Okay - I've confirmed my theory: I've built a couple of alternative versions of the libgiogconf.so module.
All my edits/tests were made to gapplookupgconf.c in the function get_default_for_uri_scheme(): My first test was to call gconf_client_set_error_handling(client, GCONF_CLIENT_HANDLE_NONE) against the GConf client which, as I'd hoped, prevented the pop-up dialog... Neither Thunderbird nor GIO's implementation of the GConf client changes the default error handling mode which is GCONF_CLIENT_HANDLE_UNRETURNED. Next, I reverted to the original source and added an error handler: --- gapplookupgconf.c.orig 2012-07-31 00:45:53.660787288 +0100 +++ gapplookupgconf.c 2012-07-31 00:45:31.050709620 +0100 @@ -113,9 +113,11 @@ uri_scheme, "/command", NULL); + GError *error = NULL; //Jonathan command = gconf_client_get_string (client, command_key, - NULL); + &error); g_free (command_key); if (command) { Sure enough, by making the error a 'returned' error, this also stops the pop-up dialog. Unfortunately, Thunderbird has no control over the GConf client used by GIO to lookup the URI. To fix this problem from the Thunderbird side, the thunderbird source would have to be changed to prevent making URI Handler queries to GIO that contain the '+' character. I'll see if I can suggest a diff for this in the next couple of days. I'd welcome any advice/help/comments from folks who've contributed to Mozilla products before - this is my first time so I don't know how the process works. -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Desktop Packages, which is subscribed to thunderbird in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/411358 Title: Thunderbird2 gconf gmt problem 'Bad key or directory name' because of plus symbol (+) Status in Mozilla Thunderbird Mail and News: Confirmed Status in “thunderbird” package in Ubuntu: Confirmed Bug description: Here is an error message for Thunderbird 2 in Jaunty gnubyexample@k8amd:~$ thunderbird GConf Error: Bad key or directory name: "/desktop/gnome/url-handlers/GMT+02/command": `+' is an invalid character in key/directory names gnubyexample@k8amd:~$ date;uname -a;cat /etc/*version*;dpkg -l | grep underbird Sun Aug 9 14:48:37 BST 2009 Linux k8amd 2.6.28-14-generic #47-Ubuntu SMP Sat Jul 25 00:28:35 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux 5.0 ii enigmail 2:0.95.7-1ubuntu2 Enigmail - GPG support for Thunderbird ii thunderbird 2.0.0.22+build1+nobinonly-0ubuntu0.9.04.1 mail/news client with RSS and integrated spam filter support ii thunderbird-locale-en-gb 1:2.0.0.14+1-0ubuntu2 Thunderbird English language/region package From reading this extract ( http://osdir.com/ml/os.solaris.opensolaris.desktop/2008-03/msg00020.html ): Subject: Re: GConf/Thunderbird error on Solaris Nevada "Hi Mats,I believe you download the contribute builds of Thunderbird 2, and run it on snv_70. For some reason, the fix is upstreamed to Thunderbird 3 alpha, but not community version of Thunderbird 2. Fixed in snv_68 means the fix was integrated to Thunderbird bundled with snv_68." ...it seems that the fix for this in thunderbird2 might require some manual intervention as although the problem is well know, the fix was only incorporated in the newer thunderbird3. Have just checked the Karmic version at: http://packages.ubuntu.com/karmic/thunderbird which currently shows that version 2 of thunderbird is planned for Karmic release. As thunderbird3 is at Beta 3 right now I can perhaps see why debian and ubuntu are sticking with Thunderbird2 just now. http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/about/press/archive/2009-07-21-01 However it does seem a shame to ship a new release with this known gconf issue unpatched. To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/thunderbird/+bug/411358/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~desktop-packages Post to : desktop-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~desktop-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp