How to have Facebook Messenger on our Linux

Facebook Messenger has become one of the most famous and popular instant messaging services out there today. Following services like WhatsApp and surpassing others like Skype. And even though Facebook only releases official clients for mobile devices, currently we can have it on our computer with Linux.

There are many good options like the famous Franz app or Pidgin, but there is also another famous client called Messenger for Desktop that offers us the best of the Facebook service in any Gnu / Linux distribution (at least for the most important ones). Messenger for Desktop is an unofficial app that connects to our Facebook account and not only does it offer us Messenger notifications but it also offers us the possibility of having an environment similar to the app but adapted to the Desktop environment.

This application is not only available for Mac OS or Windows but there are also versions for Gnu / Linux, deb packages and rpm package that are available on 32-bit and 64-bit platforms. We go for the vast majority of the distributions that exist in the market today.

In order to install Messenger for Desktop on our Linux, we must first download the package corresponding to our distribution and platform. In the case of using a deb package, we open the terminal and write the following:

dpkg -i Messenger_linux32.deb

In case of using an rpm package, we write the following in the terminal:

rpm -i Messenger_linux32.rpm

Once we have installed the client, we have to configure the user account so that Messenger for Desktop works correctly. The process is simple because it is the same as opening a Facebook profile. Finally, if we like the client and we want it to start when our Linux starts, we have to add the application at System startup.

In the case of Debian / Ubuntu and derivatives, it is usually done in Applications at startup; in the case of using Fedora, we have it in the application gnome-session-properties and in the case of using OpenSUSE the application is Startup Programs. We will have to make sure that the application is in these programs and if not add it because otherwise Facebook Messenger will not work automatically on our Linux. How can you see there are good alternatives to be communicated without having to use Windows or any other proprietary system Do not you think?