I have installed Thunderbird from the official repository using the command sudo dnf install thunderbird. The application runs normally from the terminal with both /usr/bin/thunderbird and thunderbird commands. Additionally, I can launch Thunderbird from the application menu without any issues.
I also installed Birdtray from Flathub; its application ID is com.ulduzsoft.Birdtray. Since Birdtray is configured to look for the Flathub version of Thunderbird, I have overwritten the command line option under the advanced tab in the configuration module with /usr/bin/thunderbird.
However, Birdtray fails to start Thunderbird, displaying the following error in the dialog box:
Error starting Thunderbird as '/usr/bin/thunderbird':
execvp: No such file or directory
Even when I set the command to just thunderbird, it attempts to find Thunderbird in my home directory, resulting in a path like /home/username/thunderbird and throws the same type of error.
If none of these commands work, what command should Birdtray use to start Thunderbird? I have already raised this issue on the GitHub repository for Birdtray but havenât received any assistance there. Therefore, I am posting this problem here as a last resort.
chrisawi
July 5, 2024, 4:42am
2
The Birdtray flatpak is running inside a sandbox, so it canât run /usr/bin/thunderbird directly. The flatpak build is configured by default to invoke:
/usr/bin/flatpak-spawn --host flatpak run org.mozilla.Thunderbird
For the RPM version of thunderbird, this should work:
/usr/bin/flatpak-spawn --host /usr/bin/thunderbird
1 Like
Now I am getting this error.
Error starting Thunderbird as '/usr/bin/flatpak-spawn --host /usr/bin/thunderbird':
Unknown error
I am getting this error; I found this in the log window of Birdtray.
2024-07-05 11:53:04 Birdtray version 1.11.4 started 2024-07-05 11:53:04
Triggering the unread counter update 2024-07-05 11:53:04
Window ID found: 0 2024-07-05 11:53:04
Starting Thunderbird as '/usr/bin/flatpak-spawn --host /usr/bin/thunderbird'
2024-07-05 11:53:05 Window ID found: 0
2024-07-05 11:53:06 Window ID found: 0
2024-07-05 11:53:07 Window ID found: 0
This is the updated output I got from the log window of Birdtray. I hope that may give some hints about why this error is occurring.
2024-07-08 21:54:31 Birdtray version 1.11.4 started
boredsquirrel
July 8, 2024, 4:26pm
6
Nice info but this is really bad. It requires the app to have access to a very insecure permission and will only launch Thunderbird new. This does not work if it is already running.
Background: if an app can use flatpak-spawn --host it is completely unisolated so the security aspect is nonfunctional.
There needs to be a portal for that. Until then, no idea.
drage
August 21, 2024, 9:19am
10
Run into the same problem and it bothered me to no end since even the tracking of messages didnât work. Long story short: The problem for me was Wayland, because it actually did launch Thunderbird but didnât register that it was running. So I went to flatseal disabled in Thunderbird and Birdtray âX11 windowing Systemâ and âWayland windowing systemâ and just activated for both âFallback to X11 windowing systemâ. No problems since then whatsoever.
Edit: Ah apologies you used the official repo - so I guess you can use GDK_BACKEND=x11 Thunderbird and GDK_BACKEND=x11 Birdtray to set things up - hope it works!
ablonewolf
August 21, 2024, 9:56am
11
I am not getting how you solved it. Can you share the process in detail? I am currently using the Flatpak version of both Thunderbird and Birdtray.
drage
August 21, 2024, 10:08am
12
Of course!Flatseal make sure to install this first!
Then open it up and search for Thunderbird
these are the settings I changed.
Same for Birdtray:
Hope that helps!
Thunderbird has native notifications now
ablonewolf
August 21, 2024, 10:47am
14
What do you mean by native notifications? Is it that the notification badges are clickable on the Flatpak version?
drage
August 21, 2024, 10:49am
15
I am not sure what you mean either - is that a problem or differing from expected behavior?
Edit: I am actually using Arch with KDE Plasma (Wayland) so I might not be able to fully understand/help since I am only a Beginner myself, but I intend to try!
ablonewolf
August 21, 2024, 10:50am
16
It worked like a magic. Thanks!
1 Like
Thunderbird for Linux has native GUI messages. I cant find the news article anymore, but it had that on Windows since forever, but none on Linux. Now after 20 years or so they are there.
This means all the addons and companion apps should not be needed anymore.
Afaik Birdtray cannot be fixed as flatpak, as the concept of launching TB is broken/not supported by flatpak
drage
August 21, 2024, 12:44pm
18
Iâm using Version 128.1.0esr on Linux and Windows but TB on Linux does not offer System Integration settings as in Windows - maybe itâs because of KDE maybe because of Arch I have no Idea - my guess is the very differing platforms lead to not having an unified âtray optionâ but the point was just to use Birdtray as it was intended and actually - it just works fine for me for years - funny enough that it some times actually worked on Wayland normal too, on some boots though it âbrokeâ. My solution is far from satisfying but Iâm pragmatical so I take this as fix until someone has better insight on the problem.
So on XWayland it works??
Sorry I didnt follow your exact problems closely.
TB has no settings, but the message popups are fine for me. It now shows them, unlike before where there was no system. I am on Kinoite so KDE Plasma too. TB Flatpak.
To the flatpak permissions:
wayland allows to run on wayland
x11 allows to run on x11
x11-fallback allows to run on x11 only when wayland is not possible
So if you want x11, use x11 and disable wayland, dont use the fallback.
ablonewolf
August 21, 2024, 10:42pm
20
On my Fedora 40 KDE, the message popups are fine except for not being clickable. To make them clickable, I have to turn on the native notification which seems ugly to me.
Why shouldnât we use the fallback? What are the risks associated with it?
