Thunderbird hyperlinks don't launch browser

[caro]

Using Ubuntu 9.04 Release Candidate with Firefox and Thunderbird as default browser and email client respectively. When I open an email that contains a hyperlink (both http and https), I can hover over the link and see the address but if I click on the link, Thunderbird does not launch Firefox.

Other apps, like OpenOffice, will launch Firefox when I click on a hyperlink.

This behavior began after upgrading to 9.04. Problem did not exist with 8.10.

[David Stansby (dstansby-deactivatedaccount)]

Please could you file an upstream bug report at: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi?product=Thunderbird&format=guided

[caro (cmatt85-bellsouth)]

User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.9.0.8) Gecko/2009033100 Ubuntu/9.04 (jaunty) Firefox/3.0.8
Build Identifier: 2.0.0.21

I upgraded from Ubuntu 8.10 to 9.04 Release Candidate. Firefox is the default browser and Thunderbird is the default email client. Since the upgrade, when I click on a hyperlink in an email message, the browser does not launch, and if the browser is already open, a new tab does not open and the browser does not go to that page.

This functionality worked with Thunderbird and Firefox with Ubuntu 8.10. No other changes were made to the system.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Upgrade from Ubuntu 8.10 to 9.04 (not a fresh install).
2. Launch Thunderbird and open an email containing a hyperlink.
3. Click on the hyperlink and the browser should open but it does not.
Actual Results:
Nothing happens

Expected Results:
Firefox launches and opens to the URL in the hyperlink.

Upgrade (not fresh install) of Ubuntu 9.04 Release Candidate.

sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoclean

were run after installation. No other changes made from prior install.

[caro (cmatt85-bellsouth)]

Bug 489080 filed in Bugzilla.

[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

Are you in KDE? gnome? xfce?
Please check what the settings are in System>preference>preferred.....
This happens more so ok KDE than the others. This is due to lack of QT support at this time. Can you please give me more info about your system? some examples follow, These are not the only ones we need so any other info would be great:
lsb_release -a
apt-cache policy firefox
apt-cache policy firefox-3.5
apt-cache policy firefox-3.6
apt-cache policy thunderbird
apt-cache policy thunderbird-3.0
Any other info would be great :)

[caro (cmatt85-bellsouth)]

 I'm using gnome. Thunderbird and Firefox are listed as the defaults in my System > Preferences. However, under the email client, I have the option of selecting Thunderbird, Mozilla Thunderbird, or custom. If I launch Thunderbird and it performs and check to make sure it is the default client, it changes the preferred system to "Custom."

I am not at home so I will have to check the other settings tonight.
 -------------- Original message from John Vivirito <email address hidden>: --------------

> Are you in KDE? gnome? xfce?
> Please check what the settings are in System>preference>preferred.....This happens more so ok KDE than the others. This is due to lack of QT support at this time. Can you please give me more info about your system? some examples
> follow, These are not the only ones we need so any other info would be great:
> lsb_release -a
> apt-cache policy firefox
> apt-cache policy firefox-3.5
> apt-cache policy firefox-3.6
> apt-cache policy thunderbird
> apt-cache policy thunderbird-3.0
> Any other info would be great :)
>
> ** Changed in: mozilla-thunderbird (Ubuntu)
> Importance: Undecided => Low
>
> ** Changed in: mozilla-thunderbird (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> Thunderbird hyperlinks don't launch browser
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/363577
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

do you have thunderbird-gnome-support installed?

what do you get when running the following command line:
 gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/url-handlers/http

[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

As alexander asked on upstream bug do you have firefox-gnome-support installed. I left that out of my above post because i got sidetracked sorry

[caro (cmatt85-bellsouth)]

thunderbird-gone-support is installed. it was not installed by default, but i installed it when i first encountered this problem. it did not resolve the issue.

caro@dell:~$ gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/url-handlers/http
 command = firefox %s
 needs_terminal = false
 enabled = true

[caro (cmatt85-bellsouth)]

installed:
firefox-gnome-support
firefox-3.0-gnome-support
thunderbird-gnome-support

