1848222 - Create New Folder fails (is not enabled) first time immediately after startup on Linux

Status: NEW

(Thunderbird :: Folder and Message Lists, defect)

Description

[Steve Kelem]

Attachment: screenshot of the popup

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Ubuntu; Linux x86_64; rv:109.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/116.0

Steps to reproduce:

Menu->FIle->New->Subfolder

Actual results:

The New Folder popup's "Create as a Subfolder Of" field is grayed out the first time this command is issued after thunderbird is started. So, the folder cannot be created where you want it.

Expected results:

The "Create as a Subfolder of" field should not be grayed out.
If I close the popup and run the command again, then the "Create as a Subfolder of" field works properly. Running it the first time is when it fails to allow you to say where to create the subfolder.

Comment 1

[Steve Kelem]

Create New Subfolder works first time, every time, on Windows Thunderbird, but not on Ubuntu.

Comment 2

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

(In reply to Steve Kelem from comment #1)

Create New Subfolder works first time, every time, on Windows Thunderbird, but not on Ubuntu.

Is this with version 115.6.0?

Comment 3

[Steve Kelem]

I'm running Thunderbird 115.6.0 (64-bit) on Ubuntu 23.10.

Comment 4

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

We prefer the version set to the earliest sighting.

Ulf, does this reproduce for you?

Comment 5

[Heather Ellsworth]

Attachment: Screencast - Failure to reproduce

Hi Steve, I tried to reproduce this on Ubuntu 23.10 with the deb 115.6.0+build2-0ubuntu0.23.10.1 (I assume you're using the same one, check with dpkg -l | grep thunderbird) installed from the ubuntu archive and it looks like the Create submenu folder button is not greyed out as soon as I start typing a folder name in the provided field. Please see the attached video and let me know maybe if you're doing something different?

I see that in your screenshot it says "No available folders" for creating a subfolder.. What is selected when you go to File>New>Subfolder? Is your inbox selected or some other location? Is anything selected? If nothing is selected, does the issue still happen if you select some folder first?

Comment 6

[Steve Kelem]

Note that this happens only the FIRST time I try to create a subfolder. I usually try to create a subfolder by right-clicking on a folder, and select New Subfolder. I just checked, and the same thing happens if I go through File>New>Subfolder.

The first time, I get the "No available folders". If I try it again (no matter how many times) after that, then the current folder is shown in the "Create as a Subfolder of" field. Typing in the field does not change its grayness. I've been burned so many times by typing the name of the new folder and having nothing happen that if the field is grayed out, I hit escape to close the popup and do it again, and it will work.

This is one of two "first time doesn't work" errors that I'm encountering. (The other is when I try to insert an image into a new message by using "meta-i i". It doesn't work the first time, but does after that.)

'% dpkg -l | grep thunderbird
ii thunderbird 1:115.8.0+build1-0ubuntu0.23.10.1mt1 amd64 Email, RSS and newsgroup client with integrated spam filter
ii thunderbird-gnome-support 1:115.8.0+build1-0ubuntu0.23.10.1mt1 amd64 Email, RSS and newsgroup client - GNOME support
ii thunderbird-locale-en 1:115.8.0+build1-0ubuntu0.23.10.1mt1 amd64 English language pack for Thunderbird
ii thunderbird-locale-en-us 1:115.8.0+build1-0ubuntu0.23.10.1mt1 all Transitional English language pack for Thunderbird
'

Comment 7

[Steve Kelem]

BTW, I think the strikeout text in my last comment was a tilde character being interpreted as Markdown for strikethrough text.
% dpkg -l | grep thunderbird
ii thunderbird 1:115.8.0+build1-0ubuntu0.23.10.1mt1 amd64 Email, RSS and newsgroup client with integrated spam filter
ii thunderbird-gnome-support 1:115.8.0+build1-0ubuntu0.23.10.1mt1 amd64 Email, RSS and newsgroup client - GNOME support
ii thunderbird-locale-en 1:115.8.0+build1-0ubuntu0.23.10.1mt1 amd64 English language pack for Thunderbird
ii thunderbird-locale-en-us 1:115.8.0+build1-0ubuntu0.23.10.1mt1 all Transitional English language pack for Thunderbird`

