Miranda NG: A Complete Beginner’s GuideMiranda NG is a lightweight, open-source instant messaging client for Windows that focuses on modularity, speed, and privacy. It’s the spiritual successor to the original Miranda IM project, rebuilt and modernized to support current protocols, plugin ecosystems, and contemporary Windows environments. This guide walks you through what Miranda NG is, how to install and set it up, choose and configure plugins and protocols, customize appearance and behavior, troubleshoot common issues, and tips for power users.
What is Miranda NG?
Miranda NG (New Generation) is a multiprotocol instant messenger that acts as a core application extended through plugins. The core provides basic contact list and messaging functionality; protocols, UI components, and additional features are added via plugins. This design keeps the base program small and responsive while allowing you to tailor functionality precisely to your needs.
- Lightweight and fast: Miranda NG starts quickly and uses minimal system resources compared to many modern IM clients.
- Highly modular: Most features are optional and implemented as plugins.
- Community-driven and open-source: The project is maintained by volunteers and accepts third-party plugins and contributions.
- Privacy-friendly: You control which protocols and plugins you install; the core doesn’t force cloud-based telemetry.
Who is it for?
Miranda NG is ideal for users who:
- Prefer a minimal, efficient IM client.
- Want a customizable multi-protocol setup.
- Are comfortable selecting and configuring plugins.
- Need Windows-only compatibility (native Windows app).
It’s less suited for users who want an out-of-the-box, heavily guided experience with automatic sync or integrated cloud services.
Installation
- Download: Visit the Miranda NG website or trusted mirrors and download the latest stable release (typically a ZIP archive).
- Extract: Unpack the archive to a folder—Miranda NG is portable and doesn’t require a formal installer unless you choose a packaged installer.
- Run: Launch miranda32.exe or miranda64.exe depending on your Windows version/architecture. The first run creates a profile and data folders.
- Optional: If you prefer an installer, some builds offer an .msi or .exe—these will register file associations and install shortcuts.
Tips:
- Keep the installation folder in a location with write permissions (avoiding Program Files if you prefer portable portability without elevated permissions).
- Back up your profile directory (db3, plugins, and Miranda.ini) after you configure accounts and plugins.
Basic concepts: Core, Plugins, Protocols, and Profiles
- Core: The minimal executable that handles startup and plugin loading.
- Plugins: DLLs that add protocol support (XMPP, IRC, Telegram, etc.), UI modules (contact list replacements, message loggers), and utilities (themes, spellcheck).
- Protocols: Implementations that let Miranda connect to chat networks. Many are third-party or community-maintained.
- Profiles: Each Miranda profile holds account settings, plugins enabled, and user data—useful for separate configurations or troubleshooting.
Adding accounts and protocols
Miranda NG doesn’t include every protocol by default. To add accounts:
- Open Options → Protocols or Contacts → Add new account (depends on loaded UI plugins).
- If the protocol you need isn’t listed, download the appropriate protocol plugin (for example, aXMPP for XMPP/Jabber, ICQ protocol plugin, or Telegram plugin) from the Miranda NG plugin repository or community sites.
- Place the plugin DLL into Miranda’s plugins folder, restart Miranda NG.
- Configure account settings (username, password, server, ports, encryption options).
- Test connection and set presence/status behaviors.
Common protocol options:
- XMPP (Jabber): good for federated messaging.
- IRC: classic chat rooms and networks.
- Telegram, Signal, Matrix: available through community plugins (functionality depends on API and plugin maturity).
Security tips:
- Prefer protocols with encryption (XMPP with TLS, OMEMO where available).
- Use strong, unique passwords and consider app-specific tokens if the service supports them.
- Keep protocol plugins up to date; third-party plugins may need manual updates.
Appearance and UI customization
Miranda’s look is driven by UI plugins, skins, and configuration settings.
- Contact List: The default clist can be replaced with alternatives (e.g., clist_ng) that offer different layouts, grouping, and icons.
- Message Window: You can choose message loggers, HTML rendering engines, and rich-text options.
- Skins & Icons: Install theme packs and icon sets by dropping resources into the appropriate folders or using skin-management plugins.
- Layout: Many UI plugins provide dockable panes, toolbar customizations, and keyboard shortcuts.
Example: To get a modern-looking contact list, install the clist_ng plugin and a matching skin pack, then configure font sizes and icon sets in Options → Appearance.
Essential plugins to consider
(The exact names may vary by release; search the plugin repository for current versions.)
- Protocol plugins (XMPP, IRC, Telegram, etc.) — for connectivity.
- clist_ng — improved contact list with more options.
- Message notification plugin — desktop toasts or sound alerts.
- History/logger plugins — for persistent chat logs and search.
- Avatar/icon plugins — display contact avatars.
- Encryption plugins — OMEMO or OTR support where available.
- Spellcheck and emoticon packs — quality of life improvements.
When installing plugins, check compatibility with your Miranda NG version and other plugins to avoid conflicts.
Message history and backups
Miranda stores history in local databases (often SQLite .db3 files). Key practices:
- Regularly back up your profile folder (db3, Miranda.ini, plugins).
- Use built-in or third-party exporter plugins if you want readable archives (HTML or plain text).
- If moving to a new machine, copy the entire profile folder and ensure plugin DLLs are present.
Troubleshooting common issues
- Plugin crashes on startup: Remove the plugin DLL from the plugins folder and restart Miranda. Check the plugin’s compatibility and log files.
- Missing protocol after update: Reinstall the protocol plugin and confirm dependencies.
- Message formatting oddities: Switch message logger or adjust encoding/character set settings.
- Slow startup: Disable nonessential plugins and check for network timeouts caused by misconfigured accounts.
Enable logging (Options → General → Debug) to gather more details for persistent problems.
Privacy and security best practices
- Only install plugins from trusted sources. Review plugin code if possible for security-conscious users.
- Limit which plugins have network access.
- Use strong account credentials and two-factor authentication where available.
- Keep Miranda NG and plugins updated to get security fixes.
Tips for power users
- Create multiple profiles for separate identities (work vs. personal).
- Automate startup actions via scripting plugins or autologon features.
- Use keyboard shortcuts extensively — most UI plugins allow custom hotkeys.
- Build a minimal plugin set to keep resource usage low, then add only necessary utilities.
Resources
- Official Miranda NG site and plugin repository (search for “Miranda NG plugins”).
- Community forums and GitHub for troubleshooting, plugin updates, and feature requests.
- Documentation pages and wiki for plugin-specific configuration steps.
Miranda NG is a flexible, low-footprint IM client best suited to users who want control over protocols and features. With the right set of plugins and a bit of configuration, it can replace bulkier clients while offering privacy-friendly, responsive messaging on Windows.
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