Messaging & Chatting

Since the first instant messaging client, there have been numerous ways to send and receive messages with other users. Two distinct interfaces have been developed for one-on-one communication, and nearly all commercial and open source clients now adhere to these two "standards." For group communication, a style similar to GUI IRC chat has developed.

Encrypted Messages

Through the use of GnuPG, a free software replacement for PGP, Gabber can send and receive encrypted messages with other Jabber clients capable of message encryption. Before being able to use encryption, GnuPG must already be configured and a public key must already be sent to a public key repository. Refer to GnuPG's web site for complete information about this process.

To start using encryption, it must be enabled on the Encryption tab in the Preferences dialog. After selecting a secret key to use, apply the changes and close the dialog. The passphrase will then be requested for the key. After receiving the correct passphrase, Gabber will notify users on the roster that encrypted messages can be sent and received.

The option to send encrypted messages is given on each message dialog. If an incoming message or conversation is encrypted, a locked padlock will be shown. Otherwise, an unlocked padlock will be shown in the dialog.