Adium
| Company type | Open-source software |
|---|---|
| Industry | Instant messaging software |
| Founded | September 2001 |
| Founder | Adam Iser |
| Headquarters | macOS |
| Products | Instant messaging application |
| Website | adium |
Adium is a no-cost and open-source instant messaging application designed for macOS, compatible with various IM networks such as XMPP (Jabber) and IRC. In the past, it also accommodated AIM, ICQ, Windows Live Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger. Developed using the Cocoa API native to macOS, Adium is distributed under the GNU GPL-2.0-or-later license alongside several other component licenses.
History
The inception of Adium traces back to college student Adam Iser, who launched the initial version in September 2001, which exclusively supported AIM at that time. Early updates progressed until reaching Adium 1.6.2c.
Subsequently, the development team overhauled the software to enable multi-protocol support by incorporating Pidgin's libpurple library, concentrating primarily on enhancing the graphical user interface. Initially intended to be titled "Adium 2.0," the project was renamed "Adium X" and introduced at version 0.50, representing a midpoint towards a full 1.0 release. The release of Adium X 0.88 marked its first universal binary edition, allowing it to run natively on Intel-based Macintosh computers.
In 2005, Adium earned a "Special Mention" distinction during the Apple Design Awards.
Following version 0.89.1, the application reverted to its original name "Adium," with version 1.0 officially released on February 2, 2007.
Apple utilized build times for Adium X within Xcode as performance benchmarks in several updates comparing Mac Pro systems with Power Mac G5 Quad machines.
On November 4, 2014, Adium achieved a score of 6 out of 7 on the Electronic Frontier Foundation's secure messaging evaluation, missing one point due to the absence of a recent independent code audit.
As of March 2019, support for the ICQ plugin was discontinued; however, the official website continues to list ICQ compatibility.
Protocols
Adium connects to numerous instant messaging services through libraries such as libezv (used for Bonjour), STTwitterEngine (for Twitter integration), and libpurple (supporting additional protocols).
The protocols supported include:
- XMPP (encompassing Google Talk, Facebook Chat, LiveJournal)
- Bonjour
- Internet Relay Chat
- Novell GroupWise
- IBM Sametime
- Gadu-Gadu
- Skype (available via plugin)
- Skype for Business Server (previously Microsoft Lync/Office Communications Server; plugin required)
- Telegram (plugin-enabled)
- Tencent QQ (through plugin)
- Steam Chat (accessed by "Steam IM" plugin)
- NateOn (with plugin support)
Plugins and customization
The plug-in framework of Adium provides essential functionalities including file transfers, Growl notifications, Sparkle-based updates, and encrypted communication through Off-the-Record Messaging.
Users can extensively personalize their experience using "Xtras," which are third-party additions that alter emoticons, dock icons, contact list appearances, message display styles, and audio themes. Automation is facilitated by AppleScripts triggered by specific events, thereby improving workflow efficiency and user interaction.
Icon
The emblem and mascot representing Adium is a green duck named Adiumy.