BitlBee
| Company type | Free software |
|---|---|
| Industry | Instant messaging software |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Products | IRC instant messaging gateway |
| Website | www |
BitlBee serves as a cross-platform gateway for IRC instant messaging, distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License. It links users through the IRC protocol to prominent chat services such as AIM, ICQ (utilizing the OSCAR), Microsoft Messenger service (via the MSNP), Yahoo! (using the YMSG), and Facebook Messenger (through a plugin employing MQTT). Additionally, it supports microblogging platforms including Twitter, Identi.ca, and GNU Social. Starting from version 3.0, BitlBee incorporates the libpurple library, which facilitates file sharing and broadens compatibility to protocols like GaduGadu and QQ. It also offers features such as Off-the-record messaging and reflects remote user statuses by means of IRC voice attributes.
Installation options for BitlBee include personal desktops, private servers, or access via publicly available gateway servers. Users create accounts on a BitlBee server to save login details and configure service protocols, allowing their contact lists to be represented as IRC users within channels. Communication can take place openly in channels or through private IRC messages.
The application is compatible with various operating systems, including but not limited to Linux, Unix, BSD, Windows, AmigaOS, and macOS.