<SOLVED> Thunderbird email links won't open in Firefox (or anywhere)

[tomcloyd]

After chasing this around a bit in the Thunderbird forum, the consensus seems to be that this is an OS problem. But...looking around Kubuntu, I can't see the problem. Firefox is set up as the default application ("System settings > Default applications") for processing of "http...URLs".

I no longer know what to try at this point to get links in Thunderbird emails to open when clicked.

Any ideas, anyone? Am I missing something obvious (yeah, probably)....?

[Fintan]

Re: Thunderbird email links won't open in Firefox (or anywhere)

That is an age old problem with kubuntu. Don't know why it still persists

To fix this, go to: ~/.mozilla-thunderbird/[profile_dir]/prefs.js
and added in this line
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.https", "/usr/bin/firefox");
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.http", "/usr/bin/firefox");

~/.moziila-thunderbird is a hidden file in your /home/username directory. To see it you will have to activate "view hidden files" in "View" with dolphin or konqueror.

you can also do:
[Thunderbird] Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced/General -> Config Editor
-> RightClick somewhere in the list [preferably amoung the "network protocols" entries
-> New -> String.. now type..(see above)

I hope this helps.

[tomcloyd]

Re: &lt;SOLVED&gt; Thunderbird email links won't open in Firefox (or anywhere)

I just found the answer in some notes I'd made (after NOTE finding it anywhere else).

And Fintan, about your response: First, thanks!. Second, your second solution is not, I think, quite right. Here's what I did which worked:

As you suggested, I selected: Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced/General -> Config Editor
-> RightClick somewhere in the list [preferably amoung the "network protocols" entries
-> New -> String..

Then, I added to the lines you suggested, but without the

user_pref(...)

part, and with NO quotes. Minor detail, which would have been important to an idiot like me.

Finally - it's extraordinary to me that at 3:30AM I could get from you such a quick response. Ya just gotta love the Internet...this Forum...and people like Fintan, who are the titans that make this Forum the great resource it is! I'm very grateful.

[Fintan]

Re: &lt;SOLVED&gt; Thunderbird email links won't open in Firefox (or anywhere)

Then, I added to the lines you suggested, but without the

user_pref(...)

part, and with NO quotes. Minor detail, which would have been important to an idiot like me.

oops, sorry about that

Finally - it's extraordinary to me that at 3:30AM I could get from you such a quick response. Ya just gotta love the Internet...this Forum...and people like Fintan, who are the titans that make this Forum the great resource it is! I'm very grateful.

Well it isn't 3:00 am any more here and I am not a titan, just a normal user how happened to learn a lt here and gives that knowledge on to others. We all started at the same place

But thank you all the same

[errol]

Re: &lt;SOLVED&gt; Thunderbird email links won't open in Firefox (or anywhere)

A while back I posted a bug (no. 192513) and got the following solution.
Install: thunderbird-gnome-support.
It worked for me!!
Errol

[tomcloyd]

Re: &lt;SOLVED&gt; Thunderbird email links won't open in Firefox (or anywhere)

Two reactions (questions):

1. "Gnome support" - for Kubuntu I don't get it.

2. If this is needed, then why in @#$%$#@ isn't the fix part of the Thunderbird package manager version install? What's the point of having TB in adept, if after installing it you still have to fiddle with it? This sort of stuff makes me nuts.

I am sincerely interested in your thoughts on both matters...if any.

t.

[Qqmike]

Re: &lt;SOLVED&gt; Thunderbird email links won't open in Firefox (or anywhere)

interjection ... (relevancy not assured, but one heck of an informative site ...see Help section on right side bar and various discussions/links here and there)

Firefox (latest), Thunderbird (latest): http://ubuntuzilla.wiki.sourceforge.net/

[Fintan]

Re: &lt;SOLVED&gt; Thunderbird email links won't open in Firefox (or anywhere)

To answer both questions very quickly.

We don't really know, except to say that ubuntu has the gnome desktop as default and the main distro. While kubuntu is(still) a sidekick.

As for what works, does it matter? Maybe. The cleaner path is without gnome support.

Having said that many apps (non-kde) in kubuntu rely on the gnome minimal desktop and vice versa.

Confusing, sure but only at first.

after taht one gets used to a world of interworking and flexible workings.

Does that make sense? I guess not. It is 1:30 AM my time and I have been on my feet for 19:hrs
but I do hope you get the gist of the matter.

Cheers
Fintan

Edit:
Ahh Mike, yes it is late I forgot about that

[Qqmike]

Re: &lt;SOLVED&gt; Thunderbird email links won't open in Firefox (or anywhere)

"Ahh Mike, yes it is late, I forgot about that"

and, I know you know
(I was just in one of those moods to type the obvious ...)

