Thunderbird add-on developer launches Kickstarter campaign to ensure continued compatibility
The extension system of the Thunderbird email client is changing. The email client is based on Firefox code to a large degree and since Mozilla changed the extension system to WebExtensions, it was only a matter of time before Thunderbird's extension system would be switched over as well.
The process started with the release of Thunderbird 68. Extension developers had to update their extensions so that users could continue to use them in the new version of the email client. Some extensions, those not updated by their developers, are not compatible with Thunderbird 68 already.
The development team plans to finalize the add-on system changes in Thunderbird 78 (expected to be released in June 2020). The team notes that developers of legacy extensions have two options going forward:
- Convert the extension to a MailExtension.
- Convert the extension to a Web Extension Experiment.
MailExtensions are WebExtensions but with "some added features specific to Thunderbird". Thunderbird developers should prefer the system "to ensure future compatibility".
Thunderbird extension developer Jonathan Kamens maintains eleven add-ons for the email client currently. Extensions like Send Later, Reply to Multiple Messages, userchromeJS, or IMAP Received Data have either been created by him directly or taken over to ensure that they remain available for users of the email client.
Kamens created a Kickstarter campaign to support continued development of the extensions and to ensure that the extensions will remain compatible with Thunderbird 78 and future versions of the email client.
He decided to use a subscription model but with the option of acquiring a perpetual license for all current and future add-ons.
Interested users may pay $5, $10 or $25 per year to gain access to one, three or all extensions for the period of 2 years. The perpetual license is available for $50 and guarantees access to all add-ons for one user (including new add-ons).
Paid means that the extensions will no longer be available for free when Thunderbird 78 launches. Kamens notes that he would be pleased equally if other extension developers would take over some of the extensions to ensure that they remain compatible with Thunderbird 78 and future versions of the email client, and that this is also an option to keep these extensions free of charge.
This Kickstarter campaign may actually help me find people willing to take over my add-ons and maintain them for free. If this campaign succeeds, and some of my add-ons do get adopted by new maintainers, then I'll pay them from the proceeds of the campaign. Having that on offer may help me attract new maintainers for my add-ons, so you may get to keep using the add-ons for free even after the licenses I'm offering in this campaign would have expired.
With 56 days to go, €18,530 has already been collected. The goal of the campaign has been set to €45,340.
Now You: What is your take on the Kickstarter campaign?
You said that Outlook isn’t your main email client, so which is your main one?
I think its thunderbird
It is Mozilla Thunderbird.
Awesome! This actually solved my problem… what a stupid bug.
If this is the same bug that I’ve encountered, there may be another fix: (1) hover over open Outlook item in Taskbar, cursor up to hover over Outlook window item, and right-click; (2) this should give you Restore / Move / Size / Minimize / Maximize — choose Move or Size; (3) use your cursor keys, going arbitrarily N/S/E/W, to try to move or size the Outlook window back into view. Basically, the app behaves as though it were open in a 0x0 window, or at a location that’s offscreen, and this will frequently work to resize and/or move the window. Don’t forget to close while resized/moved, so that Outlook remembers the size/position for next time.
THANK YOU Claude!!! I could get the main window to launch but could not get any other message window to show on the desktop. You are my hero!!!!
Solved my issue! 6 years later and this is still problem…
Fantastic. Thank you. Size did the trick.
This solved my Outlook problem, too. Thank you. :)
Thank you so much, this started happening to me today and was causing big problems. You are a life saver, I hope I can help you in some way some day.
You are a god – thank you!
thanks a lot…. work like charm.. :-)
Yah…thanks Claude. I’ve been having the same problem and tried all the suggestions…your solution was the answer. It had resized itself to a 0/0 box. Cheers
Excellent post. This had me baffled even trying to accurately describe the problem. This fixed it for me.
Thank you
Thanks a lot for the article. Don’t know why it happenend, don’t know how it got fixed, but it was really annoying and now it works :-)
Thanks a lot. I was facing this issue from past 3 week. I tried everything but no resolution. The issue was happening intermittently and mainly when I was changing the display of screen ( as i use 2 monitors). The only option i had was to do system restore. But thanks to you.
I’ve been tried to sole this problem for 12hours. Your comment about changing the display of screen helped me a lot!! Thanks!!
Thank you…don’t know why this happened but your instructions helped me fix it. Running Windows 10 and office pro 2007
Great tip! Thanks!
Worked for me, too – thank you!!!
It’s Worked for me, too
thank you very much!
I had a similar issue with Outlook 2013 on Windows 10 and this helped me to fix it. Thank you very much!
Thank you so much. Solved!
Considering you published this in 2012, incredible not been debugged by Microsoft.
Thank you again. M
This problem was faced by only one user logging to TS 2008 r2 using outlook 2010.The issue was resolved.
Thanks.
Great tip. Thank you!!!! If it helps, I had to use the Control Key and the arrow keys at the same time to bring my window back into view. Worked like a charm.
Thank you, this worked !!!!
Man, you are a fucking god. Thanks a lot, what an annoying bug!!
Awesome, this post solved the issue. Many thanks!