since at least 730 BC . The alphabet in its classical and modern form consists of 24 letters ordered in sequence from alpha to omega...
(Ψ), which is used as the software's logo.
See also
- Comparison of instant messaging clientsComparison of instant messaging clientsThe following tables compare general and technical information for a number of instant messaging clients. Please see the individual products' articles for further information. This article is not all-inclusive or necessarily up-to-date...
- Psi+ is a forkFork (software development)In software engineering, a project fork happens when developers take a legal copy of source code from one software package and start independent development on it, creating a distinct piece of software...
of Psi which implements new features and patchesPatch (computing)A patch is a piece of software designed to fix problems with, or update a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, and improving the usability or performance...