From LifeHacker
Cross-platform, multi-protocol instant messaging application Pidgin is very functional, but by default it’s not what most people would call sexy. But like many great software projects, from Firefox to foobar2000, the looks and extra functionality are there—you just have to know where to find them. Today we’re taking a look at 10 of the best Pidgin plug-ins for taking Pidgin from drab to fab.
- Stay Smart Over IM with Text Replacement
- Encrypt Chat Sessions with Pidgin-Encrypt
- Start BitTorrent Downloads through Pidgin with Autoaccept
- Keep Notified of Chats with Guifications
- Get SMS Alerts of IMs While You’re Away
- Remember Where You Left Off with Enhanced History
- Save Your Chat Sessions with SessionSave
- Add Now Playing Status to Pidgin
- Get Updates on New Releases with Release Notification
- Theme Pidgin with the GTK Theme Selector or GTK+ Theme Control
A massively important part of getting people off Windows and onto Linux is the testing stage. LiveCDs have done a lot of the work but they don’t allow you to save changes (for long-term testing) and they require a CD burner (and a spare CD!).
This excellent tutorial from Pendrivelinux will show you how to turn a cheap USB drive into a portable operating system, all from within Windows. It just takes a few minutes and shortly after, you’re running PCLOS.
Enjoy!