Mobile-config-thunderbird is pretty good

Marts · February 8, 2025, 11:19pm

Thanks! Now I’m able to open the folder pane by the layout menu, but I must have the mouse each time to move some borders (they don’t stay like that when I close et re-open the folder pane). And me, when I click the ‘checklist’ in upper left corner, I see this (I can’t open and close the folder pane by clicking on the boutton)… @ASwyD2

ASwyD2 · February 9, 2025, 3:40am

It almost seems that you haven’t got the mobile part installed

Marts · February 9, 2025, 10:43pm

Ok, wow… what did I miss…? Do you know how I can install the mobile version?

ASwyD2 · February 9, 2025, 11:07pm

These are the steps ^
Copy, paste, and run each one individually into the terminal in order and then you should have it

js10 · February 12, 2025, 4:05am

Thunderbird is working so much better than Geary was for me! One problem I’m currently having is that I need it to 1) autostart when I first power on the phone and 2) remain running even when I close it. That is, I still need it to check for new emails if I have the window closed. Has anyone found settings for these or are there extensions I need to download?

ASwyD2 · February 12, 2025, 4:16am

~~You will need to put a desktop file in ~/.config/autostart/ with the line: Exec=/usr/bin/thunderbird --gapplication-service~~
Some files to look at for reference:

/etc/share/applications/geary-autostart.desktop and
/etc/share/applications/thunderbird.desktop

Edit: Nevermind, doesn’t work. Let me do some testing

irvinewade · February 12, 2025, 4:46am

Does that solve both parts though or only part 1?

ASwyD2 · February 12, 2025, 5:43am

Should solve both Edit: but it doesn’t

ASwyD2 · February 12, 2025, 5:58am

So the solution appears to be to run Thunderbird in ‘headless’ mode then kill it and restart it to read messages.
You will need to put a desktop file in ~/.config/autostart/ with the line: Exec=/usr/bin/thunderbird --gapplication-service --headless

Then you need a script to kill the thunderbird process, start it, and then restart the headless mode when thunderbird is closed. I only know how to kill and restart, not restart the headless mode when closed.

killall thunderbird && thunderbird

raenrfm · February 12, 2025, 1:55pm

Uh…that seems pretty sketchy. I guess until TB comes out with a true mobile version it’s the only way?

irvinewade · February 12, 2025, 9:40pm

I don’t know whether this behaviour is strictly “mobile” (couldn’t you want it on desktop / laptop too?) but the bottom line is that you are wanting some very specific behaviour regarding when the mail client only checks for new mail v. when the mail client both checks for new mail and mediates user access to mail via a GUI - and unless the mail client implements that behaviour, it is unlikely just to be available.

I think that that is the way geary works though.

raenrfm · February 13, 2025, 1:14pm

I think Geary uses Evolution as a back end. I have no idea how or why but that seems to be the case. Correct me if I’m wrong.

irvinewade · February 13, 2025, 10:50pm

I don’t know how it is implemented but what I mean is that looking for geary in ps output …

(before started)
nada, as expected
(launch GUI)
/usr/bin/geary --gapplication-service
(OK, I’ve processed all new emails now, close GUI by swiping up)
/usr/bin/geary --gapplication-service
(i.e. it’s still running as a service, presumably checking for new mail, or at least able to do so, but without any GUI)

On the other hand, if you close geary using CTRL+Q, it actually seems to go away, which can be handy in some circumstances.