This is the FAQ for the debian mozilla-thunderbird package >= 0.9-7. If you run a version below that, better use the Old FAQ
Finally, I made it and migrated my old FAQ from jwsdot.com to this much more comfortable home. You can always find the most recent FAQ in the Debian Thunderbird Menu on the left.
The former
FAQ will always be linked at the beginning of the current
FAQ. So it should not be hard to get down to the FAQs valid for older releases.
So here is the debian mozilla-thunderbird
FAQ … the layout is still a bit broken, but I am working on it
Questions
- How to install mozilla-thunderbird on my debian sarge/sid box? [answer]
- Where are the woody packages? [answer]
- Why install the unofficial packages? [answer]
- Why is the mozilla-thunderbird package not yet officially available for woody(stable)? [answer]
- After upgrading thunderbird I get strange errors (e.g. no startup, broken chrome, etc.). What should I do? [answer]
- I installed extensions using official .xpi packages. Last time I started
mozilla-thunderbird they worked, but now they suddenly stopped working. What is wrong? [answer]
- What extensions are currently available for Debian Thunderbird? [answer]
- Does Thunderbird support other languages than english? [answer]
- How can I set the drag treshold preventing unwanted folder moves &
what other gtk settings are currently available as mozilla prefs? [answer]
- Thunderbird does not properly handle http & https links. What to do? [answer]
- How can I make firefox open links in a new tab or some other convenient way? [answer]
- Which file to use for global configurations? [answer]
- I want a tray notification when new mail arrives. How can I do it? [answer]
- I installed the typeaheadfind extension. But how to use it? [answer]
- Where to get more help on thunderbird? [answer]
Answers
HOWTO install mozilla-thunderbird on my debian sarge/sid box?
There are two resources from where to get the thunderbird mail client for debian:
- From the official mirrors:
Simply
install the mozilla-thunderbird package from the official debian apt
repositories. If you are a sarge/sid user, simply use:
# apt-get install mozilla-thunderbird
- From the unofficial repository:
If you always want to get the latest you can give a try to the releases install in the apt repository at mentors. See the INSTALL on howto install the latest thunderbird in order to get my latest builds.
BACK: Questions
Where are the woody packages?
I do not maintain the thunderbird packages for woody. Nevertheless backports for thunderbird and enigmail are available from backports.org. Usually you need to add the following line in your /etc/apt/sources.list file:
deb http://www.backports.org/debian stable mozilla-thunderbird
This line is sufficient to install the debian thunderbird with:
# apt-get update<br /> # apt-get install mozilla-thunderbird
Note: You do not need to fear that you will get other backported packages during a regular update if you keep the backports line in your sources.list. In this way you will get updates for mozilla-thunderbird as soon as they get backported.
BACK: Questions
Why install the unofficial packages?
I do provide those unofficial packages for two major reasons:
- To get feedback on new features & versions before sending them to the official archives.
- To allow sarge users to always go with the latest version.
- To get feedback on nightly builds & to do some experimental stuff in my snapshot packages.
BACK: Questions
Why is no official debian mozilla-thunderbird package
available for woody?
Woody is the last stable release of the Debian GNU/Linux Distribution. Since Debians policy tries to provide
a really stable Distribution, usually no new packages enter the
stable Distribution once it was released. Therefore Thunderbird is
not in woody & will likely never be.
BACK: Questions
After upgrading thunderbird I get strange errors (e.g. no startup,
broken chrome, etc.). What should I do?
Strange error after upgrading thunderbird for versions >= 0.9-7
should be considered a
bug and be reported to me. If this problem
is reproducible for the version in the official debian archive too,
please report a bug to the Debian Bug Tracking System too. Use
reportbug(1) for this and remember to be responsive to the follow-ups
that I will send you.
Note: The counter measures are almost similar to
the ones known for older versions:
Start:
Always backup your .mozilla-thunderbird directory (e.g. cp -rf /home/username/.mozilla-thunderbird /home/username/.mozilla-thunderbird.sav)!
Then:
- stop your mozilla-thunderbird
- Go to your users profile directory (e.g.
cd /home/username/.mozilla-thunderbird/default/xzqwe2a.slt/)
- rm compreg.dat xpti.dat XUL.mfasl
- rm chrome/chrome.rdf
- start mozilla-thunderbird
BACK: Questions
I
installed extensions using official .xpi packages. Last time I started
mozilla-thunderbird they worked, but now they suddenly stopped working.
What is wrong?
This Problem should not exist anymore. Consider a problem resulting
from installing an .xpi a bug. Report it to me and if it applies to
the official debian packages, report this to the Debian Bug Tracking
System too. Anyway, please be sure that this bug is not caused by
the extension itself. Maybe contact the extension developer first.
BACK: Questions
What extensions packages are currently available
for Debian Thunderbird?
To get a list of available extension packages see the
EXTENSIONS section.
BACK: Questions
What extensions packages are currently available
for Debian Thunderbird?
