TABLE OF CONTENTS It might seem to some that the world revolves around Microsoft Windows, but some of us know better. Millions of Linux and Macintosh users out there make up a very vocal minority. Well, guess what? You guys aren t completely left out of Google Talk. Even though the official Google Talk client is only available for Windows, it is possible to use third-party applications in both Linux and OS X to chat with your Google Talk friends.
This is all made possible because Google has taken advantage of the Jabber protocol, an open-source network design that anyone can tap into and start using. This is completely the opposite philosophy of other IM clients, such as AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, and Microsoft Messenger, which have fought to keep third-party clients from connecting to their networks.
Google runs an open Google Talk server at talk.google.com that allows connections from any client using the Jabber protocol. All a client has to do is connect to the correct listening port on talk.google.com and they can immediately start chatting with their friends.
Google Talk s Listening Port
Google Talk s server, talk.google.com, uses a number of TCP port numbers that listen for connections from clients. The two ports that it uses most commonly for Google Talk connections are 5222 and 5223. A port is just a unique number that allows one specific type of data to connect. This is like visiting a huge corporate building with thousands of doors leading to various offices.
