# pidgin refuses to connect to msn network

## Peach

reason: cannot retrieve addressbook

seems like M$ is trying to boycott non native clients?

check this out: http://developer.pidgin.im/ticket/8080

any workaround?

EDIT: here there's a workaround: http://www.nabble.com/-8080:-Unable-to-retrieve-MSN-address-book-td21407542.html

install x11-plugins/pidgin-msn-pecan and from pidgin account dialog, change the protocol from 'msn' to 'wlm'.

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## oliver

thanks for posting the workaround!

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## lesourbe

try this

use wlm protocol instead of msn protocol in pidgin configuration.

(shorter version) : did not see there was already a workaround.

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## <3

thx that seemed to work for me.

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## keet

 *Peach wrote:*   

> install x11-plugins/pidgin-msn-pecan and from pidgin account dialog, change the protocol from 'msn' to 'wlm'.

 

This works for me.  So does switching to Empathy  :Smile:   Now, if only I can make QQ work properly in Pidgin or Empathy...

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## neonl

Hi,

isn't msn-pecan suppose to be able to set custom status as msn personal messages?

I can see other people's personal messages but can set my own (which i could do with pidgin's msn plugin)... Anyway, this should be fixed soon in a new pidgin release, right?

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## Voyageur

If you have pidgin-msn-pecan-0.0.17 installed, this is no longer true: you can set personal message it via "Set Personal Message" in the accounts/your WLM account submenu, but it does not use the status message by default for that

This can be disabled (and use standard pidgin status message for personal message), in the advanced account options (uncheck "Use independent personal messages").

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## neonl

Btw, apparently the problem with the oficial msn plugin is solved in the servers.

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