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How to add (Content Type, Action) to "Files & Attachments" in Thunderbird Preferences?

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I'm running Firefox and Thunderbird on an iMac and a macbook, both Big Sur. Was able to add rows with "http:" and "https:" into Thunderbird's "Files & Attachments" dialogue on my iMac, but cannot recreate the steps on my macbook.

Is there an accepted method of adding to this array?

Don't mind using a test editor to edit a config file.

Thank you.

I'm running Firefox and Thunderbird on an iMac and a macbook, both Big Sur. Was able to add rows with "http:" and "https:" into Thunderbird's "Files & Attachments" dialogue on my iMac, but cannot recreate the steps on my macbook. Is there an accepted method of adding to this array? Don't mind using a test editor to edit a config file. Thank you.
Attached screenshots

All Replies (7)

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The attachments settings are normally not entered directly, but are created when you open an attachment with a specified helper app, then check the box to 'Do this automatically...'. Also, there's no need to specify the action for opening http or https links - TB will open links with the system default browser. This is different from specifying the app to open html attachments.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Actions_for_attachment_file_types

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My OP was insufficient. Thunderbird is set up to open http and https links in the default browser, which is Google Chrome. I want to change Tbird to open weblinks in another browser (FireFox) but I don't want to change the default browser for my mac (Chrome).

I know this can be done because I did it on my iMac -- except I don't know how I did it there.

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There is an add-on that might work in this case: Open With. It requires a Python installation.

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BTDT with "Open With", thanks. It used to work with Thunderbird, but not so much lately.

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sfhowes wrote, > The attachments settings are normally not entered directly, but are created when you open an attachment with a specified helper app...

I was able to get Thunderbird (on my iMac) into a state where it prompted me to select an application for both http and https links, so I pointed them both to FireFox and am quite happy with that result (on my iMac).

I've attached an image that shows how this looks in Thunderbird (on my iMac).

Now I'm trying to achieve this same state with Thunderbird on my macbook.

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I don't know how those entries were added to TB, as they do not appear (and are unnecessary) in other setups, but you can try copying handlers.json from the iMac profile folder to the macbook (after backing up the file on the macbook) and see if it works. The json file can be viewed in a text editor.

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sfhowes said

I don't know how those entries were added to TB, as they do not appear (and are unnecessary) in other setups, but you can try copying handlers.json from the iMac profile folder to the macbook (after backing up the file on the macbook) and see if it works. The json file can be viewed in a text editor.

They are not necessary IF I want to open web links in my mac's default web browser, Chrome, but this is not what I want: I want to open links present in Thunderbird emails in FireFox.

I'm looking at my handlers.json file from the iMac and don't see anything that looks like an application for a web link, but I'll try your suggestion to copy this file from iMac to macbook, thank you.