Using KMess
Q: Do I need a hotmail account to chat with KMess/MSN Messenger?
No, you can register any e-mail address at register.passport.net.
Q: Why can't I play winks in KMess?
To play winks, you need to have a flash-player and cabextract installed. These packages can be installed opt-in later after KMess is installed.
Also verify whether you can play flash files in Konqueror. When flash can be played in Konqueror it works in KMess as well. Use the Konqueror Plugin settings to detect new plugins, and enable the "Use artsdsp to pipe plugin sounds through aRts" option if the flash player hangs when it loads.
Q: Will KMess support webcam or tabbed chats?
Both are planned for the next release, based on KDE 4!
Q: What ports do I have to open in my firewall to get the filetransfer working?
Ports 6891-6900 (TCP only).
Q: Why are my file transfers still slow?
KMess supports direct connections to have a fast file transfers. This works if you have the TCP ports 6891-6900 open in your firewall. If you have a home router (NAT router), make sure those ports are forwarded to your system as well. We can't forward those ports automatically for you yet, but plan to add this as option in the future.
When a direct connection can't be established the only fallback option is sending the file via the chat server. This is slow because the chat server enforces a speed limit. Not every third party client supports direct connections yet, so file transfers with these clients will always be slow. KMess will display the precise reason for the slow file transfer at the console.
Q: What ports do I have to open when I want to use GnomeMeeting?
TCP ports 1720, and 30000-30010. UDP ports 5000-5003.
Q: How can I disable "other folder" email notification? It's all junk mail anyway.
Open the settings dialog for your profile. Under the "accounts" dialog, unclick "Show 'other folder' notifications".
Q: Why is the size of my chat font ignored?
Because neither the official client nor other clients support them. The font size information is not exchanged between clients.
Q: I'm using KMess in GNOME and my default browser setting is ignored
GNOME and KDE 3 applications don't share the settings for the default browser yet unfortunately. You can fix this by opening kcontrol in GNOME, navigate to KDE Components -> Component Chooser -> Web Browser.
There is one other option if you don't have kcontrol installed and you don't want to install kdebase. Edit ~/.kde/share/config/kdeglobals directly and add the following setting:
[General] BrowserApplication=firefox
If the [General] section does not exist yet, you'll have to add it.
Q: I'm using KMess in GNOME and I get no sounds for KMess (or other KDE progams)
KMess and other KDE applications use the "KDE notification service" (knotify), and ask it to play a sound for them. In KDE 3, it used a separate "sound server" (called artsd) to play that sound together with all other sounds at your sound card.
GNOME also has a sound server (called esd) which does the same, and prevents artsd from playing a sound. What you can try to do is:
- Open the KDE control center (kcontrol). It's part of the kdebase package.
- Look for the notification settings and sound settings
- Make artsd play all sounds via esd
- ..or see if you can make both artsd (from the KDE control panel) and esd (from the GNOME control panel) release the sound card after being idle for a ~2 seconds.
Now you should be able to hear sounds as well.
Installation
Q: How do I install KMess?
Please take a look at the installation help.
Q: Why do the emoticons just show up as black squares?
You installed KMess to the wrong directory. Basically, it should be configured to install to your KDE3 directory. This folder should be auto-detected, but you can also tell configure where to find it. For example: ./configure --prefix=/opt/kde3 Basically, it's the directory under which you'll find share/apps/a bunch of K programs
Q: How do I build RPM packages?
Please take a look at the installation guide.
Development
Q: Are you looking for new developers?
Yes, we always are! You're welcome to join us.
You can always post a question at the help forum, we can help you to get started. You may also want to take a look at the developer site and development tutorial as well.
Q: How do I use KMess SVN? (previously KMess CVS)
Please take a look at Accessing SVN.
Q: How can I track the development progress?
You can take a look at:
- The kmess-commits list (receive a e-mail each time our code is updated).
- The developer blogs (rss).
- The roadmap at the developer site.
- Statistics at Ohloh.net.
Q: Can I send in my feedback somehow?
Yes, we'd love to have feedback about KMess and the new features we're adding. You can use the forum for that!
Q: Where should I submit a theme I made that uses Microsoft's MSN emoticons?
Sorry, we don't want them. Despite the fact that other MSN Messenger clients for Linux use them, we feel there are likely copyright issues. That's one of the reasons we have our own complete emoticon theme, GPL'ed for use by other MSN Messenger clients for Linux clients if they should feel the same way we do.
KMess supports the standard emoticon format for KDE, so you can provide or use any other emoticon theme found at kde-look.org.
Q: Have you considered joining forces with Kopete?
It has been considered, and rejected in the past. The two programs may have similar functionality in the MSN department, but they're built differently. Furthermore, we've always felt that those multiple-protocol supporting programs suffer from the "least-common-denominator" problem. If 4 protocols don't support different fonts and 1 does, then no fonts for any, etc. Though they're getting better, lately. Instead, Mike, and later some comrades, started developing a full featured MSN client for Linux.
Our mid-term plans include creating a library from our protocol code. The code is well tested, with a reasonable class design, easy to debug, and put to practice since 2003. If you think you can help, we'd like to know! At the current state of development we'll likely be able to get started on this after the KDE 4 port.
Q: Can you add voice chat support to KMess?
Perhaps in the future, but we have other priorities first. There is simply a lot to choose from, since we want to implement everything which is part of the "MSN Experience". Off course, we won't stop you from helping us out, and implement it yourself.
Miscellaneous
Q: Why should I use KMess instead of GAIM/Kopete/aMsn?
Short answer: if you have a KDE desktop and use MSN Messenger only.
Some clients are written to support multiple protocols. KMess tries to support one at the fullest, optimizing the user interface for one protocol. KMess also stays true to KDE standards, look and feel. There is a choice for everyone, you're free to use what you like.
Q. What is the story behind the name of KMess?
There was already a KMsn, though that changed. "Mess" as sort of short for "Messenger" and also to be a self-deprecating joke. When I named it that, I didn't think anyone would actually end up using it. ;-)