permanent download link does not point to most recent stable
Categories
(Thunderbird :: Installer, defect)
Tracking
(Not tracked)
People
(Reporter: chanlists, Unassigned)
Details
User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:129.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/129.0
Steps to reproduce:
The permanent download link
https://download.mozilla.org/?product=thunderbird-latest&os=win64&lang=de
for thunderbird should give me the latest version according
Actual results:
However, the download provides me with version 115.14.0 - the autoupdater, however, installs 128.1.0esr.exe ... That creates a mess because we use the permanent download link for keeping TB up to date using an automatic software installation tool. If the auto-updater installs a more recent version than the one available from the permanent download link, the TB profile is updated for the new version, and I can no longer start TB with that profile on computers that have the version from the software distribution tool installed. Also, the email contact email release-engineering@lists.mozilla.org given in the link above does not appaear to work.
Expected results:
The link should point to the most recent version, which appears to be 128.1.0esr at the time of this writing.
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Comment 1•10 months ago
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This is a known issue. See https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/128.1.0esr/releasenotes/.
Tracked in bug 1909482 and bug 1907317.
the download provides me with version 115.14.0 - the autoupdater, however, installs 128.1.0esr.exe
That is correct.
There has always been a problem when using general program updater software when it comes to the time of a major release.
For example: When a major release such as version 102 or 115 or 128 is released then that major release is only offered as direct download from thunderbird.net and not as an upgrade from Thunderbird at that point in time. It states that information very clearly on the official download webpage release notes.
example: https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/128.0esr/releasenotes/
Those who are already using Thunderbird may continue to be offered updates which are in the same release version.
As an example, those already running version 115.13.0 will be auto offered an update by Thunderbird to version 115.14.0
There maybe a few gremlins which need to be fixed in the major release before it's more reliable to offer as an update to those already running a previous version.
Updater software apparently has no knowledge of what Thunderbird does when it comes to major releases to new versions and how those already using previous version maybe offered a different version initially. Updater software seems to be just looking for the 'latest release' which is not necessarilly the same thing as 'latest update'. As someone who helps in the Thunderbird Support Forum, I've frequently helped people who used updater software; sometimes unknowingly, and it presented them with a problem which needed sorting out. The advise given by helpers in the Support Forum is do not use updater software.
If Thunderbird is in control of the updates to it's own software then the correct update will get offered.
You can set up Thunderbird to check for updates but do not install auto - let you choose when to perform the updates.
If you have several computers using Thunderbird, then if all are offering same update within Thunderbird, then all versions on all computers can get updated.
Backups of profiles prior to a major update would always be considered a good practise. Then if required they can be used on a version they were last using.
The 'latest update' for those using 115.13.0 is version 115.14.0 as per download - note this version is for a specific language = de (German)
https://download.mozilla.org/?product=thunderbird-latest&os=win64&lang=de
If you are currently using version 115.13.0 and your 'permanent download link' is pointing you to version 115.14.0 then this would be correct.
Location to find all versions and all releases including beta for all OS and all languages is:
https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/
The current latest release at time of typing is version 128.1.0
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/all/
This is a link to the 128.1.0 release notes -
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/128.1.0esr/releasenotes/
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Comment 3•10 months ago
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This is an issue being tracked in bug 1909482 and bug 1907317 it is a duplicate.
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Reporter | |
Comment 4•10 months ago
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Hi Anje,
I appreciate your long answer. Thanks. I am however not entirely sure the problem is solved.
The reason I use third party software to keep Thunderbird up to date is that our users can log into a large number of different computers with their profile coming from a network share (Active Directory & roaming profile / folder redirection). What happens now is that a user may log into a computer, run TB and TB will upgrade itself to whatever it thinks is the best version. Now the user logs on to a different computer where TB has not updated itself yet, but with the same profile. Bummer. TB complains and does not start with that profile. But apparently because it does not start with that profile, it also does not update itself... Or am I misunderstanding how updates of TB are triggered?
That is why I included automatic upgrades in our software maintenance system. If the installed version is older than the one in the permanent download link, the software maintenance system will install the version from the permanent download link. Lately, however, that has become a problem because the version from the permanent download link is way older than the version that TB updates itself to.
What should I do? Use a different download link? Not using the software maintenance system does not solve the issue. Or can I trigger the TB update to run without actually starting TB with a profile?
Thanks for your advice and best wishes,
Christian
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