[Users] Claws-Mail configuration problems following upgrade to Mint 21.3

[Bret Busby]

On 27/3/24 23:44, Gil Weber wrote:
> On Wed, 27 Mar 2024 06:51:29 +0800
> Bret Busby <bret at busby.net> wrote:
> 
>> On 27/3/24 04:32, Gil Weber wrote:
>>> Hello. I am running Claws-Mail 4.1.1. Two days ago I upgraded from
>>> Mint 20.3 to 21.3 following all the online instructions from Mint.
>>> Ended up with some issues for Claws-Mail. And I'm hoping the gurus
>>> here can help.
>>
>> Hello.
>>
>> I am wondering from whence, you got Claws Mail 4.1.1 .
>>
>> I installed Claws Mail, when I first installed Linux Mint (I believe
>> it was 21,0).
>>
>> On the particular computer on which I use Claws mail,  I
>> inadvertently upgraded Linux Mint to 21.3 - I am running 21.0 and
>> 21.2 on my two main other computers - I won't upgrade the OS on them,
>> to a later version, because  the version upgrades involve downgrading
>> Thunderbird to the trojan horse version. The earlier OS versions are
>> running Thunderbird 104.x, from before mozilla sabotaged thunderbird
>> and turned it trojan horse.
>>
>> On the Linux Mint 21.3 installation, which is up to date, I have
>> Claws Mail 4.0.0 .
>>
>> So, I am wondering how you have Claws Mail 4.1.1 on Linux Mint 21.3;
>> a later version than I have on my updated system.
>>
>> ...
>> Bret Busby
>> Armadale
>> Western Australia
>> (UTC+0800)
> 
> 
> 
> Hello, Bret. It's a bit of a strange story so bear with me please.
> 
> When I was running Mint 20.2 I would always look at the updates that
> popped up in the Update Manager and individually decide what I wanted
> to add and WHEN. For example, I typically would not immediately update
> the kernel for a few days just in case someone found a problem and that
> kernel was quickly corrected.
> 
> Of course this required a reboot. Not a big deal in my experience. And
> it allowed me to keep track of kernels and remove old ones.
> 
> Well around end of October last year I discovered quite by accident
> that I was no longer being given the option to choose what and when to
> update. Instead the system was automatically updating without my
> knowledge. Yikes!
> 
> My good friend who knows Linux told me he had also just noticed
> the same and discovered that:
> 
> The Update Manager>Edit>Preferences>Automation Tab was turned on to
> "Apply updates automatically."
> 
> Further, "Remove obsolete kernels and dependencies" under "Automatic
> Maintenance" was also turned on.
> 
> Well, neither he nor I ever knowingly turned either of those on.
> Somehow the system was now automatically updating.
> 
> So I turned both to the "off" position.
> 
> About the same time Claws-Mail which had for years been the "native"
>   v3.17.5 suddenly became v4.1.1
> 
> I did not knowingly do this update. The system just did it.
> 
> So it seems (?) as if the Mint developers may have initiated an
> automatic update system by default. My friend wrote to me that:
> 
>> "Rebooting" after kernel updates might be becoming a thing of the past,
>> by the way. My understanding is this behavior is considered an
>> anachronism and the engineers have been working their way towards
>> implementing a seamless "update and resume" capability.
> 
> Again to clarify, this update to Claws-Mail v4.1.1 occurred while I was
> running Mint 20.2 and it came over in the update to 20.3 and then 21.1.
> 
> Now, does any of that give you an indication as to why I have v4.1.1
> after an upgrade that occurred while using Mint 20.2 and you can only
> see v4.0.0 with a much more recent version of Mint?
> 
> Hope this helps or allows another participant to jump on the answer
> with additional helpful information.
> Gil
> Florida USA

Hello.

Whilst this is getting a bit digressed from the Claws Mail aspect (other 
than, on my 21.3 computers (I have my primary computer running 21.3, 
and, my other computer that runs 21.3, I do full system upgrades when I 
have to, for the kernel, which I put off upgrading, until I get a system 
crash, which requires system rebooting) on my primary computer, being, 
as I previously said, is up to date, that computer has Claws Mail 4,0.0 
installed), the question of why and how, you have Claws Mail 4.1.1 
installed, should probably be resolved.

I have just checked, on my Linux Mint Mate 21.3 computer, and, synaptic 
shows the latest available version of Claws Mail, as being 4.0.0-3 . 
That is in the Ubuntu 22.04 repository (the only standard system 
software, that comes from other than the Ubuntu repository, is Firefox, 
which Linux Mint sources from its own repository, avoiding the snap 
stuff, that turned a number of people, away from Ubuntu Linux).

I have other web browsers, also installed - Vivaldi, SeaMonkey, and Pale 
Moon, each of which, use their own repositories.

In my performing updates, I generally use the Update Manager (which may 
be a part of the Mate Desktop Environment; I am not sure), unless I am 
updating the kernel, in which case, I do it using four consecutive 
command line commands (as superuser). One of those commands, removes 
redundant kernel versions and their associated packages.

But, I have not encountered automated system upgrades in using Linux 
Mint - automated system upgrades, and snap stuff, are reasons that I 
switched from Ubuntu Linux, to Linux Mint. And, I use Linux Mint Mate, 
with my deprecated theme, to have the interface that I had, with gnome 2 
- I regard Ubuntu Mate 16.04.x,as the latest stable and usable version 
of Ubuntu Linux .

So, I assume that your having encountered automated system upgrades, 
and, the changes to the interface for Claws Mail, and, the different 
version number that you acquired in Claws Mail, is likely, something to 
do with your using Cinnamon, instead of Mate.

If you download, install, and, run, neofetch, and the command line, what 
does that show as your version of Linux Mint? I am wondering whether, 
with the version that you have, of Claws Mail, and, in the context of 
what you have posted so far, you might have something other than Linux 
Mint 21.3 stable.

I understand, regarding what your friend told you, about "rebooting 
after a kernel upgrade, being a thing of the past", that the elimination 
of booting after a kernel upgrade, may be available to paid Ubuntu 
subscription customers.

....
Bret Busby
Armadale
Western Australia
(UTC+0800)
.................