thunderbird - how to revert from v78 to v68~
Am on w10-64 using TB 64bit
I was eager to use new TB so I updated from ~68 to 78. It is working.
However, I have lost the functionality of my most use AddOn TagToolbar. The developer of the AddOn has updated that for v78's MailExtension version, but as New method doesn't allow adding Toolbar in main TB, which TagToolbar was doing, now that toolbar is gone and I am facing a lot of problems using the AddOn with its new system.
I tried to reinstall 68.8.1 over 78, but it doesn't allow me, saying that "some later version has updated TB and it cannot be used with 68, so asked me to create new profile, otherwise it wouldn't run. Now, all my previous mails of last 20 years are locked in there was converted to suit v78, so I cannot just create a new profile and start from zero.
So I want to revert from v78 to v68 (or other equivalent non-beta)
Please guide step by step how I can revert and then install my older version of TagToolbar.
It is bad that TB forcefully converted my data without asking me, without telling me, and now those data cannot be used in older versions. If TB had given me warning of that sort, I would have preferred to create a "copy profile" so that TB doesn't migrates me old profile, rather makes a copy and then migrates that copy to suit new version. I had not expected such unruly behaviour from you guys.
Thanks. -- Rawat
All Replies (6)
As of version 68 there were changes regarding backward compatibility of profile, that is not new in 78:
re :I was eager to use new TB so I updated from ~68 to 78. Did you read all the release notes that are offered with each release ? This is the place where Thunderbird informs all users of whats new, changed, bug fixes etc. This is a link to the 78.0 info:
There were many changes including: Address books are now stored as SQLite databases to prepare for future addressbook improvements. Existing address books in MAB format (using a Mork database) will be converted.
As you are currently using 68.11.0 - the latest version availble in the 68 series. In Thunderbird
- Help > Troubleshooting Information
- click on 'Open folder'
- Exit Thunderbird
In the profile name folder, do you see an 'abook.mab.bak' file ? If yes,
- Rename 'abook.mab.bak' to 'abook.mab'
- Rename 'history.mab.bak' to 'history.mab'
- Start Thunderbird.
Please let me know if you were able to do this.
re :The developer of the AddOn has updated that for v78's MailExtension version, but as New method doesn't allow adding Toolbar in main TB, which TagToolbar was doing, now that toolbar is gone and I am facing a lot of problems using the AddOn with its new system.
I suggest you get in contact with the author of the addon about lack of adding a toolbar.
However, as you mention this, I checked my version of 78.1.1 and was surprised to see the 'Customise Toolbar' option to 'Add new toolbar' to be missing. That option has always been available anyway and it was there in 68.11.0. I wonder if the fact it is not available in 78 whether this has effected the addon. I've created a bug report regarding this.
Please remember authors of addons are not paid employees of Thunderbird. They do this because they are happy to do it and are not obligued to do anything. They do it in their free time and many rely on donations in order to offer time. You would be amazed how many people do not contribute to maintaining addons they use. Many expect something for nothing yet would not do it themselves. Please have some patience with the authors of addons as the recent changes that are required are not that simple. The authors often need to acquire retraining in knowledge and the addon will require a complete rewrite of code, which is a skill and takes considerable time. Many authors of addons have just quit because the time involved is too consuming.
yeah, I have filed detailed report on the add-on author's site what problems I am facing, and he has promised to think about it.
Actually, the author is as troubled as his users are, due to removal of developers' toolbars from TB. He might have to develop entire code for a personal toolbar somewhere else, that is cryptic and time consuming. --
Yes, both mab.bak were there, I renamed them to mab and could start TB. (first I made a copy of original)
now what?
Thanks. -- Rawat
I think I've found out why the author of the addon may find it difficult to create the toolbar.
The code in Thunderbird 78 has taken the same path as Firefox when it comes to being able to create a new toolbar. The developers have deliberately removed the API which would allow an addon to do it. If you read the bug report you will see that I'm having some difficulty in persuading them that people do use that functionality for good reasons. It would be helpful if you could post a comment in that bug report requesting it is added and why it is not that simple to keep adding a load of tags onto the one toolbar. Otherwise I'm alone trying to fight this on behalf of people like yourself.
What is the link of the bug report?
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1658559
It would be helpful to say how you use that toolbar and why.