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This article will show you how to install Thunderbird on Linux.

This article will show you how to install Thunderbird on Linux. For other operating systems, see [[Installing Thunderbird on Windows]] and [[Installing Thunderbird on Mac]]. Many Linux distributions include Thunderbird by default, and most have a package management system that enables you to easily install Thunderbird. Generally, you should install from the package management system, because it will: *Ensure that you have all the required libraries *Install Thunderbird in a way that works best with your distribution *Create shortcuts to launch Thunderbird *Make Thunderbird available to all users of your computer *Make removing Thunderbird work the same as removing any other application Package management also has some disadvantages: *It may not give you the latest version of Thunderbird *It may give you a version without Thunderbird branding = Installing from a package manager = To install Thunderbird using the package manager, please refer to the documentation of the Linux distribution you're using. = Installing outside of a package manager = Complete instructions for installing Thunderbird outside of package management may be available at your distribution's support website. For example: * [https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ThunderbirdNewVersion Installing Thunderbird on Ubuntu] {note} * '''Before you install Thunderbird''', make sure that your computer has the ''' [https://www.thunderbird.net/thunderbird/system-requirements/ required libraries]''' installed. Missing libraries will cause Thunderbird to be inoperable. * The installation file provided by Mozilla in '''.tar.bz2''' format does not contain sources but pre-compiled binary files, therefore you can simply unpack and run them. There is no need to compile the program from source. * The following instructions will install Thunderbird into your home directory, and '''only the current user''' will be able to '''run it'''.{/note} # Download Thunderbird from [https://www.thunderbird.net the Thunderbird download page] to your home directory. # Open a '''Terminal''' and go to your home directory: <code>cd ~</code> # Extract the contents of the downloaded file: <code>tar xjf thunderbird-*.tar.bz2</code> # Close Thunderbird if it's open. # To start Thunderbird, run the {filepath thunderbird} script in the {filepath thunderbird} folder: <code>~/thunderbird/thunderbird</code> Thunderbird should now start. You can then create a launcher on your desktop to run this command. == libstdc++5 error == As noted above, you need to install the [https://www.thunderbird.net/system-requirements/ required libraries] for Thunderbird to work. Many distributions don't include libstdc++5 by default. == "Thunderbird not installed" message or wrong version of Thunderbird starts == If Thunderbird is installed following the instructions given above, it must be started (in a '''Terminal''' or in a launcher on the Desktop, for example) using the command: <code>~/thunderbird/thunderbird</code> If you try to start Thunderbird in a '''Terminal''' with the command: <code>thunderbird</code>, it will either start the package-manager-installed version of Thunderbird or will tell you the program is not installed.