Thunderbird update catastrophe

File 2 bug reports:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/home
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug/?no-redirect
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Filing_bugs_manually_at_Launchpad.net
Please hyperlink the two bugs within the text.
I would use Apport to collect information.
Terminal: ubuntu-bug thunderbird

Bug filed at bugzilla as <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1803839>

I had already filed it at <https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1398494#answer-1551545>

Now I'll try launchpad (might take some time if I have to create accounts, whatever.

tnx -- Paul

https://ubuntu.com/blog/the-keys-to-successful-bug-reporting
Use Apport to collect information for the bug report.
Otherwise the bug report is considered invalid.
All the bug reports can be filed with your Ubuntu one account as a login.

<https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Apport> "Apport is not enabled by default in stable releases, even if it is installed. The automatic crash interception component of apport is disabled by default..." and is certainly disabled in all 17 workstations that I'm working on. There's nothing in apport and crash logs. But, I think "ubuntu-bug" is part of apport so:

Looking (cat -n) at the /var/log/apt/term.logs, all similar with e.g.

   350 Preparing to unpack .../111-thunderbird_1%3a102.5.1+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1~mt1_amd64.deb ...
   351 Unpacking thunderbird (1:102.5.1+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1~mt1) over (1:91.11.0+build2-0ubuntu0.18.04.1) ...
/../
   481 Setting up thunderbird (1:102.5.1+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1~mt1) ...

root@workstat43:/var/log/apt# ubuntu-bug 1:102.5.1+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1~mt1

*** Collecting problem information
The collected information can be sent to the developers to improve the
application. This might take a few minutes.
.dpkg-query: no packages found matching 1:102.5.1+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1~mt1
*** Problem in 1:102.5.1+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1
The problem cannot be reported:

This report is about a package that is not installed <=======

root@workstat43:/var/log/apt# apt list | grep thunderbird
thunderbird/bionic,now 1:102.5.1+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1~mt1 amd64 [installed] <=======
also TB Help => about clearly reports "102.5.1 (64-bit)"

So, I'm stumped -- how do I use apport, please?

NOTE: I've "repaired" seven of the (less-used) workstations, by backing up all TB data and config, uninstalling TB, manually installing thunderbird-91.11.0.tar.bz2 from <https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/thunderbird/releases/91.11.0/linux-x86_64/en-US/> and tweaking data and configs as required -- if I have to I can probably do the remaining ten between now and Monday morning when staff returns to work ...

tnx -- Paul

You gave a wrong parameter to the ubuntu-bug command. It's not the version number, but the package name (ubuntu-bug thunderbird).

BUT:

If the version number of thunderbird is 1:102.5.1+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1~mt1, then you are not using the version in the default Ubuntu repositories, but a foreign version, (probably) from a PPA.
The right address for a complaint is not the Ubuntu question area, but the provider of the PPA.

What is the output of the command

apt policy thunderbird

tnx for the question. I had wondered (but not fully explored) why some of the workstations got 102.5.1 while others got 102.4.2

root@whatever/# grep ^ /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/* shows that all the machines have the default Ubuntu repositories (main, universe, multiverse, respective updates, and bionic-backports main) PLUS:
/etc/apt/sources.list.d/mozillateam-ubuntu-ppa-bionic.list:deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/mozillateam/ppa/ubuntu bionic main

But, two different results are obtained:
(A)
root@workstat43:/# apt policy thunderbird
thunderbird:
  Installed: 1:102.5.1+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1~mt1
  Candidate: 1:102.5.1+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1~mt1
  Version table:
 *** 1:102.5.1+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1~mt1 500
        500 http://ppa.launchpad.net/mozillateam/ppa/ubuntu bionic/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     1:102.4.2+build2-0ubuntu0.18.04.1 500
        500 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main amd64 Packages
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/main amd64 Packages
     1:52.7.0+build1-0ubuntu1 500
        500 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/main amd64 Packages
(B)
root@workstat_ba6:/# apt policy thunderbird
thunderbird:
  Installed: 1:102.4.2+build2-0ubuntu0.18.04.1
  Candidate: 1:102.5.1+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1~mt1
  Version table:
     1:102.5.1+build1-0ubuntu0.18.04.1~mt1 500
        500 http://ppa.launchpad.net/mozillateam/ppa/ubuntu bionic/main amd64 Packages
 *** 1:102.4.2+build2-0ubuntu0.18.04.1 500
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     1:52.7.0+build1-0ubuntu1 500
        500 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/main amd64 Packages

I cannot determine why some machines "chose" a different install, but the problems with junk settings [(a( above] are identical (Launchpad Ubuntu, this list answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/), but in hindsight the cascading inbox content [(b) above] is limited to 102.4, which indicates pure Ubuntu. Hovever "ubuntu-bug thunderbird" in both cases reports "This is not an official Ubuntu package. Please remove any third party package and try again."

I hope this answers your question without muddying the waters too badly.

tnx -- Paul

"This is not an official Ubuntu package. Please remove any third party package and try again."
That is what I meant.

Even if http://ppa.launchpad.net/mozillateam/ppa/ubuntu is managed by a group of canonical employees, this is not the official Ubuntu repository.

If one of the problems (e.g. "multiple inboxes") is seen on a system with the Ubuntu-provided version 1:102.4.2+build2-0ubuntu0.18.04.1 (or the standard version on 20.04), then please report it with "ubuntu-bug thunderbird" on that system.