Configuring pidgin-sipe in Empathy

Question

While adding my communicator account in pidgin was a cakewalk, i am struggling with the connection preferences in empathy. can anyone give me the steps?

Answer 1

Just based on my experience:

I presume that you used SIPE in pidgin. The easiest way is to configure your account first in pidgin and use the import feature in Empathy.

If after import the account is not listed, just add another dummy account in Empathy and both should show up fine (looks like a bug in listing the accounts when only one account is configured). You can keep the dummy account set to "Disabled" or "Off".

Answer 2

First, ensure you have the packages installed:

sudo apt install --no-install-recommends empathy telepathy-haze pidgin-sipe

I tried the "import from pidgin thing" for my Skype for Business/Lync account, but for some reason it just sat there spinning. So I removed that account (click ➖ icon), then

1. Click ➕ to add a new one account
2. Pick type sipe
3. Enter email address
4. Enter password when prompted
5. Wait for it to fail connecting :)
6. Select the account and Edit connection parameters
7. Click Advanced
8. Ensure the email address is also under Login
9. Under User agent, enter UCCAPI/15.0.4420.1017 OC/15.0.4420.1017

It should now connect and show your contacts.

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(I got the User agent from https://chrisjrob.com/2015/12/31/ubuntu-empathy-microsoft-skype-for-business-lync-2013-client/ – have no idea why it's needed; seems like something pidgin-sipe should've defaulted to.)

Answer 3

Building on gokul's answer:

Command to pull "import" your account from pidgin is "empathy-accounts" from the command line.

After the import I had to modify the account setting by updating the username and password with proper account credentials. User name was domain\username - was listed in the account name -just moved it from there.

I still do not see the account listed in accounts even with a dummy account added but other than that it is working.