Spark (XMPP client)

Spark
	Spark roster window
Developer(s)	Ignite Realtime
Stable release	3.0.2 / 31 March 2023
Preview release	3.0.0-beta / 26 April 2021
Repository	github.com/igniterealtime/Spark ;
Written in	Java
Platform	Cross-platform
Type	XMPP client
License	Apache-2.0
Website	www.igniterealtime.org/projects/spark/index.jsp

Last updated May 07, 2024

Spark is an open-source instant messaging program (based on the XMPP protocol) that allows users to communicate in real time.^[4]

It can be integrated with the Openfire server to provide additional features^[5] such as controlling the various Spark functionalities from a central management console or integrating with a proprietary customer support service known as Fastpath which allows its users to interact with the platform using the Spark client.

Being a cross-platform application, Spark can run on various systems. Installers for Windows, macOS and Linux ^[6] are available on the official website. The server is JRE-based, where the client is not. The Spark xmpp-client supports neither Jingle nor Omemo encryption.

History

Previously known as Jive Communicator, Spark was designed by Jive Software with a lightweight graphical design and simplistic user interface for business usage.^[7] Later, it was open-sourced and donated to the Ignite Realtime community, along with Openfire, for further improvement and development.

Features

Spark is based on the open-source Smack API library,^[8] also developed by Ignite Realtime. It has a tabbed interface for managing conversations, a quick and full history, and a search feature inside the contacts window which is designed for organizations with many units and employees. Other features include shortcuts to access recent and favorite contacts.

Spark supports ad hoc and regular group chats. It also supports SSL/TLS encryption, and additionally provides an option to use Off-the-Record Messaging for end-to-end encryption. Though it is designed to work with XMPP servers, it can also integrate with Kraken IM Gateway plugin for Openfire, and provides an option to connect with many other IM networks.

The software’s user interface is intended to be lightweight with skins, tabbed conversations and plugin support. It contains single sign-on and file transfer capability, as well as privacy list.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Instant messaging</span> Form of communication over the internet

Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of online chat allowing immediate transmission of messages over the Internet or another computer network. Messages are typically transmitted between two or more parties, when each user inputs text and triggers a transmission to the recipient(s), who are all connected on a common network. It differs from email in that conversations over instant messaging happen in real-time. Most modern IM applications use push technology and also add other features such as emojis, file transfer, chatbots, voice over IP, or video chat capabilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pidgin (software)</span> Open-source multi-platform instant messaging client

Pidgin is a free and open-source multi-platform instant messaging client, based on a library named libpurple that has support for many instant messaging protocols, allowing the user to simultaneously log in to various services from a single application, with a single interface for both popular and obsolete protocols, thus avoiding the hassle of having to deal with new software for each device and protocol.

Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol is an open communication protocol designed for instant messaging (IM), presence information, and contact list maintenance. Based on XML, it enables the near-real-time exchange of structured data between two or more network entities. Designed to be extensible, the protocol offers a multitude of applications beyond traditional IM in the broader realm of message-oriented middleware, including signalling for VoIP, video, file transfer, gaming and other uses.

Miranda NG is an open-source multiprotocol instant messaging application, designed for Microsoft Windows. Miranda NG is free software distributed under the GNU GPL-2.0-or-later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adium</span> Instant messaging client

Adium is a free and open-source instant messaging client for macOS that supports multiple IM networks, including XMPP (Jabber), IRC and more. In the past, it has also supported AIM, ICQ, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger. Adium is written using macOS's Cocoa API, and it is released under the GNU GPL-2.0-or-later and many other licenses for components that are distributed with Adium.

Psi is a free instant messaging client for the XMPP protocol which uses the Qt toolkit. It runs on Linux, Windows, macOS and OS/2.

HCL Sametime Premium is a client–server application and middleware platform that provides real-time, unified communications and collaboration for enterprises. Those capabilities include presence information, enterprise instant messaging, web conferencing, community collaboration, and telephony capabilities and integration. Currently it is developed and sold by HCL Software, a division of Indian company HCL Technologies, until 2019 by the Lotus Software division of IBM.

Google Talk was an instant messaging service that provided both text and voice communication. The instant messaging service was variously referred to colloquially as Gchat, Gtalk, or Gmessage among its users.

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Gajim is an instant messaging client for the XMPP protocol which uses the GTK toolkit. The name Gajim is a recursive acronym for Gajim's a jabber instant messenger. Gajim runs on Linux, BSD, macOS, and Microsoft Windows. Released under the GPL-3.0-only license, Gajim is free software. A 2009 round-up of similar software on Tom's Hardware found version 0.12.1 "the lightest and fastest jabber IM client".

Off-the-record Messaging (OTR) is a cryptographic protocol that provides encryption for instant messaging conversations. OTR uses a combination of AES symmetric-key algorithm with 128 bits key length, the Diffie–Hellman key exchange with 1536 bits group size, and the SHA-1 hash function. In addition to authentication and encryption, OTR provides forward secrecy and malleable encryption.

