theres really no need for this tutorial since canonical releases updates for pidgin meaning that everyone is going to get an update to the new pidgin in a while correcting this problem.

No... they don't update Pidgin to a new version (for example, from 2.5.6 to 2.5.7) and everyone knows that... Here's a quote from the Pidgin developers: "Ubuntu ships Pidgin but does not update it after a release (except for security issues). For those users who desire new releases of Pidgin, we have packaged Pidgin in a PPA."

tanks! this solved the problem!

Runnin Ubuntu x64 , got to update manager and now pidgin and libpurple0 are unchecked/disabled with "failed to detect distribution"

What Ubuntu version you have? Download the AMD64 package from here http://linux.softpedia.com/progDownload/Pidgin-Download-6.html and update Pidgin.

Ubuntu DEB amd64 (Pidgin 2.5.7)
Ubuntu DEB amd64 (libpurple0 2.5.7)
Ubuntu DEB ALL (libpurple0-bin 2.5.7)
Ubuntu DEB ALL (Pidgin 2.5.7 Data)

THANK YOU
can not thank all involved for solving this and you for posting such clear and simple directions.
kudos and thanks

There's another yet simpler solution for this issue.
You can simply replace "scs.msg.yahoo.com" with "cn.scs.msg.yahoo.com" in the server pager properties, instead of replacind the pidgin packages.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1191064&highlight=pidgin&page=3

# There's another yet simpler solution for this issue.
# You can simply replace "scs.msg.yahoo.com" with "cn.scs.msg.yahoo.com" in the # server pager properties, instead of replacind the pidgin packages.
# http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1191064&highlight=pidgin&page=3

Replaced and Pidgin cannot start now. Shuts down as connecting to the server.
Any solution please?

This worked perfect. Thanks.

Thanks! Fixed Pidgin in no time ;) And I was just beginning to worry about it.... Thank you again for everyone out there helping non-programmer linux users as I am :)

Thanks for posting this fix. This has been bugging me for a little while.

I have Ubuntu 8.04, proved first the alternative method, and it works.

THX!

Hello you all.
Just tested the tuto and it Works. I'm just wondering why Yahoo! doesn't notify users by mail that de server has been changed...
I've just tried the second part of the tuto (change server name) and it works well. But if you search in goole with "new yahoo server name", you won't bee able to find it easily.
So thank you for this tuto... even if I've surfed for 15 min to find it.

Yeah I had no Yahoo Messenger since Friday, but Pidgin was updated by the time got into the office so I updated it, need to have to do the same thing when I get home.

Thanks a lot, I tried out the second one and it worked perfectly. :-) :-)

i m using GYache messenger. how can i solve dis login problem in it??

I've updated the tutorial with information about GYachE Improved, at the end...

can i use any other server other than "cn.scs.msg.yahoo.com" for Gyache Improved, my gyache workd fine for few days, but now i m again having problem in loggin in.

For deepak: Yeah, sure... as you can see from the last screenshot, GyachE Improved has a lot of Yahoo servers :)

Thanks all,
I used the second one and it works for both Kopete and Pidgin

thanks a lot Marius.. it workd.

Thanks a lot for this tutorial . It works !

ya, thanks I am happy getting this solution

A thousand thanks for this excellent walk through, been tearing my hair out trying to get Pidgin to connect to Yahoo, now connects instantly :)

here is the full story behind pidgin/ kopete breakage

http://theflamingbanker.blogspot.com/2009/06/some-clarification-on-yahoo-issues.html
http://mattr.info:8080/blog/2009/06/24/kopete-and-yahoo/

Thanks, going into the advanced settings and changing the pager server field to cn.scs.msg.yahoo.com worked under XP64.. for those of us that use Windows to get things done. :)

I did all the steps exactly as stated and pidgin now crashes when it launches. I webnt from version 2.5.2. to 2.5.7. Running ubuntu 8.10.

Strange.... please remove Pidgin from your computer (open Synaptic, search for pidgin and mark for uninstall all the pidgin-related packaged, including libpurle (search for it in Synaptic)).

Allso delete the hidden .purple folder located in your home directory (in Nautilus, hit CTRL+H to see the hidden files).

After the uninstallation process, install Pidgin 2.5.7.

Thank you - excellent instructions! I didn't know that Ubuntu didn't update Pidgin automatically.

You're welcome.... yeah, I know... it's sad. Maybe starting with Karmic they will upgrade the version also.

Version 2.5.5 for Japanese market is seriously bad. Yahoo! Messenger does not work at all while Yahoo! Japan works well. Previous version works well for both Yahoo! and Yahoo! Japan.

Revose and Automatic update are expected.

----Larry

An excellent howto ... :)
Thanks Marius Nester ...

Excellent!

I tried to use the server cn.scs.msg.yahoo.com before and it worked. However, today it doesn't work any more. But after I update Pidgin to latest version, I can connect again using the same server.