Comment 8

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Steve,
What is the longest amount of time after startup for this to happen? (assuming you don't have login prompts pending

Comment 9

[gene smith]

From comment 6:

Note that this happens only the FIRST time I try to create a subfolder. I usually try to create a subfolder by right-clicking on a folder, and select New Subfolder. I just checked, and the same thing happens if I go through File>New>Subfolder.

The first time, I get the "No available folders". If I try it again (no matter how many times) after that, then the current folder is shown in the "Create as a Subfolder of" field. Typing in the field does not change its grayness. I've been burned so many times by typing the name of the new folder and having nothing happen that if the field is grayed out, I hit escape to close the popup and do it again, and it will work.

I've seen this too where when you try to create a folder it says "No available folders" but I just go ahead enter the folder name it still works and creates the subfolder at the expected place. I did see it today when trying to create a subfolder of gmail Drafts right after TB 115.9.0 startup (this is the TB provided with kubuntu 20.04). I saw it a few times after restart with the TB 115.9.0. But I mostly run self-built daily and was never able to see it with daily. But with ubuntu's 115.9.0 it didn't always happen as described by reporter and is maybe server-type or folder-type dependent.

Reporter Steve, what type of server and which folder are you trying to create subfolder of? I only saw the issue with gmail Drafts and was never able to see it anywhere else. And also, I was able to create the subfolder even with the "no available folders" showing in gray.

Let me understand one other thing. Say you are "parked" on folder FOO and you shutdown TB. Then you start TB back up and FOO is still selected. Then you try to create a subfolder of FOO (using right click menu or the File menu) and you ALWAYS see the "No available folder" in gray and entering a folder name doesn't create it. Is this consistent behavior or does this sometimes work OK?

Comment 10

[Steve Kelem]

Wayne Mery, I don't think that the problem is linked with the amount of time after startup.

gene smith, When it says "No available folders", it won't just go ahead and create the folder. I'm used to selecting "New subfolder", entering the new folder name, and then not being able to create the folder. CORRECTION: The folder gets created. At first I wasn't sure where it was going to create the folder, but it was in the expected place. Still, it's disconcerting, not having the feedback of knowing where the new folder will be created, and also for not being able to select another folder via the pull-down.

This happens on IMAP and on Local Folders.

If I'm "parked" on a folder, then shutdown TB, when I start TB, I'm still "parked" on that folder. And, trying to create a subfolder, the No available folders is displayed. The same thing happens if I try to create my first subfolder anywhere else. It doesn't have to be on the parked folder.

Comment 11

[gene smith]

Reporter Steve, Thanks for info. I don't see that you ever said your imap server type, which may be relevant.
I suspect this is a UI issue and not directly related to imap protocol handling but I could be wrong.

Comment 12

[gene smith]

FWIW, I just ran 115.10.1 on kubuntu 22.04 and saw the problem on the first startup on Inbox. Then restarted several times and didn't see the problem at all.

Comment 13

[Steve Kelem]

I see the problem EVERY time I run Thunderbird.

Comment 14

[Tristan Miller]

Also reproducible for me with Thunderbird 115.11.1 (64-bit) on openSUSE Leap 15.5. The "Create as subfolder of" drop-down menu is disabled the first time the dialog is invoked after Thunderbird is started. On subsequent invocations, the drop-down menu is active.

Comment 15

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Magnus, can you reproduce?

Comment 16

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

Can't reproduce.

Comment 17

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Does this produce with a download from https://thunderbird.net/download/ ?

Comment 18

[Tristan Miller]

No longer reproducible for me with Thunderbird 128.11.0esr (64-bit, openSUSE RPMs) nor with Thunderbird 139.0.1 (64-bit, from https://thunderbird.net/download/).