Web Site
Developers

Ubuntu 8.04 Thunderbird Installation Problems

How the Problems Began: Innocently

In hindsight it might have been smarter for me to have moved my older version of Thunderbird onto the new desktop, then upgraded [1.]. However, I noted that the new version offered by Ubuntu was two minor number versions later. Hence, I installed the newer Thunderbird and then copied over the entire dot thunderbird directory for my email user identity and the entire coded default content further down. To my dismay, nothing worked after I misinterpreted an installation option that might have saved me from a tremendous amount of harassment, I made the situation worse. The situation became so dire, I thought my only option was to kill the entire installation of Ubuntu 8.04 and start afresh [2.].

It is likely my plan of action would have failed, because my assumptions were faulty. By dumb luck I contacted Steven Rosenberg, who did not know how to solve my problem, but by an off hand comment set me on the right course. However, let me warn the readers, my solution was not optimal. I have noticed while the initial application appears much more quickly than on the previous version on the 6.06 desktop, many of its operational characteristics show sclerotic execution. Thus, I am certain it could have been done better.

Previous Experience with Thunderbird

I am going to limit the scope of this heading immediately to Ubuntu, moreover, primarily to the 6.06 desktop [3.]. I loaded and maintained [4.] both Thunderbird and Firefox manually. The former, because I think it was not offered and the latter due to preferring the newer 2.0.x versions over the 1.5 that I considered outdated. A portion of my difficulties must be assigned to my previous experiences with Thunderbird, which I started using somewhere in the 1.0.x version. On differing versions of Linux I have upgraded aperiodically with some to no issues. On the 6.06 desktop, my move from 1.5.(something) to 2.0.0.x was exceedingly smooth.

Presentation Outline

It is my belief more is learned by seeing your own and other's foul ups than than the prescription leading to the perfect outcome. Therefore, that is where I will begin my tale and only afterwards describe methods that do it nearer to correctly:

With that concise outline, let's begin.

How I Got It All Wrong

    Description of Major Initial Errors

I think the reader can easily surmise, my errors began early and I compounded them to make it worse by not opting for an immediate abort. While I may have reflected a bit, I think I foresaw no problems making an exact copy of my user's content directly over to the corresponding location in the home directory for that user. Meaning I used the same (prefaced dot) heading, in this case, ./.thunderbird taking all files and content copying it recursively over to the 8.04 desktop. However, I was mistaken. Thus, note that step as one of the key errors I made, hence, don't repeat my misstep.

I am fairly certain the rsync(ing) of the older user configuration and content was done prior to my loading the new version of Thunderbird onto the 8.04 desktop. If not, I know for certain in the second loading of Thunderbird it was present. Hence, I might have avoided my error I now describe.

Whatever the case, upon loading Thunderbird I was given the option of importing the older data. If you have read of my problems with the fstab, a file that automounts all the drives, you already know that I could only communicate from the 6.06 desktop to the 8.04 not the inverse. So in the first instance, had I wanted to import that data, it might not an option. However, in both cases, I might have had it on the 8.04 desktop. My error was thinking, if it was there, it would be recognized. I thought further steps where were unnecessary.

I did not immediately recognize that my decision not to import was my second major error, moreover, I made it worse. I saw the error of my ways when I was asked to put in the specifications to one of my email accounts. Despite the immediate doubt and queasy feelings I went forward and once the process was started it was soon obvious I had really messed up royally. I observed very old emails being downloaded that I knew that was utterly wrong. Finally I aborted, however, it caused me more harm than I recognized [5.].

    Listing of Major Errors

Pretty hefty set of errors and omissions.

    Ready for Desperate Measures

The sequence near to the time this was carried out is taken from an email I sent to Steven Rosenberg, outlining increasingly desperate measures I took to activate a usable email client. I killed Thunderbird several times, one which claimed to be a complete removal. Despite the claim, the subsequent reloading of the data and the application, I still saw the wrong partially loaded email set from one account. I was ready to retry my steps one last time wiping out evidence of email data everywhere I found it. However, had I carried that plan out, those efforts too would have failed.

Had I found myself in that situation, I thought my only alternative would have been to wipe the Ubuntu installation and install it fresh, including the formatting the home directory. Beyond the simple waste of time, extra effort would have been required to store work that only existed on the Ubuntu 8.04 side. Fortunately that did not prove to be necessary.

Getting It to Work

    The Critical Clue

[My freely interpreted rewording of Steven Rosenberg's response.] Email clients leave a lot of clutter in their wake of their installation, e.g. data, files, etc. You could be missing some.

He was absolutely correct.

