Yes, I’m a dual boot user. Ubuntu and Windows XP. The reason why I am still using Windows is because most of my software to work is Windows based, it’s not ported to Linux yet. I am using Thunderbird Portable on Windows and another Thunderbird on Ubuntu. I am using the same version of mail client (Thunderbird). I want to read the same mailbox and address book on both OS. So, I can still read the same mailbox on Ubuntu or on Windows.
1. Making the same Thunderbird mailbox
Right after you create a new account, you can set path to your mailbox. Go to Tools -> Account Settings.
Then go to Server setting and set your Local Directory folder. Do the same for Linux. Just set the same folder. After that, you can access your mailbox on both OS.
I am choosing to use my FAT32 partition on the path directory because windows and linux able to read and write into that partition. PLUS, It’s better to have automatically mounted partition on start-up.
UPDATE (09 Jan 2009):
For those of you where using IMAP, you should tick “Select this folder for offline use” option on Inbox of your IMAP folder. Don’t forget to set both on Linux and Windows your local directory on same folder.
2. Making the same Thunderbird address book
You can install Thunderbird automatic synchronization plugin to synchronize between your two Thunderbird. Use the same plugin for both OS. Download this plugin and install it on both Thunderbird. With this plugin you can synchronize:
* with local files (resp. files on network shares)
* with files via FTP or WebDAV (http or https)
* with files stored in an IMAP folder
After you install the plugin, just set it like below. Go to Tools -> Addressbook Synchronizer. First add your path and then check auto download and upload when starting and exiting. You can select all of your address book to synchronize.
Now, you will have automatically copied address book to or from local directory (or FTP/HTTP if you set a remote address) every time you open your Thunderbird. You need to choose partition that able to read and write by both OS.
Note: Be sure to exit your Thunderbird every time you log off or shutdown to make it uploaded to your directory automatically. Otherwise it will not uploaded and loose your changes.
Is the above set up for the mailbox supposed to support both Win and Linux Thunderbird accounts using the same IMAP mail folders? Cause if so, it doesn’t work for me for some reason, i.e. I have downloaded the IMAP folders messages completely (with bodies, not headers only), so now when I created the Linux Thunderbird using the same IMAP mail account and the same folders path, the Linux account is downloading the messages again which means it is not using the same folders downloaded in Windows.
Can you please assist?
thanks
nikola
@Nikola,![[peace]](http://blog.iqbalir.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/yahoo_peace.gif)
Hi, sorry i was to busy with my work. I just try IMAP to check it.
It should be working too when you tick on “Select this folder for offline use†option on Inbox of your IMAP folder. Because if you not check it, it will erase whole of the file on the folder and you need to download again when you open it.
See my update on above post.
thx for the feedback. I’ve got it fixed, and yes, your advise was part of the problem, but also the automatic mounting of the NTFS partition, where my Win Thunderbird mails were saved which for some reason I didn’t do it at the very beginning.
@Nikola,
![[peace]](http://blog.iqbalir.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/yahoo_peace.gif)
Yes, as part of my advice on my post above, it’s better to have an automatically mounted partition on start-up. Otherwise, you’ll need to mount it first before you open Thunderbird.
It’s glad to hear it works now.