As Marius Nestor said, this is the problem with login method, not server. In the past, some server may work, but now it is over. So I recommend everyone to update the latest version of Pidgin.

Thank for the tutorial and Linux teams.

Pidgin has been updated last night to version 2.5.8. It fixes a lot of Yahoo bugs! Everyone that has the Pidgin repository installed (method one), should update as soon as possible!

Thank you-worked like a charm. I was a little concerned because I have an AMD 64 and that sometimes causes problems, but no, it's now working perfectly. And I found the instructions beautifully clear for a relative newbie.

Thank you very much for the tutorial. I thought that this is an update issue of Ubuntu, since there had been number of times in the past that some application simply don't work after update. (I use 9.04 now, there had been some bugs after update in my 8.04 then.) Now I know that this is a bug at the Yahoo! end and not on Linux applications and distros. I hope that there will also be some tutorials on Kopete regarding this problem. (We have a single PC at home and my wife uses the Pidgin while I use the Kopete - I guess we'll have to share Pidgin for a moment.) Thanks again.

I just followed the first part (upgrading pidgin) but the new pidgin wasn't installed. When i tried manually installing it from the command line, this is what I got (broken packages) :

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
pidgin: Depends: pidgin-data (< 1:2.5.5-z) but 1:2.5.7-1ubuntu1~pidgin3.9.10 is to be installed
Depends: libpurple0 (>= 1:2.5.5-1ubuntu8.1) but it is not going to be installed

When I tried installing libpurple0, I got (broken packages):
libpurple0: Depends: pidgin-data (< 1:2.5.5-z) but 1:2.5.7-1ubuntu1~pidgin3.9.10 is to be installed


I tried undo-ing all that I did but to no avail. How do I correct this issue?

Thanks for this tut.; worked great for me!

Thank you for the tutorial, I could never have imagined that Linux+Ubuntu is so complicated, but thanks to people like you most of the time there are solutions to the problems FOR ENGLISH SPEAKERS!
As I am using Hardy Heron (remember that it is a long term supported version) I had to enter following line into the software sources:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/pidgin-developers/ppa/ubuntu hardy main
Arnould (France)

Great job....thanks a lot for this tip....
Big hello from Macedonia

This is not Linux being treated like outsiders. I have Windows and my Pidgin won't connect to Yahoo either. I'll see if I can make your fix work.

Thanks for the tutorial . I have a very weird problem which is not associated to pidgin but to gyahce which is another YAHOO client and I feel has more functionalities which I need. But the problem it that it wont let me sign in with the account type "username@yahoo.co.in" while I have tried all other secondary accounts which are fortunately of the type "username@yahoo.com" . My primary account works well on all other clients . Even after upgrading Gyache to its latest released version the problem is still there its the weirdest of the kind I have seen. Please help me out if any body has any idea. I have tried asking this on ubuntu forums but in vain.

@saurabh gupta

I've looked all over and haven't seen any answers. As for the latest release version, I'm currently using GyachE 1.2.0-1 found at https://launchpad.net/~loell/+archive/ppa.

Have you tried logging in with just your username and leaving off the @yahoo.co.in? I've seen where extensions other than US have given many users trouble but it's possible that might work. Otherwise, it's a pain but you may be better off to just use a username@yahoo.com address for yahoo messenger.

Hi, whats that desktop theme u have installed? It looks cool. I want to use it too.. how can I do it? Pls tell me.

It's Dust, you can find it in Ubuntu 9.04

I got Pidgin 2.5.8 version (2.5.7 expected). Now installed.
my Ubuntu is 4.09.
I must have made a mistake. I could not get it run.

Actually the program Pidgin is no longer listed in the GUI.
So I tried Add/Remove to get it back:
I got:

Cannot install 'pidgin'
This application conflicts with other installed software. To install 'pidgin' the conflicting software must be removed first.

Switch to the 'synaptic' package manager to resolve this conflict.

I keep trying.

Thanks now its working back again

I have Gyache Improved 1.2.2. Everyting ok (can login, join room, view cam), but sound. No sound at all even somebody (in my buddies list) on/offline or 'sing' (in some room). I think I have correct setting in setup tab.
I am on Jaunty and never use Gyache before.
Any advice, pls?

TIA

I have tried the both option for the pidgin for yahoo but not working. I have ubuntu 9.04. The error messege is
Could not establish a connection with the server:
Access denied: HTTP proxy server forbids port 5050 tunneling.
can any one tell me what may be the reason behind this.
Thanks in advance.

i just want to ask about how to upgrade pidgin 2.5.8 to pidgin 2.6.1 on ubuntu 9.04.
thanks

@ intan
Follow the first method above (to take pidgin repos) and then on terminal :
sudo apt-get install pidgin

Many thanks for this tutorial.

Worked perfectly for me.

Really Great Work :)

Thank you

this is very good and thanks to the person who solved the issue