Thunderbird: is it true it is no longer updated?

User Help for Mozilla Thunderbird
FoxAdriano
Posts: 43
Joined: January 12th, 2013, 4:12 am

Thunderbird: is it true it is no longer updated?

Post by FoxAdriano »

Hi, I'd like to get some information on Thunderbird. I'm using Eudora 7.1 which is as old as the "cuckoo" and I have problems updating the certificates. Eudora always asks me to update them manually and I'm tired to do it every 7-8 days because I have many accounts. I'd like to try a new email client like Thunderbird but before I'd like to ask 2 questions:
1) I read, but I don't remember where, that Thunderbird will be no longer updated in short time. Is it true?
2) Is it possible to import emails from Eudora? If Thunderbird could do it, does it do well? I used Eudora for several years and I would not want to lose any email.
1000 Thanks
User avatar
DanRaisch
Moderator
Posts: 127185
Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
Location: Somewhere on the right coast

Re: Thunderbird: is it true it is no longer updated?

Post by DanRaisch »

1) Not true.
2) See this article -- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Thunderbird_: ... rom_Eudora
kerft
Posts: 585
Joined: January 30th, 2019, 9:38 am

Re: Thunderbird: is it true it is no longer updated?

Post by kerft »

1. This is not true. Thunderbird became independent of Mozilla around 2012, although Mozilla provides some types of legal protection for Thunderbird. See here: http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... 9&t=366405
Thunderbird has even recently hired some new employees. https://blog.mozilla.org/thunderbird/20 ... d-in-2019/ One thing that is true is that using the new Firefox code as the basis for Thunderbird makes it harder and harder for extensions to work. It is a goal to provide useful extensions for Thunderbird. The point is just that if you start using it, and you come to like an extension, that extension may become unavailable either in a few months, or in a year. Or if you are lucky it will be fine.
2. One of these might help with importing: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Importing_and ... _your_mail https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-GB/th ... porttools/ Usually importing emails is fine. No email software works well with too many emails in the "inbox" - you should strive to organize and backup them differently and avoid more than 2000 in the inbox.
FoxAdriano
Posts: 43
Joined: January 12th, 2013, 4:12 am

Re: Thunderbird: is it true it is no longer updated?

Post by FoxAdriano »

THANKS for your availability. A last question please:

In your opinion is it possible to config Thunderbird like I configured Eudora as graphics?
For me it is important also to have IN and OUT boxes in the same page.
Look at this pic: https://www.dropbox.com/s/281mflflok9rq ... a.JPG?dl=0
I need to configure Thunderbird in this way.
I hope someone can give me some info.
Thanks
User avatar
DanRaisch
Moderator
Posts: 127185
Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
Location: Somewhere on the right coast

Re: Thunderbird: is it true it is no longer updated?

Post by DanRaisch »

You can "sort of" duplicate that. Thunderbird allows the use of tabs and separate windows, so the Inbox folder can be shown in one window and the Sent folder in another. You can then use Windows tools to stack the windows in a manner similar to what you had in Eudora.

If your email provider offers IMAP access to your account you could set up a Thunderbird installation and experiment with it for a time before making the leap from Eudora to TB. That would allow you to access the account from both clients to evaluate your satisfaction with the new program.
FoxAdriano
Posts: 43
Joined: January 12th, 2013, 4:12 am

Re: Thunderbird: is it true it is no longer updated?

Post by FoxAdriano »

DanRaisch,
Thanks for your news.

But I was surprised and baffled. I just installed Thunderbird and configured it with the main account. Then I went up Tools/Import and I don't see Eudora. I see only "Becky! Internet Mail" and "Outlook". There isn't Eudora. Why please? How can I import all those emails from Eudora?
Thanks
User avatar
DanRaisch
Moderator
Posts: 127185
Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
Location: Somewhere on the right coast

Re: Thunderbird: is it true it is no longer updated?

Post by DanRaisch »

Did you review the article I posted in my first reply above? It recommends a Eudora Rescue program ( http://qwerky.50webs.com/eudorarescue/index.htm ) to help with migrating data from historic Eudora installations to Thunderbird.
FoxAdriano
Posts: 43
Joined: January 12th, 2013, 4:12 am

Re: Thunderbird: is it true it is no longer updated?

Post by FoxAdriano »

I read that link but didn't understand anything. My English is not good. Maybe do I have to install Eudora Rescue? Can't be done differently?
Is Eudora OSE better than Eudora Rescue to do it?
Last edited by FoxAdriano on July 3rd, 2019, 2:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
DanRaisch
Moderator
Posts: 127185
Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
Location: Somewhere on the right coast

Re: Thunderbird: is it true it is no longer updated?

