Ubuntu
thunderbird package

I can't open web links from email (Thunderbird)

Asked by Ari Toivola

I have followed instruction below but still can not get the links open.
I have checked that Firefox is in correct path (/usr/bin/firefox), at least I can start it there.
Firefox is also set as prefered browser in Ubuntu.
Any idea what I should try next.?

My current setup is Ubuntu 11.04, Thunderbird 3.1.11, Firefox 6.0

Instruction that I have been testing.

Setting the browser that opens in Thunderbird - Linux

If you are unable to launch Firefox (or another Mozilla browser) from URL links in a Thunderbird mail message, add the following lines to the user.js file, located in your Thunderbird profile folder (you may need to create the user.js file). Change the path of the Firefox executable, if yours is not /usr/bin/firefox.

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

If you are still unable to change the browser after modifying these settings, editing the mimeTypes.rdf file, also located in your Profile folder, can fix the problem.
Rather than directly editing the file, you can get Thunderbird to automatically add the required sections as follows:

    Navigate to "Edit --> Preferences --> Advanced" in the Thunderbird menus and click on the "Config Editor" button.
    Search for the following three entries:
        network.protocol-handler.warn-external.http
        network.protocol-handler.warn-external.https
        network.protocol-handler.warn-external.ftp
    Set the value of each of these three entries to true (you can do this by double-clicking on each entry, then close the "about:config" window and click "OK" on the "Thunderbird Preferences" window).

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Ari Toivola
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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

I recommend this, the syntax is a bit more complex. I recommend you run:

gksudo gedit /usr/bin/openlinkfirefox; sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/openlinkfirefox

add these 3 lines:

#!/bin/bash
url="$1"
exec /path/to/firefox "$url"

Save the new file, close gedit then in thunderbird set the protocol handlers as /usr/bin/openlinkfirefox

network.protocol-handler.app.ftp
network.protocol-handler.app.http
network.protocol-handler.app.https

Source:
http://www.zulustips.com/2007/03/28/forcing-thunderbird-to-open-links-in-firefox.html

It is also good when you change browser as you can just change the script to respect the new browser.

Revision history for this message
Ari Toivola (ari-toivola) said : 		#2

I did the above but still can not get this working. I even delete the previous changes in my original message but no help :(

Any other idea where this "feature" is broken, or is my only change to return windows?

Ari

Revision history for this message
Ari Toivola (ari-toivola) said : 		#3

I have finally fixed this issue.

It was as simple as to go to Edit | Preferences | Attachments in Thunderbird and remove the Firefox from the HTTP and HTTPS as program to open. Somehow it did not work correctly though Firefox was defined there.
After I removed the selection and then tried to open the web link from open email, I got the option to choose the program and select Firefox again and now it works as it should.

So no need to make any scripts or settings through config editor after all. I did removed all earlier changes/configuration that I have made based on the instructions how to fix this.

Revision history for this message
Martin Gyurko (gyurma) said : 		#4

Yes! Finally! I had the problem for 1 year now, and this hint helped me! THAKS!!!

Before nothing helped I even did not have a "network.protocol-handler.app" etc in the config...
The reconfiguration of alternatives didn't hel either, because I only had 1 browser...

Thanks again!!!

Gyurma