5

I want to create a thunderbird profile on a different partition than my /home directory (specifically on a veracrypt encrypted volume, but the problem is not restricted to veracrypt). I have done this on other systems many times. It is not working on my new system.

When I try Choose Folder on the Create Profile Wizard, I am able to choose and create profile anywhere within my /home partition (eg /home/test). But if I choose a folder on another partition (or open veracrypt volume), the wizard instead substitutes a location within /run/user (eg /run/user/1000/doc/61cb947a/test).

I am using Thunderbird 128.2.3esr (64-bit) on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, with a separate /home partition to /.

Why is Thunderbird refusing to accept the location I choose on other partitions, and how can I force it to?

dsjh
  • 51

1 Answers1

9

I suspect you are using the default snap version of Thunderbird. This restricts access to just your home directory.

By default 24.04 will use a snap thunderbird package but previous Ubuntu OS will use an Debian apt package. They will store to thunderbird profiles in different locations.

snap:

~/snap/thunderbird/common/.thunderbird/

apt:

~/.thunderbird

You can change this as I have done by reverting to a Debian (apt) install.

To fix this you can revert back to the Debian version as follows: -

sudo snap remove --purge thunderbird && sudo apt remove thunderbird

the --purge is optional. leave it out if you want to keep data

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/ppa

In order to stop Ubuntu reverting back to snap you need to set the priorities of the repositories of the packages. For the next bit use the editor of your choice. (I use vi.)

sudo vi /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozillateamppa

Package: thunderbird*
Pin: release o=LP-PPA-mozillateam
Pin-Priority: 1001


Package: thunderbird*
Pin: release o=Ubuntu
Pin-Priority: -1

Then: -

sudo apt update && sudo apt install thunderbird

For details of how to copy between profiles see the answer at this following location: -

How do I migrate my email on thunderbird to a new computer?

david
  • 937