63 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
63 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
# Delta Chat plugin for libpurple
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## Overview
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[Delta Chat](https://delta.chat) is an instant messaging application based on
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email - which is to say, SMTP+IMAP.
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Delta has:
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* A mature [core library](https://github.com/deltachat/deltachat-core)
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* A mature [Android application](https://github.com/deltachat/deltachat-android)
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* An experimental [iOS application](https://github.com/deltachat/deltachat-ios)
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* An electron [desktop application](https://github.com/deltachat/deltachat-desktop)
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This project is a [libpurple](https://developer.pidgin.im/wiki/WhatIsLibpurple)
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plugin that wraps `deltachat-core`, allowing a number of existing desktop and
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mobile clients to send and receive IMs over SMTP+IMAP. It may be useful for
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[Linux-based mobile devices](https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/chatty), for
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GUI desktop usage **without** an Electron dependency, or console desktop usage.
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Current status is probably best described as "skunkworks", although connecting
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to an account and sending / receiving text messages should work reliably. You
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can view specific progress on [the issue board](https://gitlab.com/lupine/purple-plugin-delta/boards).
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## Build
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There are some licensing issues at present, so you shouldn't build this plugin.
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`deltachat-core` vendors openssl, unconditionally links it, and is MPL-licensed.
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`purple-plugin-delta` is GPLv3 without the [OpenSSL exemption](https://people.gnome.org/~markmc/openssl-and-the-gpl.html)
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`libpurple` itself is GPLv2 without the OpenSSL exemption.
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`deltachat-core-rust` may make OpenSSL optional, so linking against that version
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would be fine.
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Linking against a patched / changed `deltachat-core` that disregards vendored
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OpenSSL and uses GnuTLS instead would also be fine.
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There's no point to `purple-plugin-delta` adding the OpenSSL exemption because
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`libpurple` lacks it, and in any event, it will be unnecessary with the next
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major version of OpenSSL. So, time should resolve this for us one way or another.
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## Use
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The easiest way to use this is to copy the `libdelta.so` file into
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`~/.purple/plugins`. When running pidgin, you'll now have the option to add
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a "Delta Chat" account.
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If it doesn't show up, chances are pidgin can't find the various shared
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libraries the .so depends on. You can run `ldd ~/.purple/plugins/libdelta.so`
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to confirm. I'll document fixing this after the build and install system is
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settled.
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At present, the "Username" and "Password" account fields correspond to email
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address and password, respectively. Many important settings also show up on the
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"Advanced" tab - if left blank, the plugin will attempt to automatically detect
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the correct values, but you may need to fill some of them in manually to get
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the connection to work.
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Run pidgin with `--debug` to see interesting output.
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