Do you want to try the latest Thunderbird 128 release but don’t want to use the snap package available in Ubuntu?
Your first thought might be to run sudo apt install thunderbird to install the DEB version of Thunderbird from the Ubuntu 24.04 LTS repos.
But like Firefox and Chromium, the Thunderbird DEB package in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is a transition package. When you install that package it installs the Thunderbird snap (and reinstalls snapd, if that has been removed).
So in this guide I’m going to show you how to replace the Thunderbird snap with a DEB version from the Mozilla Team PPA (or Linux Mint) – but be aware you can’t just add the PPA and be done, you must set priority to avoid package conflicts/overwriting.
Do you need the Thunderbird DEB?
The official Thunderbird binary runs independently of and alongside the snap version. You download the binary archive, extract, move it (often to /opt), create a desktop launcher, and you’re done. Like the Firefox binary build, it offers in-app updating.
Snaps are great, and millions of people use them with few if any issues. Those looking to avoid snaps because of what ‘influencers’ on Reddit and YouTube say ought to try and make up their own mind first.
That said, there are a number of reasons why people can’t or don’t use snaps: integration issues (software or hardware), disk space concerns1, significantly larger download sizes, lack of GUI controls for choosing when things update, and many snaps being unofficial/unverified builds.
It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing situation, though.
My internet access is via a capped data plan so, for example, the massive download size of the LibreOffice snap means I use DEB version instead. But when the size difference isn’t an issue and the package is verified, I’m happy to use snaps.
But if you do need/want Thunderbird DEB, here’s how.
Install Thunderbird DEB on Ubuntu 24.04
If you installed Thunderbird OR selected the expanded option when installing Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, the Thunderbird snap will be installed. You should uninstall it before continuing (technically, you don’t need to, but you’ll end up with two Thunderbird launchers).
The process:
- Uninstall the Thunderbird snap
- Uninstall the Thunderbird DEB wrapper
- Add the Mozilla Team PPA2
- Set PPA priority (prevents the snap wrapper being installed)
- Install Thunderbird DEB
Sound good?
Step 1 & 2: You only need to do this if the Thunderbird snap is installed.
Before you proceed, back up any important data or settings prior to remove the snap (unless you’ve not used it, in which case don’t). When ready, open a new Terminal window and run:
sudo snap remove --purge thunderbird && sudo apt remove thunderbird
Step 3: Next, run the following command to add the Mozilla Team PPA to your list of Software Sources:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/ppa
Step 4: Now for the complicated bit!
You need to set the PPA priority higher than the Ubuntu repo. This will ensure that Ubuntu doesn’t fetch the Thunderbird DEB (aka snap wrapper) from the repos rather than the PPA you just added. Plus, more importantly, it prevents conflicts with updates.
Any text editor (including command-line ones like vim or nano) can be used to do this step. I’m going to use GNOME Text Editor:
sudo gnome-text-editor /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozillateamppa
Wait for the window to open (when run as sudo I often notice there’s a slightly delay), then paste in the following 3 lines (only):
Package: thunderbird*Pin: release o=LP-PPA-mozillateamPin-Priority: 1001
Save you changes, then close the app — you did hit save, right? Maybe check…
Step 5: Finish up by installing Thunderbird from the Mozilla Team PPA using apt:
sudo apt install thunderbird
That’s it; you have installed Thunderbird as a DEB in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. Future app updates will come through the regular Software Updater tool.
If you later change your mind and want to “undo” the changes above, just remove the Mozilla Team PPA using PPA Purge. Without the PPA present, the priority you gave it is irrelevant and Ubuntu’s native Thunderbird package(s) resume priority.
Have fun!
- snapd keeps backups of earlier updates to enable ‘rolling back’ to an older build in the event that a new version doesn’t work correctly. For those with constrained storage space, backups for lots of large apps can build up – there are CLI controls to prune, but no GUI ones. ↩︎
- Maintained by Ubuntu developers ↩︎
