Given the file contains no information that the user should be directly editing, I have never seen a reason to have ever inquired as to the files encoding.

What is your use case where it is relevant?

Please see my answer here https://support.mozilla.org/questions/1206249

This is a support forum for people with issues in Thunderbird.

The questions you keep asking in the support forum are not explicit in defining what you are trying to achieve and not discussing the problem you are having.

I've read your previous question and were saddened that you failed to provide useful information.

I noted the bug report you created. Currently when creating a virtual folder I need to select explicit each folder where TB have to search......It should be possible to say to virtual folders "search in all folders".

It would seem you are performing a search. Why you can only select one folder at a time is odd because I can select all folders in an account. Can you tell me if you are using this method? select email

• 'Menu icon' > 'Find' > 'Search Messages'
• Search for messages in:
• select the mail account name to search all folders in that mail account.
• Select: 'search subfolders'
• Select conditions and parameters for the search.
• click on 'Search'

Because that method searches all the folders in a specified mail account. Is that what you are trying to achieve?

buhtz said

Please see my answer here https://support.mozilla.org/questions/1206249

I have locked that topic as a development request and outside the guidelines for this forum. As Toad-Hall is attempting to provide user support for what appears to be a user problem I will leave this topic open.

All folders of the account are selected when you select the account.

I was not aware that there is a separate forum for developers. Sorry for that! No I see our missunderstandings.

The Bug Todd-Hall is refering to can be found here.

Before I go on. Should we discuss the bug/problem here in the forum or in the bugtracker-ticket? IMO it is a bug/missing feature so the ticket would be the right place. There I uploaded two screenshots hoping this will make my needs more clear.

The method you are using :

• 'File' > 'New' > 'Saved Search'

This method allows you to select specific folders or you manually need to select each one if you want to search in all of them.

The method I advise:

• 'Edit' (or 'Menu icon') > 'Find' > 'Search Messages'

This is the method to use when you want to search all messages in all folders in an account. It also allows you to a specific folder if desired. Then save results as a 'Search Folder'.

You need to use the second method that is designed to do the job you are trying to achieve. So the function to search all folders by just selecting the account is already available, but not via the method you are currently using.

> So the function to search all folders by just selecting the account is already available

Not really. The function only works on a specific timepoint - when you use it. But when you later create new folders the saved search doesn't recognize them. That is the point.

Using either method to create the initial search folder, the conditions are set. If you select each folder or select the mail account by alternative method, those parameters are set. They need to be updated in order to include folders that were not created at the time of the initial search.

After creating a new folder which was not included in the initial search parameters.

• Right click on the 'search folder'
• select 'Properties'
• click on 'Choose'
• select new folder, so it is now included in parameters.
• click on 'OK'
• click on 'Update'.

This means your search parameters have been updated and should keep pace with emails in the new folder if they meet the conditions.

So it is possible to update the properties and conditions of the search and continue to use the same search folder.

Dear Toad, you don't have to explain that. Of course I know how to update the saved search! But the point is I have to update it.

What I need (and described in the bug report) is that TB update this by itself - automaticly. Do you understand what I mean?

To answer the headline question, both my Windows and Linux boxes report that profiles.ini is encoded as utf-8.

I hope that helps. I don't understand why it matters. It needs to be an encoding able to support what is permitted or necessary to express pathnames on your system. UTF-8 seems to be a good catch-all.

I agree that UTF-8 is a good catch.

But when you open a file with Python3 there are differnt default encodings used on Linux and Windows. So when I have Python script to workaround a bug or missing feature in TB I need to know the encoding when that script open and edit some config files. Because my TB instance runs on both system - I sync the profile folder via ownCloud.