Windows 91.3.2 to Linux 78.8.1, Is it possible?

[mbott]

Looking for a way to migrate my Thunderbird 91.3.2 (Windows 10) email to Thunderbird 78.8.1 (Linux Mint 20.2 Cinnamon). Prior to Windows 91x release it was pretty simple to move Thunderbird between the two operating systems.

Moving from Windows to Linux, I would just execute the following in a terminal window after copying the release folder to the proper, Linux location: thunderbird -P --allow-downgrade

Moving from Linux to Windows, I would just hold down the <Shift> key when launching Thunderbird, again after copying the release folder to the proper, Windows location.

However moving back to Linux now does not appear to work in the same manner. The session that opens after the Thunderbird -P command appears to be OK, but once I close it then re-open Thunderbird in the normal way, it doesn't appear that Thunderbird can find my emails.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks!

[tanstaafl]

Is it using the correct profile but can't find your old downloaded mail, or is it not finding the right profile when you start normally afterwards?

Clicking on about:profiles in help -> more troubleshooting information is a better way to use the profile manager than via command line arguments.

One solution would to be to use the create profile button in about:profiles in help -> more troubleshooting information to create a new profile, and then copy the contents (not the directory) of your old profile into it. Exit and restart. You could also try using the "set as default profile" button though that might require you to continue using --allow-downgrade. That's why I suggest copying the contents over a profile created by version 91 instead.

Version 78 and 91 use the same formats for all files. The main issue is the dedicated profile per installation feature they added in version 78 where Thunderbird complains a profile doesn't support your version of Thunderbird if the hash string recording the location of the Thunderbird installation directory points to a different location than where Thunderbird is currently installed.

[mbott]

Is it using the correct profile but can't find your old downloaded mail, or is it not finding the right profile when you start normally afterwards?

My plan was to create a screen grab of what Thunderbird looked like with a normal launch after the launch using thunderbird -P --allow-downgrade, but of course this time it appeared to work just fine. Go figure. I did loose the calendar entries, but as soon as I can access the other machine, I'll export them from it and import then into the Linux Thunderbird.

Oh, I did forget to mention that with either of the two moves, I've been deleting the pkcs11.txt file.

--
Mike