Start Thunderbird with a command line argument from another application
I would like Thunderbird to start with a command line argument (-profile "path") so that I can choose where the profile folder is created for each of my users from AD.
So far I can get it to work if I modify a shourtcut icon (added the argument in Target), but I need it to work like this: I start my Application. In this Application I have an email button. When I click that button, the default email Application starts with a New email with the attachements and text from my Application. As it is now, since Thunderbird starts with no command line arguments, it creates the profile folder in the default folder (%APPDATA%\Thunderbird)
Where in the registry can I add my command line argument?
All Replies (8)
Thunderbird does not use the registry for other than operating system integration.
I am wondering why you need to specify a path to the profile however. What s wrong with using mailto: and letting the default application open.
I do not want to use the default folder that Thunderbird create, so I thought that by adding the argument, Thunderbird starts with the profile in the path I specified.
I cannot use ProfileManager to choose where the files are stored, as there are many users and I want thunderbird to automatically create the profile folder in the path specifed and use that one always.
For example when you start Thunderbird I want the profile to be stored in this folder: H:\Thunderbird
Matt said
Thunderbird does not use the registry for other than operating system integration. I am wondering why you need to specify a path to the profile however. What s wrong with using mailto: and letting the default application open.
I do not want to use the default folder that Thunderbird create, so I thought that by adding the argument, Thunderbird starts with the profile in the path I specified.
I cannot use ProfileManager to choose where the files are stored, as there are many users and I want thunderbird to automatically create the profile folder in the path specifed and use that one always.
For example when you start Thunderbird I want the profile to be stored in this folder: H:\Thunderbird
You appear to be aware of the command line syntax to start thunderbird with a specific profile. Why not just use that in your application when it launches Thunderbird?
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Starting_Firefox_or_Thunderbird_with_a_specified_profile
Have you looked up the other switches you'll need to be able to run multiple instances of Thunderbird? The "-no-remote" option comes to mind.
As Matt said, the registry is simply not relevant. Thunderbird runs on two other platforms that don't use the Windows registry, so it would be an unwelcome complication to have to build the Windows version differently.
Zenos said
You appear to be aware of the command line syntax to start thunderbird with a specific profile. Why not just use that in your application when it launches Thunderbird? http://kb.mozillazine.org/Starting_Firefox_or_Thunderbird_with_a_specified_profile Have you looked up the other switches you'll need to be able to run multiple instances of Thunderbird? The "-no-remote" option comes to mind. As Matt said, the registry is simply not relevant. Thunderbird runs on two other platforms that don't use the Windows registry, so it would be an unwelcome complication to have to build the Windows version differently.
I am unsure how to launch Thunderbird from my application with arguments. I cannot use a desktop shortcut, nor do my application knows that it is Thunderbird that is used. My application just looks at the mailto association and uses that.
My application runs both locally and on servers (for several customers), so I cannot add anything in the application since that would affect more than the users on the server.
Zenos said
You appear to be aware of the command line syntax to start thunderbird with a specific profile. Why not just use that in your application when it launches Thunderbird? http://kb.mozillazine.org/Starting_Firefox_or_Thunderbird_with_a_specified_profile Have you looked up the other switches you'll need to be able to run multiple instances of Thunderbird? The "-no-remote" option comes to mind. As Matt said, the registry is simply not relevant. Thunderbird runs on two other platforms that don't use the Windows registry, so it would be an unwelcome complication to have to build the Windows version differently.
Forgot to say that this setting will only be for the ones running my application on the Windows Server, so I do not need to worry about support for other OS.
You may not need to worry about support for other OS, but Thunderbird's developers do. And that's why the registry is not going to be of any help to you.
How is your mail app supposed to know which user or profile you want it to use? How will you feed it any content if you aren't able to use the command line?
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Command_line_arguments_(Thunderbird)
Zenos said
You may not need to worry about support for other OS, but Thunderbird's developers do. And that's why the registry is not going to be of any help to you. How is your mail app supposed to know which user or profile you want it to use? How will you feed it any content if you aren't able to use the command line? http://kb.mozillazine.org/Command_line_arguments_(Thunderbird)
That is what I am hoping to figure out. Since the use of shortcut is not available, nor does the application knows which email application is used, I had hoped that a registry setting would direct thunderbird profiles to check H:\Thunderbird since each user have their own H: drive.
Since that is not an option either, I will look into if I can be able to configure the profile folder to my application to add the command line arguement to Thunderbird when that starts.