Here is the output of the requested commands:
caro@dell:~$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 9.04
Release: 9.04
Codename: jaunty

caro@dell:~$ apt-cache policy firefox
firefox:
  Installed: 3.0.8+nobinonly-0ubuntu3
  Candidate: 3.0.8+nobinonly-0ubuntu3
  Version table:
 *** 3.0.8+nobinonly-0ubuntu3 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

caro@dell:~$ apt-cache policy firefox-3.5
firefox-3.5:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 3.5~b4~hg20090330r24021+nobinonly-0ubuntu1
  Version table:
     3.5~b4~hg20090330r24021+nobinonly-0ubuntu1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/universe Packages

caro@dell:~$ apt-cache policy firefox-3.6
W: Unable to locate package firefox-3.6

caro@dell:~$ apt-cache policy thunderbird
thunderbird:
  Installed: 2.0.0.21+nobinonly-0ubuntu1.9.04.1
  Candidate: 2.0.0.21+nobinonly-0ubuntu1.9.04.1
  Version table:
 *** 2.0.0.21+nobinonly-0ubuntu1.9.04.1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

caro@dell:~$ apt-cache policy thunderbird-3.0
W: Unable to locate package thunderbird-3.0

Other information:
I upgraded from 8.10 to 9.04 on April 16. After installation, I ran:
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get autoclean

I made no other modifications to the upgrade. I upgraded via the Update Manager.

With 8.10, I did not experience this problem. Firefox and Thunderbird were my preferred applications as well.

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

what do you get when running:

gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/url-handlers/http

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

sorry. saw that you posted that upstream already. nevermind.

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

are you using any extensions? could you try to disable/uninstall them?

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

to be sure: does running "firefox http://www.yourdomain.com" from command line work as expected?

[caro (cmatt85-bellsouth)]

I have no extensions installed on Thunderbird. I have AdBlock Plus running on Firefox.

I will try disabling AdBlock and check running firefox from the command line later today.

[caro (cmatt85-bellsouth)]

Disabling AdBlock had no effect.

Running "firefox www.domain.com" from the command line does work.

[caro (cmatt85-bellsouth)]

I checked Evolution today, and I can launch Firefox by clicking on a hyperlink in an Evolution email so this leads me to believe it is a Thunderbird problem.

I also noticed there were some updates in the Update Manager today so I ran them and the problem was still present.

[Bugs-kevinkempfer (bugs-kevinkempfer)]

I can confirm the exact same behavior here. If you need more informations, let me know.

[dalmolin (dalmolin-e-cology)]

The link in the configuration editor under Preferences > Advanced is wrong. The Value is pointing to the wrong directory it should point to /usr/bin and it points to /usr/firefox.

[caro (cmatt85-bellsouth)]

I've tried adding:

network.protocol-handler.app.http
network.protocol-handler.app.https

and setting the string equal to "usr/bin/firefox", "usr/bin/firefox-3.0", "firefox". None of these corrected the situation. Are there other entries that need to be made? Why would they have disappeared during the upgrade because this function worked in 8.10.

[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

On 05/03/2009 12:57 PM, caro wrote:
> I've tried adding:
>
> network.protocol-handler.app.http
> network.protocol-handler.app.https
>
> and setting the string equal to "usr/bin/firefox",
> "usr/bin/firefox-3.0", "firefox". None of these corrected the
> situation. Are there other entries that need to be made? Why would
> they have disappeared during the upgrade because this function worked in
> 8.10.
>
Do you have firefox-gnome-support installed?

--
Sincerely Yours,
    John Vivirito

https://launchpad.net/~gnomefreak
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/JohnVivirito
Linux User# 414246

"How can i get lost, if i have no where to go"
    -- Metallica from Unforgiven III

[caro (cmatt85-bellsouth)]

Yes, it is installed.
------Original Message------
From: John Vivirito
Sender: <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden>
ReplyTo: Bug 363577
Subject: Re: [Bug 363577] Re: Thunderbird hyperlinks don't launch browser
Sent: May 4, 2009 8:38 AM

On 05/03/2009 12:57 PM, caro wrote:
> I've tried adding:
>
> network.protocol-handler.app.http
> network.protocol-handler.app.https
>
> and setting the string equal to "usr/bin/firefox",
> "usr/bin/firefox-3.0", "firefox". None of these corrected the
> situation. Are there other entries that need to be made? Why would
> they have disappeared during the upgrade because this function worked in
> 8.10.
>
Do you have firefox-gnome-support installed?

