Pidgin integration with Microsoft Skype for Business (formerly Lync)

Pidgin integration with Microsoft Skype for Business (formerly Lync) Instant Messaging

CERN uses Microsoft Lync Server as the base of instant messaging services. While this platform is well integrated with Microsoft Windows clients and with Apple Mac OS X ones, integration was lacking for Linux clients.

This documentation outlines the setup process allowing Linux clients to benefit from integration with Microsoft Lync instant messaging using Kerberos authentication.

While the initial installation of required software is specific to CERN SLC5 / SLC6 and CERN CentOS 7 Linux distributions, following configuration steps shall be applicable on any modern Linux platform - running at least Pidgin 2.7.X, Pidgin-SIPE 1.15.0 plugin and configured for CERN Kerberos realm.

Software installation

As root on your SLC5, SLC6 or CC7 system run:

# yum install pidgin pidgin-sipe purple-sipe

(it may already be preinstalled on your system: SLC 5.9 and SLC 6.3 versions include pidgin-sipe plugin in default install) once installation of required software packages finishes, please restart Pidgin.

Configuration

	Start pidgin (Menu Applications -> Internet -> Pidgin Internet Messenger)
	Select Add Account ( or if you already have configured pidgin - select Manage accounts from Accounts menu and click Add.)
	In Basic tab Select Office Communicator as Protocol
	In Basic tab Enter your CERN e-mail Firstname.Surname@cern.ch as Username Leave Login field empty Leave Password field empty Do not check Remember password checkbox.
	In Advanced tab Select Kerberos as Authentication scheme Check Use Single Sign On checkbox. Leave other fields empty then click on Add/Save to finalize account setup.

Note: Kerberos authentication for pidgin sipe plugin works only on enterprise internal networks, internet Lync gateway does not provide this functionality - this is the current Microsoft Lync Server limitation.

Note: While pidgin-sipe plugin supports (to some extent) audio/video calling features of Lync Server (softphone), current pidgin versions on SLC6 and SLC5 do not have support for audio/video compiled in, therefore this feature is not available for now. Audio/Video calling is available on newer pidgin versions but it will not function properly between pidgin and Microsoft Lync clients due to unsupported protocol encryption and incompatible video codecs...