Post by DanRaisch »

The article suggests installing Eudora Rescue and notes that "There is little chance that Mozilla will ever improve the Eudora import. According to the author's experience pre-processing the mail with "Eudora Rescue" and then using a very old version of Thunderbird is still the best way."
An older version of Thunderbird, from around the date mentioned in the article, can be found here -- https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird ... 0.9/win32/
FoxAdriano
Posts: 43
Joined: January 12th, 2013, 4:12 am

Re: Thunderbird: is it true it is no longer updated?

Post by FoxAdriano »

I'm sorry my inexperience but it is impossible to install EUDRESCU.EXE. If I click on tht file, nothing happens.
I downloaded that file here: http://qwerky.50webs.com/eudorarescue/download.htm
Maybe is it for DOS and if I have Windows 10 I can't install it?

I have just installed that old Thunderbird version and when I go on "Import" now I see Eudora. Could I import the email from Eudora 7.1 directly without using Eudora Rescue?

EDIT: It is impossible to import the email from Eudora 7.1 directly without using Eudora Rescue because Thunderbird after some seconds stops to import.
User avatar
DanRaisch
Moderator
Posts: 127185
Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
Location: Somewhere on the right coast

Re: Thunderbird: is it true it is no longer updated?

Post by DanRaisch »

You can certainly try. Never having used Eudora myself I can't speak from experience but that article speaks of a long import run and poor results.
In 2012 the author of this note attempted to import about 2 GB of Eudora e-mail (mail only, no address book, etc.) using Thunderbird 11 (which was current at the time). The import hung on a specific mailbox, but could be cancelled leading to a crash of Thunderbird. In any case, the import was of poor quality as sent messages were imported as unread and didn't have correct dates, since Eudora hadn't stored the dates.
kerft
Posts: 585
Joined: January 30th, 2019, 9:38 am

Re: Thunderbird: is it true it is no longer updated?

Post by kerft »

From the http://qwerky.50webs.com/eudorarescue/readme.htm "Eudora Rescue is a MS Windows command-line utility designed to convert Eudora mailbox files to standard mbox format, suitable for import into many other e-mail clients, such as the free Mozilla Thunderbird."
On 64-bit Windows 10 , I extracted the ZIP file and run CMD.EXE or command prompt, and then cd to the directory that eudresc is in and typed eudresc. It showed "Eudora Rescue 0.7 Mailbox Converter, (c) Copyright 2003-2005 by Qwerky." If I entered the command line parameters it needs it looks like it should work. As you say, just clicking on it without giving it parameters will not work.
FoxAdriano
Posts: 43
Joined: January 12th, 2013, 4:12 am

Re: Thunderbird: is it true it is no longer updated?

Post by FoxAdriano »

Hi, thanks for your precious news. I did some tests then I found the right step and I did it correctly but now I don't know how I have to go on:
1) I put EUDRESCU file in C:\WINDOWS\System32
I opened the Prompt and after one second I saw it:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/arf97zv2l0v3z ... t.JPG?dl=0
Repeat! I'm not an expert guy and not I don't know how to proceed. What do I have to do precisely after that screening?
Thanks again one.
kerft
Posts: 585
Joined: January 30th, 2019, 9:38 am

Re: Thunderbird: is it true it is no longer updated?

Post by kerft »

There are three possible cases.
1. You do not need message status to be preserved. Message status is if the mail is unread. In this case, you can try to use the built in import in versions of Thunderbird older than 38.
2. You do not need attachments. In this case you can use only EUDRESCU. The simplest full command for EUDRESCU is EUDRESCU "C:\Eudoramail" -o "C:\ThunderbirdMail" replacing c:\eudoramail with where your current email is stored. Once converted, I suppose you have to manually set thunderbird to use C:\ThunderbirdMail as its mail directory, or copy its contents to where the thunderbird profile is storing mail. The copying method is better.
3. If you do need both attachments and message status, the author suggests you use this process here http://qwerky.50webs.com/eudorarescue/r ... hunderbird
It has a lot of steps.
FoxAdriano
Posts: 43
Joined: January 12th, 2013, 4:12 am

Re: Thunderbird: is it true it is no longer updated?

Post by FoxAdriano »

Now I have just installed Thunderbird v. 31.6.0. That old version was able to import everything, it seems. I need to check better.
But I'd like to ask a question:
What difference between importing with that old version and using Eudora Rescue (converter). I mean is there a different Thumberbid settings and layout with Eudora Rescue?
I'm asking it because I see a strange settings (layout) in Thunderbird now.
I see on the left it: https://www.dropbox.com/s/nyno7pvjdplvo ... d.JPG?dl=0

Is it normal? Thunderbird see Eudora mailboxes like another different section: I don't like it.
Last edited by FoxAdriano on July 4th, 2019, 9:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
Post Reply