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\section{Using instant messaging}
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\label{sec:instant-messaging}
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\credit{author}{Mehmet Kani}{13.10}
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\credit{editor}{Andrew Montag}{13.10}
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\status{13.10}{2013-07-13}{outdated}
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\status{13.10}{2013-10-1}{candidate}
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%I haven't been able to find out if all of the protocols are a trademarked or are
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%registered name, I will keep looking.
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\index{instant messaging|see{Empathy}}
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\marginscreenshot{03-emp-launcher-icon.png}{ss:emp-launcher-icon}{This is the icon that Empathy displays in the launcher.}
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Instant messaging allows you to communicate with people in real time online.
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Ubuntu includes the \application{Empathy} application that lets you use
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instant messaging features to keep in touch with your contacts.
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\application{Empathy} lets you connect to many instant messaging networks. You can connect
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to: Facebook, Google Talk, Windows Live, Salut, Jabber, Yahoo!, and \acronym{AIM}.
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To start \application{Empathy}, open the \menu{Messaging Menu} (the envelope icon on the menu bar), then select \menu{Empathy}.
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Note that you will only find it there after you have run \application{Empathy} for the first time (see below).
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\screenshot{03-emp-open-from-menubar.png}{ss:03-emp-open-from-menubar}{Access Empathy from the Messaging Menu in the menu bar.}
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% TODO what is supported these days? When I installed it, only the above were supported.
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%\acronym{IRC}, \acronym{MSN}, mxit, myspace, \acronym{qq}, sametime, silc, \acronym{SIP}, \acronym{XMPP}, Yahoo!, and Zephyr.
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%% In Quantal the Accounts Manager has been replaced by the Online Accounts manager. This manages all online accounts that integrate with all Social Networking apps. This means that if you set up, say, a Facebook account for Empathy, it will be set up for Gwibber as well. Likewise, if you remove a Facebook account from Empathy, it will be removed from Gwibber as well.
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%% UPDATE for Raring - there is now much more control over which Apps are integrated with a Online Account - ON/OFF buttons now allow you to disable Facebook integration with Empathy, for instance.
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\subsection{Running Empathy for the first time}
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\index{Empathy!add accounts}
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To run \application{Empathy} for the first time you need to start it from the Dash (see \seclink{sec:dash}). You should see a screen similar to that in figure~\ref{ss:03-emp-first-run}. At this time, \application{Empathy} does not know about any of your instant messaging accounts.
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\screenshot{03-emp-first-run.png}{ss:03-emp-first-run}{You should see a window like this the first time you open Empathy.}
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\subsection{Adding accounts}
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\warning{You must have existing chat accounts to that are compatible with \application{Empathy}. If you do not have an existing account, you will need to create one before continuing.}
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\marginnote{Be aware that when you Add or Remove accounts using the \application{Online Accounts} manager you will be adding or removing those accounts to or from \emph{all} the applications that they integrate with, not just \application{Empathy}.}
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You can add accounts to be used with empathy by clicking the \button{Account Settings} button, as shown in figure~\ref{ss:03-emp-first-run}, or you can use the menu bar to navigate to \menu{Empathy\then Accounts}. You should see a dialog similar to that in figure~\ref{ss:03-emp-add-accounts}. This is the Online Accounts manager.
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\screenshot{03-emp-add-accounts.png}{ss:03-emp-add-accounts}{Add your existing chat accounts for use in Empathy using the Online Accounts manager.}
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Click \button{Add account\ldots} on the left-hand side of the window if it is not already selected. At the top of the window, where it says \emph{Show accounts that integrate with:}, select \emph{Empathy} from the drop-down menu. Now click on the name of the chat service with which you have an account. Shown in figure~\ref{ss:03-emp-add-gmail-auth}, we have selected a Google account. You must now enter your login credentials and authorize Ubuntu to access your account.
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\screenshot{03-emp-add-gmail-auth.png}{ss:03-emp-add-gmail-auth}{You must enter your account credentials and authorize Ubuntu to use your account.}
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When you have authorized Ubuntu to access your account, you are shown all the applications that integrate with the account, including \application{Empathy}. All the applications have an \button{ON/OFF} button to control their integration with the account. Make sure the \button{ON/OFF} button is set to ON for \application{Empathy}. There is also an \button{Options} button for you to edit details used by \application{Empathy}. The details shown are specific to each application.
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After adding your accounts, you can now use \application{Empathy} to chat with all of your friends, right from your Ubuntu desktop!
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\subsection{Communicating with contacts}
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\indexstart{Empathy!chatting}
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To communicate with a contact, select the contact in \application{Empathy}'s main window and double-click their name. \application{Empathy} should open a new window where you can type messages to your contact and see a record of previously exchanged messages.
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\screenshot{03-emp-chat-in-progress.png}{ss:03-emp-chat-in-progress}{Chatting with friends in Empathy.}
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To send a message to the contact, enter your message in the text field below the conversation history. When you have typed your message press the \keystroke{Enter} key to send the message to your contact. When the person you are chatting with is typing to you, a small keyboard icon will appear next to their name in the chat window.
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If you are communicating with more than one person, then all of the conversations will be shown either in tabs in your \application{Empathy} window or in separate windows, depending on the option you have chosen in the menu item \menu{Empathy\then Preferences}.
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%TODO more detail needed here.
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\subsubsection{Audio and Video Calling}
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You can use \application{Empathy} to chat with your friends using audio and video, too. To start an audio or video call, right click on the Contact name, then select \menu{Audio Call} or \menu{Video Call}, as shown in figure~\ref{ss:03-emp-rt-click-contact}. This will notify the person you are trying to call, and they will be asked if they would like to answer the call.
