Cannot get any IM softwares to work (msn, Kmess...)

[rivenought]

Welcome to Mint, Caroline.

I am going to assume you are running Mint 6 GNOME. Now, what IM protocol are you wishing to use (Jabber, AIM, Yahoo, ICQ, etc.)? Chances are, due to you attempting aMSN, you are wanting to use MSN. Did you enter your entire email address? That may be the issue, but might be good to verify just in case.

[NWAdawg]

If you trying to connect to Yahoo in Pidgin. And getting this message:
"[account name] disconnected.
Could not establish a connection with the server:
Error resolving scs.msg.yahoo.com
Name or service not known".
You might try:
First way:
Edit your Yahoo account, advanced tab change pager server from scs.msg.yahoo.com to 66.163.181.173 save and login.
Second way:
Open ./purple/accounts.xml and change line <setting name="server" type="string">scs.msg.yahoo.com</setting> to <setting name="server" type="string">66.163.181.173</setting> save and login.

[rivenought]

In Pidgin, I use Jabber/XMPP, so I am not completely sure about the Microsoft stuff. However, I remember reading a few threads where MSN and Hotmail were having issues with non-Microsoft browsers and IM clients. There are several folks who have said good things about Emesene. I have not used it, but it should be available via mintInstall or Synaptic - your choice. It may be worth checking out.

[belovedmonster]

I've had problems with MSN on linux in the past but it kinda fixed itself. I don't know what to suggest you do aside from try installing the newest version of pidgin from a site like removed.

The hotmail thing is weird. The site should work on any web browser on any operating system (as you would expect with any website).

[rivenought]

It would be highly unusual for all the IM clients to flake out. Newer versions may help, as said above. Using anything Microsoft-related can be hit-or-miss, sadly.

[belovedmonster]

It would be highly unusual for all the IM clients to flake out.

I went through a period where every single IM app on Linux refused to log in with one of my MSN accounts but worked fine with another account. I gave up trying to understand the mysteries of it all. Like I said eventually it just fixed itself for me one day when I had a newer version of Pidgin.

If all else fails use meebo.com with your web browser that seems to work even when nothing else does.

[linuxviolin]

Yes, there were some problems with MSN but not just on Linux, I guess, but with all the 'alternative' clients to Live Messenger... Thanks Microsoft!

It is important for you to update, because this version also fixes a critical bug that prevents a lot of our users from connecting to the MSN network. This is caused by a recent change in the protocol from the MSN server which made aMSN unable to connect to the network... so if you are having such problems, please update!

From the aMSN website. So use the last version, 0.97.2, and you should have no problem.

This is a bugfix-only release, including the update of the "application id", hex number that some of the msn servers rejected. All users should update as soon as possible, since this change is going to be applied to all servers, resulting in either error messages when trying to manipulate contacts, or empty contact list after logging in.

From the emesene website. So use the last version, 1.0.1, and you should have no problem.

You can also try the last version, 1.9.4, of Mercury Messenger, a Java MSN Messenger client.

P.S.= KMess in Gnome? Hmm...

[garda]

Guys, I'm just trying to focus your attention to the right path - so I think, at least.
I had a very similar problem in the past when I first installed Elyssa on a couple of my home computers which were both connected to a router-less LAN. I could browse the web, send and receive emails and chat in Pidgin without problem at all on the first computer (Computer 1, the one that had direct connection to the internet) but I received that exact error message whenever I attempted to log in to my MSN account using Pidgin on the other computer (Computer 2, the one that hitch-hiked Computer 1's internet connection). I then tried to log in to the problem account using a few other IM sofwares, including aMSN and emesene, but it was to no avail.

Long story short, everything magically got sorted out all by itself after I downloaded and applied all Level 1 - 3 updates on both computers. Therefore, I think the culprit to Caroline's problem here doesn't lie in the IM clients. It's somewhere else - presumably LAN/router configuration issue.

[exploder]

I have to go along with garda's advice, there were a lot of bugs in the Ubuntu base from the start and the level 3 updates really fix up a lot of issues. I also have all level 3 updates installed and am not experiencing any real problems.In my opinion it is worth the risk for the potential benefit.

[exploder]

What happens if you use Pidgin from the Live CD? Also, there is a newer version of Pidgin on removed. You can get it here.

removed/search.php?keywords=Pidgin

You need all 3 deb files to install. I remove the old versions in Synaptic, (it will remove the otr plugin but you can put it back after installing the new version.) Then click on the downloaded debs and install them one at a time. If one says it is missing a dependency just install another and go back to it.

Well, at least this gives you a couple of things to try.

[garda]

Caroline,

Level 3 updates, and beyond, are not enabled by default. To enable it, you have to open mintUpdate (represented by a pad lock icon somewhere in the taskbar) and click on Edit > Preferences > 'Levels' tab. Then put check marks in both boxes for Level 3 and click Close. Refresh the list by clicking on the Refresh button in mintUpdate's toolbar. I'm certain you know what to do next.

Unfortunately, I'm unable to actually help you troubleshoot your problem since I've never encountered such a complicated networking issue as what you just described, after the update.