Build in multiprotocol chat support: adopt and integrate libpurple

[lproven]

Summary

Increase Thunderbird's versatility as a messaging client by 5-10x by adopting the existing FOSS cross-platform messaging-app connector libpurple   

Why?

Thunderbird is more than an email/calendar/address book client. It also does chat over XMPP and Matrix (plus some proprietary systems.)

It can't talk to the ones I mainly need, though: Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, Slack, Telegram, Discord.

One FOSS tool can do this: Pidgin.

https://pidgin.im/

Pidgin talks to all these services over Libpurple.

https://developer.pidgin.im/wiki/WhatIsLibpurple

This is FOSS, and it already runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, and the BSDs.

There is a precedent -- there was a Mozilla based libpurple client once, called Instantbird:

http://instantbird.com/

Pidgin 3 is in development now, but it has been for a long time (10Y+). It brings a new Libpurple version so for now this is a slow-moving target that is in maintenance mode.

It would be much more memory-efficient than having web browser tabs open for all these services. I currently use Ferdium to keep all these in one app but it takes a lot of memory.

https://ferdium.org/

[Jon]

Thanks for submitting an idea to the Mozilla Connect community! Your idea is now open to votes (aka kudos) and comments.

[Mellis]

That’s an interesting idea for sure! libpurple has a long history and would definitely give Thunderbird access to a wide range of protocols without starting from scratch. 

That said, realistically it might be tough to get this into core Thunderbird right now just cause the team is focused on mail, calendar, mobile, and Thunderbird Pro. But this feels like a perfect candidate for an experimental add-on or proof-of-concept extension.

If someone could build a thin integration layer as an add-on, it would show what’s possible, let interested users try it out, and help gauge whether it’s worth larger investment.

If you’re curious, maybe starting a small proof of concept add-on around libpurple would be a good first step. It’s the kind of thing where community initiative could make a real difference.

[lproven]

Thanks for the comment!

Is the chat client part of T'bird something that is extensible with addons? I don't know. I've never seen any, but it seems it fell victim to the same Great Dying of addons that affected Firefox when Firefox Quantum was released. All the XUL addons died, about 20,000 of them.

https://github.com/JustOff/ca-archive

I have the programming skills of a child, because frankly, that was the last time I really did any... and it was a long time ago and not only did Javascript not exist yet, but the WWW didn't either.

[clokep]

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But this feels like a perfect candidate for an experimental add-on or proof-of-concept extension.

There was an add-on that did this from the authors of Instantbird (of which I am one): https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-us/thunderbird/addon/additional-chat-protocols/

Once add-ons were unable to load XPCOM code anymore though this method became infeasible.

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Is the chat client part of T'bird something that is extensible with addons?

There are not currently APIs, although we would like for there to be some.

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Pidgin talks to all these services over Libpurple.

https://developer.pidgin.im/wiki/WhatIsLibpurple

This is FOSS, and it already runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, and the BSDs.

Not all FOSS is made equal though, libpurple has an incompatible license with Thunderbird (GPL vs. MPL).

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There is a precedent -- there was a Mozilla based libpurple client once, called Instantbird:

http://instantbird.com/

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The core of Instantbird essentially became Thunderbird Chat just an FYI.