Pidgin won't connect and gives an error about an SSL certificate. What can I do to fix this?

We take care to keep our XMPP SSL certificates up-to-date.  If you receive an SSL certificate error in Pidgin, the problem is most likely that your version of Pidgin includes an obsolete intermediate certificate that does not allow proper validation of the LibraryH3lp certificate.  Here's how to fix this:

Step 1: update Pidgin to the current version

• Fully exit Pidgin if it is running (Buddies-> Quit).
• Head to pidgin.im and download the latest version's installer.
• Run the installer.  It is typically fine to simply accept all the defaults.  It will leave your current settings and configurations as-is.
• Start the updated pidgin.  If there are no cert errors, you're done!  If you still see a certificate error, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: delete the libraryh3lp.com certificate in order to force Pidgin to get the new one.

• With Pidgin running, head to Tools -> Certificates.
• Look for the libraryh3lp.com certificate (or regional server such as ca.libraryh3lp.com if you use one of our regional servers).
• Click Delete to remove the cert it is currently using.
• Fully exit (Buddies -> Quit) and restart Pidgin.
• When you next connect with your account on libraryh3lp.com in Pidgin, it should grab the current certificate and it should connect again without errors.

Need to staff your chat service but cannot update Pidgin quickly? Use our webclient.

You can always staff LibraryH3lp through our webclient, completely leaving Pidgin out of the picture.  Webclient URLs:

• Main LibraryH3lp region: https://libraryh3lp.com/webclient
• CA region: https://ca.libraryh3lp.com/webclient
• EU region: https://eu.libraryh3lp.com/webclient
• SG region: https://sg.libraryh3lp.com/webclient

The webclient uses the same usernames and passwords that have been used in Pidgin.  However, since Pidgin is usually configured to automatically remember the username and password, users might not know their login credentials.  In this case, if you plan to resume use of Pidgin later, it can be simplest to create brand new users for your staff to use with the webclient.  This way they will have known logins, and will not later need to update their credentials in Pidgin.

Please also see our webclient training materials.

Still no joy?  Please contact us through any of our support channels.

FAQ URL: