How to open an attachment in Thunderbird?
Since Thunderbird update to Snap ``` 140.12.1esr (64-Bit) Mozilla Thunderbird Snap for Ubuntu ubuntu-snap-build - 1.0 ``` opening attachments ceased to work. What does NOT work (any more):
- Move mouse over attachment → right mouse → open (nothing happens)
- Move mouse over attachment → right mouse → open with (doesn't exist)
- Move mouse over attachment → doubleclick (nothing happens)
- Settings → Attachments → There is an empty box, and in the void beneath it, floating in empty space the text (backtranslated from DE): "Add a Filelink-memory service" or "Filelink-save service" or similar. The text is dead (not clickable), same for the empty box.
AFAIR, in the good old non-snap TB version, the box had file extensions and linked applications to open them. The box / links / extensions coud be added, edited, removed. But in snap crap it's all dead...
Any hints what I am missing?
I used to open attachments from received mails (like .diff, .patch), and also used it for final inspection of own attachments while composing mails.
Sometimes, the following message opos up: /run/user/1000/doc/1d06e601/binutils-sort-text.diff konnte nicht geöffnet werden, weil die damit verknüpfte Hilfsanwendung nicht existiert. Ändern Sie die Verknüpfung in Ihren Einstellungen.
Chosen Solution
Are things back to normal when you return from Troubleshooting Mode to normal mode? If not, that could implicate a problem with one of your add-ons or theme or some other customization, if you've made any. This article gives more details about what Troubleshoot Mode does:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-mode-thunderbird
So, you can try disabling your add-ons and themes and re-enabling them one-by-one until you identify they guilty party. If none of that works, I would say there's something corrupt about your profile that could be very difficult to pin down. I would create a new profile for testing purposes, and if it works OK, I'd keep using it.
As far as adding attachment types, there's no way to do it directly in the Attachments window. But if you receive an attachment Thunderbird doesn't recognize, you will be prompted for your preferred action (save, ask, open with a specific app) and it will be added to the list. But I believe that, as in Windows, the apps shown as available are ones "registered" with the system. For example, I get a text file attachment. I'm offered to open it with the "System Handler", which turns out to be the default Gnome text editor. If I choose "Other", I get a window that says, "No applications found for Plain text document files, and if I choose "View All Applications", there are no other text viewers listed. Maybe this is one of the limitations of a sandboxes Snap app has. If there's a way for more apps to be recognized and listed, I don't know how to do it.
Modified by Lin
All Replies (4)
I don't have a solution for you, except to note that I have a similar (Virtualbox) setup as you, Ubuntu 26.04LTS, Thunderbird 140.12.1esr, and I don't have any of those symptoms. TB recognizes known attachment types and offers to save or open them, or if not a recognized type, it offers to let you choose a viewer. Your choices are saved in Files & Attachments and can be edited or deleted. I know that Snaps have limited access to some aspects of the system, but that doesn't seem to be a factor for me in this case.
What happens if you restart Thunderbird in Troubleshoot mode (see <Help | Troubleshoot Mode>) ?
If that doesn't help, this might be one of the rare times where making a backup copy of your Profile, then uninstalling and reinstalling the Snap might make things work normally again.
Thanks, that helped a bit. Now I see a list in "Files & Attachments". However, it doesn't allow to add new connexions.
- In "Files & Attachments" there is no way to add a new connexion.
- Click attachment →open with → dropbox → other → opens a dialog "select auxillary app
- Shows a list: "Thunderbird" and "UrlHandler Script", but it doesn't allow to add new apps like /usr/bin/vi.
So how / where can I add a new apps?
Chosen Solution
Are things back to normal when you return from Troubleshooting Mode to normal mode? If not, that could implicate a problem with one of your add-ons or theme or some other customization, if you've made any. This article gives more details about what Troubleshoot Mode does:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-mode-thunderbird
So, you can try disabling your add-ons and themes and re-enabling them one-by-one until you identify they guilty party. If none of that works, I would say there's something corrupt about your profile that could be very difficult to pin down. I would create a new profile for testing purposes, and if it works OK, I'd keep using it.
As far as adding attachment types, there's no way to do it directly in the Attachments window. But if you receive an attachment Thunderbird doesn't recognize, you will be prompted for your preferred action (save, ask, open with a specific app) and it will be added to the list. But I believe that, as in Windows, the apps shown as available are ones "registered" with the system. For example, I get a text file attachment. I'm offered to open it with the "System Handler", which turns out to be the default Gnome text editor. If I choose "Other", I get a window that says, "No applications found for Plain text document files, and if I choose "View All Applications", there are no other text viewers listed. Maybe this is one of the limitations of a sandboxes Snap app has. If there's a way for more apps to be recognized and listed, I don't know how to do it.
Modified by Lin
Breaking news! I just installed GVim, and now both it and plain Vim are available to Thunderbird to open text attachments, as well as Text Editor.
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