thunderbird - how to move to home directory

You have to get stand-alone Thunderbird for linux from the Mozilla site.

Hi.

First thing I would do is remove Thunderbird from its current location in /usr/bin. You can do this using Synaptic.
Then, go to mozilla.org and download Thunderbird. Then, install it in your /home directory.
Hope this helps.

Richard

Hi vlaporte,

A bit of clarification: /usr/bin/mozilla-thunderbird is the location of the APPLICATION. If you have created a /home directory and you have created a user account, called "vlaporte" for instance, you will have a directory called /home/vlaporte. The first time that you run /usr/bin/mozilla-thunderbird it will create a "hidden" directory called /home/vlaport/.mozilla-thunderbird (note leading period). That is where the DATA for your email will be placed.

If you currently have Thunderbird running on a Windows box you will eventually have to move the data from it into Mepis, but that's a different couple steps. Let me know if you need information on this and I'll go into more detail

Jon

Yeah, considering your settings, etc. are stored in the hidden folder in your home directory, you could just download Thunderbird from Mozilla, install it in your home directory, and everything should be fine. (I wouldn't uninstall the Synaptic one, though--you can just change your shortcut pointers).

I recently imported my thunderbird mails from windows box to Mepis and it worked fine only thing i had to do was changing my file permissions so thunderbird could write to new directory i copied from windows.
Thunderbird stores mails in /home/username/.mozilla-thunderbird/8npd7pef.def/Mails
I think easyest way is just to back up your mails directory before upgrading Mepis or whatewer changes you will make and afterwards you can
reinstall thunderbird and copy your Mail directory back.

Rainer

Actually, the easiest way I found to port messages was to set up an IMAP account, drag all my POP-downloaded messages into the IMAP inbox, wait for them to load, then set up the new account (as either POP or IMAP). If you store the messages on the server instead of on your computer, you can migrate to any computer, any operating system.

Well, you are right but for example my mailbox has grown very large ower a 160mb and i have only 50 mb of server space in my isp. I??m keeping my mails in subfolders by subject or by sender so i can find them easily when i need them. By migrating mail directory i can keep my mails in subfolders and it helps me a lot. It depends on circumstances which way is easier.

Rainer

Jon,
I found the file
/home/vlaporte/.mozilla-thunderbird/op3g6z9x.default/Mail
as you said.
But I want to know is, if I someday reload Mepis (newer version) on / partition, will I preserve my email folders, address books and settings? I usually reload a newer version of Mepis about every 4-6 months just to keep up to latest developments.
Vince

Vince LaPorte
Marshall, MN 56258

If you set aside a separate partition for the home folder, MEPIS's installation will ask whether you want to preserve the home partition. It will then install only on the other partition(s).

If you haven't set up this partition, merely copy your home folder somewhere else (a CD, an external hard drive, a USB key), and copy it back once you've reinstalled.