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View Full Version : HOWTO: Fix Broken "mail-to" and Linking Between Mozilla Firefox & Thunderbird


Loungefly
July 22nd, 2005, 10:23 PM
This is something that was driving me NUTS ](*,)

Not too long after I set up Thunderbird and Firefox in my Kubuntu I noticed that whenever I clicked on any sort of link in Thunderbird (whether it be "Get New Themes" in the theme manager or regular web links in emails) that was supposed to open up a page in Firefox, nothing would happen. It was broken.

I also noticed in Firefox that I couldn't get any email ("mail-to") links to open a "compose" page in Thunderbird.

I finally managed to stumble across the fix for this and I thought I'd share. It works like a charm :)

TO FIX "MAIL-TO" LINKING BETWEEN FIREFOX AND THUNDERBIRD:

1. In Firefox, open the url "about:config"
2. Right click --> new --> string
3. enter 'network.protocol-handler.app.mailto' for preference name.
4. enter 'path/to/Thunderbird' (wherever your Thunderbird executable is located) for the string value
5. Restart Firefox

That's it! When you click on an email link in Firefox, you should see Thunderbird open up properly.

TO OPEN PAGE IN FIREFOX WHEN CLICKING ON WEB LINKS IN THUNDERBIRD:

1. Go to addons.mozilla.org (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/showlist.php?application=thunderbird&category=All) and download the "about:config" extension for Thunderbird. Install the extension and restart Thunderbird.

2. Now that About:config is installed we have easy access to some of Thunderbird's hidden preferences. So, from the menu go to Tools --> About:config

3. This will open up the about:config window. From here create the entries listed below, and add the paths as the values listed.
1. Right click --> new --> string
2. Type 'network.protocol-handler.app.http' for preference name.
3. Enter your path to the Firefox executable for the string value ( example- ust/local/bin/firefox/firefox) for the string value
4. add 'network.protocol-handler.app.https' with the same path to Firefox for the string value.
5. add 'network.protocol-handler.app.ftp' and your path to Firefox once again for the string value

When you click on a link in Thunderbird from now on, you'll see that Firefox opens the way it's supposed to :wink:

Hope this helps any of y'all who've had these problems

Cheers \\:D/

Loungefly
July 23rd, 2005, 05:09 AM
Doh... Just noticed some major typos and stuff ups in my initial post. All fixed now :)

Michael Matthews
December 31st, 2005, 06:41 PM
Thunderbird starts firefox but url does not come up, instead default home page comes up. about:config solution no love.

When I bring up thunderbird > about:config I see entries as 'user set'
network.protocol-handler.app.http ... make s no difference.

thanks

acope
September 5th, 2006, 04:34 PM
Now it's even easier, with [XK]ubuntu v6.06.

network.protocol-handler.app.http (and network.protocol-handler.app.https) is set to use x-www-browser.

/usr/bin/x-www-browser is a symbolic link to /etc/alternatives/x-www-browser

and

/etc/alternatives/x-www-browser is a symbolic link to whatever browser you want to use.

This is what I did:

$ sudo rm /etc/alternatives/x-www-browser
$ sudo ln -s /usr/bin/firefox /etc/alternatives/x-www-browser

and all is sweet. ;)

Cheers
Andrew
--
DIRECTOR
Evergreen Computing Ltd
Websites - Excellent Quality, Excellent Value

Email: andrew@evergreencomputing.com
Website: http://evergreencomputing.com
Phone: +44 (0)1454 269 087
Fax: +44 (0)8707 515 596

Jorge hermosillo
October 27th, 2006, 12:21 PM
I tried this and worked perfectly:

To Make Firefox your default browser:
1. Open Firefox
2. Menu->Edit->Preferences
3. ->General->"Default Browser"->"Check Now"

To Make Thunderbird your default mail-to application:
1. Go to http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/support/
2. Click Thunderbird-Help->Frequently Asked Questions
3. Follow "How do I make Thunderbird my default mail program?" link

Cheers,
Jorge

killa1976
September 3rd, 2008, 05:38 PM
None of the fixes or steps listed above work for me, I tried them all and double checked, Thunderbird will not open a html link in a email after doing them! Please help!:confused::confused:

JackW60
March 8th, 2010, 07:03 PM
Thanks.

Not being able to open the browser from within Thunderbird was driving me nuts also.
about:config fixed it for me on my new Kubuntu 9.10 install. I haven't tried mailto: yet.

Cheers,
Jack.

braincookie
July 11th, 2010, 09:30 AM
I had a problem with "mailto" links after downgrading from FF 3.6 to 3.0.19. Here's what I did to fix it:


In FF, go to "Edit -> Preferences -> Applications"
Search for "mailto"
Choose "Always Ask"
When you click any mailto link now, FF will ask for which application to use
Choose "Other", which will open a file selector
Go to /usr/bin/ and choose thunderbird
Check "Always use this application" (or something similar, I'm on a different locale)

This should be working fine now.

Note: When I look at the preferred applications for "mailto", I have now two entries


Thunderbird (default)
Thunderbird

The first one is the broken one, but the second one works fine

tjwilli
July 17th, 2010, 10:36 AM
I got this to work with this:

1. System->Preferences->Preferred Applications
2. On Internet tab, select 'Firefox' as default web browser, select 'Open link with web browser default' checkbox.

wheezer
July 29th, 2010, 10:07 AM
I have tried all of these fixes, but since installing firefox 3.6.8 and Thunderbird 3.1 (from Tbird sitel (not available from repository yet), I still get nada.

The only SEND TO link i can make work is the gmail option. I MUST get tbird working for a number of reasons. Can anyone suggest a fix that might work?

carlita
July 30th, 2010, 06:36 AM
Just because someone doesn‘t love you the way you want them to, doesn‘t mean they don‘t love you with all they have.