How to Install Spectrum 2 on Linux Mint

Spectrum 2 is an open-source instant messaging gateway that connects various services such as Facebook, Google hangouts, IRC, and XMPP. Installing Spectrum 2 will enable you to use these services simultaneously on your Linux Mint system. This tutorial will guide you on how to install Spectrum 2 on Linux Mint.

Prerequisites

• A Linux Mint machine
• A user account with sudo privileges

Step 1: Install Dependencies

Before installing Spectrum 2, install its dependencies. Open the terminal on your Linux Mint system and enter the following command:

sudo apt-get install cmake libboost-all-dev libsqlite3-dev libxerces-c-dev libgloox-dev libmysqlclient-dev libpq-dev libldap2-dev

Step 2: Download and Build Spectrum 2

1. Download the latest version of Spectrum 2 from its official website, https://spectrum.im/, using the following command:

   wget https://github.com/SpectrumIM/spectrum2/archive/master.zip

2. Extract the downloaded file using:

   unzip master.zip

3. Now, navigate to the extracted directory and build the Spectrum 2 by entering the following commands one by one:

   cd spectrum2-master
   mkdir build
   cd build
   cmake ..
   make
   sudo make install
   

Step 3: Configure Spectrum 2

1. After installing Spectrum 2, you will be required to configure it to start using its services. Navigate to the Spectrum 2 home directory using the following command:

   cd ~/.spectrum2/

2. Now execute the following command to generate the spectrum.cfg configuration file:

   sudo spectrum2_template

3. To edit the newly created spectrum.cfg file, type the following command:

   sudo nano spectrum.cfg

4. Update the spectrum.cfg template file with necessary information such as the service name, messaging protocol, username, password, and other relevant details needed for using the gateway.

5. After updating the configuration file, save and exit the file by pressing CTRL + X, Y, and then ENTER.

Step 4: Start Spectrum 2

1. Start the Spectrum 2 service by entering the following command:

   sudo spectrum2_manager start

2. To check the status of Spectrum 2, use:

   sudo spectrum2_manager status

Conclusion

With this tutorial, you can now install, configure and start using Spectrum 2 on your Linux Mint machine. Spectrum 2 presents an extensive range of instant messaging and communication service integrations enabling users to chat across multiple networks in one place.

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