Install latest version of Thunderbird as a traditional deb package without snap in Ubuntu 24.04 and later versions

24.04aptsnapsoftware installationthunderbird

In Ubuntu 24.04, Thunderbird is installed as a snap app.

How to install thunderbird without snap, e.g. from the Mozilla Team PPA?

Best Answer

First, add the PPA by Mozilla Team

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/ppa

Then, copy and paste the following code in a terminal in one go (don't copy-paste line by line) to prioritize the apt version of thunderbird over the snap version.

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

Package: thunderbird
Pin: version 2:1snap*
Pin-Priority: -1
' | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/thunderbird

Next, remove the snap version of thunderbird

sudo snap remove thunderbird

Install Thunderbird with apt.

sudo apt install thunderbird

To ensure that unattended upgrades do not reinstall the snap version of Thunderbird, enter the following command.

echo 'Unattended-Upgrade::Allowed-Origins:: "LP-PPA-mozillateam:${distro_codename}";' | sudo tee /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/51unattended-upgrades-thunderbird

To undo these changes

  1. Remove the PPA.
sudo add-apt-repository -r ppa:mozillateam/ppa
  1. Remove the apt pin.
sudo rm -rf /etc/apt/preferences.d/thunderbird
  1. Remove the apt version and reinstall snap.
sudo apt remove thunderbird && sudo snap install thunderbird

This answer is based on a similar answer for Firefox.

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