thunderbird
Why do I get a corrupt XPI file message trying to install an xpi from Github?
I've newly installed TB v136.0.1 (64-bit) on a new Windows 11 computer and can't get it to accept the add-on installation file (xpi). It keeps telling me that the file is corrupt. The message I'm getting is "This add-on could not be installed because it appears to be corrupt". Is the add-on compatible with this version of TB?
I'm trying to transfer email messages and an address book from the long-outdated Windows Live Mail. I've got the exports from WLM. I just need to know how to import them into TB (this is the first I've used TB, so I'm not familiar with it, but I'm usually pretty good at figuring stuff like this out).
@hofmannmb Thanks for posting here, some users think I can debug in reviews!
I will be brief as my eyes which I use to type are bad right now. So far background what version were you trying to install and where did you get it? @cleidigh
The names of the XPI files I've tried are importexporttools-3.3.2-sm+tb.xpi and importexporttools-3.3.2. Does that give you the version number you're looking for? I got both files here on github.
@hofmannmb Wow I don't even know what those are?? Can you point me to them? They sound like somebody's fork. Just fyi for your safety you should only download addons from the Thunderbird site or through Thunderbird itself. The exception is when you are working with a known developer and known site. I am registered on atn for my addons and the home and support site (here) .
Now as I stated earlier I released and disabled v14.1.6 which was an update that among other things supports the Release channel v136.
Now you should know as a new user that Thunderbird has started to do monthly releases on the RC as opposed to the ESR channel. Many developers like myself will not be doing monthly releases. So when v137 comes out I won't be updating and IETNG will not work.
For now what you need is beta version v14.1.7-b2
You can download below , however, to avoid the corruption issue follow:
https://github.com/cleidigh/printing-tools-ng/issues/154
File: https://github.com/thunderbird/import-export-tools-ng/blob/v14.1.7/xpi/beta/import-export-tools-ng-14.1.7-b2-tb.xpi
Then tomorrow I can tell you how to import mbox files. I think we will have to do them one at a time as I currently only support Thunderbird structure. That's on the todo list.
@cleidigh
@hofmannmb
The names of the XPI files I've tried are importexporttools-3.3.2-sm+tb.xpi and importexporttools-3.3.2. Does that give you the version number you're looking for? I got both files here on github.
ImportExportTools is another project and version 3.3.2 was released in January 2019 for the use with Thunderbird 60. This can not work with Thunderbird 136.
You are in the Repository of ImportExportTools NG here, which is actively maintained, thanks to @cleidigh ;)
You need a current version of ImportExportTools NG, not ImportExportTools.
Thanks for the responses. I guess that I must have downloaded the wrong version. At this point, I can't remember for sure where I got those files, but it was either here, the Thunderbird website or through the software itself. In any case, I'll just proceed by following the latest instructions from @cleidigh above. I probably won't have time to do this today, but should be able to look into it tonight or tomorrow.
@hofmannmb I would like to take down your 1 star review. It's not even for my extension nor from a legitimate site. Just giving you a heads up. @cleidigh
I got the two XPI files I have from https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools-ng/?src=ss (ImportExportTools NG 14.1.5) and https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools/?src=ss (ImportExportTools 3.3.2). I'm not sure that I identified them correctly in my previous message. I got to your GitHub page from there also by clicking on the link in your "About me" page there (https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/user/cleidigh/).
I've got two export folders from Windows Live Mail. One has email folders with a bunch of EML files and the other has contacts in VCF files. I don't totally understand the folder and file structure that I got for the email folders in the export. I had WLM export everything my mother had in her email on her old machine. I think her current Inbox is there (as of when I ran the export on 3/24). But it also looks like there are some recovered folders from various points in time in the past. She didn't know they were there and doesn't know how they got there. There are quite a few email messages in "recovered" folders from various points of time over the past year or so that I'd like to try to bring into Thunderbird on her new computer (if that's possible).
I still haven't had a chance to do anything with the beta version v14.1.7-b2 you reference in your message from the other day. I'm not clear about what you meant by "I can tell you how to import mbox files. I think we will have to do them one at a time as I currently only support Thunderbird structure" in that message, but I'm about to start playing with it again now. Perhaps it will soon be more clear to me what "mbox files" are once I look at the links you sent.
I downloaded the beta XPI file. When I dragged and dropped it into the TB Add-ons Manager, I got the same error message I was getting with the other XPI files I had. I've attached a screen cap. I must be doing something wrong. Any suggestions?