Openfire is an instant messaging (IM) and groupchat server for the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP). It is written in Java and licensed under the Apache License 2.0.

Jitsi is a collection of free and open-source multiplatform voice (VoIP), video conferencing and instant messaging applications for the Web platform, Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS and Android. The Jitsi project began with the Jitsi Desktop. With the growth of WebRTC, the project team focus shifted to the Jitsi Videobridge for allowing web-based multi-party video calling. Later the team added Jitsi Meet, a full video conferencing application that includes web, Android, and iOS clients. Jitsi also operates meet.jit.si, a version of Jitsi Meet hosted by Jitsi for free community use. Other projects include: Jigasi, lib-jitsi-meet, Jidesha, and Jitsi.

Empathy was an instant messaging (IM) and voice over IP (VoIP) client which supported text, voice, video, file transfers, and inter-application communication over various IM communication protocols.

QIP was a multiprotocol instant messaging client. It was a closed source freeware program originally developed by Ilgam Zyulkorneev. In 2008 it was bought by RosBusinessConsulting media group and named most popular RBC service in 2009.

Instantbird is a discontinued cross-platform instant messaging client based on Mozilla's XULRunner and the open-source library libpurple used in Pidgin. Instantbird is free software available under the GNU General Public License. Over 250 add-ons allow user customization of, and addition of, features. On October 18, 2017, Florian Quèze announced that "... we are stopping development of Instantbird as a standalone product."

Movim is a distributed social network built on top of XMPP, a popular open standards communication protocol. Movim is a free and open source software licensed under the AGPL-3.0-or-later license. It can be accessed using existing XMPP clients and Jabber accounts.

Matrix is an open standard and communication protocol for real-time communication. It aims to make real-time communication work seamlessly between different service providers, in the way that standard Simple Mail Transfer Protocol email currently does for store-and-forward email service, by allowing users with accounts at one communications service provider to communicate with users of a different service provider via online chat, voice over IP, and videotelephony. It therefore serves a similar purpose to protocols like XMPP, but is not based on any existing communication protocol.

OMEMO is an extension to the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) for multi-client end-to-end encryption developed by Andreas Straub. According to Straub, OMEMO uses the Double Ratchet Algorithm "to provide multi-end to multi-end encryption, allowing messages to be synchronized securely across multiple clients, even if some of them are offline". The name "OMEMO" is a recursive acronym for "OMEMO Multi-End Message and Object Encryption". It is an open standard based on the Double Ratchet Algorithm and the Personal Eventing Protocol . OMEMO offers future and forward secrecy and deniability with message synchronization and offline delivery.

Conversations is a free software, instant messaging client application software for Android. It is largely based on recognized open standards such as the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) and Transport Layer Security (TLS).

References

↑ "Release 3.0.2". 31 March 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
↑ "Spark 3.0.0 Beta Release". 26 April 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
↑ "LICENSE.txt". GitHub . 23 February 2022.
↑ Paul B. (11 December 2010). "Instant Messaging - Spark Quickstart". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
↑ Dinis Cruz (9 June 2013). "Installing Ignite's OpenFire and Spark (IM server and client)" . Retrieved 23 June 2015.
↑ Magesh Maruthamuthu (23 May 2014). "How to install Spark IM client in ubuntu 14.04" . Retrieved 23 June 2015.
↑ "Spark (other)". www.theinfolist.com. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
↑ Moritz, D. (2002). "Using the Open Library Architecture (OLA) open source API in heterogeneous design flows". Proceedings International Symposium on Quality Electronic Design. IEEE Comput. Soc. pp. 63–68. doi:10.1109/isqed.2002.996696. ISBN 0-7695-1561-4.

External links

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[wikidata-6b9bd294b915e8eb989209a4d5577ae7d2551428-v11-1] "Release 3.0.2". 31 March 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.

[wikidata-eb0ed5170056fc9157311df636225df8c0afcbe2-v11-2] "Spark 3.0.0 Beta Release". 26 April 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2022.

[3] "LICENSE.txt". GitHub . 23 February 2022.

[4] Paul B. (11 December 2010). "Instant Messaging - Spark Quickstart". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2015.

[5] Dinis Cruz (9 June 2013). "Installing Ignite's OpenFire and Spark (IM server and client)" . Retrieved 23 June 2015.

[6] Magesh Maruthamuthu (23 May 2014). "How to install Spark IM client in ubuntu 14.04" . Retrieved 23 June 2015.

[7] "Spark (other)". www.theinfolist.com. Retrieved 2024-02-14.

[8] Moritz, D. (2002). "Using the Open Library Architecture (OLA) open source API in heterogeneous design flows". Proceedings International Symposium on Quality Electronic Design. IEEE Comput. Soc. pp. 63–68. doi:10.1109/isqed.2002.996696. ISBN 0-7695-1561-4.

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