i should be working (but i'm fixing my computer).

I rolled back my Thunderbird install (OpSu 11.2/Thunderbird) to 3.0.6 instead of 3.1.? 3.1 simply crashes.? So, like, could you fix this?? I sent in my crash reports ...

...

It's easy to rollback versions in Yast, which I will mention.? One of the tabs in the software installer is "file versions" and you simply click the radio button for the version you want.? Thunderbird 3.0.6 is working okay on my system.

But, first, I decided to renew my acquaintance with KMail.? I gave it up because when I switched to IMAP from POP, it was way too resource intensive.? Ie, unwieldy.

A lot of time has passed, and guess what -- not better.? KMail is moving to the Akonadi server, and so a bunch of resident programs run, but nothing new and better happens.

In fact, a lot of "much worse" happens.? Now, I've always liked KMail and for a long time it was my main email program.? But no.? Apparently the KMail team follows the KDE Plasma paradigm -- sizzle & cool stuff, but perpetual beta.

The first and main issue is that I don't know what the algorithm is, but KMail takes a massive amount of time to check and recheck IMAP folders.? Thunderbird does something different that is a lot less intensive -- and provides just as adequate update info.

But, I noticed a couple of things.? The first was that although I "exited" KMail -- and I don't mean the "exit" that is merely "minimize to tray" but genuinely exited.? And although the tray icon properly disappeared, I discovered KMail was still running.? The way I discovered this was that I shut down DavMail and KMail started complaining that it couldn't contact my Exchange server.? Huh?? KMail is not supposed to be running.

The REAL PROBLEM was far more severe.? In our last episode I mentioned that my spam filters had filtered all of my Exchange mail to Junk.? Repeatedly and multiple times, as it did not delete from the Exchange server when it moved to Junk.? So -- thinking I was rectifying the problem -- I marked all of these versions in the Junk folder as "Not Junk".

Problem solved?? I think not ....

Because later, later, here is what I discovered:? In the first go-round, KMail returned these Not Junk emails to the Exchange server.? So, I had multiple copies.? I deleted the multiple copies and moved some of my emails to subfolders, whereupon KMail was apparently satisfied.? But three emails I left in my Exchange Inbox, after deleting the KMail multiple copies.? Some more multiple copies emerged.? I deleted them and left to do some work.

Oops.

Little did I know.? It seems as though I was now dealing with the computer from 2001: A Space Odessey.? "So you think you can delete my emails, huh?"

For about four hours, KMail re-replicated the three Not Junk emails every minute.? So, I returned to an Exchange inbox with the following 60 x 4 x 3 = 720 copies of emails I had to delete.? And more coming until I disabled KMail -- which as noted, could not be accomplished by exiting KMail (it was at this moment I shut off the DavMail server.)

Now what?? Can I ever restart KMail?? I think I possibly can restart and immediately deleted the Exchange account and then if I want to try again, re-add the Exchange account.

As you may imagine, so much trouble inflicted on me makes me very wary of KMail, which I have lived fine without for a couple of years (waiting for the developers to fix all the nonsense).

Whereupon, I rolled back Thunderbird.? So ... it would be nice if Mozilla would fix Thunderbird.? It would also be nice if KMail developers would fix KMail, but history tells me Mozilla is likely to strike first.

Not long ago, I read a comparison of various email programs, which was not kind to Thunderbird -- claiming it is "old" and "feature-poor."? I don't know what the author was using -- I checked out the other email programs on his list and decided I was just fine with Thunderbird.

I also have Evolution running, which is feature-rich -- but I'm not fond of the interface.? Just one user's opinion.

I'd like to end on a positive note:? Some recent changes I'm really happy with:? (a) my Jolicloud install is working nicely; (b) my preference synchronization efforts via Dropbox are working quite well; (c) and I've learned there is usefulness to tabs in file browsers -- although I have Cairo-Dock running on my Jolicloud install, I've found more satisfaction creating a menu system consisting of icons in folders viewed with Nautilus.? By opening tabs to different folders (eg., links, local, apps) I have a very nice and quick menu of the programs I most often use.? Not as convenient as my LXDE and KDE installs, where I put 22 pt panels around each border filled with icons for my most often used programs -- but pretty convenient.

I've done this before with gnome panels on top of IceWM, so there are other options.? However, I have not found a way to run additional gnome panels in Jolicloud.? As far as I know, the main top-of-the-screen panel is a gnome-panel, but I haven't been able to customize.

Maybe I will install lxde and see if I can run lxde panels on top of Jolicloud.

Thanks for visiting and have a pleasant tomorrow.

Later:? It occurs to me the problem may be in the OpSu install / installer.? Maybe I will try installing Thunderbird directly from Mozilla, though then I end up with competing versions and less integration ...

If I try this, I will report back.? Not having a problem with 3.1 on my other installations....

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