Software:Adium
| Developer(s) | Adium team |
|---|---|
| Initial release | September 28, 2001[1] |
| Stable release | 1.5.10.4 (April 27, 2017) [±] |
| Written in | Objective-C |
| Operating system | macOS |
| Available in | multilingual[2] |
| Type | Instant messaging client |
| License | GNU General Public License |
Adium is a free and open-source instant messaging client for macOS that supports multiple IM networks, including XMPP (Jabber) and IRC. Earlier versions also supported AIM, ICQ, Windows Live Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger. Adium is written in Objective-C using macOS's Cocoa API and is released under the GNU GPL-2.0-or-later, with some bundled components under separate licenses.
First released in September 2001 with support for AIM only, Adium later integrated libpurple to support additional protocols. In 2005, it received a "Special Mention" at the Apple Design Awards. In 2014, the Electronic Frontier Foundation awarded it 6 out of 7 points on its Secure Messaging Scorecard.
History
Adium was created by Adam Iser,[3] and the first version, "Adium 1.0", was released in September 2001 and supported only AIM. Since then, the version numbers of Adium have followed a somewhat unusual pattern. There were several upgrades to Adium 1.0, ending with Adium 1.6.2c.[1]
At this point, the Adium team began a complete rewrite of the Adium code, expanding it into a multiprotocol messaging program. Pidgin's (formerly "Gaim") libpurple (then called "libgaim") library was implemented to add support for IM protocols other than AIM; since then the Adium team has mostly been working on the GUI. The Adium team originally intended to release these changes as "Adium 2.0". However, Adium was eventually renamed to "Adium X" and released at version 0.50, being considered "halfway to a 1.0 product".[4] Adium X 0.88 was the first version compiled as a universal binary, allowing it to run natively on Intel-based Macs.[5]
In 2005, Adium received a "Special Mention" at the Apple Design Awards.[6]
After version Adium X 0.89.1, the team changed the name back to "Adium", and "Adium 1.0" was released in early February 2007.[7]
Apple Inc. used Adium X 0.89.1's build time in Xcode 2.3 as a benchmark for comparing the performance of the Mac Pro and Power Mac G5 Quad,[8] and Adium 1.2's build time in Xcode 3.0 as a benchmark for comparing the performance of the eight-core Mac Pro and Power Mac G5 Quad.[8]
On November 4, 2014, Adium scored 6 out of 7 points on the Electronic Frontier Foundation's secure messaging scorecard. It lost a point because there has not been a recent independent code audit.[9]
Protocols
Adium supports a wide range of instant messaging networks through the libraries libezv (for Bonjour), STTwitterEngine (for Twitter), and libpurple (for all other protocols).
Adium supports the following protocols:[10]
- XMPP (Jabber)
- Bonjour
- Internet Relay Chat
- Novell GroupWise
- IBM Sametime
- Gadu-Gadu
- Skype with a plugin
- Skype for Business Server (previously Microsoft Lync Server, Microsoft Office Communications Server) with a plugin
- Telegram with a plugin
- Steam Chat with the "Steam IM" plugin
Plugins and customization
Adium makes use of a plug-in architecture; many of the program's essential features are actually provided by plugins bundled inside the application package. These plugins include functionality such as file transfer, support for the Growl notifications system, Sparkle for program updates, and support for encrypted messaging with the Off-the-Record Messaging library.[7][9]
Adium is also highly customizable through the use of resources its developers call "Xtras". The program can be customized by the use of hundreds of third-party Xtras that alter the appearance of emoticons, dock icons, contact list styles, and message styles.[7] Adium can also be enhanced through the use of different sound sets. AppleScripts can also be utilized to automatically alter behavior in responses to certain triggers.
Icon
The icon of Adium is a green duck named Adiumy. It is also the mascot of the software.[11]
See also
- Comparison of cross-platform instant messaging clients
- Comparison of instant messaging protocols
- List of computing mascots
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Adium1xChangelog". The Adium Project. https://trac.adium.im/wiki/Adium1xChangelog.
- ↑ "Adium – About". The Adium Project. https://www.adium.im/about/.
- ↑ Cohen, Peter (February 18, 2002). "Adium 1.5 released, AIM client for OS X". Macworld. https://www.macworld.com/article/152781/adium.html.
- ↑ "History Of Adium". The Adium Project. https://trac.adium.im/wiki/HistoryOfAdium.
- ↑ McNulty, Scott (January 24, 2006). "Adium X 0.88 an Universal application". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2006-01-24-adium-x-0-88-an-universal-application.html.
- ↑ Cohen, Peter (June 10, 2005). "WWDC: Apple Design Award 2005 winners announced". Macworld. https://www.macworld.com/article/1045262/design.html.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Cohen, Peter (February 4, 2007). "Adium chat software emerges from beta". Macworld. https://www.macworld.com/article/183426/adium-2.html.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Mac Pro – Performance: Science and technical computing". Apple Inc.. https://www.apple.com/macpro/performance.html.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Secure Messaging Scorecard. Which apps and tools actually keep your messages safe?". Electronic Frontier Foundation. November 4, 2014. https://www.eff.org/secure-messaging-scorecard.
- ↑ "List of services supported and their interoperability". The Adium Project. https://adium.im/help/pgs/Accounts-ListOfServices.html.
- ↑ "Adium – About". https://adium.im/about/.
External links
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