New Thunderbird (on Linux) does not convert old .mab address book file
I recently had to re-install Kubuntu 20.04 on a laptop. In the process of setting up Thunderbird, the installation process said it had found address books and asked if I wanted to connect them. Sounded like a time-saver, so I said "Yes." What got connected were several completely irrelevant files, most CSV contacts from my cell phone, but the extensive .mab file from the old version of Thunderbird was not there.
I have found some proposed solutions that tell me to
>> shut down Thunderbird, >> rename the abook.sqlite files in my profile folder, >> copy to the old abook.mab file (which I have on a backup disk) into my profile folder, and >> restart Thunderbird, which will than automatically convert the old .mab file to the new .sqlite format.
That doesn't work. First problem is, I don't have a "profile" folder. I do have a profile.ini FILE which points to two other folders named (approximately) a1b2c3d4.default and z9y8x7w5-default-release (I've changed the exact names, but the name format is as shown).
Second problem is, my a1b2c3d4.default folder (which, in older versions, was where my abook.mab file was found) had no .sqlite files. My z9y8x7w5-default-release folder has several such files but named abook-4.sqlite, abook-16.sqlite, and abook-17.sqlite. They are all shown as 256 KB. When I added the old abook.mab file to that .default-release folder, it did produce an abook.sqlite file, also shown as 256 KB. But the old abook.mab file's content does not appear when I restart Thunderbird and look at the address books. No abook.sqlite file was created in my a1b2c3d4.default folder.
The references I've found so far appear to be for Windows installations, so I'm hoping someone will have suggestions more suitable to the Linux environment.
Chosen solution
I don't have all the answers, but I will try to assist. You do have a profile, as TB doesn't run otherwise. You can determine which one it is by clicking help>moretroubleshootinginformation, scrolling down to 'Profiles' and clicking 'about:profiles". Older versions used MAP and newer versions use SQLITE. Current versions do not automatically convert. Instead, there is an import option on the menu bar in the Addressbook menu. If your addressbook does not show your entries, doing the import may address that.
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Chosen Solution
I don't have all the answers, but I will try to assist. You do have a profile, as TB doesn't run otherwise. You can determine which one it is by clicking help>moretroubleshootinginformation, scrolling down to 'Profiles' and clicking 'about:profiles". Older versions used MAP and newer versions use SQLITE. Current versions do not automatically convert. Instead, there is an import option on the menu bar in the Addressbook menu. If your addressbook does not show your entries, doing the import may address that.
Thank you, David. That did import the old address-book data fully.
Only thing I had to do then was to remove all the bogus entries that weren't address books at all, but CVS phone book contacts that had no email-address data. Quickest way was to delete everything, which also deleted the recently imported .mab data, then re-import only that .mab address book.
I may have worded my "profile" concern ambiguously. The solutions I had found previously all referred to a profile folder, which I don't have. I know I have a profile file, which I have used and modified every time I've up-graded my OS and re-installed Thunderbird.
Thank you for your prompt and effective help.
I was glad to help, but I feel I need to clarify some terms for you. Those folders you referred to that ended in Default or Default-release were profiles. All profiles are folders, not files. There is a profiles.ini file, and that servers the role of pointing to the active profile. All the best.