need help upgrading from 19.4 by fresh install

[j2mcgreg]

For Thunderbird:
In MX 19, launch Thunar and configure it to show hidden files (under View) --> locate and open .thunderbird --> copy <insert filename>.default and profiles.ini to an external location
In MX 23, launch Thunderbird, configure it and then close it. Access Thunar --> show hidden files --> open .thunderbird --> rename the default to <insert filename>.bak and rename profiles.ini to profiles.bak. Now copy over your backed up profile and profiles.ini
Close Thunar and when you next launch Thunderbird all your saved emails and address books will be present.
NOTE: In the new version of .thunderbird, you will see a second file called <insert filename>.default-default. Don't touch it.

[Seeker]

hi j2mcreg: tnx for the instructions. Just to be clear, some questions.
1. the <insertfilename.default is a "Today" file. So this is something that updates every day?
2. by "saved emails" in TB are you referring to the in- and outboxes or something else?
3. once I have saved the <insertfilename>.default and profiles.ini files from .thunderbird to my backup external device, how do I get them into the new TB that will come with MX23?

re backing up: why use a partition for the data, etc I want to back up. why not just back up /home? Then, if I have to reinstall MX23 due to a crash or whatever, how would that work?

[j2mcgreg]

hi j2mcreg: tnx for the instructions. Just to be clear, some questions.
1. the <insertfilename.default is a "Today" file. So this is something that updates every day?
2. by "saved emails" in TB are you referring to the in- and outboxes or something else?
3. once I have saved the <insertfilename>.default and profiles.ini files from .thunderbird to my backup external device, how do I get them into the new TB that will come with MX23?

re backing up: why use a partition for the data, etc I want to back up. why not just back up /home? Then, if I have to reinstall MX23 due to a crash or whatever, how would that work?

1. see the screenshot I've attached of my .thunderbird folder where the existing file is called 34n4tykg.default. I would change that to 34n4tykg.bak so that it won't be utilized when I relaunch Thunderbird after I have pasted in the default file from the previous install. I will also perform the same edit on the existing profiles.ini file. You rename these original files so that they are preserved in case you need to revert and start over.
2. It's everything. Once you are done with his procedure Thunderbird in MX 23 will look and perform exactly as it did in MX 19
3. copy / paste
Edited to add: You don't just copy /home because the MX 19 version will contain multiple hidden config files that can mess with the newer applications' configurations in MX 23.

[Seeker]

thanks j2mcreg for the clarifications. So now my question is, once I've saved those 2 TB files to my external devices, and I've installed MX23 clean, my ssd has been reformatted and is "clean". so how do I get those saved, backed up TB files into my new TB under MX 23? do I have to change the suffix to .bk when I save them? also, could I copy those two TB files (working here still in MX 19, for backing up my system) into my /Data, so that when I back that up I will also be backing up the two TB files? Again, after I install MX 23, with its new TB, how do I get those backed up files into the new TB so that I go forward with all my old in- and out-boxes and TB configurations?

[j2mcgreg]

Here's what I do. It may not be elegant, but it works for me:
1) on my existing system, I launch Thunar and then copy each of Documents, Pictures, Music and Videos folders to my external device
2) Still in Thunar, I click on View --> Show hidden files
3) I copy the ,thunderbird (in its entirety) to the external device
4) I open my preferred browser and export the Bookmark files to the external drive
5) I use User Installed Packages in MX Tools to generate a text file which I save to the external drive
6) Having performed a clean install of the new MX version, I immediately run User Installed Packages and feed it the list I generated in Step #5
7) I launch Thunderbird and configure it minimally so that the new, hidden .thunderbird folder is created
8.) I launch Thunar --> show hidden files --> access .thunderbird and rename the default profile and profiles.ini folders
9) copy / paste the backed up default profile and profiles.ini folders.
10) copy / paste the backed up Documents, Pictures, Music, and Videos into their appropriate folders. I know that this means you will have a Documents folder inside a Documents folder and a Music folder inside a Music folder etc but it's quick dirty and it works.
11) launch your preferred browser and import your bookmarks from the backup
12) close your browser, close Thunar and you are done.

[Seeker]

tnks, j2mcreg. so you do copy and paste to backup device. i've been backing up using LuckyBackup.

[j2mcgreg]

tnks, j2mcreg. so you do copy and paste to backup device. i've been backing up using LuckyBackup.

Yes, I do it all manually (with the exception of UIP), As I said above: it's not elegant but it works.

[Seeker]

thanks j2mcreg. I will do fresh install with reformatting of the ssd. but have to reread all the comments here and figure out how to keep my TB mailboxes and config, my FF history and all the saved passwords.