Contents
Document sections:
Step 1 - Download a Jabber client
Jabber clients exist for most operating systems, including Windows, MacOS, Linux, PalmOS and many cell phones. Pick one you like. We use Kopete for Linux and Psi for Windows. You may also use our Jabber web client to access our Jabber server without installing a client on your computer. However, we recommend that you install a full-featured client to use Jabber.
In these instructions we assume that you're using the Psi Jabber client on a Windows PC; however, the configuration process is similar with other clients. Psi may be downloaded here. Information about other clients may be found here.
Step 2 - Install the Jabber client
Double click on the downloaded file's icon to install Psi. When prompted, select the language you wish to use, then click "OK."
Run the Setup Wizard by clicking "Next."
Click on "I Agree" to confirm your agreement with the license terms, or click on "Cancel" to bail.
Select the features you'd like to install. The default settings are fine for most users. Click on "Next" to continue.
Choose where you'd like the program to be installed on your computer's hard drive. The default selection is fine for most users. Click "Install" to continue.
Click "Finish" to complete the installation and run Psi.
Step 3 - Configure the Jabber client
Click on "Profiles..." to create a profile.
Click on "New" to create a new profile.
Select a name for your profile, select other message options, and click on "Create" to create your profile.
Now that you have created your profile, click on "Open" to run Psi using the new profile. You may wish to create other profiles (i.e., for other users of the computer).
Step 4 - Create an account on our Jabber server
Name your account. Note that this is the name that Psi uses to identify the account, not the account name on the server. Verify that the "Register new account" option is checked, and click on "Add" to continue.
Select a username and password for your account on our server. The username must be in the following format:
your_username@jabber.quinns.net.
Click on "Register" to create the account on our Jabber server.
You should receive a confirmation that the account was successfully created. Click on "OK" to continue.
Your Psi contact list (or "roster") should now be open and indicate that you are offline. Unless you wish to send messages only to yourself, you will need to add contacts to your roster.
Click the "Offline" button and select "Online" from the drop down menu. Once you are connected to the server, the star icon should appear yellow.
Once connected, you may receive a message welcoming you to the server. Select "Close" to dismiss the message.
Step 5 - Add contacts to your roster
Click on the "Psi" menu and select "Add a contact."
Enter the complete Jabber ID of the user you wish to add to your roster. You may also assign a nick name to the contact and elect to place the contact in a group, such as "family" or "friends." Make sure that the "Request authorization when adding" option is checked and click on "Add" to add the user to your roster. You cannot send messages to most users unless they first authorize you to do so. Click on "Add" to continue.
You should receive a confirmation that the user was successfully added to your roster. Click on "OK" to continue.
If the new contact is online and accepts your authorization request, the icon next to the contact's name will flash to indicate an incoming system message. If the new contact is offline, he or she will receive your request when he or she next connects. Double-click on the new contact's name in the roster to read the system message.
You will be notified whether the new contact has accepted your authorization request. The new contact will likely also request your authorization to add you to his or her roster of contacts. To do so, click on "Add/Auth."
Once added to your roster, the icon next to the contact's name will indicate that contact's status (i.e., online, offline, away, etc.). You may change your status to indicate to other users whether you are available.
Using Jabber for Instant Messaging or Chat
To send an instant message, double-click on the contact to whom the message should be sent. Type your message and click "Send" (in chat mode, hit Enter).
A flashing icon next to a contact's name indicates that contact has sent you a message (or wishes to chat).
Double-click the icon to read the message, reply or chat.
You may also join a conference or group chat session to simultaneously chat with multiple users. To do so, click on the "Psi" menu and select "Join Group Chat...."
Note that our group chat server is located at conference.jabber.quinns.net, not jabber.quinns.net. If you'd like to enter a group chat hosted on another Jabber server, enter that server's address. Otherwise, enter conference.jabber.quinns.net in the "Host" field to chat on our server. To join an existing conference created by another user, enter the name of that user's conference room in the "Room" field. To create your own chat room, enter the name of your room. Finally, enter your nickname for purposes of the group chat session in the "Nickname" field. Your nickname need not be the same as your Jabber user name and need not contain "@jabber.quinns.net." Click on "Join" to proceed to the group chat.
All users in a group chat room may participate in the conference. However, you should remember that group chat sessions are serious business and require that users maintain appropriate decorum, as illustrated by this example conference:
Additional Information
Your Jabber client offers a number of additional options to customize how you interact with others on the Jabber IM network. You may also configure your Jabber client to permit you to send messages to users of other messaging networks, such as ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger. For additional information, consult your Jabber client developer's web page or click here.