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It's disappointing for that there is no FreeBSD release nor any easy way to find the source for that matter. Even within their github, there's no source of the

It's disappointing for that there is no FreeBSD release nor any easy way to find the source for that matter. Even within their github, there's no source of the client unless I'm missing something? https://github.com/orgs/thunderbird/repositories https://github.com/orgs/thunderbird/repositories Edit: Wow, to the down-voters you seriously hate FreeBSD that much that I cannot even state my opinion without yourselves needing to down-vote? Why? It is disappointing that we can't have another OS in the same realm as others and yet we have to keep the whole fanboi cliche going. It's ridiculous, we live in 2024 and yet still have this petty rivalry. If Thunderbird is able create packages for Snap, Debian, CentOS anything else Linux -- why can they not create packages for FreeBSD?

tux3 2y ago
The source is in Mercurial (like most code from Mozilla), not GitHub. There's instructions on developer.thunderbird.net.
- doublerabbit 2y ago
  Great thanks.
aprilnya 2y ago
It seems that Thunderbird itself uses mercurial, not git: https://developer.thunderbird.net/thunderbird-development/getting-started https://developer.thunderbird.net/thunderbird-development/ge... But yeah, it is really weird that there isn’t really a way to find the source code (or this developer.thunderbird.net page) from the main site as far as I can tell
- bitvoid 2y ago
  It's on the Contribute->Participate page.
  - aprilnya 2y ago
    Oh, I was looking at the blog site but assumed it’s the main page because I got there by clicking the logo and it had buttons like “download thunderbird”… my bad
    - 6031769 2y ago
      Not your bad at all. It is definitely their bad for having the logo link to the blog instead of the main page.
mrpippy 2y ago
It’s in FreeBSD ports, what’s wrong with that? https://www.freshports.org/mail/thunderbird/ https://www.freshports.org/mail/thunderbird/
- doublerabbit 2y ago
  Nothing wrong, but why isn't the package listed upon Thunderbird's website, nor created officially when they do so for Linux?
  - prmoustache 2y ago
    From someone who complain abouy FreeBSD haters you seem very little informed on what is FreeBSD, how the project is organized and how people typically install software on it.
    - doublerabbit 2y ago
      I am well aware that I could do "pkg install thunderbird" or use ports. My own preference is to explore the repo and compile it from the repo itself. Do you have a problem with that?
      - prmoustache 2y ago
        >My own preference is to explore the repo and compile it from the repo itself. Do you have a problem with that? You are shifting the goal post. You don't need a prepackaged FreeBSD release for that, you can pull the sources from mozilla's mercurial repo.
        doublerabbit 2y ago
        Not at all, reread my post. > It's disappointing for that there is no FreeBSD release nor any easy way to find the source for that matter. The point I'm making their were no packages for FreeBSD nor any easy listing of accessing the source. The GitHub repo I found, did not contain nor was I aware that Mozilla uses Mercurial. Precompiled packages exist for Linux, but not FreeBSD outside of the FreeBSD port system. Not even a mention.
jcranmer 2y ago
The source code is here: https://hg.mozilla.org/comm-central https://hg.mozilla.org/comm-central, although you also need a checkout of https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central for the Gecko code. Also, Thunderbird does support FreeBSD, in that FreeBSD-specific bugs will be triaged and fixed, although it's obviously not a primary platform of support.
prmoustache 2y ago
Why should they bother making a specific release for FreeBSD if a port maintainer does the job well?
- doublerabbit 2y ago
  Why should it be a job of a FreeBSD port maintainer and not Thunderbird maintaining the port?
  - prmoustache 2y ago
    Because that is the way the linux distros and BSD traditionnally package software and this is the most integrated way for the user who is just a small command away to get the software. Additionally it removes the burden of maintaining tens of operating system packages to the developers who can still decide to themselves be the maintainers if that is their wish or nobody else want to do it. A win-win situation. Do you prefer the users to look for software, figure out from themselves they are hitting the right website and not a fake clone with same software but with integrated malware, then to download them and install them with a terrible install process involving hitting next next next install while making sure to not let a checkbox checked that will had some adware like in old win9x days? BSD ports and curated linux software package repositories are the origins/ancestors of the "app" stores for good reasons. The later only add some voting systems and putting the burden of package maintenance on the software developers, remove curation and don't really prevent rogue mainteners to release malicious clones. I prefer the linux/BSD way.
    - doublerabbit 2y ago
      Yeah, I'm just saying that maybe Thunderbird should create their own package to ensure 100% is as they want it. Ports only gives myself a selection chosen by the packager, for example Chromium package does not have PulseAudio enabled. I had to recompile it myself to enable Pulse.
      - prmoustache 2y ago

tux3 2y ago

The source is in Mercurial (like most code from Mozilla), not GitHub. There's instructions on developer.thunderbird.net.

