I have split my thread into smaller (and easier to answer) threads.

Thank you for all replys.

4. I need MSN functionality in gaim. The version that installs with 9.1 doesn't appear to have MSN protocol by default (copyright?). I downloaded the source and RPM from the gaim webpage (which is down right now), and I could not compile the source, it gave errors up the yin yang. Installing from the RPM fails because it is looking for libspell.so.0, (which is a spellchecker utility?), ok, so i googled it and came across an rpm that apparently had that file in it, but required gtkspell.so.4 i think, anyways i found that file, and it requires libpspell.so.4... which I can't find. Is there a different way to do this in mandrake?

OR, is there a better MSN program? I really like the new features in MSN 6, i think I am going to lose a lot of them in linux, but at least MS isn't spying on me in linux

Thanks again,

Murray

theres the program amsn, its fairly easy to install
as for gaim you need the SSL libraries
there are a bunch of other links on how to do this so i recommend a little searching

thanks Fascistchicken

I had aMSN installed. Very. Would you recommend it over gaim? The thing I like about gaim is that when you close it, it goes to the bottom right taskbar (sorry don't know the kde term) much like windows. When you close the amsn window, it closes. I wonder if you can get that functionality in aMSN.

you can, but i still wouldn't recommend it over gaim just for the multiple chats protocols supported by gaim