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TB152.0.1 (Windows 11 64-bit) add-ons/extensions not working

Thunderbird Extensions
Ed replied
John Kaufmann
John Kaufmann

I've just transferred my profile to a new computer, for which I downloaded TB152 (had been running TB128), and no add-ons/extensions work. Of course many were rendered inoperative with the update, but that's not the issue, because:

  1. Even those which claim to be compatible, or were updated since the transfer for the purpose of extension compatibility, do not work.
  2. Moreover, when I invoke the Add-ons Manager to inquire about the various non-working extensions, none of the links (which can be seen and read by the OS), can be invoked or even copied (to be, for example, pasted into a browser window).

I went through the standard [[Mozilla Support diagnostics|https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/hyperlinks-in-messages-not-working]] and found no answers. Can someone suggest a next step?

Trying to understand why this problem is related only to the extensions, I examined the profile's "extensions" folder. There are 40 .xpi files (same as the number of mostly-disabled (and mostly-expired) extensions in the Add-ons Manager), along with a subdirectory named "staged" containing 7 empty folders with what appear to be .xpi filenames - though none of those empty-folder-filenames match any of the .xpi files in the parent "extensions" folder. Because the "staged" folder has a recent timestamp (apparently the last time TB shut down), it seems to have some significance to TB operation - but what can be the use of it is more than I can see. What is the significance of that folder and its contents?

Two final (and possibly related) questions about this "extensions" folder:

  1. Is there any way to relate the <filename>.xpi to the name in the Add-ons Manager?
  2. Since nothing in the "extensions" folder identifies which are enabled, there must be some file containing a functional description of the folder's contents. Where would that be?

Grateful for any pointers, -John

I've just transferred my profile to a new computer, for which I downloaded TB152 (had been running TB128), and '''''no''''' add-ons/extensions work. Of course many were rendered inoperative with the update, but that's not the issue, because: # Even those which claim to be compatible, or were updated since the transfer for the purpose of extension compatibility, do not work. # Moreover, when I invoke the Add-ons Manager to inquire about the various non-working extensions, ''none'' of the links (which '''''can''''' be seen and read by the OS), can be invoked or even ''copied'' (to be, for example, pasted into a browser window). I went through the standard [[Mozilla Support diagnostics|https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/hyperlinks-in-messages-not-working]] and found no answers. Can someone suggest a next step? Trying to understand why this problem is related only to the extensions, I examined the profile's "'''extensions'''" folder. There are 40 '''.xpi''' files (same as the number of mostly-disabled (and mostly-expired) extensions in the Add-ons Manager), along with a subdirectory named "'''staged'''" containing 7 empty folders with what appear to be '''.xpi''' filenames - though none of those empty-folder-filenames match any of the '''.xpi''' files in the parent "'''extensions'''" folder. Because the "'''staged'''" folder has a recent timestamp (apparently the last time TB shut down), it seems to have some significance to TB operation - but what can be the use of it is more than I can see. What is the significance of that folder and its contents? Two final (and possibly related) questions about this "'''extensions'''" folder: # Is there any way to relate the '''<filename>.xpi''' to the name in the '''Add-ons Manager'''? # Since nothing in the "'''extensions'''" folder identifies which are enabled, there must be some file containing a functional description of the folder's contents. Where would that be? Grateful for any pointers, -John

Modified by John Kaufmann

All Replies (3)

Ed
Ed
  • Top 25 Contributor
  • Moderator

1a. Which ones aren't working?

2a. Links not working is a known bug. It's fixed in v.153.

1b. Open Add-ons manager > click gear > click Debug Add-ons

2b. It does not exist.

John Kaufmann
John Kaufmann Question owner

Thanks for your reply (which sent me on an extended (still-in-progress) mission to educate myself about the debugging environment). However, I can't keep you waiting any longer, so here goes with what I have learned, and will fill in when I have a complete (or at least better) picture. First, in reply:

1a. None are working.

2a. I could not find anything about this in the beta notes. I tried 153.0.1b anyway and seemed to confirm it was not germane to my problem.

1b. Thanks! That was of limited usefulness - it showed only the enabled extensions, and not all of those, in particular the most useful ThunderHTMLedit - but it did prod me to become more familiar with TB's excellent debugging tools, beginning with the Troubleshooting Information page [Help > Troubleshooting Information], which includes a complete Add-ons listing of names and filenames. Then I was able to return to Debug Add-ons for detailed debug info on (most but not all) specific add-ons.

2b. There must be a file that remembers at least which extensions are enabled. I will keep looking.

One basic lesson I learned from Troubleshooting Information about:profiles is that my profile was fundamentally incomplete, lacking a Local component. [That is, unlike fully functional profiles, my profile had a Root Directory (containing the profile files) but no Local Directory (which caches the working data).] That's because I was trying to set up a shared profile (in /home directory), which may not be compatible with TB's design. I'm in process of seeing how much, if any, of the profile can be shared. (Maybe only the Local folders, but I'm hoping to salvage at least the log-ins, and I hope the full Accounts (after all, none of that is program- or profile- or OS-dependent).) But I was stupid to forget that extensions are OS-specific, so cannot be shared, and that there may be other sharing issues. So I'm doing some clean-up.

I apologize for wasting your time when my problem may be mostly self-inflicted. I will post the resolution when complete.

Modified by John Kaufmann

Ed
Ed
  • Top 25 Contributor
  • Moderator

"I was trying to set up a shared profile" - it is not supported and you will have problems.

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