Hello,

It seems that after the thunderbird update I accdidently clicked new account.
Seems that all the old log in info is unretrievable.
Is there anyway to correct this?
It seems that I need to change the default profile back to the old one.
Problem is, not sure where it is stored on Solus.
Would appreciate any help.

Thank you.

this I DDG'd with the words "lost password account thunderbird linux" and read through scanned quickly dozens of posts.
Many solutions but I remember this could be a starting place (https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1293814)"
"Check to see if a password is stored in Thunderbird:

Menu app icon > Options > Security > 'Passwords' tab
click on 'Saved Passwords' button
click on 'Show Passwords' button.

Each account will have:
either a line starting with 'mailbox://....' line if you have a pop mail account,
or a line starting with 'imap://....' line if imap account
and a line starting with 'smtp://....' line for the outgoing smtp.
If you use Oauth for authentication method then you would see a line starting with 'oauth://....'

Can you see the lines for you mail account? If no, then they are not stored in thunderbird. This file may have been effected with loss of data when computer crashed.
All mail accounts will have a password. When Thunderbird needs to access the server, the server has to authenticate that it is the correct account, so it requires a username and a password. The username is usually the full email address.
Passwords are created or modifed or reset in the webmail account which you access via a browser. They are not created in Thunderbird. If you cannot remember the password, then there will be a 'forgotten password' link where you try to logon to webmail account.
If the email address is supplied by your Internet Service Provider, then you will need to follow the instructions at the 'Forgotten Password' link.
If you set up an email address using a free service like gmail, then they will usually send an email to another of your email addresses or a text message to a phone number which you previously gave them for such purposes. That email or text mesasge will have a code which you use to gain access to the account. Then you can reset the password.
Once a new password has been set up in the webmail account, logout of webmail and then test new password by logging in again to webmail account. "

**I feel like I am missing an important detail. You are saying "create new account" in Thunderbird does not create a new account: it disappears the old account and deletes it then replaces it? Doesn't seem like app behavior especially if it doesn't explicitly tell you it's doing that. but I don't use an aggregate so I have no experience here exactly.
I wonder if Solus through keys/auth mechanisms stores app passwords too? I agree with you. It exists somewhere. I don't know where. maybe in the articles. you have to start somewhere.

    If you some how accidentality changed your profile you can launch thunderbird via thunderbird -P and a profile select menu will appear allowing you to change the default profile or create new ones etc.

    EDIT:
    If you have the correct profile selected passwords are stored in thunderbird settings -> Privacy & Security tab -> Saved passwords... button -> Click show passwords.

    However I should point out that login sessions do expire. If you can not remember your password there is not much anyone can do for you. I recommend using a password manager like keepassxc (Local valut) or bitwarden if you prefer to have it stored online.

      brent

      Thanks for the reply.

      Sorry what I meant was create a new profile.
      It seems that the old passwords are no longer avaialable via the show password function.
      Gmail is mostly the problem. Even I have the log in credentials it wants a phone number.

        Harvey

        Thank you for the reply.

        It seems the old saved passwords are no longer available from the show passwords function.
        Either the old credentials are stored somewhere locally on Solus, or they are gone.
        But like Brent said, Thunderbird does not warn you of this behaviour so I assume they are stored somewhere?
        Yes I should have switched to a password manager years ago, my fault.
        I could create a Mozilla account so I can ask questions on their forums.

          If you made a new profile with the same name they are prob gone otherwise like harvey
          said you could just select the old profile and change back.

          The Thunderbird profiles are stored in the directory

          /home/yourusername/.thunderbird

          For instance I have the following (I have changed the actual directory string to xxx.default). This is for the default profile.

          /home/tracey/.thunderbird/xxx.default/

          So take a look in your ~/.thunderbird directory for something named similar with .default in the name.

            TraceyC
            Thank you, it seems that I have located it.
            Now to figure out how to change profiles on the Thunderbird Settings.

              To view and open profiles, click on the top right corner
              -> Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> Profiles -> about:profiles. If you have the menu bar enabled then like above help -> etc.

                pomon
                Thank you it was a success.
                There does however appear to be some weird behaviour everyime Thunderbird starts up.
                I had access to everything important regardless but it is good to know for future reference.
                Appreciate it.