[RESOLVED] when i get an attached file, thunderbird no longer opens it

[przxqgl]

i'm posting this here, as well as in the thunderbird forum, because my experience has been that, despite NOT being specifically mozilla related, this forum gets me a lot better answers, a lot more quickly.

i'm using:

Thunderbird 128.5.2esr (64-bit)
Kubuntu 24.04
KDE Plasma 5.115.0
Qt 5.15.13

when i get attached files, like .jpg, .png, or .pdf, i can see that the message has an attached file, but thunderbird no longer opens those files, or knows how to make other applications, like okular, gwenview, or inkscape open them. this USED TO BE a standard feature.

1. receive an attached file: FILE-NAME.pdf
at the bottom of the window is a bar that says "1 attachment: FILE-NAME.pdf 3.8 kB"

2. click on FILE-NAME.pdf
EXPECTED RESULT: FILE-NAME.pdf opens in okular
ACTUAL RESULT: nothing

3. alternate-click on FILE-NAME.pdf and choose "Open" from the context menu
EXPECTED RESULT: FILE-NAME.pdf opens in okular
ACTUAL RESULT: nothing

4. alternate-click on FILE-NAME.pdf and choose "Save as..." from the context menu, and save the file somewhere obvious.
5. navigate to somewhere obvious, and open the file
RESULT: FILE-NAME.pdf opens

i looked at "Settings -> General -> Files & Attachments" and confirmed that "Portable Document Format (PDF)" is set to "Use okular". i also deleted, and re-added "Portable Document Format (PDF)" from "Settings -> General -> Files & Attachments" with no change in the above reported behaviour.

can somebody tell me what i'm doing wrong? thanks.

[jlittle]

How is thunderbird installed? That is, is it a snap, flatpak, via a PPA, or from a download?

If it's a snap or flatpak, I suspect there are problems getting other applications to run.

I use the downloaded tarball, having desnapped. It doesn't get updated using Discover, but updates by its own mechanism, which is very fast.

If there's one attachment, I can click on the file name to the right of the "1 attachment:" prompt. If it's a PDF Thunderbird opens it as a new tab in the main window. As well, I can click on the > symbol which drops down a list of the attachments; to open an item I have to double-click it.

[przxqgl]

well, in my home directory, i have a directory called "snap" which contains a directory called "thunderbird", so i'm guessing that it's a snap install...

how do i "desnap" without losing all my existing email?

[jlittle]

(I wonder why other thunderbird snap users haven't chipped in...)

how do i "desnap" without losing all my existing email?

You copy the profile directory first, before de-snapping. (A good backup of your home directory would be good, in principle.) Find the profile directory by going to help->trouble shooting information->profile directory, open directory. Tools->export is good too. Thunderbird profile directories can be copied even between operating systems.

[przxqgl]

i've done that...

oh, i've got to look at "Settings -> General -> Files & Attachments" and set "Portable Document Format (PDF)" to "Use System Handler (default)", and then select "Okular" when it asks me what application i want to use, the first time...

then it works fine. 👍👍

haven't checked it with a .jpg or .png yet, but i anticipate a similar reaction.

i wonder why the snap install doesn't work, but the one through Discover works? shouldn't they be all the same?