====== Thunderbird ======

http://www.getthunderbird.com/

Thunderbird is a free, extensible mail client software with excellent IMAP support.

===== Why Thunderbird? =====

See also **[[internet:mail:pop_vs_imap|POP vs. IMAP or Why I Use IMAP]]**

http://luxsci.com/blog/head-to-head-battle-of-the-email-clients.html

===== Performance =====

https://support.mayfirst.org/wiki/faq/email/speedup-thunderbird-imap

http://luxsci.com/blog/optimizing-mozilla-thunderbird.html

http://bleedingedge.com.au/blog/archives/2005/11/making_thunderbird_fly.html

===== Synchronization =====

See also **[[internet:mail:thunderbird_sync|Thunderbird Synchronization]]**

===== Identities =====

Manage identities:

**Tools -> Account Settings -> Select an Account -> Manage Identities** (button)

:!: You can set a different signature block (and other settings) for each identity you configure.

:!: Once you create multiple identities, you can select which identity to send messages from by clicking on the From: address in the compose window.

There are various add-ons available for Thunderbird to extend or change the default behavior:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/thunderbird/search/?q=identity

===== Windows Roaming Profiles =====

http://enhancedlinux.com/2010/01/15/disable-thunderbird-3-bloat/

Thunderbird caches local copies of your message store in your Windows profile.  If you have Roaming Profiles, this can negatively affect your login/logout times.

However, the local caching is a significant speed enhancer.

==== Redirect Local Cache to Speed Up Roaming Profile Synchronization ====

Instructions adapted from here:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_profile_folder_-_Thunderbird

These instructions will seem strange since there is no "move profile" or "register profile" button in the profile manager but it isn't a mistake. When you press the "Create Profile" button and then browse to your profiles location it does not do anything to your profile, it merely updates ''profiles.ini'' to point to that profile so that Thunderbird can find and use that profile. You could do the same thing by editing ''profiles.ini'' yourself but it is very easy to make a mistake doing that.

Use the Profile Manager to move your profile:

  - Close Thunderbird.
  - Copy the profile folder (in XP: ''C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\profile name.default'') to where you want to store it. (You can copy it anywhere, except the program directory.) I chose ''c:\Mail\profilename.default''
  - Start the Profile Manager. Usually Thunderbird isn't on the path, so you will probably need to specify the program location when you do that.  One way to do that is to open the "Run" field.  Copy the contents of the Target: edit field in the shortcut used to run Thunderbird and then add ''-profilemanager'' to the end in the "Run" field.
  - Click on the "Create Profile..." button.
  - In the dialog that opens, enter a descriptive name for the profile.
  - Click on the "Choose Folder..." button. A "Browse for Folder" dialog will open.  Select the profile folder you copied and click OK.
  - Check that the path shown in the "Completing the Create Profile Wizard" dialog is correct, and then click "Finish".
  - Select the new profile and press the Start button to have Thunderbird use the moved profile.
  - If most of the folders for an account aren't visible and your Inbox looks empty, find the local directory setting at the bottom of the **Tools -> Account Settings -> Server Settings** page, and use the "Browse" button to update its location.  Normally it points to a directory named after the mail server used by that account, unless you using a global Inbox.  In that case it points to the "Local Folders" directory in the profile.
  - Once you have tested the moved profile, delete the original profile from AppData to clean up your roaming profile.

==== Disable Message Synchronization ====

**Edit (Tools) -> Account Settings -> Synchronization and Storage**

Delete cached files taking up space:

''C:\Documents and Settings\<profile>\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<profile>\ImapMail\*''