    The Search

The suggestion was a good one, because a simple search for all things thunderbird brought this up:

  ~:$ ls -ltra /home/[regular user]/ |egrep '*[tT]hunderbird*'
  drwx------  3 [reg. user] users  4096 2008-09-25 19:43 .mozilla-thunderbird

Then I took a look inside:

  ~:$ ls -ltra /home/[regular user]/.mozilla-thunderbird

  -rw-r--r--  1 root      root    94 2008-09-25 19:28 profiles.ini~
  -rw-r--r--  1 [reg. user] users   94 2008-09-25 19:43 profiles.ini
  drwx------  6 [reg. user]  1001 4096 2008-10-07 10:11 [new code].default

This seemed to have fewer files than I remembered on the 6.06 desktop [something I could not do at that time]:

  ~:$ ls -ltr /mnt/sda2/home/[regular user]/.thunderbird/

  -rw-r--r-- 1 [reg. user] 1001  104 2006-02-12 16:11 profiles.ini
  -rw-r--r-- 1 [reg. user] 1001  335 2006-02-12 16:11 appreg
  -rw------- 1 [reg. user] 1001   65 2006-02-12 16:12 pluginreg.dat
  -rw-r--r-- 1 [reg. user] 1001  133 2006-02-12 18:49 profiles.ini.hold
  drwx------ 6 [reg. user] 1001 4096 2008-09-26 15:47 [my code].default

My memory was correct. Unfortunately, while some of the next steps were well grounded the rush to finish resulted in my moving too rapidly. I had part of the problem resolved seeing that the new email client ignored my directory. That explained seeing invalid content. Luckily I was smart enough to look at the ini file, which is where the client determines what files to read:

  ~:$ cat /home/[regular user]/.mozilla-thunderbird/profiles.ini
  [General]
  StartWithLastProfile=1

  [Profile0]
  Name=default
  IsRelative=1
  Path=[new code].default

As you can see Thunderbird has been looking in all the wrong places.

    Making It Right

Well I started the process well enough, by changing the directory name and the last line in the profile's ini file to look for [my code]. That is simply changing these lines:

  drwx------  6 [reg. user]  1001 4096 2008-10-07 10:11 [new code].default

  to 

  drwx------  6 [reg. user]  1001 4096 2008-10-07 10:11 [my code].default

I believe just using the move command "mv". The Path line above just became:

  Path=[my code].default

which both were good steps. My error was in not looking further. I suspect the file contents within the renamed [my code].default directory differed. I now think I would have found a different mix of file content than what I hastily dumped into that space from the 6.06 desktop. Moreover, I consider it a major mistake on my part that I suggest others avoid.

Yes Thunderbird works and it give the impression it is inherently faster than what I experienced on the 6.06 desktop. However, the hint comes from the faster appearance upon startup not in over all improvement in operational speed. Other functionality seems greatly retarded, e.g. switching to a different email takes much longer than expected. Hence, I think there is a high probability the mismatch of content in the renamed directory is part of the problem.

Search for Perfection

I cannot state the prescription I advise is certain to work, having not attempted these steps [6.]. However, having done it so wrong [7.] in so many ways I have a sense where the better path lies. With that caveat, let's begin.

Now that I am certain I can gain access to external fixed hard drive(s) and partitions, I would not rsync over the contents of the /home/[regular user]/.thunderbird, instead I would concentrate my efforts on the 8.04 desktop. Once installed, I would opt to import using the path:

  /[mnt]or [media]/sda2/home/[regular user]/.thunderbird

I think it is safe to assume that the built-in scripts would be more selective, choosing the proper files and content than the unselective rsync dump I performed. I cannot promise perfection, however, I think this method would yield a far better result than what I have now.

Summary

I believe people learn more from mistakes than easy successes. Showing how I screwed up the installation of Thunderbird, repeatedly despite a history of success with this application is meant both as a caution flag and a lesson plan on how not to repeat my missteps. When I moved in a very delayed fashion from a late version of the 1.5.x to the 2.0.x on the 6.06 desktop, I was on guard expecting the worse. However, there were no issues and the later version was superior to the one I traded out. Therefore, my too easy success may have played a role in my recent problems.

So read carefully here and elsewhere noting the problems so that you do not repeat them by taking the wrong route. Please tell me of your successes and problems. I would appreciate learning of better ways to install Thunderbird.

Corrections, suggested extension or comments write: H. Cohen.

     © Herschel Cohen, All Rights Reserved

Return B/ST Home or Problems Page
____________________________________________________________________

    1.  I advise, do upfront research.  This entire exercise is  
        meant to divert others from my erroneous tact.  Return

    2.  Unfortunately, I made more than one simple error.
        Return

    3.  Just have done it too often and I cannot remember with
        certainty under which distribution, let alone version 
        number.  Return

    4.  Maintain is too complimentary, considering the lax fashion
        I updated these applications.  I was much more 
        conscientious keeping Firefox current than Thunderbird. 
        Return 

    5.  I had an inexplicable email dump on the aborted email 
        account that appeared to be complimentary to the partial,   
        complete downloading of emails that were mostly old and 
        duplicates.  Return

    6.  I intend to try it on my next installation, most likely
        on a Debian (mixed) desktop.  Return

    7.  I was repeatedly told, that an expert in a field were the 
        ones that made all the errors.  Hence, by that measure, I 
        am one and this should work.  Return

____________________________________________________________________

References