As part of a big exercise in trying to figure out a totally portable installation that can also be used on my local hard drive, I am trying to get TBird and FFox to use profiles in a different branch of the directory tree. So, for example :
Program is in C:\My\Apps\PortableApps\ThunderbirdPortable\
Data is in C:\My\Docs\Current\Thunderbird\
The _relative_ position of these folders will always be the same.
Is it possible to use Thunderbird2ndProfile to make ThunderbirdPortable look for its profile in somewhere like ..\..\..\Docs\Current\Thunderbird ?
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This is not supported at all. It can't be used to go up the tree. Also in a while that option will probably be being removed altogether.
I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1
Right, thanks. So ...
I very much like the idea of being able to keep applications and data in separate branches of the directory tree. (Partly for the quick, clean install, partly for the simplicity of backup of all data.)
Is there any way of making ThunderbirdPortable look outside its own child directory tree for its profile ?
Or do I have no choice but to install non-portable Thunderbird ?
As it is, they are separated - at the app level, rather than higher up. This is what the PortableApps.com Backup utility is designed to help with, then; it can be set to backup data only, and then it copies the Data folder of all apps.
I don't know quite how installing a non-portable Thunderbird would help you; then its settings would be in APPDATA - even further out of your desired structure, I would have thought.
(To answer your question, it's not really possible with the current configuration.)
I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1
I am at the point where I am seriously looking at replacing Outlook with Thunderbird for my main work usage. This would involve converting all my old email files to TBird. They go back for many years, and have a lot of big attachments, so they are kinda humongous.
All my backup procedures are currently based on the assumption that all data is under C:\My\docs (or some other single folder) : I don't want to change this, or to use some sort of two-step procedure with PA.com Backup on these huge files (though I am sure I will use PA.com Backup for the reduced installation on my Thumbdrive).
The only way the non-portable TBird will help me is that it will permit me to keep my data where I want it. You're absolutely right that it is not a good solution for me : it means that, when performing a new install on a new machine, I will have to go through all the rigmarole of configuring my email accounts, installing TBird extensions, making sure I am using versions that work safely rather than some new version that doesn't, etc., etc.
By contrast, I love the idea of being able to just copy all my apps at once into C:\My\Apps, with "known good" versions of everything, and just having to point FFox and TBird at "known good" profiles under C:\My\Docs. This would be a terrific time-saver, and far less prone to errors.
I'm sure I cannot be the only person in this position. Of course, I realise that PortableApps.com's main orientation is towards "your PC on a thumbdrive", and I will be enthusiastically using it in that fashion too. But the terrific advantage of ease of installation on a local hard drive must surely also be a worthwhile aim ?
If I may impose on your good nature a bit further: can you clarify what part of the configuration it is that makes it impossible ?
I've seen comments from (I think?) Mr Haller that TBird's current profile manager does not work with PA.com. Does this mean that there would need to be a change in the way Mozilla does things before PortableTBird could look elsewhere for its profile ?
Or would it be possible for PortableTBird to do this by some other route than the Mozilla profile manager, such as some other form of helper app, like Thunderbird2ndProfile ?
Putting things in one easy location is what we do with our apps - it's just you want to separate App and Data for all apps, whereas we separate App and Data inside the separation of all apps, which is in my opinion a lot more useful - then to do something with a package you only have one location, not two, to worry about - or to fiddle with the App or the Data, two next to one another instead of two separated more.
The part of the configuration which makes it impossible in its current state is that it's hard-coded in the launcher. If you really want to you can play with Other\Source\ThunderbirdPortable.nsi and recompile it with NSIS Portable, but you'll be doing it at your own peril. Doing that (any directory customisations at all, really) will make it so that you can't upgrade properly, and later down the path it will be done in a different way too with the PortableApps.com Launcher.
I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1
" ... whereas we separate App and Data inside the separation of all apps, which is in my opinion a lot more useful ... "
I entirely agree with you.
I guess I'm just being greedy - I want to be able to do it both ways, depending on circumstance.
So, would it be correct to say that, if I can work out how to use .nsi files properly, it would be perfectly possible to do what I described above ?
I think TB Portable only runs about 25 mb for the program itself, For now, I think the best you can do is just run the whole program out of this path: C:\My\Docs\Current\Thunderbird\, the profile itself would still be buried under those sub folders, but when you make backups, that 25 mb used for the program shouldn't be a space or speed issue unless your computer is ancient. Dpo you need to be able to get to specific profile files and want to have them further up the tree or do you just backup the data/profile folder as a whole?
I myself would love to see profile managers for FF and TB portable.