[Fintan]

Re: &lt;SOLVED&gt; Thunderbird email links won't open in Firefox (or anywhere)

Thank yee mike I deserved that.
But I also know why I forgot.

I have been using spicebird since january and am very happy with it.
http://www.spicebird.com/

It is still beta but stable and moving along nicely

On of it features is that it asks you which browser you want to use as default when you configure your email account.

[hlmyers]

Re: &lt;SOLVED&gt; Thunderbird email links won't open in Firefox (or anywhere)

I just found the answer in some notes I'd made (after NOTE finding it anywhere else).

And Fintan, about your response: First, thanks!. Second, your second solution is not, I think, quite right. Here's what I did which worked:

As you suggested, I selected: Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced/General -> Config Editor
-> RightClick somewhere in the list [preferably amoung the "network protocols" entries
-> New -> String..

Then, I added to the lines you suggested, but without the

user_pref(...)

part, and with NO quotes. Minor detail, which would have been important to an idiot like me.

Finally - it's extraordinary to me that at 3:30AM I could get from you such a quick response. Ya just gotta love the Internet...this Forum...and people like Fintan, who are the titans that make this Forum the great resource it is! I'm very grateful.

I am grateful as well, but I am very dense this morning.
Could you please provide the exact entries you used to modify the Thunderbird config file?
I've tried several variants, with no luck.

Thanks,

Harry

[Fintan]

Re: &lt;SOLVED&gt; Thunderbird email links won't open in Firefox (or anywhere)

Okay, if you open the:
~/.mozilla-thunderbird/prefs.js
file add these lines

user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.http", "/usr/bin/firefox");
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.https", "/usr/bin/firefox");

I prefer this, it is faster.

Or:
[Thunderbird] Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced/General -> Config Editor
-> RightClick somewhere in the list [preferably amoung the "network protocols" entries
-> New -> String.. now type:

network.protocol-handler.app.http

then:

/usr/bin/firefox

click okay

do the same for:

network.protocol-handler.app.https

either way it will work.

sorry for the confusion. It was late

[hlmyers]

Re: &lt;SOLVED&gt; Thunderbird email links won't open in Firefox (or anywhere)

Okay, if you open the:
~/.mozilla-thunderbird/prefs.js
file add these lines

user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.http", "/usr/bin/firefox");
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.https", "/usr/bin/firefox");

I prefer this, it is faster.

Or:
[Thunderbird] Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced/General -> Config Editor
-> RightClick somewhere in the list [preferably amoung the "network protocols" entries
-> New -> String.. now type:

network.protocol-handler.app.http

then:

/usr/bin/firefox

click okay

do the same for:

network.protocol-handler.app.https

either way it will work.

sorry for the confusion. It was late

Exactly what solved the problem. Actually, similar lines were in the user.js file, but were mangled, probably due to the downgrade from Firefox 3 to 2.

Deleted those lines and replaced them with yours. Something to keep in mind - Firefox has been renamed on the repositories to Firefox-2 and the hyphen 2 suffix is required if someone has downloaded Firefox recently.

Thanks a bunch for the great help!

Harry

[ppberns]

Re: &lt;SOLVED&gt; Thunderbird email links won't open in Firefox (or anywhere)

Hi,

Sorry but I have tried all of the above suggestions and I still can't get Thunderbird to bring up a browser when a link is clicked. I am running on a 64 bit system but I don't think that matters much here.
This is from my prefs.js:

user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.ftp", "/usr/local/bin/swiftweasel3");
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.http", "/usr/local/bin/swiftweasel3");
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.https", "/usr/local/bin/swiftweasel3");

I am using swiftweasel3 because it supports plugins I need to use and it is a pretty much a clone of firefox except for 64 bit and it works really well.

This is from Thunderbird's config:
network.protocol-handler.app.ftp ;/usr/local/bin/swiftweasel3
network.protocol-handler.app.http;/usr/local/bin/swiftweasel3
network.protocol-handler.app.https;/usr/local/bin/swiftweasel3

No matter what I do I can't get it to bring up a browser.

[Snowhog]

Re: &lt;SOLVED&gt; Thunderbird email links won't open in Firefox (or anywhere)

This is from Thunderbird's config:
network.protocol-handler.app.ftp ;/usr/local/bin/swiftweasel3
network.protocol-handler.app.http;/usr/local/bin/swiftweasel3
network.protocol-handler.app.https;/usr/local/bin/swiftweasel3

Pretty sure that if what you show above is 'exactly' how you have the entries in Thunderbird's config file that you have it wrong. I believe that you should have the following:

network.protocol-handler.app.ftp /usr/local/bin/swiftweasel3
network.protocol-handler.app.http /usr/local/bin/swiftweasel3
network.protocol-handler.app.https /usr/local/bin/swiftweasel3

I've increased the number of blank spaces for emphasis (you need at least one).