--
Sincerely Yours,
    John Vivirito

https://launchpad.net/~gnomefreak
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/JohnVivirito
Linux User# 414246

"How can i get lost, if i have no where to go"
    -- Metallica from Unforgiven III

--
Thunderbird hyperlinks don't launch browser
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/363577
You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
of the bug.

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

[Alexander Sack (asac)]

in general this works. if you run gnome, then install the thunderbird-gnome-support package and configure your preferred browser in gnome preferred applications dialog.

if you are not on gnome use the preferences from https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/mozilla-thunderbird/+bug/363577/comments/14

[caro (cmatt85-bellsouth)]

firefox was already set as my preferred browser in preferred applications. both thunderbird-gnome-support and firefox-gnome-support are installed. i reinstalled them and rechecked the preferred applications. problem still exists.

[Franck (franck-roudet-gmail)]

Same trouble, with Jaunty and KDE ... Can't follow links

[jdugan (dgs-ccil)]

Not sure if related, but I was having trouble getting tbird to open firefox3.5 (/usr/bin/firefox-3.5) instead of firefox (/usr/bin/firefox). I set system prefs, tbird advanced config, etc., w/o success. I finally found I had user.js pointing to /usr/bin/firefox (carryover from the past, I guess). As I understand it, this will override other settings. Removing from user.js resolved my problem. tbird advanced settings to ff3.5 will now stay put.

[RascasseVolante (vard-lott)]

I had the exact same problem and tried all the fixes with no success. I had downloaded thunderbird and was running it in from my own ~/opt directory as I was always accustomed to doing as the repository versions always seemed to lag the latest in the past.

I got around the problem by installing thunderbird from Synaptics and by also installing thunderbird-gnome-support.

It should still work the other way (and doesn't), but this may provide a clue.

One other symptom of the problem is that Thunderbird Help doesn't launch from the menu (since it also launches browser)

[AlanInVancouverBC (alandna)]

same problem with 9.04 and TB 2.0.0.22

[Bob Vincent (pillarsdotnet)]

Confirmed on Thunderbird 2.0.0.22, Ubuntu Jaunty.

I'm not running Gnome nor KDE, but I am running dbus and hal.

Relevant portions of my prefs.js file are:

user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.ftp", "/usr/bin/firefox");
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.http", "/usr/bin/firefox");
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.app.https", "/usr/bin/firefox");
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.expose-all", true);
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.expose.http", true);
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.expose.https", true);
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.external.ftp", true);
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.external.http", true);
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.external.https", true);
user_pref("network.protocol-handler.warn-external-default", false);

As a test, I renamed $HOME/.mozilla-thunderbird and launched thunderbird to create a fresh profile.

After going through the setup procedure, the resultant (default) setup has the same problem.

[Mkmelin+mozilla (mkmelin+mozilla)]

With a tb3 beta, try going to Preferences | Attachments, then type in "http" and check what it's associated with.

ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/thunderbird/nightly/latest-comm-1.9.1/
http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/early_releases/

[Bob Vincent (pillarsdotnet)]

I can confirm that with tb3 beta3 the problem appears to be resolved, at least on my system.

Of course, the latest "stable" thunderbird still has the problem.

Can I infer from your response that the recommended fix is to run "Shredder" instead of "Thunderbird" ?

[Gary-rumblingedge (gary-rumblingedge)]

(In reply to comment #11)
> I can confirm that with tb3 beta3 the problem appears to be resolved, at least
> on my system.

-> WFM per comment #11.

[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

this seems to be fixed in tbird3.0 per upstream comments. not sure since it worked/works for me in tbird2 and 3

[caro (cmatt85-bellsouth)]

This bug has been resolved. I've changed no settings on my computer, so I assume some updates over the past month have corrected whatever was causing the problem.