Pidgin Users

September 5, 2007 8:58 PM

How do I make Pidgin let me have separate users?

I recently switched my parents to Ubuntu. On Ubuntu Gaim/Pidgin is the default IM client. I use Pidgin as well, but I only have one account setup for it on my machine. However, my parents have several users using the IM client on their machine.

What I am looking to do is setup something like on AIM for windows where you can sign off from one account and sign onto another account. All I can seem to figure out is to have multiple accounts be logged in simultaneously, which is not what I want.

What are your suggestions for multiple users using the same Pidgin client on the same computer? Should I be switching to a different IM client?

posted by LoopyG to Computers & Internet (8 answers total)

Although I use Gaim on Ubuntu, this isn't something I've tried to do, but would one easy solution be to create a separate Ubuntu login for each user? That way they'd each have their own account and buddy list, wouldn't they? Switching between Ubuntu users is quick and simple.
posted by Abiezer at 9:25 PM on September 5, 2007

I know Gaim 1.5 had this functionality, if you're willing to downgrade.
posted by Hot Like Your 12V Wire at 9:30 PM on September 5, 2007

You can specify the profile directory that pidgin will use with the -c switch.

pidgin -c /path/to/profileDirectory

Use it to set up two different profiles, and set up separate shortcuts to each.

I agree that what you're looking to do makes sense, and old versions of GAIM allowed you to do just that. Looking at my current pidgin setup though, I can't figure out how to do it either.
posted by chrisamiller at 9:35 PM on September 5, 2007

To switch accounts, go to the Account Add/Edit screen. Uncheck the "enabled" box next to one account (to sign out), and check the "enabled" box next to another account (to sign in). Or use the "enable" and "disable" commands in the Account menu.

But I agree with the suggestion to add another user account to your Ubuntu system. Then you can also have different wallpaper, Firefox bookmarks, playlists, etc.
posted by mbrubeck at 9:39 PM on September 5, 2007

In the Accounts menu on the toolbar you should be able to activate and disable the various accounts. I don't see a way to automatically disable accounts on exit (or to choose accounts to sign in when you first open Pidgin), but that's what you can do to switch between users.

On preview, what mbrubeck said.
posted by kyleg at 9:40 PM on September 5, 2007

I'm on Gaim 2.0.0_beta6 or whatnot, should be the same as Pidgin. Go to the Buddy List, hit Ctrl-A (or Accounts->Add/Edit).... look for the Enable checkbox, un-enabled accounts are 'signed off', enabled accounts are 'signed on'. I have like 10 different IM accounts and only two are active at the moment. Unless Pidgin is totally different from the 2.0.0_beta6 Gaim... Multiple accounts are trivial and obvious. If Pidgin is totally different, my apologies.... You shouldn't be having any "multiple account" problems.
posted by zengargoyle at 9:43 PM on September 5, 2007

Is there a reason that each user doesn't have their own login to the Ubuntu machine? Thus giving each user their own pidgin settings?
posted by fief at 2:54 PM on September 6, 2007

Response by poster: Hi all. These are VERY novice users. Switching Ubuntu accts is a possibility, but a hassle I would like to avoid if possible.

As for enable/diable in Pidgin, that is the current solution, but a hassle I'd like to avoid if possible.
posted by LoopyG at 4:26 PM on September 6, 2007