(New to Kubuntu/ Linux) Update/ upgrade difficulties Thunderbird.

[NoOp]

On 11/20/2007 05:08 AM, Bas Roufs wrote:

> 
> I could have solved this problem if the update function would work 
> smoothly: Thunderbird > HELP > check for updates. However, for some 
> reason this update option is not accessible; the light gray colour of 
> the text 'check for updates' underline that nothing happens if one 
> clicks on it. So far, I did not manage to change the settings in such a 
> way that the update function can work.
> 
> A related problem might be the difficulties I have to access the on line 
> 'release notes' and help pages from Thunderbird by directly clicking on 
> the appropriate options of the HELP menu. When trying to click there, I 
> landed on the 'launchpad' website:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/thunderbird/+bug/148487
> There, I am the 2nd person who mentions this problem. The first person 
> has had  a similar problem with Ubuntu 7.10 in combination with 
> Thunderbird  2.0.0.6. That's why, I CC this mail also to the Ubuntu list.
> 

Ubuntu's version is outdated; TB is now at 2.0.0.9 to fix a couple of
security issues:

<http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/known-vulnerabilities.html#thunderbird2.0.0.9>

However, back to your question about not being able to check for
updates: this can be turned on if you install TB into a directory where
you have read/write permissions as a user (see below).

To do that (in Gnome - you will have to adjust for Kubuntu):

1. Rename your existing ~./mozilla-thunderbird directory to
~./x-thunderbird-x

2. Uninstall the Ubuntu installed mozilla-thunderbird:

sudo apt-get remove mozilla-thunderbird

3. Rename ~./x-thunderbird-x back to ~./thunderbird
Note: this will have preserved any of your existing emails etc.

4. Download TB and place in your home folder. Untar by double-clicking
the .tz file from Nautilus (the file browser) and let it extract the
files to their own ~/thunderbird directory.

5. From a terminal, cd to ~/thunderbird and enter the following:

./thunderbird

6. Right click on Applications & select 'Edit Menus'. Go to the Internet
folder & click the 'New Item' button. Enter Thunderbird in the Name,
browse to /thunderbird and click on 'thunderbird' (*not*
thunderbird-bin). You can then add the Thunderbird icon, by clicking on
the icon button, browse to /thunderbird/icons, click open, click on
mozicon50.xpm & click ok. You will now find your working TB in
Applications|Internet|Thunderbird & all of your emails & profiles should
be just the same as before. Except, you will now find that Help|Check
for Updates is no longer greyed out and is now working.


<http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/2.0.0.9/releasenotes/>
<quote>
All Systems
[snip]
        * Software Update will not work if Thunderbird is installed to a
location on your disk to which you do not have write access, since
Software Update needs to replace or create files in this location.

Dictionaries can be installed as extensions from: addons.mozilla.org.
</quote>

Which dictionary(s) are you having problems installing?
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/browse/type:3
I have no problems installing the English dictionary 2.0.0.6 - I've not
tried the others.
Hint: if using the Ubuntu installed version of TB, download the .xpi
file first, then install in TB using the addon manager - just browse to
the .xpi file that you downloaded.