Beta is a testing and development platform. Users can assist by using beta to test fixes and feature changes before they are made available in regular releases. This assitance and user feedback (including bug reports) is welcomed, but the platform should be considered to be unstable. Also, add-ons other than Lightning (the calendar application) may not work or unexpectedly break. =Purpose= Betas serve multiple purposes. From a user point of view, using a beta and providing feedback is an easy opportunity to be involved in process of improving their favorite open-source softare - an opportunity which requires little or no techincal skill. And because beta gets fixes before release, it is also a place where a user can get relief from problem that has been fixed but not made it to release. From a developer and release management point of view, beta is a secondary test bed for patches and features which have already been used in [[#channels|daily build channel.]] Add-ons authors also use the beta channel to develop, update, and fix their add-ons =Installion and updates= You can get the beta from the [https://www.thunderbird.net/channel/ channel page]. Updates occur roughly every 10 weeks, and also on an as needed basis determined by developers and Thunderbird release management. When you run the beta, updates pulls from the beta channel, meaining you get beta updates, not release updates. If you want to also run "normal" releases of Thunderbird (also known as ESR releases), you should install the beta in a different location that the release. And likewise, when you run your release version its updates from the "release" channel". =Feedback= Users are encouraged to file support requests in appropriate venues. =Add-ons= =Channels= A channel is a mechanism that allows for Thunderbird has three channels * Release - * Beta - pre-release platform described above * Daily - is an highly unstable testing and development platform, the intial location where developer patches land for new features and fixes.

Beta is a testing and development platform. Users can assist by using beta to test fixes and feature changes before they are made available in regular releases. This assitance and user feedback (including bug reports) is welcomed, but the platform should be considered to be unstable. Also, add-ons other than Lightning (the calendar application) may not work or unexpectedly break.

Purpose

Betas serve multiple purposes.

From a user point of view, using a beta and providing feedback is an easy opportunity to be involved in process of improving their favorite open-source softare - an opportunity which requires little or no techincal skill. And because beta gets fixes before release, it is also a place where a user can get relief from problem that has been fixed but not made it to release.

From a developer and release management point of view, beta is a secondary test bed for patches and features which have already been used in daily build channel.

Add-ons authors also use the beta channel to develop, update, and fix their add-ons

Installion and updates

You can get the beta from the channel page. Updates occur roughly every 10 weeks, and also on an as needed basis determined by developers and Thunderbird release management.

When you run the beta, updates pulls from the beta channel, meaining you get beta updates, not release updates. If you want to also run "normal" releases of Thunderbird (also known as ESR releases), you should install the beta in a different location that the release. And likewise, when you run your release version its updates from the "release" channel".

Feedback

Users are encouraged to file support requests in appropriate venues.

Add-ons

Channels

A channel is a mechanism that allows for Thunderbird has three channels

• Release -
• Beta - pre-release platform described above
• Daily - is an highly unstable testing and development platform, the intial location where developer patches land for new features and fixes.