1484393 - Need to install many complete themes using prior major version to get them to work in Thunderbird 60

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Thunderbird :: Theme, defect)

Description

[Eric Moore]

I had no problems installing and using the Nuvola and Phoenity Shredder complete themes using Thunderbird 60.0 with Windows 10 Home. However: 

* The Monterail theme still looks like the default theme. If I exit version 60, install 52.9.1 in a different directory and run it, the Monterail theme looks fine. If I then exit and switch to 60, the theme looks fine.

* The Metal Lion Sea Monkey uses the default theme on the main message window. The rest of the windows use the correct theme. If I switch to 52.9.1 the theme looks right in every window. If I exit and switch to 60 it looks right in every window.

* Same for Metal Lion Silver Sea Monkey

* The add-on manager in version 60 claimed Classic TB2 was corrupt. I was able to install it in 52.9.1. If I exit and switch to 60, the theme looks fine.

In each case I downloaded the complete themes using a browser and then tried to install them via the Thunderbird 60 add-on manager using "install add-on from file". The two versions of Thunderbird are in different directories and use the same profile.

There appear to be only six complete themes that support version 60(or later). Four of them required me to somehow use a earlier version of Thunderbird in order to get them to work with version 60. This makes me suspect there is either a bug in Thunderbird 60 or something important is not communicated clearly in the add-on guide for 57-60.

Comment 1

[Richard Marti (:Paenglab)]

No TB 52 is needed, install it a second time on TB 60 without deinstalling it. I can't say where's the problem but I think it is because m-c removed code they don't use anymore that is needed for full themes to install correctly.

Comment 2

[conema]

I found a workaround for Monterail theme:
    1) Go to the "extensions" folder located in the application data folder (%appdata%\Thunderbird\Profiles\[...].default\extensions in Windows), here there should be the .xpi file with the theme
    2) While Thunderbird is opened in background, delete the file
    3) Restart Thunderbird and reinstall the theme
    4) Restart Thunderbird again, the theme now should work

Comment 3

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Is this working, or a dead issue in 68?

Comment 4

[Richard Marti (:Paenglab)]

Full themes don't any more work in TB 68.

Comment 5

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Thanks for (re)confirming

Comment 6

[Eric Moore]

FYI Frank Lion mentioned in http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=3041219&sid=aac69c6dfba6a95ca05cdcce04a3101e&p=14856040#p14856040

"This bug has just hit SeaMonkey 2.53.1 and results in previously disabled themes and some extensions often not being fully enabled upon restart. To date, the workaround has been to keep re-installing the theme/extension and, eventually, it will work right. However, you might like to know the real reason for this bug and a better workaround that is 100% successful every time.

in my view, at the time of Firefox 56/57 the Firefox devs were only thinking about start up times and Complete Themes and legacy extensions were the very last things on their minds...and yeah, in that start time race not purging startup cache right after FF57+ after themes and 'restart type' extensions are updated/re-enabled/uninstalled, etc. caused this bug. This is the bug that was ignored/not picked up by the T/Bird devs later on.

Workaround (Windows users) -

#1. Enable a disabled theme/extension, but don't restart.

#2. Instead, go to Help > Troubleshooting info > about:profiles > 'This is the profile in use and it cannot be deleted.' > Local Directory > Open Folder > startupCache and then close Thunderbird.

#3. In the startCache folder, delete or rename the startupCache.4.little file found there (it gets auto re-created later). Now restart Thunderbird and you're done and the theme/extension will be 100% working.

#4. A more permanent workaround is to do as above and then make 0 bytes file in your text editor (Programmer's Notepad) and save it to the startupCache with the name of startupCache.4.little. Right click this new file and select Read Only and then Apply/OK. Then restart Thunderbird."