AIM is back.

A real AIM server, running on Moody Teas hardware. Buddy lists, away messages, profiles, chat rooms, warn levels, the whole thing. Bring any AIM client from 1997 through 2012, or a modern one.

Port 5190 is the AIM default, so most clients need nothing but the server name.

You need an invite code. Ask John.

Invite code Screen name Password Email (optional) Sign Up

Screen names are 3-16 characters and start with a letter. Passwords are 6-16 characters. This is a hobby server on a hobby protocol from 1997 - use a password you do not use anywhere else.

The email is only ever used to let you reset your own password. Give one and you get a confirmation link; skip it and you have to ask John if you forget. Already forgot yours?

Don't want to install a 2002 binary? Sign on right here - same server, same screen name, same people. Buddy list and IMs work; away messages, profiles and chat rooms still need a real client.

The authentic way: real AIM 5.1

• Windows 10/11 - install AIM 5.9.6089 from oldversion.com, quit it, delete C:\Program Files (x86)\AIM\aimapi.dll, set aim.exe to Windows XP compatibility mode, then launch it.
• macOS (Intel or Apple Silicon, no VM needed) - use the aim-for-macos project.
• Linux - wine aim513036.exe, installer on archive.org.

Then at the sign-on screen: Setup → Sign On/Off → Connection, and set Host to aim.moodyteas.net, Port 5190.

The easy way: a modern client

Pidgin (Windows, Linux) or Adium (macOS). Add an AIM account, then under Advanced set the server to aim.moodyteas.net and port 5190.

AIM 6.x and 7.x

Also supported, but they need serviceManifest.xml edited by hand - ask and I will walk you through it.

AIM's scrolling ticker and the AIM Today window both fetch from AOL servers that went dark in 2017. We host replacements - today's mood, the market schedule, who's online - but your computer has to know where to look. One time, one command.

macOS or Linux

Read it first if you like: /setup.sh

Windows

Save /setup.cmd, right-click it, Run as administrator.

Or do it by hand

Add these to your hosts file (/etc/hosts, or C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts):

Then restart AIM and turn it on: My AIM → News Ticker, or Preferences → Display Ticker at Signon. This only redirects those two dead AOL hostnames - nothing else on your machine changes, and removing the lines undoes it.