MacOS Migration and Permissions

[wmichaelb]

Hi, I use Thunderbird daily on Linux Mint, but for various reasons I occasionally need to use MacOS. I procured a used MacBook Air, and have been trying to import my Thunderbird settings into that platform. I cannot use the Import/Export tool, because that only works for a .thunderbird file of less than 2 GB, and mine is nearly 7GB. The instructions instruct copying the file into the Mac's /Library file. First, I ran into the issue of a FAT32 file system on the USB drive I was using would not support symlinks, so I zipped the file, copied it over to a directory on the Mac, and then unzipped and unhid it. Now, when I try to copy that new file into the /Library directory, I am told that I don't have permissions. Researching this, I have tried to:
1.) Copy the file from a different directory created as a user, but not one of the standard directories. No joy.
2.) Used an Applescript with sudo:

Code: Select all

sudo /bin/cp -R /Users/myusername/msc/Thunderbird /Library

The folder copies over, but not the contents; it's empty. Are there any MacOS experts out there who can help me get this transfer done?
Many thanks in advance.

[Eckard]

The instructions instruct copying the file into the Mac's /Library file.

You must not copy the Linux TB profile folder to the system /Library folder on your MacBook but to your user library ~/Library
The path to the profile folder on Linux is ~/.thunderbird/xxxxxxxx.default/
On macOS the path to the profile folder is ~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/xxxxxxxx.default/
[ in newer TB installations the profile folder may be named yyyyyyyy..default-release]

If you still have your pristine Linux Thunderbird profile folder I advise the following steps:
• on the Mac quit Thunderbird and move the "Thunderbird" folder out of your user library ~/Library to some other place
• restart Thunderbird to create a new Thunderbird folder in your user library
• copy the Linux profile folder and paste it in ~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/here; add "old" to the folder name, so for example it would be xxxxxxxx.default-old
• open the Terminal.app, copy & paste the following command line
/Applications/Thunderbird.app/Contents/MacOS/thunderbird-bin -profilemanager
in the Terminal window and hit the Enter key to start the TB profile manager
• in the Profile-Manager window choose "Create profile...."

• in the next window give a name to your profile and hit "Choose Folder"


• navigate to your user library > Thunderbird > Profiles, select the "transplanted" Linux profile folder and hit the "Open" button, then hit "Start Thunderbird"

[wmichaelb]

Eckard: thank you so much for responding! My first concern is that I seem to have two separate profile folders in my Linux install:

~/.thunderbird$ ls
5gtev3ot.default 8awlngvd.default-release 'Crash Reports' 'Pending Pings'
6339off8.default b9fswzkr.default-release installs.ini profiles.ini

Both default files contain a file named times.json. Given the length of time I've been using Thunderbird, I thought it possible that each contains the data from a different contacts folder. I assume that I should copy both of them, not just one, to the Mac user Library? Is there a way to merge them into single default and default-release files?

The version of Thunderbird I'm running on the Mac is 102.12.0; that on Linux is 102.11.0, if that helps.

Thanks again for your help. One thing that I learned is that the user's Library file is hidden!

[Eckard]

My first concern is that I seem to have two separate profile folders in my Linux install:

~/.thunderbird$ ls
5gtev3ot.default 8awlngvd.default-release 'Crash Reports' 'Pending Pings'
6339off8.default b9fswzkr.default-release installs.ini profiles.ini

Both default files contain a file named times.json.

Both "default" profiles are dummy profiles if the folders contain only a times.json file.
The 8awlngvd.default-release profile and the b9fswzkr.default-release might each be your latest active TB profile on Linux. Without knowing what they contain I can't say which is the active one and which has been used earlier. Or maybe you used both alternatively.

Given the length of time I've been using Thunderbird, I thought it possible that each contains the data from a different contacts folder. I assume that I should copy both of them, not just one, to the Mac user Library?

Yes, since I don't know what those two profiles contain you should copy both profile folders and paste them in ~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/, then via the profile manager create two new profiles and link them with those two default-release folders transposed from your Linux system to macOS as I described earlier.

Is there a way to merge them into single default and default-release files?

We'll see that later when you have successfully imported the Linux profiles in the MacBook

The version of Thunderbird I'm running on the Mac is 102.12.0; that on Linux is 102.11.0, if that helps.

That shouldn't be a problem.

One thing that I learned is that the user's Library file is hidden!

I forgot to tell you but i thought that Mac-Users would know since this feature has been introduced by Apple two decades ago.

[wmichaelb]

Eckard: it worked! I seem to now have all my contacts and emails set up on the Mac. You are a gem to be sure!

I have been running Linux for the last 15 years, and hadn't worked much with OSX since the days of 10.4 on a Power Mac G4. I was gifted an iPhone after my Samsung died, and because of the iOS integration, and my wife's occasional need for some help with her MacBook Pro, I'm now getting back into it. You've motivated me to look up some more in-depth videos on the system, and that's a good thing. Thanks again for all your time, and have a great day!

[Eckard]

Eckard: it worked! I seem to now have all my contacts and emails set up on the Mac.

You are welcome!
You now have imported two profiles from your Linux installation in the TB installation on the Mac.
I presume that when you start TB now it will directly open the last used profile.
If you decide to switch from the opened profile to the second one, go to Help > More Troubleshooting Information > Profiles > hit about:profiles
The more recent TB profile manager will open in a new tab "About Profiles"


You'll see the active profile at the top, one or more profiles might be displayed beneath.
Without closing the first profile you can open the second profile in parallel with the first by hitting "Launch profile".

Is there a way to merge them into single default and default-release files?

There certainly should be a way to merge the two profiles.
If you use the IMAP protocol for your email accounts it should be rather simple.
First decide which profile you want to keep, maybe the one with the most accounts, preferably POP accounts.
If the accounts of the other profile are IMAP accounts, you can create them in the first profile and messages will be downloaded from the server.
If you use only POP accounts you can also create them in the Profile you'll keep but it will be a bit more work to import the mailbox files from the other profile