Pidgin Extended BList Sort: Best Practices and Troubleshooting

Pidgin Extended BList Sort: Best Practices and Troubleshooting

What it does

Pidgin Extended BList Sort is a plugin/extension for the Pidgin instant-messenger client that enhances how contacts (the buddy list, or BList) are sorted and displayed. It adds more sorting options and custom ordering rules beyond Pidgin’s built-in defaults, such as grouping by status, protocol, custom priority, or manual ordering.

Best practices

• Backup: Export or copy your buddy list settings and Pidgin profile folder before changing sort rules so you can restore if needed.
• Keep it simple: Start with one or two sorting criteria (e.g., status then name) to avoid confusing ordering.
• Use grouping intentionally: Group by protocol or account only if you manage multiple accounts; otherwise grouping may clutter the list.
• Leverage priorities: If the plugin supports per-buddy priority or pinned buddies, use those for frequently-contacted people rather than relying solely on alphabetical order.
• Consistent naming: Standardize display names (nicknames) across contacts so alphabetical or custom sorts behave predictably.
• Test changes: After altering rules, restart Pidgin or toggle the plugin to confirm the effect and ensure no conflicts with other UI plugins.
• Performance watch: If you have very large buddy lists, prefer simple sorts (status → name) to avoid UI lag; disable intensive features on low-end systems.
• Keep plugin updated: Install the latest compatible version for bug fixes and improved compatibility with current Pidgin releases.

Common problems and fixes

• Issue: Sort order not changing after enabling plugin
  Fixes:

  1. Restart Pidgin (full restart, not just disconnect).
  2. Ensure the plugin is enabled in Tools → Plugins and configured.
  3. Check for conflicts with other BList or UI-modifying plugins and disable them temporarily.

• Issue: Duplicate or missing buddies after re-sorting
  Fixes:

  1. Rebuild buddy list cache: quit Pidgin, locate the profile folder (~/.purple on Linux, %APPDATA%/Pidgin on Windows), move or delete blist.xml (back it up first) and restart Pidgin to re-download from servers where supported.
  2. Verify account settings and re-add any missing accounts/buddies manually if server sync is not available.

• Issue: UI lag when applying complex sorts on large lists
  Fixes:

  1. Reduce sort complexity (fewer criteria).
  2. Disable animations or fancy UI plugins.
  3. Run Pidgin on a machine with more RAM/CPU or limit concurrent accounts.

• Issue: Plugin causes crashes or freezes
  Fixes:

  1. Update Pidgin and the plugin to the latest compatible versions.
  2. Disable the plugin and confirm stability; check Pidgin logs for error messages (Tools → Debug Window).
  3. If crash persists, report with log excerpts to the plugin maintainer or Pidgin support channels.

Configuration tips

• Prefer stable presets (e.g., Online → Away → Offline) rather than custom numeric priorities unless you need fine-grained control.
• Use manual pinning/priority for VIP contacts so they remain visible regardless of group sorting.
• If available, enable “remember sort per account” only if you consistently use different ordering for different accounts.

When to remove the plugin

• If it consistently conflicts with other essential plugins, causes instability, or you find default Pidgin sorting adequate—disable and remove the plugin; keep a backup of any custom settings first.

If you want, I can provide step-by-step instructions for backing up blist.xml, configuring common sort rules, or troubleshooting with exact file paths for your OS (Windows, macOS, or Linux).