Thanks for trying it out.

That wasn't a typo btw, I just made that directory in ~ as a temporary one to work with the unzipped files.

The last step could involve deleting the messages directory and its files.

an easier way to reduce the font sizes as to use the file manage and "Show Hidden Files"

For those less used to navigating using a console, it allowed me to navigate to userChrome.css in the .thunderbird directory.  From there it was simpe to open the file with a text editor (kwrite in this case) and change the font size. 

I used the same technique to reduce the font size in firefox as well by going to to the mozilla.ff directory.

Why is the replacement messenger.jar so much smaller?

-rw-rw-r-- 1 root root  890567 2007-12-02 19:51 messenger.jar
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2708492 2007-07-28 17:52 messenger.jar-dist

This is outrageous.

I am totally new to Linux having just got the EeePC, but have managed to follow your instructions on redoing the themes in FireFox and also Thunderbird.  I have downloaded the messenger.jar to my desktop, but I have absolutely no idea how to copy it to the Chrome folder. I am used to drag and drop from Windows.   Thanks.

Thanks I did that, and sure enough the new file is in there, I checked properties and it is the new one.  But for some reason when I open Thunderbird, the compose letter is the same as it was before with several to: lines.  It doesn't look like yours.  I am using the minibird theme like you said also. Do I need to do something else?  Sorry to be so much trouble but trying to learn.  I am in Advanced Mode, not Easy.

jonmisurda wrote:

hit CTRL+ALT+T to open a terminal

at the terminal type:
...stuff....

Jon

I've registered just to thank you for this article. You've helped convert TB from almost completely useless to something usable, thank you.

May I suggest that you include the above instructions in the wiki article? I was scratching my head for a while, working out how to copy the file across. drag n drop doesn't work and I haven't figured out how to allow me to gain control of the sytem folders (can't see how to log in as root when using the gui)

Thank you from me also.  I got it to work finally.  I muddled through Console finally, but it didn't work.  Text was changed but not to: lines. I figured I screwed up so finally I just opened the .css in a text editor and saw where I made my mistake, edited it in there, saved it and it worked.  Only thing is yours above is still much prettier than mine.  Mine is just flat and gray, not rounded and shiny like yours.  Oh well, at least it works.

Yes I did.  The version I am using is miniBird 0.5.2.  Maybe I got the wrong one.  Or maybe I have something else set wrong.  I did a lot of tinkering with Thunderbird before I found your Wiki.

I have installed and selected the minibird theme but although the icons on the main window toolbar are nice and small, the ones on the compose and message read windows are still full size. I also tried the whitehart theme and this is the same. Small icons on the main window and large elsewhere.

Has anyone any ideas about how to fix this?

Doh!

Many thanks for pointing out what should have been obvious. I now have nice small icons

I did i t!
silly I am !
thank you anyway...

(how can I delete messenger.jar.backup ? do not have permission ;o(

nop
but I found an File Manager (Administrator), and I managed !
cool

merci !