@hofmannmb Did you follow these instructions? https://github.com/cleidigh/printing-tools-ng/issues/154 They reference PrintingTools, but the method is the same. Here is the latest beta https://github.com/thunderbird/import-export-tools-ng/blob/v14.1.7/xpi/beta/import-export-tools-ng-14.1.7-b5-tb.xpi @cleidigh
Yes, I downloaded the XPI file for the beta version you sent in your message 4 days ago to my computer. I then followed the instructions under "A slightly less ideal case (Install from a downloaded XPI file" at https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/installing-addon-thunderbird by dragging and dropping that file in the TB Add-on Manager. I also tried installing it using the "Install Add-on From File..." option under the gear icon on the "Manage Your Extensions" screen in TB. The results of that are shown in the screen cap I sent yesterday. I just downloaded the latest XPI from your previous message (import-export-tools-ng-14.1.7-b5-tb.xpi) and got the same "appears to be corrupt" message.
@hofmannmb If you followed # 154 there should be no corruption, been tried and done by many. But let's eliminate the issue, v14.1.7 was released today so you can directly download within Thunderbird. Just search for it under the addon tab and you can install it directly.
Once you do that we can address what you have and how to imprt. It sounds like you have EML files which contain one email message each. Mbox files contain one or more messages, typically representing the contents of a folder.
@cleidigh
@cleidigh
I did my best to follow the instructions in #154, though the screens I got looked different than those in that document. I also tried simply right-clicking on the XPI file link in your message here, selecting "Save link as..." from the drop-down and saving it the computer. Both methods resulted in the "corrupt file" message. I must be doing something wrong, but have no idea what it might be.
I'll try downloading it directly from TB as you suggest and update later.
I can see if WLM on the old computer will allow me to export Mbox files instead of EML files if that will make things go more smoothly. Is that worth looking into?
Thanks for all the hand-holding. I don't usually have this much trouble with things like this, but I have to admit that I'm not as good at understanding how stuff works these days as I once was. When I was a working stiff, I dealt with it regularly, but have now been retired for coming up on six years and it just doesn't come as naturally to me anymore.
@hofmannmb
@hofmannmb Absolutely no problem And no apologies . There are so many protocols and variations (thank goodness you are not dealing with Eudora!) I'm retired myself do to ALS and constantly having to deal with new things.
I have helped many through similar processes recovering, transfers etc. Most always successful, different levels of pain.
The primary issue is with structure / multiple folders. ImportExportTools understands Thunderbird structure only for mboxes, something I need to improve when life lets me. For EMLs, a basic folder structure can be imported. I think, but don't remember, WLM uses. One can always import one directory at a time, worst case scenario.
Don't bother with mbox, we should be good with EMLs. When you get ImportExportTools NG installed we'll look at what you have. @cleidigh
@cleidigh
I think I've successfully installed the ImportExportTools NG extension (v 14.1.7) in TB (v 136.0.1). As you suggested, I did so through the TB Add-on Manager.
At this point, I'm torn about how best to proceed. I've got two email message exports from WLM. One has only the 44 email messages (EML files) that my mother had in the "live" WLM inbox on her old computer as of several days ago when I set up her new computer and disconnected the old one. I also have a full export of email files from WLM that includes the 44 email messages in her "live" inbox as well as several "Recovered items" folders, each with their own inbox with varying numbers of messages (there are 400+ in one of them).
In case it's helpful, here's a screencap of the folder structure from the Windows File Manager:
Do you think I'd be better served by exporting each inbox individually from WLM and then import them to TB one at a time? When I do the import, am I able to create a folder separate from her current inbox to which I can direct the imported messages? @hofmannmb
@hofmannmb No you would just be doing tedious work for no gain. You have everything already. Probably easiest if we can do some back and forth. If not I can try to do tb / ImportExportTools key pointers and you can start with experiments to get the handle of things. @cleidigh
@hofmannmb You will want to make a folder under the Local Folders account and import there, not your imap account. @cleidigh
Yay! Thanks to you, I've managed to import all of the EML files I exported from WLM. You've made my 86-year-old mother very happy!
Can you give me some guidance on importing her address book from WLM? I have 213 VCF files to import. I tried the "Import" button at the bottom of the navigation pane in the TB Address Book tab, but it only seems to allow me to import one VCF file at a time. Do you know if there's a way to import all 213 of them at once?
@hofmannmb Excellent! can i get a nice review from your mother ? ;-}
On the vcf, I really don't know. You could try and see if the Cardbook extension will do that. @cleidigh
@hofmannmb I will be on a dev call with the Cardbook developer Thursday an can ask him about multiple vcf import. In the meantime may I ask for a re-review of ImportExportTools NG? @cleidigh