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Pidgin 3.0 Alpha 2 (2.96.0) has been released

Pidgin 3.0 Alpha 2 (version 2.96.0) has been released, marking the next milestone in the development of the open-source instant messaging client. This alpha release includes new features and improvements as the project continues toward a stable 3.0 release.

Background

- Pidgin is a free, open-source instant messaging client that lets users connect to multiple chat networks (AIM, ICQ, IRC, XMPP/Jabber, etc.) from a single app. It was especially popular in the 2000s when most chat services were closed and incompatible. - The project stalled for many years after Pidgin 2.x, leading many to assume it was abandoned. This 3.0 alpha release signals that active development has resumed, though it is still not ready for everyday use — alpha means unstable and incomplete. - The jump to Pidgin 3 involves a major rewrite: switching the UI toolkit from GTK2 to GTK3, dropping support for some old protocols (e.g., AIM and ICQ, which have shut down), and overhauling the plugin system. Existing Pidgin 2 plugins will not work with version 3. - "Alpha 2 (2.96.0)" uses odd versioning — the 2.96.x series is a prelude to the eventual 3.0.0 stable release.

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