How to Install Thunderbird 3.0 for Ubuntu 9.10

Just some notes on a rather tedious process.

Here’s an easy way to accomplish what you want.

1. Within Ubuntu, close Thunderbird 2.0.

Note: If you’ve downloaded Shredder (the beta/RC for Thunderbird), uninstall that as well through the Synaptic Package Manager. Backup your Thunderbird profile if you feel comfortable with that.

2. Click an Applications, Ubuntu Software Center.

3. Uninstall Thunderbird 2.0. Don’t fret: your profile should be maintained.

4. Download the latest *.deb package of ubuntuzilla from SourceForge. Watch your version: users requiring 64bit should select the amd64 version; 32bit users the 386 version.

5. Once downloaded, double-click the *.deb package to start the ubuntuzilla installer. Run through the installer.

6. Open a Terminal and provide:

ubuntuzilla.py -a install -p thunderbird

7. Walk through the prompts. Ubuntuzilla will go out and get the latest 3.0 distro. You can also pass it … -p firefox, or, -p seamonkey for other images from Mozilla.

8. Easy-peasy. Thunderbird 3 is installed. Your settings will migrate on first open, and Ubuntuzilla will track Mozilla for updates.

I think if you’re used to Thunderbird and working with Google Calendar Extensions add-in, you’ll be disappointed that there isn’t a latest version for that making your Google Calendar inaccessible. Bummer. The work-around that I’m currently using is a handy add-in that opens the HTML/UI for Google Calendar in Thunderbird 3 as a separate tab. It works pretty well – at least for the time being.

Happy… Thunderbird-ing!

R

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