Thunderbird settings to read Usenet News?

[Clive Page]

I've moved to a new Windows computer and installed Thunderbird version 115.1.1 on it and transferred the old profile folder. It works fine for email and is picking up Usenet News but I can't get the Usenet News display working as it did before - now every message sequence turns into a thread showing just the first line or two of each message. And if click on the top level it opens every dependent posting in a new tab.

As far as I can see every setting for folders, layout, threads etc. is exactly the same as on my old computer, but clearly something is different. Has anyone else had a similar problem?

[Pancho]

Hum. 115 is a brand spanking new version. Old versions 102 don't update automatically.

As I see it, you have two choices.

1) You act as a canary for the rest of us. If you survive, you tell us how to solve problems. Tell us if an upgrade is worthwhile.

2) Uninstall 115, download an old version. 102.

I've had bad experiences with new versions of Thunderbird.

[HVS]

On 24 Aug 2023, Pancho wrote

I'm with you -- I'd stick with the current consumer version (102.14).

Although they've issued version 115, it's only available direct from Thunderbird, not as an upgrade from 102 (which they state is expected in a future release).

Third-party download sites like Majorgeeks are still offering 102.14 rather than 115, so it sounds like a release for the testing/feedback community rather than general use.

[SteveW]

I installed 115 the other day, after a computer upgrade.

It's working OK, but is different from what I was used to.

Clicking on the top post in a collapsed thread causes the first few lines of each post in that thread to be displayed. Then clicking on the expand arrow for that selected thread causes the tree to expand and that top post's contents to be displayed.

Clicking on the expand arrow of a thread, that I have not already selected the top post of, expands the thread, but does not change the contents window from whatever was showing from the previous read message. Then clicking on a post causes its contents to be displayed.

Also, the Unread/Starred/Contact/Tags/Attachment filter buttons are not shown by default, but clicking the Quick Filter button brought them up and they have remained there ever since.

[Clive Page]

Thanks. That is pretty much what I'm getting. I thought my old Thunderbird was up to date which is why I assumed the new installation would be the same, but now I've checked the old one is indeed 102.14.1 so the best thing is to downgrade to that, if I can. Thanks for all the responses.

Regards

[Paul]

The 102.x.x stream is the old reliable release.

The 115 stream is a re-write called SUPERNOVA. The part that fetches USENET News is written in Javascript, instead of C.

102.14.0/ Latest, of the "Old reliable release"

115.1.1/ Latest, of the SUPERNOVA version

The purpose of the SUPERNOVA version, is to make money. They will be making add-ons for the program, to improve aspects of it. And those will be paid add-ons. Since we have not seen any of these add-ons, it remains to be seen whether there is a value proposition involved. Who knows, if you buy enough add-ons, it looks like the old version ?

Paul

[SteveW]

I'm sticking with the new one - it's only one extra click per thread.

[Clive Page]

I think it's worse than that, at least the way I use it.

Anyhow: I have found v102.14.0 on MajorGeeks and installed it. When you run Thunderbird it objects to an incompatible profile and tries to persuade you to create a new one, which will of course require setting up all your email/news accounts again which would be very tedious. But there is a way around this:

Find the new .exe file and start Thunderbird once using the path to the .exe file with a switch .\thunderbird --allow-downgrade This seems to work, and in future the existing icon starts up the old version without any protest. I can't see anything that's broken.

In the mean time it may be sensible to disable automatic updates and be wary of the Supernova version, in case it explodes when you don't expect it to.

[Bob Henson]

The worst bit about the threading (OK, none of it is good) is that the lines connecting the elements of the thread have gone forever, making long multiple mested threads nearly impossible to read.

[Bob Henson]

I've managed to get my 115 useable again but it has taken ages and more or less as it used to be - but it still is not as good as it was when I last used it some years back. Many of the good extensions writers have given up after all their work was ruined for the umpteenth time.

[Andy Burns]

that behaviour is new to v115

if you click on the right-facing "twisty" arrow to the left of the subject column, it will expand the list of messages

[Andy Burns]

There are two "current" versions at the moment, v102.x is for existing users and v115.x is for now only being given to new users, I've been on v115 for several weeks and have knocked it into shape so it looks almost identical to v102

I would be wary of that, if you took a backup before installing v115 you could restore to it, but if not, your data will have been converted from v102 to v115, so a downgrade may not go smoothly ...

[Andy Burns]

true, but 102.x has included the javascript implementation of NNTP for several months, with no option to switch back to C implementation.

[The Natural Philosopher]

try view->threads->unread

[The Natural Philosopher]

Debian and friends seem in no hurry to serve up 115. My impression is that its full of creeping featurism. And needs a good weed.

[John Rumm]

Do * and \ still work to expand and collapse all threads?

[Andy Burns]

Yes they do, I'm kind of wishing there was an option to auto-collapse threads on changing between groups.

[alan_m]

Usually a sign of getting near the end of its useful life and becoming bloatware.

I've lost count of the number of software packages I've ditched in past

30+ years where someone has decided to change the GUI or rewrite the code only for it to become slower and more buggy.

[Bob Henson]

I've ditched Thunderbird in the past for that reason, certainly. The only reason I'm back with it is partially curiosity but mainly because does email, RSS feeds and Usenet (albeit the latter only poorly) all in one package. However, the work involved in making 115 useful again was hardly worth it. I wish developers would take the old computer adage seriously and "if it works, don't fix it." I think the real devs are usually overridden by the bean counters and mainly by the marketing people. The latter have to change things for better or for worse (they don't care which) just to justify their existence.

[Clive Page]