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I'm new to Ubuntu and the first thing I tried to do is download and install Yahoo! Messenger. When I went to install I keep getting an error. Is it not compatible?

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    Have you tried Pidgin?
    – Karlson
    Feb 17, 2012 at 15:18

6 Answers 6

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First you have some alternatives to Yahoo messenger. For example, the Empathy messenger that comes with Ubuntu:

enter image description here

but assuming you want the actual Yahoo Messenger, the Yahoo Messenger running with Wine does not work (tested myself right now) and the Linux version for it is very old and gave me a weird error. For the time being, you can use the alternative like Empathy, Pidgin and any other messenger that supports the Yahoo protocol. All of which come with Ubuntu or can be found in the Ubuntu Software Center.

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Instructions

  1. Install Wine . Wine is what is known as a "transition layer," which is a fancy way of saying that it is a program capable of running Windows programs . It is a bit like an emulator. Installation files for Wine can be obtained by selecting "Ubuntu Software Center"

  2. Download the Yahoo! Messenger installer as normal. This is an executable file with a .exe file extension that contains all the files and instructions necessary to install the program on your machine. On the Yahoo! Messenger webpage select the "Download" tab near the top of the page, and then select "Download Now" from the page that loads. Save the file to your Desktop for easy access for the next step.

  3. Execute the Yahoo! Messenger .exe file. If Wine has been properly installed, Ubuntu will automatically load the setup.exe file within Wine, which will cause the normal program setup dialog boxes to appear with instructions to follow just as if you were installing within Windows.

enter image description here

Right Click > properties > Permission > check Allow executing programs

4 . double click it & install it

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  • yahoo messenger with wine doesn't work !!!, at-least it doesn't seem to support any call features.
    – Sooraj S
    Feb 27, 2016 at 11:56
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By the looks of things Yahoo! Messenger for Unix/Linux is basically an abandoned project.

There are free packages like Pidgin, Empathy and a few others that will allow you to use Yahoo's messaging. All you will have to do is configure an account for access.

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    link public.yahoo.com/~mmk was broken
    – pylover
    Apr 12, 2013 at 8:38
  • @pylover It is now. It wasn't a year ago.
    – Karlson
    Apr 12, 2013 at 11:16
  • Just for the record, Yahoo Messenger for Linux can still be downloaded from Softpedia here: linux.softpedia.com/get/Communications/Chat/… However, they do mention that this is an old app. May 21, 2015 at 11:14
  • I've found Yux, an app that aims to be an alternative to Yahoo Messenger. It aims to run under Linux and imitates the look and feel of YM. Obviously, its target public are new Linux users which are also big fans of Yahoo Messenger. However, I can't tell if it's really working. I haven't tried it yet. For now, I'm pleased with Pidgin and Hangouts. Here's the link for Yux: pravin.sourceforge.net May 21, 2015 at 11:19
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You can use the default chat client for Ubuntu called Empathy. You can find it by clicking the letter in the notification area (next to your clock). When it launch, if you haven't setup any account(s) it will ask you to do so. If you already have accounts there you can just click F4 and a window for accounts will pop up. There you can add new account and from the drop-down menu you can select Yahoo.

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An acceptable alternative is Gyachi. you might want to give it a try. It definitely has more features than the conventional alternatives like Pidgin or Empathy, though it might have bugs ( developed only till 10.04 ,sadly )... But its worth a shot :)

http://gyachi.sourceforge.net/intro.shtml

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  • I used to like GyachE / Gyachi (still do) but hate that there is no further development. I hope someone start the project again
    – wisemonkey
    Nov 4, 2012 at 5:55
  • If you look at sourceforge.net/projects/gyachi it seems actually been under development
    – wisemonkey
    Nov 4, 2012 at 5:59
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    Seems to be long dead.
    – muru
    Oct 1, 2015 at 1:59
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i don't know why people are suggesting Wine, yahoo messenger won't work with that, at-least its calling features, and there is no other known ways to access its video/voice calling in ubuntu.

The best way is to Install Pidgin.

sudo apt-get install pidgin

or

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pidgin-developers/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install pidgin

With Pidgin you can't access any of the video/audio calling features, can do chatting and add friends.

I think that's the best you can do with yahoo messenger in ubuntu, unless they introduce n Debian specific version, and that doesn't seem to happen in the near future.

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