Yes. Go to the
EXTENSIONS section
to see what languages are already available as
debian packages & how to install them.
If there is any language you would like to be
packaged, please leave tell me where to get the
.xpi package. I will try to add it
ASAP!
BACK: Questions
How can I set the drag treshold preventing unwanted folder moves
& what other gtk settings are currently available as mozilla prefs?
Simply add the following line to your prefs.js file inside the
$HOME/.mozilla-thunderbird/default/lk123.123/ folder:
user_pref("widget.gtk2.dnd.threshold", 15);
The treshold is the number of pixel a mouse must move before
a drag starts.
Examples of additional available settings are listed below:
user_pref("widget.gtk2.double_click_timeout", 100);
in the double_click_timeout example, the 100
specifies the maximum time-gap for a double click in milliseconds.
BACK: Questions
Thunderbird does not properly handle http & https links. What to do?
For versions >= 0.9-7 you will be ask during configure what
kind of browser integration you want. Choose Debian to
ensure that the default debian browser is used, or choose
GNOME if you want the browser configuration be done by gnome.
If you have done so you can set the you want in Applications ->
Desktop Preferences -> Advanced -> Preferred Applications
and set your preferred browser to whatever you want
(e.g. ‘mozilla-firefox %s’).
if you have choosen Debian as your preferred way of browser
integration, you can select your preferred browser
by means of the standard debian update-alternatives(8) command.
To change this setting per user, add a preference to your profile:
[$HOME/.mozilla-thunderbird/defaults/xxxxx/prefs.js]:
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.http',"mozilla-firefox");
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.https","mozilla-firefox");
BACK: Questions
How can I make firefox open links in a new tab or some other
convenient way?
You can set this in firefox. Look around in
Edit->Preferences->Advanced->Tabbed Browsing->Open links.
BACK: Questions
Which file to use for global configurations?
Since mozilla-thunderbird 0.6 there is a single global
configuration file available:
/etc/mozilla-thunderbird/global-config.js
There are some sample configurations available in this
file.
BACK: Questions
I want a tray notification when new mail arrives. How can I do it?
A working extensions can be found at
http://moztraybiff.mozdev.org.
Keep your eyes open and use the correct Thunderbird version.
The version you have installed can be found in the ‘Help->About
Mozilla Thunderbird’ dialog.
BACK: Questions
I installed the typeaheadfind extension. But how to use it?
The following section is copied from the mozilla documentation page
for your convenience. Remember that for thunderbird it works only
for all message views (e.g. message-preview, message-full) and
the source view:
- Type several characters into the active browser window to navigate to any link with that text
in it
- If you repeat the same character, it will start to cycle through
all the links that begin with that character. However, if it can find a
match with the exact string you’ve typed, such as "oo" in "woods" it will
go there first. Typing "o" more times will then cycle through the links that start with "o".
- Use the backspace key to undo the last character typed
- Type a ’ before your string to search only links. Type / before
your string to search all text.
- You
can use the text search field to get to buttons, text boxes and other
form controls. Just search for the text right before it, and then press
Tab when to move from there.
- To cancel a find, change focus or scroll, press Escape, or wait
for the timeout
- Press
Accel+G or F3 to use "find next". Press Accel+Shift+G or Shift+F3 to
find previous, with the current string you’ve typed. This respects the
current "linksonly" setting. Note: ‘accel’ means Ctrl on Windows, and
Cmd on Mac. On Unix, ‘accel’ usually means Ctrl, but it can be set to
Alt.
- Works with any Gecko HTML content window – embedded clients, IM
conversation window, help, etc.
- works with IME for input of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc.
- When focused on a link, the following keys will work:
- Enter – activate the link
- Shift+Enter – save the page that the link points to
- Ctrl+Enter (Cmd+Enter on Mac) – open the link in a new window
- Insert – open the link in a new foreground or background tab, depending on the
"Load links in the background" pref. under Preferences – Navigator – Tabbed Browsing.
- Shift+Insert – same as Insert, but does the opposite of the foreground/background pref
BACK: Questions
Where to get more help on thunderbird?
Help on Debian unspecific issues of the thunderbird mail client
is available on the
Thunderbird Help
Page.
The official forum is hosted by
mozillazine forums.
BACK: Questions
FAQ Interactive
Have more Questions? Simply drop a comment! I will try my best to answer your question and add it to the FAQ if it is indeed frequently asked.
Typeaheadfind Extension for Debian QUOTE - From the Debian Package Description:The Mozilla Thunderbird typeaheadfind is an accessibility extension adding enhanced search as you type capabilities to thunderbird. .General Debian provides typeaheadfind, a f
Tracked: Apr 06, 22:33
Typeaheadfind Extension for Debian QUOTE - From the Debian Package Description:The Mozilla Thunderbird typeaheadfind is an accessibility extension adding enhanced search as you type capabilities to thunderbird. .General Debian provides typeaheadfind, a f
Tracked: Apr 12, 01:03