Updating Thunderbird

[abtygwyn]

I quite frequently get messages from thunderbird suggesting that I update to a newer version. If I click to update, nothing happens, or at least that's how it appears.
The updates coming through update manager do update software packages including thunderbird and firefox so I leave it to this method only. Is
there a way of switching off messages within thunderbird to ignore updates or do I just have to continue ignoring them and let the normal process take its own pace?

I'm using LMDE

[bigj231]

I'm not using LMDE, and this question is in the wrong section, but which version of thunderbird are you using? I believe the current version is 16.0.1.
If it really bugs you, you can just update thunderbird to the latest version by adding a repository and upgrading firefox and thunderbird to those versions. If you follow the instructions at http://mozilla.debian.net/, that should work for you. Just tell it you are running testing, and install Icedove. It's the same as Thunderbird. You can do the same thing for Iceweasel if you want to update Firefox as well.
Just be aware that if you do install those packages, they might break something. I personally never had an issue when I was running Debian testing.

[garmaz]

I'm not using LMDE, and this question is in the wrong section, but which version of thunderbird are you using? I believe the current version is 16.0.1.
If it really bugs you, you can just update thunderbird to the latest version by adding a repository and upgrading firefox and thunderbird to those versions. If you follow the instructions at http://mozilla.debian.net/, that should work for you. Just tell it you are running testing, and install Icedove. It's the same as Thunderbird. You can do the same thing for Iceweasel if you want to update Firefox as well.
Just be aware that if you do install those packages, they might break something. I personally never had an issue when I was running Debian testing.

Hi....

same problem with LDME & thunderbird. I don't want to install other email reader (even if it is part of the same project) or browser, or are you saying that using those guidelines we can updated firefox and thunderbird with no installation of new programs?
i have the update window opened from about 2 hours but nothing happens

thanx in advance

GarmaZ

[bigj231]

same problem with LDME & thunderbird. I don't want to install other email reader (even if it is part of the same project) or browser, or are you saying that using those guidelines we can updated firefox and thunderbird with no installation of new programs?
i have the update window opened from about 2 hours but nothing happens

You actually do have to install Iceweasel and Icedove to replace Firefox and Thunderbird. They will preform the same as Thunderbird and Firefox, but they are not the same programs. So no, you can't just use that repository and update Thunderbird. There is a way to update thunderbird manually, but you have to download the packages from Mozilla directly. And it won't automatically update after you do it manually.

[craigevil]

I have never seen the point of using Firefox/Iceweasel or Thunderbird/Icedove from any distro.

it is just as easy to use the versions from Mozilla, and they autoupdate whenever Mozilla releases new versions.

All I do is:
1) download from Mozilla
2) extract
3) Create a desktop file, thunderbird.desktop
4) copy that to /usr/share/applications
5) Run from the shiny new menu entry Internet>Thunderbird
5) be happy

my thunderbird.desktop

Code: Select all

[Desktop Entry]
Categories=Network;Email;News;GTK;
Comment[en_US]=Read/Write Mail/News with Thunderbird
Comment=Read/Write Mail/News with Thunderbird
Exec=/home/craig/Downloads/thunderbird/thunderbird %u
GenericName[en_US]=Mail Client
GenericName=Mail Client
Icon=/home/craig/Downloads/thunderbird/chrome/icons/default/default32.png
MimeType=message/rfc822;
Name[en_US]=Thunderbird Mail/News
Name=Thunderbird Mail/News
Path=
StartupNotify=true
Terminal=false
TerminalOptions=
Type=Application
X-DBUS-ServiceName=
X-DBUS-StartupType=
X-KDE-SubstituteUID=false
X-KDE-Username=
X-MultipleArgs=false

You would need to edit the Exec= and Icon= lines to point to the correct place on your system.

Takes a whole 5 minutes at most and after that Thunderbird will stay updated with the Mozilla release cycle. The same steps work for Firefox as well. This way you can choose to use any release of Firefox or Thunderbird, ESR, Release, Beta, Aurora, Nightly.

my Thunderbird info:

Code: Select all

Application: Thunderbird 16.0.1 (20121010150919)
Operating System: Linux (x86-gcc3)

Total number of items: 12

- Adblock Plus 2.1.2
   http://adblockplus.org/en/
- CompactHeader 2.0.6
   http://compactheader.mozdev.org/
- Enigmail 1.4.5
   http://www.enigmail.net/
- Extension List Dumper 1.15.2
   http://www.sogame.cat/
- Google Contacts 0.6.40
   http://hogi.sakura.ne.jp/en/
- Lightning 1.8
   http://www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/releases/lightning1.8.html
- Provider for Google Calendar 0.17
   https://addons.mozilla.org/thunderbird/addon/4631
- Test Pilot for Thunderbird 1.3.9
   http://testpilot.mozillalabs.com/
- Themes Menu 1.15
   http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=2141579
- Thunderbird Conversations 2.5.2
   http://github.com/protz/GMail-Conversation-View/wiki
- ThunderBrowse 3.82
   http://thunderbrowse.com/
- ViewAbout 2.0.1
   http://www.rumblingedge.com/viewabout/