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\marginscreenshot[-10\baselineskip]{03-emp-rt-click-contact.png}{ss:03-emp-rt-click-contact}{Right-clicking a contact exposes many ways to communicate.}
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If the person you are calling accepts your call request, you will be connected, and you can begin talking. If the person you are calling cannot see or hear you, your webcam or microphone may not be properly configured; see the sections on \seclink{sec:sound} and \seclink{sec:webcam}, respectively. You can end the call by clicking on the red telephone button in the chat window.
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\indexend{Empathy!chatting}
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\subsection{Sending and receiving files}
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\subsubsection{Sending a file}
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When you are in a conversation with a contact and you would like to send them a
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file, right-click the contact in the contact list\dash as in figure~\ref{ss:03-emp-rt-click-contact}\dash and select \menu{Send File}. \application{Empathy} should open the \window{Select file} window. Find the file you wish to send, and click on the \button{Send} button. A \window{File Transfers} window will open showing the file and its transfer progress. When the file transfer is complete, you can close the \window{File Transfers} window.
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\subsection{Changing your status}
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You can use your status to show your contacts how busy you are or what you are doing. Your contacts see your status next to your name when they chat with you. You can use the standard statuses, which are:
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Two of these statuses have additional functionality. The \emph{Invisible} status lets you see which of your contacts are online, but does not allow them to see that you are online. The \emph{Offline} status logs you out entirely; you will not be able to see which of your contacts are online, nor can they see you or chat with you.
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You can change your status in one of two ways.
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The first method is in the main \application{Empathy} window from the drop-down list at the top of the window.
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The same drop-down list lets you set a custom status by choosing ``Custom Message\ldots'' next to the icon that matches your status. Enter what you would like your status to say, and click on the green check mark.
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The second method is to click the \button{Messaging Icon} on the menu bar, as shown in figure~\ref{ss:03-emp-open-from-menubar}.
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From this menu, you will see all of the same options that \application{Empathy} presents, but accessible without having to open Empathy.
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% Something I think is quite useful for users! I am adding here - please edit if necessary - Sayantan Das <sayantan13@gmail.com>
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% Edited for quantal by ajmontag
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% I could not get this to work. --ajmontag
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\subsection{Desktop Sharing}
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\index{desktop!sharing}
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\index{Empathy!desktop sharing}
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Desktop sharing is a very nice feature available with Ubuntu. It can be used for a lot of purposes, like troubleshooting, online meetings, or just showing off your cool desktop to your friend. It is very easy to get remote desktop sharing working between two Ubuntu machines.
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To share your screen, you will first have to set up \application{Desktop Sharing}. Open the \application{Desktop Sharing} application from the Dash (see \seclink{sec:dash}). Next, select \checkbox{Allow other users to view your desktop}; you may want to deselect \checkbox{Allow other users to control your desktop}.
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After you have \application{Desktop Sharing} configured, open \application{Empathy}. To begin sharing your desktop, right-click on the contact you wish to share your desktop with, and select \menu{Share my desktop}.
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It should be noted that the other user will obviously be able to see the information displayed on your screen. Please be sure to keep this in mind if you have documents or files that are of a private nature open on your desktop.
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\subsection{Changing account settings}
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% TODO from here, ajmontag
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If you need to add more accounts after the initial launch of \application{Empathy}, open the \menu{Empathy} menu on the menu bar, then select \menu{Accounts}. \application{Empathy} will then display the \application{Online Accounts} manager window.
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\subsubsection{Editing an account}
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You might need to edit the details of an account. Select the account you want to change
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on the left side of the \application{Online Accounts} window then click the \button{Options} button for \application{Empathy}. The \application{Online Accounts} manager should show the current
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information for the account. Once you have made your changes, click \button{Done}.
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\subsubsection{Removing an account from Empathy}
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To stop an account from showing in \application{Empathy}, select the account on the left hand side of the \application{Online Accounts} manager window. Then click on the \button{ON/OFF} button for \application{Empathy} and set it to OFF.
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\subsection{Editing contacts}
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\subsubsection{Adding a contact}
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%TODO this bit needs some rewording, I am not sure if it is clear enough.
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%Note: I'm confused here... Agree that it needs rewording. --ilya
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%Agreed I think I've fixed it. Can someone check it? - JasonCook599
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%Seems pretty straight-forward, now; I combined a couple of short paragraphs,
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%and tinkered with the wording in a couple of places to make it more concise.
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%Decaffienated46 (The NuB, hope I didn't break too many rules. Decaf)
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To add a contact open \menu{Empathy\then Contacts\then Add contacts..} from the menu bar. \application{Empathy} opens the \window{New Contact} window.
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In the \dropdown{Account} drop-down list, choose the account you want to
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add contacts for. When creating a contact you must select the service that matches the service your contact is using.
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%%... This bit removed as it is far too simplistic...
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%%For example, if your contact's address ends in ``@googlemail.com'' then you will
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%%need to add it to an account that ends in ``@googlemail.com.'' Likewise if the
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%%contact's email ends in ``@hotmail.com'' then you will need to add it to an
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%%account ending in ``@hotmail.com.''
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After choosing the account you wish to add the contact to, enter their login
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\acronym{ID}, their username, their screen name, or their email address in the
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\textfield{Identifier} text field. Next, in the \textfield{Alias} text field, enter
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the name you want to see in your contact list. Click \button{Add} to add the contact
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to your list of contacts.
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\subsubsection{Removing a contact}
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Right click on the contact that you want to remove, then select \menu{Remove}.
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This will open the \window{Removing contact} window. Click on the \button{Delete}
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button to confirm that you want to remove this contact,
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or click \button{Cancel} to keep the contact.