Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

How to lock user preferences in thunderbird mail profiles

  • 3 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by Harvey234

more options

Thunderbird-Version: 52.8.0 (64-Bit) on Archlinux (up-to-date)

Hello, we'd like to use thunderbird as the mail and calendar client in our non-profit organisation. The whole network consists only of linux servers and workstations running archlinux. To prevent our users from changing some of the settings in the mail client (especially a mail BCC to our mail archive) I read about locking preferences here: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Locking_preferences

I then created a file local-settings.js with the content:

pref("general.config.filename", "mozilla.cfg"); pref("general.config.obscure_value", 0);

and copied it to /usr/lib/thunderbird/default/pref

after that i created file mozilla.cfg with the content:

// Don't allow to edit bcc to mail archive lockPref("mail.identity.id7.doBccList", archive@xxx.de); lockPref("mail.identity.id9.doBccList", archive@xxx.de);

(These are the values I became from about:config)

and copied it to /usr/lib/thunderbird/

I start thunderbird and only get this message: Failed to read the configuration file. Please contact your system administrator.

Well - thats me :(

I then tried to encode the file mozilla.cfg to ROT13 as suggested in another post and removed the line pref("general.config.obscure_value", 0); from the file local-settings.js.

Now thunderbird starts again, but the pereferences are still clickable and the user can edit or delete the BCC which is not what was intended...

I am stuck here. Can somebody shed some light on the problem or at least push me in the right direction?

Greetings Harvey

Thunderbird-Version: 52.8.0 (64-Bit) on Archlinux (up-to-date) Hello, we'd like to use thunderbird as the mail and calendar client in our non-profit organisation. The whole network consists only of linux servers and workstations running archlinux. To prevent our users from changing some of the settings in the mail client (especially a mail BCC to our mail archive) I read about locking preferences here: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Locking_preferences I then created a file local-settings.js with the content: pref("general.config.filename", "mozilla.cfg"); pref("general.config.obscure_value", 0); and copied it to /usr/lib/thunderbird/default/pref after that i created file mozilla.cfg with the content: // Don't allow to edit bcc to mail archive lockPref("mail.identity.id7.doBccList", archive@xxx.de); lockPref("mail.identity.id9.doBccList", archive@xxx.de); (These are the values I became from about:config) and copied it to /usr/lib/thunderbird/ I start thunderbird and only get this message: Failed to read the configuration file. Please contact your system administrator. Well - thats me :( I then tried to encode the file mozilla.cfg to ROT13 as suggested in another post and removed the line pref("general.config.obscure_value", 0); from the file local-settings.js. Now thunderbird starts again, but the pereferences are still clickable and the user can edit or delete the BCC which is not what was intended... I am stuck here. Can somebody shed some light on the problem or at least push me in the right direction? Greetings Harvey

Chosen solution

I notice you say:

  • lockPref("mail.identity.id7.doBccList", archive@xxx.de);
  • lockPref("mail.identity.id9.doBccList", archive@xxx.de);

I can only think of this... Where you say archive@xxx.de, this is a string value, but there are no quote marks before or after the string value. TRy:

  • lockPref("mail.identity.id7.doBccList", "archive@xxx.de");
  • lockPref("mail.identity.id9.doBccList", "archive@xxx.de");
Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (3)

more options

Chosen Solution

I notice you say:

  • lockPref("mail.identity.id7.doBccList", archive@xxx.de);
  • lockPref("mail.identity.id9.doBccList", archive@xxx.de);

I can only think of this... Where you say archive@xxx.de, this is a string value, but there are no quote marks before or after the string value. TRy:

  • lockPref("mail.identity.id7.doBccList", "archive@xxx.de");
  • lockPref("mail.identity.id9.doBccList", "archive@xxx.de");
more options

This was the first kick for a two-line: I forgot to lock the tick boxx for the bcc field which can be disabled via: lockPref("mail.identity.id7.doBcc", true); lockPref("mail.identity.id9.doBcc", true);

more options

BTW: Thank you very much ;)