doublerabbit 2y ago
Great thanks.

aprilnya 2y ago

It seems that Thunderbird itself uses mercurial, not git: https://developer.thunderbird.net/thunderbird-development/getting-started https://developer.thunderbird.net/thunderbird-development/ge... But yeah, it is really weird that there isn’t really a way to find the source code (or this developer.thunderbird.net page) from the main site as far as I can tell

bitvoid 2y ago
It's on the Contribute->Participate page.
- aprilnya 2y ago
  Oh, I was looking at the blog site but assumed it’s the main page because I got there by clicking the logo and it had buttons like “download thunderbird”… my bad
  - 6031769 2y ago
    Not your bad at all. It is definitely their bad for having the logo link to the blog instead of the main page.

mrpippy 2y ago

It’s in FreeBSD ports, what’s wrong with that? https://www.freshports.org/mail/thunderbird/ https://www.freshports.org/mail/thunderbird/

doublerabbit 2y ago
Nothing wrong, but why isn't the package listed upon Thunderbird's website, nor created officially when they do so for Linux?
- prmoustache 2y ago
  From someone who complain abouy FreeBSD haters you seem very little informed on what is FreeBSD, how the project is organized and how people typically install software on it.
  - doublerabbit 2y ago
    I am well aware that I could do "pkg install thunderbird" or use ports. My own preference is to explore the repo and compile it from the repo itself. Do you have a problem with that?
    - prmoustache 2y ago
      >My own preference is to explore the repo and compile it from the repo itself. Do you have a problem with that? You are shifting the goal post. You don't need a prepackaged FreeBSD release for that, you can pull the sources from mozilla's mercurial repo.
      - doublerabbit 2y ago
        Not at all, reread my post. > It's disappointing for that there is no FreeBSD release nor any easy way to find the source for that matter. The point I'm making their were no packages for FreeBSD nor any easy listing of accessing the source. The GitHub repo I found, did not contain nor was I aware that Mozilla uses Mercurial. Precompiled packages exist for Linux, but not FreeBSD outside of the FreeBSD port system. Not even a mention.

jcranmer 2y ago

The source code is here: https://hg.mozilla.org/comm-central https://hg.mozilla.org/comm-central, although you also need a checkout of https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central for the Gecko code. Also, Thunderbird does support FreeBSD, in that FreeBSD-specific bugs will be triaged and fixed, although it's obviously not a primary platform of support.

prmoustache 2y ago

Why should they bother making a specific release for FreeBSD if a port maintainer does the job well?

doublerabbit 2y ago
Why should it be a job of a FreeBSD port maintainer and not Thunderbird maintaining the port?
- prmoustache 2y ago
  Because that is the way the linux distros and BSD traditionnally package software and this is the most integrated way for the user who is just a small command away to get the software. Additionally it removes the burden of maintaining tens of operating system packages to the developers who can still decide to themselves be the maintainers if that is their wish or nobody else want to do it. A win-win situation. Do you prefer the users to look for software, figure out from themselves they are hitting the right website and not a fake clone with same software but with integrated malware, then to download them and install them with a terrible install process involving hitting next next next install while making sure to not let a checkbox checked that will had some adware like in old win9x days? BSD ports and curated linux software package repositories are the origins/ancestors of the "app" stores for good reasons. The later only add some voting systems and putting the burden of package maintenance on the software developers, remove curation and don't really prevent rogue mainteners to release malicious clones. I prefer the linux/BSD way.
  - doublerabbit 2y ago
    Yeah, I'm just saying that maybe Thunderbird should create their own package to ensure 100% is as they want it. Ports only gives myself a selection chosen by the packager, for example Chromium package does not have PulseAudio enabled. I had to recompile it myself to enable Pulse.
    - prmoustache 2y ago