I am using Thunderbird flatpak installation on Ubuntu 20.04.
The problem is that opening attached files does not work properly, because this flatpack installation does not recognises which application to use and does not even offers the choice to use one.
This is a major drawback of the flatpak installation, fir whcih I have still not found a workaround.
Welcome to It’s Foss Silvain,
I’m hearing more and more problems with Flatpak and Snap packages apps of late, me personally am using the Debian version. Ubuntu is based on Debian anyway and in my opinion the faster Canonical get rid of Snap packages and Flatpaks the better. All they do is clog your hard drive up with extra rubbish that you don’t need, then you go to open up the app and it does not work. So uninstall Flatpak Thunderbird first, then open a Terminal
If you have not got it installed as yet, install Synaptic Package Manager
sudo apt install synaptic
Then open Synaptic pop your password in and search for Thunderbird. Then watch at how quick it installs and how everything just works inside it.
The problem is now that Canonical want people to use Snap Packages and Flatpaks, so they do not offer Synaptic Package Manager as the main package installer any more. Years ago they had their Ubuntu Store which everything was wrong with, as it kept crashing. Now Deb packages are getting pushed to one side altogether with these horrible Flatpaks and Snap Packages that take up way to much room on your hard drive, then they don’t work properly anyway. Ubuntu and Ubuntu derivatives like Linux Mint, Linux Lite, Zorin OS, Peppermint the 18.04 version are all Debian based.
Synaptic has been around since Hamsters ruled the Earth, it has never broken, does exactly what it is set out to do. The command line apt is another way to install apps, it’s there for you already, so why on Earth would Canonical support Flatpaks and Snap Packages? Again to try and keep all apps in one place, but they are already there in either a Terminal command to install or use Synaptic. Debian packages is also part of the programming language that makes Ubuntu and it’s derivatives up anyway. Why try to fix something when it isn’t broken in the first place? Ubuntu and Linux Distros in general Ubuntu based ones anyway are getting way to bloated with all this Flatpak and Snap rubbish, when we can do without it.
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I wouldn’t say it’s perfect in this way, but I am convinced APT is the best, especially compared to Flatpak, Snap and other hipster, but bloaty and confusing package managers.
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When I first started with Linux as did many people no doubt all those years ago? Chucked in at the deep end, no real help from anywhere as coming from a Windows background, knew that there wasn’t actual communities around to help with Windows, let alone Linux. Yet was left pleasantly surprised, with the friendly forums that were out there.
Synaptic isn’t really a learning curve, it’s just more practical than getting frustrated with apps installed in other ways, Flatpaks, Snaps that end up bugging out. More and more on Forums seeing more complaints about them, yet AppImages are fine and work. If Canonical want to do something constructive instead, then revamp their package manager to AppImages. I’ve had no bother at all with them, I don’t know about anyone else?