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what's wrong with TB 78.*.* vs TB 68.12.0?
Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2020 6:50 pm
by Seeker
So I understand that Thunderbird 68.12.0 is considered by the MX people (or Debian people) to be more stable than the newer version I've read about here. I also understand that my TB 68.12.12.0 receives latest security updates via the "green box" on the taskbar. So should I also understand that updating to the latest version of TB, through the MX pkg updater, has only drawbacks and no advantages?
Re: what's wrong with TB 78.*.* vs TB 68.12.0?
Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2020 8:35 pm
by fehlix
Seeker wrote: Sun Nov 29, 2020 6:50 pm
So I understand that Thunderbird 68.12.0 is considered by the MX people (or Debian people) to be more stable than the newer version I've read about here. I also understand that my TB 68.12.12.0 receives latest security updates via the "green box" on the taskbar. So should I also understand that updating to the latest version of TB, through the MX pkg updater, has only drawbacks and no advantages?
Nope, you missed the point. Users do use shared TB profiles, e.g either from WinOS shared, or another Linux installation. The new TB version appears to have issues to (or cannot) read TB profile of the older version. So if we would just let TB upgrade to the newest version, what would happen? The newer version will convert the old profile into the new profile format. Ok, fine. But, any shared profile might get issues as the new profile cannot be read by the older version.
Whats the solution?.
The trick MX Linux offers: You have the "stable" old version available and also the "new" version. The user can decide to install the new version from MX testrepo.
That's it!
I do not get your last question:
".. MX pkg updater, has only drawbacks and no advantages?"
You need explain this or/and probably better understand the concept behind first.
Re: what's wrong with TB 78.*.* vs TB 68.12.0?
Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2020 10:49 pm
by cinclus
Repair after Upgrade to TB 78. Problems come from addons. Remedies: some cycles through startup TB 78 in safe-mode. Downgrade 78 to 68: startup TB 68 with --force-downgrade parameter.
Sharing profile with TB 68 and TB 78? Don't know. Perhaps the 78 side will not be stable and needs repeated repair in safe-mode.
Re: what's wrong with TB 78.*.* vs TB 68.12.0?
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 2:03 am
by Friedrich
fehlix wrote: Sun Nov 29, 2020 8:35 pm
Users do use shared TB profiles, e.g either from WinOS shared, or another Linux installation. The new TB version appears to have issues to (or cannot) read TB profile of the older version. So if we would just let TB upgrade to the newest version, what would happen? The newer version will convert the old profile into the new profile format. Ok, fine. But, any shared profile might get issues as the new profile cannot be read by the older version.
Actually, after starting TB 78 with the parameter "--allow-downgrade" I have no problem with my, -at least a decade old-, profile,
that is shared among Debian, Manjaro, Win10 and MX.
I used to edit the thunderbird.desktop in /usr/share/applications/ by adding --allow-downgrade because the annoying messages from TB kept coming here and there ("you are using a older version of Thunderbird, ..").
Seems no longer necessary. At least it did not occur for quite a while now.
Re: what's wrong with TB 78.*.* vs TB 68.12.0?
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 4:03 am
by Eadwine Rose
Another option BEFORE upgrading: back up your .thunderbird folder.
If your upgrade doesn't work like you want it to, uninstall tb completely, then reinstall the old version and put the backup back in.
Re: what's wrong with TB 78.*.* vs TB 68.12.0?
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 4:35 am
by JayM
Eadwine Rose wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 4:03 am
Another option BEFORE upgrading: back up your .thunderbird folder.
If your upgrade doesn't work like you want it to, uninstall tb completely, then reinstall the old version and put the backup back in.
Before running Thunderbird after installing the older version so it doesn't create a new default profile before you've restored the old one.
Re: what's wrong with TB 78.*.* vs TB 68.12.0?
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 4:39 am
by Eadwine Rose
Yeah.. once old version installed, remove current .thunderbird, put the backup back in, THEN start the old version.
So automatic for me that I forgot to mention this step. Thanks JayM :)
Re: what's wrong with TB 78.*.* vs TB 68.12.0?
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 5:34 am
by JayM
I learned that the hard way with Firefox before where I ran it after reinstalling MX before restoring my old profile, then had to copy/paste the contents of the backed-up profile into the new default one and hope for the best.
Re: what's wrong with TB 78.*.* vs TB 68.12.0?
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 5:46 am
by Eadwine Rose
Ugh.
It is one of the reasons I am so grateful this is easy in linux. Grab that .thunderbird folder, and that is all you need to do. If this happens in Windows... oh dear goodness.
Re: what's wrong with TB 78.*.* vs TB 68.12.0?
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 7:46 am
by uncle mark
JayM wrote: Mon Nov 30, 2020 5:34 am
I learned that the hard way with Firefox before where I ran it after reinstalling MX before restoring my old profile, then had to copy/paste the contents of the backed-up profile into the new default one and hope for the best.
Copy/pasting the contents is what I've always done with TB & Fx. Never has been a problem. Works with Windows too.
Re: what's wrong with TB 78.*.* vs TB 68.12.0?
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2020 10:10 am
by Friedrich
In my opinion it is not a good practice to keep highly personal data like the thunderbird profile in any system partition.
Keeping it in a separate data partition (ntfs, in case one wants to share it with windows installations), all that has to be done is:
-copying/moving the profile to an appropriate folder in the data partition (only done once at the very beginning of this configuration)
-editing the paths in the profiles.ini of the particular OS and setting the path-is-relative parameter to "0".
And eventually to tell TB to shut up about "older versions.." by adding --allow-downgrade* as start parameter.
Works here for 14+ years with the same profile.. .
Further advantage: Gets regularly backed-up with the general data backups.
*which does not actually downgrade anything. Just makes TB accept older profiles, as far as I can see..
Re: what's wrong with TB 78.*.* vs TB 68.12.0?
Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2020 12:08 pm
by Seeker
thanks all, so far. I understand that I can just as well move to the latest TB ver in MXPI, so as to have whatever new features it offers (something re encryption, I understand) and won't have problems--except somehow regarding my user profile, some way as concerns "sharing". But I do not intend to share anything with anyone and I have only MX as OS on my old rig. So is there anything else to worry about? I would like to be able to backup my TB--both profile and mail folders, when I back up my data folder. Do not understand how to do this. Any advice/comments/explanations would be much appreciated. I regard this as still within this thread. thanks.
Re: what's wrong with TB 78.*.* vs TB 68.12.0?
Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2020 12:57 pm
by Gaer Boy
Friedrich gave the solution:
-copying/moving the profile to an appropriate folder in the data partition (only done once at the very beginning of this configuration)
-editing the paths in the profiles.ini of the particular OS and setting the path-is-relative parameter to "0".
The section from my profiles.ini is:
Code: Select all
[Profile0]
Name=default
IsRelative=0
Path=/media/files/Email/q17qfdxp.default
Default=1