To use Pidgin, you must already have an account for the messaging service you want to use. For example, to use Pidgin to chat via AIM, you must first have an AIM account.
Procedure 15.1: Adding and Editing Accounts in Pidgin
If you start Pidgin for the first time, a message appears, prompting you to configure an account. Proceed with Add to add a new account.
If you have already configured an account and want to add a new one or modify existing ones, open this dialog via Accounts › Manage Accounts. Either Add a new account, or Modify or Delete existing ones.
The Add/Modify Account dialog opens. Use the Basic tab to select a protocol and enter or modify your login credentials.
The availability of other tabs and the data you are required to enter depends on the protocol you have chosen. In most cases, server details such as address and port number need to be entered on the Advanced tab.
On the Proxy tab you can enter a custom proxy configuration for the chosen protocol. By default the system settings (Use Global Proxy Settings) are preselected. This default should be sufficient for most users.
Continue with Add or Save. Make sure all accounts you want to use are set to Enabled in the resulting Accounts window. If you want to temporarily disable an account, deselect it in the Enabled column.