Ubuntu 24.04 decided Snap is the only way to install Thunderbird. Your old mailbox from APT version? Broken. Your carefully configured profiles? Gone. Here’s how to get the real Thunderbird back.

The Problem

Ubuntu 24.04+ defaults to Snap for Thunderbird, which:

  • Uses different profile paths (breaks existing mailboxes)
  • Sandboxing can cause permission issues
  • Slower startup than native .deb
  • Can’t access files outside home directory easily

The Solution: Mozilla Team PPA

Use Mozilla’s official PPA to get traditional APT-based Thunderbird:

1. Remove Snap version (if installed)

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# Remove Snap Thunderbird
sudo snap remove thunderbird

# Block snap from reinstalling it
sudo apt remove thunderbird

2. Add Mozilla Team PPA

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# Add the repository
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/ppa

# Update package lists
sudo apt update

3. Set PPA priority (prevent snap from taking over)

Create a preferences file to prioritize the PPA:

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sudo nano /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla-thunderbird

Add this content:

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Package: thunderbird*
Pin: release o=LP-PPA-mozillateam
Pin-Priority: 1001

Save and exit (Ctrl+X, Y, Enter).

4. Install Thunderbird from PPA

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sudo apt install thunderbird

5. Verify it’s the right version

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# Check install source
apt policy thunderbird

# Should show the PPA version with *** marker
# Version: 1:115.x.x~... from ppa.launchpad.net

Migrate from Snap profile (if needed)

If you already used Snap version and need your data:

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# Snap profile location
~/.var/app/org.mozilla.Thunderbird/.thunderbird/

# APT profile location
~/.thunderbird/

# Copy profile (while Thunderbird is closed)
cp -r ~/.var/app/org.mozilla.Thunderbird/.thunderbird/* ~/.thunderbird/

Prevent future snap installations

Block snap entirely for Firefox and Thunderbird:

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# Create preferences file
sudo nano /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla-firefox

Add:

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Package: firefox*
Pin: release o=LP-PPA-mozillateam
Pin-Priority: 1001

Alternative: Flatpak

If you prefer Flatpak over Snap:

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# Remove snap version
sudo snap remove thunderbird

# Install flatpak
sudo apt install flatpak

# Add Flathub
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

# Install Thunderbird
flatpak install flathub org.mozilla.Thunderbird

Unattended upgrades with PPA

Enable automatic updates for the PPA:

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sudo nano /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/51unattended-upgrades-mozilla

Add:

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Unattended-Upgrade::Allowed-Origins {
    "LP-PPA-mozillateam:${distro_codename}";
};

Check PPA status

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# List PPAs
apt-cache policy

# Show Thunderbird source
apt-cache policy thunderbird

# List all packages from mozillateam PPA
apt list --installed | grep mozillateam

Remove PPA (if needed)

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# Remove repository
sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:mozillateam/ppa

# Remove preference file
sudo rm /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla-thunderbird

# Update
sudo apt update

Pro tip: After adding the PPA and setting priority, run sudo apt update && sudo apt install thunderbird to ensure you get the APT version. The priority setting prevents snap from sneaking back during future updates. Your existing profile in ~/.thunderbird/ will work perfectly with the PPA version.