Centericq
| Company type | Free software |
|---|---|
| Industry | Instant messaging software |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Fate | Development ended August 2007; succeeded by CenterIM fork |
Area served | Cross-platform (Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, Windows, macOS/Darwin) |
| Products | Instant messaging client supporting ICQ, Yahoo!, AIM, MSN, IRC, XMPP, LiveJournal, Gadu-Gadu |
Centericq is a text-based instant messaging client that utilizes a menu- and window-driven interface, supporting various protocols such as ICQ, Yahoo!, AIM, MSN, IRC, XMPP, LiveJournal, and Gadu-Gadu.
Overview
Centericq facilitates the exchange of messages, URLs, SMS (through ICQ servers and email gateways provided by Mirabilis), contact lists, and email express messages. It is compatible with multiple operating systems including Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, Windows, and macOS/Darwin.
In the early 2000s, Centericq received attention from various technology outlets such as Softpedia, Czech publications ABC Linux and Linux.cz, as well as recommendations in OSNews and the Russian magazine Computerra. The German magazine LinuxUser published guides on Centericq in 2001 and again in 2004; the latter tutorial was also featured in the English edition of Linux Magazine. Additionally, it appeared in a 2002 Russian XAKEP magazine comparison of ICQ clients and a 2005 evaluation of IRC clients in Free Software Magazine. Critics highlighted Centericq’s curses-based windows-like interface for its comprehensive data presentation and robust IRC capabilities, including support for multiple servers and channels. In 2002, Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols described it as "the greatest of all console IM clients," citing its interface design and customization features. A 2005 assessment by The Unofficial Apple Weblog praised its stability and user-friendliness on Mac OS X despite some minor usability concerns.
Official development of Centericq ended by August 2007, with its website announcing closure and recommending users transition to the CenterIM fork. Developers of CenterIM continued to provide security fixes and updates; version 4.22.9 was released by 2009. Neither CenterICQ nor CenterIM version 4 offers full Unicode support; however, UTF-8 compatibility is planned for CenterIM version 5.
See also
- naim, a multi-protocol text messaging client
- List of XMPP client software
- Comparison of instant messaging clients
Further reading
- Alexandru Voiculescu (September 2002) "Interview with Konstantin Klyagin", PC Magazine Romania
- Petr Krčmář (12 March 2007), "Interview with CenterICQ author Konstantin Klyagin", root.cz