Looking to use Linux (Ubuntu?)

[.walls]

As a slight variation on Oxy's command, anything on a line beyond a # is ignored.

It's worth noting that on forums - you'll usually see command lines starting with "#" or "$". The former denoting "run as root", the latter "run as user".

sudo su

$ sudo su -

is usually better ("su -" is the same as "su - root", which assumes root's environment opposed to yours)

Maybe pidgin needs updating.

A recentish install that I did (Debian) had this same problem - msn protocol 8/9/10 whatever has been decommissioned, so clients that use it are essentially disabled. Wouldn't expect this to happen to ubuntu though. KNiVES - is this definitely the most recent version?

does ubuntu have a software firewall that needs configuring?

temporarily kill it with

# /etc/init.d/iptables stop

just to be sure.

Keep plugging at it. If you can't suss it here then register on UbuntuForums and ask there.

Excellent advice for ubuntu: GNU/Linux is very diverse and the community here is miniscule compared to over there.

Could it be that the problem lies with the msn protocol itself? Any packages or software that could be updated or changed for it?

have you tried web messenger just to rule out the local install?

</drunk! over and out!>