Set Thunderbird 1.0 Default Theme

[niteman]

Hi all! Before I ask my question (if you have not already figured it out ), I would like to say THANK YOU!! to everyone on the forum. I have been working on customizing my unattended XP Pro CD now for about 3 months, and with everyone's help here, I always found my answer without even having to post! This says a lot about this community and how everyone is willing to help out even the most inexperienced person here. I have truly learned a lot about windows and it is all due to you all here.

Now for my question...

I would like to set the default theme for Thunderbird 1.0 to another theme than the one that comes with it. I have tried everything! I have tried the method of modifying the default profile (mentioned here) like for Firefox, but it seems there is no default profile! I have tried copying the files saved in the "Docs and Settings - <user name> - Application Data" to the "Default User - Application Data" and it wont work! Well, it will work if every user is setup as an administrator, but not for Limited users.

I have even searched the internet looking for an answer and I cannot find one. Can any of you gurus help me out? I would be forever in your debt...

John

BTW, this is the last problem to fix before I have finished my CD! Once again, thanks to everyone here for your help in creating this CD!

[prathapml]

Hello niteman, welcome to MSFN forums!

If you are willing to take the time and efforts to find a solution, its a joy to help you out!

Now, some pointers I can give are (probably others can add on to what I've posted here):

1. download and apply your skin.

2. Go to "C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\RANDOM.default" folder and open "prefs.js".

3. Note this line. In my case, it is:

user_pref("extensions.lastSelectedSkin", "nauticalTb");

4. Your skin should be in "C:\Program Files\Mozilla\Thunderbird\chrome"

5. Note down what other changes the skin install makes to the registry/config files.

6. Then, we want to modify the default user profile to use the theme we want (so that all users created will have the skin). Go to

C:\Program Files\Mozilla\Thunderbird\defaults\profile

Over there, add the desired lines to "prefs.js" (add whatever you had found to be relevant, during steps 3 and 4).

7. That's all. Now when your thunderbird folder is copied/extracted to the desired location, the skin is already pre-set.

You might like to take a look at configure mozilla ff/tb path-independantly, and set sticky on start menu.

Happy 2005!

Please note that this topic is being moved for posting in wrong section! This is more related to "Application Switches". So similarly, post any further questions you have after deciding on the most suitable section to post in.

[niteman]

prathapml,

Thanks for your quick reply and the welcome! It's a pleasure to be a part of the community. I will definitely do what you suggested, and post how it turns out, and what I have found. I will also take a look at the post you suggested.

Sorry for posting in the wrong section, and thanks for moving it.

Happy New Year!

[niteman]

prathapml,

I figured it out! Ok, here is what I did.

First I installed the theme I wanted with WininstallLE running in the background. This isolated the files that were edited and modified. Then through trial and error, I figured what I needed to do, which is the following:

- Modified prefs.js like you suggested

- I copied a random name folder (which we will call ABC123 for this exercise) from

C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\RANDOM.default\extensions

(should be the only one) and the extensions.rdf file into

C:\Program Files\Mozilla\Thunderbird\defaults\profile\extensions

(over-write the existing extensions.rdf)

- Then using an xml viewer program, I opened the chrome.rdf in

C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\RANDOM.default\chrome

and modified all the entries that pointed to the ABC123 folder in the "Documents and Settings" to point to the ABC123 folder in its new location and saved it.

- Then I opened the modified chrome.rdf in notepad and copied all the information (leaving out the file header information) in the file. I pasted this at the end of the default chrome.rdf located here:

C:\Program Files\Mozilla\Thunderbird\chrome

- Finally, using WinRAR, I created a silent .exe file containing the following:

C:\Program Files\Mozilla\Thunderbird\
   chrome\chrome.rdf
   defaults\profile\prefs.js
   defaults\profile\extensions\ABC123 (whole folder)
   defaults\profile\extensions\extensions.rdf

I made sure it extracted correctly, over-writing all existing files.

I run this after installing Thunderbird.

Now, here is the only downside:

This puts the new theme in the theme list (so you now have two), but you cannot use the default theme anymore. Even if you select default from the Theme menu, click Apply and restart, Thunderbird will use the new theme. But, this is fine by me!

Hope this helps someone else out, and thanks for all your help prathapml! My Unattended Win XP Pro W/SP2 is now complete!!!

John

[prathapml]

Thanks niteman,

And here's more info I later found out.

1. Run

"C:\program files\mozilla Thunderbird\thunderbird.exe" -profile defaults\profile"

(from within the Tb folder at command-line)

2. Now its running with default profile - no need for later getting files from %userprofile%

So now install any themes, extensions, etc. And set your preferences as well. And install ChromEdit if needed to edit the user pref files manually (for getting rid of first-run wizard). Remember that you need to close Tb and run it again with above command, for any extensions installations to complete. Now confirm that its all according to how you like it. Then just RAR SFX it for extraction during install!

So there - you get pre-installed extensions, settings, themes, etc. - all pre-done and set easily.

MAIN ADVANTAGE - you just need the Tb installed folder, no need to bother about getting and restoring user profile.

3. Now you need to do the normal Tb extraction-style install. (i.e., you need to extract, set the .REG keys, set the default on StartMenu, put in the programs shortcuts).

Hoiping this helps others too....